By Leah, 15
When my Mam was my age, Newcastle had a place for everyone. If you were a goth, an emo, a punk, or even just a bit weird, you went to The Green.
Old Eldon Square wasn’t just a spot to sit with a Starbucks like it is today. It was alive with subcultures. She’s shown me pictures of crowds dressed in black, faces covered in eyeliner, band patches sewn onto ripped jackets. It looked like a different world.
Now, that world is gone.
I still walk past The Green sometimes, trying to imagine it the way she describes it. But all I see are office workers eating meal deals and shoppers taking a break. The groups of alternative young people, the music, the sense of belonging, it’s all disappeared. And it’s not just The Green. It feels like everywhere is like this now. The days when youth subcultures had a presence in the real world seem to be over.
“My older brother used to be a skater,” says Jordan, 18, from Gateshead. “His friends hung out at The Green, and they all looked different. Proper goths, punks, emos. Now, if you go into town, everyone just dresses and looks the same.”
We don’t need real spaces anymore because we have the internet. Subcultures exist on TikTok and Instagram trends, but they don’t feel real. Instead of finding people like you in town, you scroll through a feed. It’s easier, but it’s also lonelier.
“I don’t know where people like me are supposed to go,” says Tasha, 16, from Walker. “You used to be able to spot alternative kids in town. Now, if I dress a bit different, I just feel like I stick out in the wrong way.”
Even music scenes don’t feel the same. Rock clubs play more chart music, independent shops have shut down, and the idea of a true underground movement feels impossible when everything gets turned into a trend in weeks.
“It’s like subcultures don’t last anymore,” says Max, 19, from Newcastle. “They get swallowed up by fashion brands, go viral for a bit, then disappear. People used to live in their subcultures. Now it’s just something to post about.”
Maybe that’s why The Green feels empty. Maybe it’s not just about Newcastle. Maybe subcultures have changed everywhere. But I can’t help feeling like something’s been lost. My Mam’s generation had their place. Where’s ours?
This story was written by a young person as part of the Headliners Young Journalist programme. This project was made possible by the Million Hours Fund.
