Newcastle upon Tyne is a city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is located along the north bank of the River Tyne and was formerly the county town of Northumberland. The city was founded in Roman times under the name Pons Aelius. The medieval Latin name is Novum Castrum super Tynum (Newcastle upon Tyne). The city is the 20th most populous in England; the larger Tyneside conurbation, of which Newcastle forms part, is the 6th most populous conurbation in the United Kingdom. Newcastle is a member of the English Core Cities Group and (with Gateshead) the Eurocities network of European cities. People from Newcastle and surrounding areas are commonly called Geordies. The Latin term Novocastrian, can equally be applied to residents of any place called Newcastle. Newcastle has a reputation for being a fun-loving city with many bars, restaurants and nightclubs. More recently, Newcastle has become popular as a destination for Stag and Hen parties. Newcastle was in the top ten of the country's top night spots, and The Rough Guide to Britain placed Newcastle upon Tyne's nightlife as Great Britain's no. 1 tourist attraction. There are notable concentrations of pubs, bars and nightclubs around the Bigg Market, and the Quayside area of the city centre. There are many bars on the Bigg Market, and other popular areas for nightlife are Collingwood Street, Neville Street, the Central Station area and Osborne Road in the Jesmond area of the city. In recent years "The Gate" has opened in the city centre, a new indoor complex consisting of bars, upmarket clubs, restaurants and a 12-screen Empire multiplex cinema. Focused on the Times Square area near the Centre for Life, the "Pink Triangle" is the centre of Newcastle's gay scene and hosts many bars and pubs and two clubs. The community has seen much expansion in the past five years, with further growth planned in the future. The city has a wide variety of restaurants such as Italian, Indian, Persian, Japanese, Greek, Mexican, Spanish, American, Polish, Malaysian, French, Mongolian, Moroccan, Thai and has a Chinese village with many Chinese restaurants on Stowell Street. There has also been a growth in premium restaurants in recent years with top chefs. The biggest noticeable difference in the last ten years has been increased opening hours, more upmarket bars, a greater range of clubs and some of the older traditional pubs closing, although many have been revamped and remain very popular. More on Newcastle