I somehow imagine it being such an enormous shithole. What kind of city is it though? Always imagined Middlesborough being the shit hole of the north-east. Isn't Middlesborough like an industry town with just bunch of smog?
They're both grim, but Boro has something resembling a city centre. A massive, hugely successful university and due to all the heavy industry it actually has character. It has an identity to it that Sunderland completely lacks.