Residents include Australian and international students attending the University of Newcastle in adjacent Callaghan.

[3][9] Jesmond was highly impacted by the Great Depression which forced many to live in a shanty town called "Hollywood".

[10] This shanty town was located on an old railway track which led to Wallsend it stretched from about 600 m into bushland near the Jesmond roundabout .

The area serves Newcastle with a district centre function and as a transport junction with main roads in east–west and northern directions.

Jesmond Park, situated with a bushland setting to its southern boundary, is a popular destination for family barbecues and wedding photography given its extensive rose garden.