Moving to Central Coast or Newcastle

My partner and I (24 & 26) are hoping to relocate to either somewhere in the Central Coast or Newcastle area from the Southern Highlands and we're looking for some advice.
We're looking for somewhere to rent preferably 1 or 2 bed for around $400 a week. Doesn't have to be fancy but I do have a dog so not an apartment. We're wanting to live somewhere near the water and close enough to still be able to enjoy a nightlife. Not fussed on schools as we don't have children but would like advice in regards to areas that do have some places to go out at night, cheapish rent, but relatively safe. I've tried to do some research but can only find suggestions for families with kids. We don't expect to find somewhere as busy or bustling as Sydney as we are coming from a small country town but we would like a bit more of a variety of entertainment from where we are coming from!
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated as we are only in the first stages of doing our research and any direction would be fantastic.