 It is also known as the historic heart of Sunderland's legal and real estate sectors, with many solicitors and estate agencies based in the area.Sunniside grew up in the Victorian Era as the original business centre of Sunderland.At the height of Sunderland's power as a shipbuilding centre, most of the mercantile insurance and reinsurance companies and other associated business functions were based in Sunniside, as were a substantial number of foreign consulates, including the Netherlands, Denmark and Russia.