Please could you humour me and tell me about Portobello/Joppa?

[MeanMrsMustard]

Hi, I am trying to get my head around a possible future move to Edinburgh. We (DH and I) are from, and living in London, but we don't want to live here when we have kids (Hopefully 2013/2014). We briefly lived in Edinburgh 8 years ago and think we would like to return.
I would love to live by the beach, so Portobello stands out. I have been there before, and liked what I saw, but this was a while ago and we weren't looking at it with a view to moving at the time. Hopefully we will get to visit in October and check it out again.

I'm really looking for as much first hand info about the area as possible.
What is it like to live there?
Which are the more sought after areas and are there areas worth avoiding?
What is Joppa like?
We would probably rent at first, but when buying our budget would be £450000 max. I am getting confused with the combinations of OIRO, Offers Over, and Fixed Price properties. What do they all mean in this market?
Will our English accents be a problem?
How long does it take to get into Edinburgh centre?
What are the schools like?
What is the cost of living like?

I realise I am asking a ridiculous amount of questions. Any info would be much appreciated though!
Thanks

If your budget was around that duddingston has nice houses and it's a walk away from
Portobello. 10 minutes from city centre, duddingston primary has a good NAme and you also have a good choice of private schools. Your English accent wouldn't be a problem I don't think.

Your English accent won't be a problem in Porty. It's a lovely trendy gentrified part of Edinburgh and you'll find lots of other young families to hang out with. Joppa the same. Both sort of village-y.

Where did you live in Edinburgh before?

Hi there, and thanks for the replies.

SundaeGirl - Thanks for the info. Sounds great! last time we lived in West End. Learmonth something or the other I think. We were only there about 5 months whilst DH did some work for Bskyb in Livingstone, but we both loved it.
If we do move, DH will be working in Holyrood, which looks like a pretty straight forward commute from Portobello.

Mani - Thanks for the dunningston reccomendation. I will do some research into the area.

I'm glad my accent won't thwart my plans!

Sorry - Duddingston

Duddingston is lovely and houses are affordable at that budget, average bungalow prob about 350000 I live in duddingston and live it. However I know duddingston primary is a good school my son goes private and so will bump number two when they arrive in the next couple weeks.

Edinburgh has a very high number of children at private schools, doesn't it? I'm not sure if we could afford that. One probably, but not two. I'm a teacher, and whilst I'm certain I'm able to registar with the gcts to become employable, I know that the primary school job market in Scotland is very competitive. I'm planning on being a SAHM whilst any child/ren are young, but I imagine I'll be accepting any job offered to me - whether in teaching or not - when I return to work. If we do move to east Edinburgh I guess my kids are going to Porty high!

We are def going to visit the area in October. I've added duddingston to the plan now. There is not a huge amount on espc, but what is listed looks hopeful!

Thanks all once again

I live in Duddingston. Dd2 goes to St Johns in Portobello. I went to Holy Rood many years ago!! The area is lovely.

In general it's a great area! Everything is handy and close!! Worth looking at when you come here. Good luck!!

It's a shame you even had to worry that your accent might be 'a problem'! I hardly know (or even hear) anyone round here who doesn't have a London accent! Edinburgh is full of people from all over Europe (and the rest of the world) now, and all the better for it. I'm sure you will be made to feel very welcome, wherever you settle. Good luck!

THanks everyone. Everything sounds so positive!
I'm really hoping this is something that happens for us - and soon!

I hope I didn't offend anyone asking about the accent. I've never had any issues anywhere in Scotland I've been. I was just firing out as many questions as I could think of.

I've lived in the area a long time, love it.

Portobello High Street has a proper butcher , fishmonger, fruit and veg shop, Victor Hugo deli, several cafes/coffee and cake shops and a nice bistro type place that sells gorgeous cakes ( the Skylark)
There is a Sainsbury local coming soon although the usual folk are opposing it.
Its not far to 24 hour Tesco in Musselburgh or 24 hour Asda at the Jewel.
Also a Lidl and Aldi in Musselburgh.

The Espy on the Prom corner of Bath St. does nice meals, the Beach House opposite it does teas ,coffee and cakes and at the foot of Kings Road theres a gallery/cafe the Tides

In Scotland each school catchment has 2 schools, one catholic and one non denominational
For Portobello/Joppa thats St Johns RC and Towerbank, for Duddingston thats Duddingston Primary and St Johns again.
The secondaries are Holy Rood High (RC) and Portobello High.
Holy Rood was rebuilt recently Porty High is due to get rebuilt on a site near Milton Road
The council website has catchment area maps you can download to show if the street you want to live in is in the catchment for Towerbank or Duddingston primary.

As well as the beach there are quite a few parks , Rosefield park hosts a wee market first Saturday of the month

porty.org.uk/

porty.org.uk/ is a local community website

there is also a forum talkporty which also has a facebook page

Oh, I take it back about Porty High getting rebuilt