Edinburgh- best places to live for a Londoner and young family

[mousemole]

I am London born and bred and have finally been convinced to move with hubby's job to Edinburgh. I love it as a visitor but am nervous about moving so far away from family and friends. We have 2 boys, 3 and 1.
So, what are best city centre areas to live in ? Where should you live to be near the best nurseries and schools (private or state)?
Am I totally mad or will I fall in love with the place ? Any other tips gratefully received. We will be renting at first.

The Grange?

Unless the OP has a budget of £1m+ . . .

Funniest thing ever happened to us when we got lost in The Grange area.

Not the picture of a soul on the pavements.

DH finally saw a chap outside trimming a huge hedge.

So he stopped the man, who immediately said, 'Ah, is that you here for the assistant gardener job?' DH said, 'Erm, no, but this isn't my part of town and I'm looking for directions to . . .' So the chap told us where to go and then DH asked, 'Why did you think I was here about the job?'

And the chap chuckled and said, 'The only Scots you here round here are staff.'

You'll love it -it's a great city. If you've got cash I'd go for New Town/Morningside to be near the centre but still family orientated. Having said that you'll need a LOT of cash to get a 'house' in either of those areas - I'm in the New Town and a main door flat (a flat with your own front door as opposed to being in a stair) with shared rear garden is considered fairly posh - a flat with a private rear garden is big bucks and anything 'detached' is pretty much unheard of. If you want a detached house then you are better looking at some of the suburbs. Having said that, if you're not bothered about tromping down a stair to a shared back green then prices are falling in the city centre and there are some fab flats.

I'm biased because I don't drive and I love living centrally but having lived in Hillside and the New Town I have never found any shortage of family friendly cafes/playgroups/activities/parks locally.

Go for it. You'll love it.

ROFL at your Grange story Expat.

I'm selling a lovely flat in Edinburgh just now, if you are interested?

Shameless, me..

Mousemole - how old are your children? Are you looking for state schools or private?

DirtySexyMummy - where's your flat - my FIL/MIL are looking for something in Edinburgh at the moment. (but got to be ground floor).

'I'm selling a lovely flat in Edinburgh just now, if you are interested?'

I wouldn't go back there for all the tea in China.

Not a city person, me.

meep-i grew up on the southside too! Small world
Currently live in small flat on outskirts of Grange so get to walk around with buggy feeling jealous of all the lovely houses!

come and rent in the centre, by the time you have had 10 or so 'edinburgh' conversations you will know all you need to know about property and schools. if in doubt waitrose sell a particularily smug publication on good schools nad nurseries in edinburgh.

sorry to disillusion you expat but i and my husband were born and bred here, and yes there are enormous wonderful houses in the grange (in which I would LOVE to live), but loads of the big houses are divided into flats. there are tonnes of scottish people here, and the people in my street who aren;t scottish are generally academics working at the uni (not known for their massive wages really either). sorry to blow your stereotype!

'sorry to blow your stereotype! '

Um, red, it wasn't my stereotype, sorry to disillusion you.

It was the opinion of some random chap gardening for someone.

I've only ever been through The Grange once in my whole life. And I never got out of the car.

I've seen it in property mags, though.

hmmmmmmm herecomethegirls, i also wander around with buggy looking lustfully at all the Law Lord mansions...bet i've seen you.

Agree with Sheheraz. It's not a big city so doesn't take long to get a feel for areas that you would like to settle in.

redrobin-do you frequent Newington library?

I've been to the Waitrose in Stockbridge, however .

Went to Morningside once. To visit a shop that sold C width shoes for DD1.

But it turned out to be closed so went to Russell & Bromley in Prince's Street instead.

God I am so a city person! I'm far too sociable to live out in the country

The flat I am selling is a main door, ground floor flat, 2 bedrooms, living room, bathroom, kitchen, front and back gardens and separate garage down a large driveway.

On a main road, 30 seconds walk from a main bus stop. A small convenience store, a Hairdressers, a Post Office and a Chemist are 4 doors along.

hctg, i do! in fact am going tomorrow to fight with those awful machines they have put in. have 2 girls, 3 and 18 months. will now be looking at everyone trying to spot fellow MNetter!

'Prince's'

Expat!

I'm moving to Trinity this week and am very excited as will have garden for the first time, obviously biased but it is a lovely area on good bus routes and good schools, parks etc If you go on to the Edinburgh council website you can get the catchment areas for schools and if you go on the care commission website you can read reports on nurseries. aprt from Trinity/Newhaven area I would say Bellevue for city centre living but houses with gardens.

hahhahahhaha!

Hey, I'm not from there. DH and the girls are. And DH is so dyslexic and dysgraphic I wonder that he'd be able to spell Prince correctly at all .

It is a great place for city people, it's true, though.

But nah, as PC Plum sings, 'I love the country!'

that was aimed at dsmummy btw

and this coming from someone who says the Bridges are Newington and not the Bridges.

ah but expat you are spending a lot of time on a thread about a place you were glad to leave....

i have a 20mth dd, she is usually crawling around at top speed (late walker)with me chasing her/trying to stop her from climbing on strangers and examining their clothing! She also shouts 'clock' at the clock, she is quite distinctive!