Family friendly areas close to Edinburgh City Centre

[Chocolaterices]

I am gratefully looking for any advice on where we should relocate in Edinburgh.

We (me, DH, toddler, baby) currently split our time between London and our flat in the West End but are planning to move to Edinburgh permanently. We know the city very well but I'm less sure about truly family friendly areas. We really want to build a community around us, meet friends through (state) schools, live somewhere where lots is happening for children etc. I feel under a lot of pressure to get this move right, having felt quite isolated in our current area of London which has a highly transient population.

We have a budget of approx £1m and work remotely so that is not an issue. We would like 3+ beds and access to green space but we definitely prioritise central living over a large house and garden and would be happy to remain in a flat, although preferably ground floor.

We are particularly looking at the following areas and would be grateful on feedback on any:

• Stockbridge
• Marchmont
• Bruntsfield
• Morningside
• Polwarth

We know all of these areas pretty well, use playparks and shops there etc. but do not know much about the schools or sense of community.

Thanks in advance!

I recommend adding Trinity into the mix. There's some lovely houses within budget, great sense of community, good schools and short bus into town. Or if you're closer to the Newhaven side of Trinity, you can get the tram.

If you’re happy to live in a flat, I’d also suggest The Grange area. You could get a flat within budget there with a nice bit of garden probably.

Marchmont strikes me as quite transient, and I also can’t think of what you would spend £1m on there unless I am confusing its boundaries with The Grange/Blackford.

All the areas you mentioned have good local schools and settled families to build a community with. Stockbridge definitely has the more “city centre” vibe, but find yourself a nice street and become involved at the local school and it won’t feel transient. You may find a lot of neighbours opt for private schooling though. Are you aware close to 25% of school places are private in Edinburgh? It’s quite different to some other places education-wise in that regard.

Bruntsfield is also quite lively and has strong community organisation. Great local schools that plenty of families move to the area for. Morningside is similar, always community events going on and excellent schools. They feed into the same secondary as Bruntsfield.

School would be an issue for me. I’d discount marchmont as too studenty. Have a look at schools -would you go private? I’d also add Trinity in as nice and leafy, close to parks and town.

Definitely all those areas meet your needs but I would definitely be thinking about the high schools, remembering as a pp said that 25% go private.
Stockbridge - Broughton HS catchment, nope
Tinnily - nice school, new building being completed
Bruntsfield - Boroughmuir, definitely academic
Marchmont - Gillespies, yes but area maybe a bit transient
Would Currie / Balerno be too far out? Good schools and nice communities.

I don’t think any of these are bad choices, Edinburgh has to have possibly the best child friendly amenities of any city in terms of activities that are easy to get to but bus or train or on foot, not too busy etc. (not that I’m biased). Just to reduce the pressure. Most of my neighbours moved here from London for these reasons. I’m Newtown-y but honestly, don’t overthink it, you can move within ed or rent for a bit? But there are no bad choices on that list to my mind.

you might want to think in general about your
plan to build a network, I work FT and when mine were small that really was one issue as I could never meet up on Friday mornings for coffee etc so factor that in.

Trinity has some lovely areas but for me the downside is not as good amenities. There's a handful of shops and a couple of cafes around but nothing like Stockbridge or Bruntsfield areas and it's a bit sparse on bus routes too.
I'd look into Portobello too, although it's a bit further out, it has a great sense of community and I've only heard good things about the schools.

Just to counter the Marchmont = studenty and itinerant, the vast majority of my neighbours have lived here for 10+ years. Our children have grown up together. Yes there are students, but you hardly see them. The communities around Sciennes and James Gillespies are super close, partly because the catchments are so small.

It's also a lovely place to live - the trees, greenery, gardens and wider streets makes it feel less dark and grey than a lot of places in Edinburgh.

Morningside is a good option - the new Canaan Lane school is brilliant.

I don't like Polwarth and Bruntsfield, both better suited to young professionals without children (gardens are rare, small and dark)

Although in polwarth and brunsfield you’re still really close to everything. I couldn’t say I’ve been to a part of Edinburgh I wouldn’t live in except perhaps the west end as does feel a bit corporate - but haven’t been there to residential areas in a while.

It'll be hard to find 'community' in the city centre areas you've mentioned, no kids playing out etc. you'd be better off in the suburbs for that. Nowhere in Edinburgh is very far from the city centre but the west and east are best served by public transport. North and south not so much.

True, and Bruntsfield has a lot of nurseries close by, if childcare is a factor.

Not sure what you're basing this on - with the links just a short walk away the kids often play there. And the buses are excellent (or just walk).

We have a neighbourhood WhatsApp, we all get together for bonfire night, trick or treating, football matches, school fairs. Our local community is one of the main reasons we haven't decamped to the suburbs.

Marchmont/Sciennes/Grange/Blackford are all great areas to bring up children. There's a good community feel in these areas and loads to do. Like a pp said, Marchmont isn't as transient as it once was - there are lots of families, and children going to local schools. That said, with your very large budget, I would probably look at a house nearby as Marchmont is pretty much all tenements.

My budget is nowhere near yours so I live in a different neighbourhood but I have friends in Stockbridge who love it (and are very happy with broughton - their daughter is in the music programme there) and know plenty of people happily raising children in morningside and bruntsfield. I’d personally prioritise a garden, but there is lots of green space anywhere in the city of course. I personally haven’t heard great things about Gillespie for high school from a pastoral care perspective - but my daughter is autistic so I am in a different place with it.

Honestly though my friend with the most stories about community events and play dates and school get together is a friend who moved out to Balerno. Loads of kids running around and playing out and lots of community spirit. Depending on what you prioritise that might be a place to consider - you could certainly get a beautiful home out there too (it’s too far out for me but my husband and I both work in the city centre)