Sounds like you are looking for a house rather than a flat, in which case Morningside where I live might be a bit dear, the houses round here are a touch grand. No neds though which is why I like it here.
Anywhere southern Edinburgh is really quick to the Pentlands, the rest depends on your budget probably. There’s more good bits than bad bits on the south too. Bonaly/Torphin is somewhere I’d like to live, Balerno is nice too but I wonder if the slow road into town would become annoying. The cheaper bits like Oxgangs and colinton mains probably aren’t too bad on the scale of things, friends of mine were quite happy there though someone was muddured round the corner from their house.
Living outside of Edinburgh somehwere like Roslin gives you a lot more bang for your buck though, and quicker access to the Borders, worth considering. Some superb villages in East Lothian too.