Rents, commuting into the city by bike, areas to avoid etc etc

I know it isn’t a cheap place to live but is it as much as the south east?

It’s great.

When you moving here?

Great city. Small enough to ride out of, big enough to have everything you need in a city, Rents comparable with the south east – its an expensive place. http://www.espc.com/ for rentals

Lots of cycle commuters – cycle provision is a mix of the great – converted railway lines and the awful – old congested city centre. So it depends very much on where you are going to and from.

You have the pentlands and and other bits around the city for offroad riding – not the most exciting but nice and Glentress, innerleithan are not far away.

Its ace – seriously – lived in Central belt for 6 years but moved to central Edinburgh in October last year – its got everyhing you want for a small city – plus a mountain!

It’s decent. I would say that there are no areas to avoid.

I paid similar rent in Edinburgh to the rent I was paying in Bristol – both in very nice areas of the city. In Edinburgh, the stock of rental accomodation is generally very good indeed anbd while you pay quite a bit, you tend to get good digs for your money.

It’s a brilliant place to live, and most people who’ve lived there struggle to find cities they prefer (although some don’t get on with the ‘poshness’ of it).

On the whole pretty good for cycle commuting. It’s quite hilly but that just means you get fitter and get good views.

EDIT: The ‘nasty’ areas of the city are pretty obvious when you visit them.

its populated with people who ain’t jockish ?

I would say there are quite a few areas to avoid, but that’s part of the charm of discovering a new city ! I wouldn’t live in Leith again if I could avoid it. And anything on the circular 32/52 bus route. In fact, just do a circuit on that bus route one day to get yourself oriented.

And perversely I wouldn’t live in the New Town even if I could afford/avoid it, would just end up punching some loud voiced horsey faced yah.

And don’t arrive in August and think “wow this city is amazing it’s full of all these interesting and cosmopolitan people and the bars are packed until 6am even on a weeknight” cos those are just the Festival Types.

I will add the there are a hell of a lot of uptight people in Edinburgh and this shows on the roads…

Move to Glasgee for a proper Scottish city and to avoid the tartan and yanks buying tartan.

Apart from the traffic light sequences set up to stop me driving through the city at illegal speeds its probably one of the best places on this earth.

Visual and just feels ‘right’.

Where would you be moving from?

It can be quite a polarising place I find, depending on your mood. You visit a normal city and see what Edinburgh lacks and realise it’s basically an enormous tourist village. Like an obese Shrewesbury.

OTOH, you see what Edinburgh offers compared to everywhere else – it has a grandeur unmatched by any other UK city IMO, and it can be a special place to live.

The shiteland hills are great for doorstep riding, as well.

One of the best looking cities in the world with loads of good resources, but I can’t understand why anyone would want to live there.

watch trainspotting…. thats what scotland is like.

it’s not for the likes of you

It’s drier and colder than a lot of places in Scotland.

It is pretty to look at, particularly on a sunny day like today.

I must admit that I prefer Glasgow to be honest, but would not want to actually live in either city.

Been here 9 years, not planning on going anywhere.

Tellingly, a lot of my friends who no longer live here, from different backgrounds, cyclists and non-cyclists, regret leaving and wish they could come back.

If you can look beyond trail centres and super gnar Alpine style descents then you’ll have a lot of fun exploring the local MTB, don’t be afraid to buy a map and explore the Pentlands as opposed to just asking for the ‘best’ routes and missing all the interesting little bits in between.

Music scene is pretty ropey, you’ll not get that many live bands coming though, but Glasgow is only a short (expensive…) train journey away.

I feel like a traitor to my own kind here, but if you value a good night’s sleep I’d maybe avoid Marchmont and Bruntsfield, lots of noisy students (I would know, I used to be one of the inconsiderate b******s)

I feel elements of Edinburgh-jealousy creeping in.

If you can afford a place there- **** excellent place IMO.

Yes, there are people in kilts etc but then you get LOADS of tourists in that over excellent British city….London.

Missus and I came here for a few years to see if we liked it. 15 years later…..

Of course it aint perfect. There are places to avoid, it aint cheap, but lots in town and on the doorstep.

If you can live near on of the cycle routes, the canal or the Water of Leith then getting around by bike is easier. The council website has some pdfs that detail these.

You wouldnt want to be a whiner about the weather mind! Its colder but drier than the west coast imo.

I lived there for 5 years and moved a little bit north 8 years ago. Its a great place to live, but probably best experienced as DINKY.
Me and Mrs J are going to move back when we retire 🙂

Love seeing Arthurs seat from your window 🙂

I’ve been here 11 years now.
Great place.
Small city, you can cycle across it easily.
Quite expensive to rent/buy.
Good for cycling, some nice ‘hidden’ routes, also parks & hills within the city like arthurs seat, blackford hill, corstorphine hill.
Pentlands is 20min from centre, not much nice singletrack there, more wilderness riding, hills etc, good though, lots to explore.
Glentress etc is 1/2 hour drive.
Places to avoid – Craigmillar, Niddrie, Pilton, Granton, Wester Hailes, although there’s good & bad everywhere.
Leith for example is a very large area running from the centre out to the coast, good for renting but has good & bad areas.
It’s the second best city in Scotland (after Inverness!)

Lived there about 10 years ago. Wish I was back there now 🙁 So do it.

it’s rotten, move to glasgow!

disclaimer: my experience of edinburgh consists of visiting tynecastle, easter road and going to portobello with the playscheme as a wean, it may actually be great!:D