When it comes to housing in Edinburgh, there’s nothing more important. Your postcode solidifies which clubs you’re close to, how long it takes to get to house parties, if your nearest shop is Lidl or a Margiotta, and whether or not you’ll be making those Monday 9am classes.
Success in the housing market is like winning the lottery, and those with the best flats have had a lucky case of nepotism (myself included), managing to bag a flat from the fourth years. As a first year, it’s nice to imagine what you can get. A decently-sized living room? No black mould? A view that overlooks the meadows? But when push comes to shove, none of that matters. You’re just another one of thirty students queuing outside for the next flat viewing. For most, we’re just happy for what we can get.
When it comes to living in the Old Town side of Edinburgh, Marchmont and Bruntsfield carry much of the fame, but I would argue Tollcross offers a slightly more desirable option. From the centre of Tollcross, it takes only a twenty-minute walk to get to George Square Campus and, if you take the right route, a pleasant stroll across the meadows. If based in Kings, the regular buses run with an average journey time of 25 minutes, dropping you right on its doorsteps. And for those based in the ECA, there’s nowhere closer.
Towards the East side of the city, Tollcross offers easy routes to Fountain Park (one of the cheaper options for those inclined to visit the cinema) and is close to the Union Canal, which offers a beautiful walk popular with dog-walkers, bikers, and students alike, leading all the way to Falkirk. To cycle the length of the canal, expect it take around 4 hours total, but a train from Falkirk will bring you straight back into the city centre.
“It’s closer than you think,” said one fourth-year student. “It’s a really underrated spot. There’s plenty of cute pubs to go with friends or for first dates.”
Tollcross boasts some pub favourites for Edinburgh students. Bennets Bar on Leven Street is a popular spot, with small booths for dates, a large room out the back with access to plenty of board games, and a hefty whisky collection to work your way through. A couple of doors down, Home Bar has an exciting range of cocktails to choose from and regularly hosts social events in its basement. From gigs, to craft nights, to clothes shares, Home Bar has solidified itself as a student favourite in the community. And as we slowly head towards the summer months, The Blackbird is one of the few pubs in Edinburgh with a beer garden (for those who’ve had enough of Pear Tree). Just round the corner, Cloisters and The Ventoux offer some eclectic options. One is nestled in the old All Saints Parsonage, and the other provides a fish tank as a brilliant distraction whilst waiting at the bar. I’ll let you figure out which ones which.
Cafe-wise, The Tree House Cafe is a firm favourite of mine – small but cosy, it has a great selection of excellent food, perfect for brunch. Comb is a great coffee spot for catching up with friends and, just off the meadows, serves as great place to disappear to if you want to get off campus for a few hours in between lectures. For those who wished cafes stayed open just a little later in the evening, look no further than Books N’ Cup Cafe, which closes at 10pm, perfect for a late-night pick-me-up if you’re on the way to the library (and Red Bull isn’t quite your thing).
“The student scene is great, the bars and cafes create a really nice environment,” said another fourth-year student, who moved to the area this year. “The flats are lovely, really beautiful architecture, but it would be better if it had a living room.” Not including bills, her rent comes to around £700; hefty pricing, but relatively average for student flats in the city.
Tollcross isn’t without its downfalls. Though slightly outside of the tourist traps, residents have busy main roads to contend with, and the central junction with its multitude of lights is a nightmare for pedestrians. If you’re planning your weekly shop, places are limited to a handful of Sainsburys and a few ScotMids. Great for mid-week top-ups, less reliable for meal planning and batch cooking. For those looking for a more affordable option, the closest Lidl is in Dalry, or resort to trekking to the Nicolson Street Lidl (a nightmare in itself).
It’s hard to draw a line exactly where all of these regions begin and end; one person’s Bruntsfield is another person’s Morningside. But I’m sure we can all agree, each area has its charms and what makes a flat isn’t where it is, but who you’re in it with.
Image by Mark Chan for The Student