Any advice for an American moving to Edinburgh?

Oh wow, you are going to love it! You regularly busk don’t you? You shall fit right in! The good news is that you don’t need a permit to busk in Edinburgh apart from during the fringe festival (source) although the best income from busking would come during the festival, so if you can acquire one for then all the better. More info In general, though, Edinburgh has so many visitors that a busker can do rather well there (particularly if you can find yourself a good spot along the royal mile).

What I will say is that it is generally a VERY cold city – very windy and frequently wet. Beautiful still, but brrrrrrrr cold! Most accomodation is in tenement buildings = high ceilings, shared entrances and stairwells, and also more chilly than not!

And not a cheap city to live in – accomodation is often costly, but if you are sharing that will help. Getting accomodation without a job is tricky – does your English friend have work?

It’s such a vibrant city though, and so full of history, I’m sure you’ll have a great time living there. I would probably suggest avoiding Rose Street, which runs parallel to Princes Street, as it is the popular place for visitors to the city wanting a wild night out. This is where many drunk stag and hen parties crawl from one pub to the next.

I take it you’ve sorted a visa for coming over?

I don’t know anyone who has visited Edinburgh and come away without falling in love with it. :-)

Leith is in that in between stage of moving from being the red light district to being much more gentrified, still some scary places down there, but can be cheap to live there still. Accommodation in the centre is v expensive, cheaper the further out you go. Avoid any place with tower block accommodation. Edinburgh has a severe drugs problem. Try to live as central as possible. As a student I lived in Marchmont but that went silly prices a good few years ago.

Try reading some Ian Rankin novels before you go. They are a cracking read and genuinely descriptive, capturing the essence of the city.

Everything changes completely during the festival in August.

@harple is right, take plenty of warm clothes.

If you want to, PM me – I might be able to put you in touch with some folks

Thank you, thank you!! @harple I haven’t sorted out a Visa. I have a one way flight and if they give me a hard time at customs I have my story worked out. I figure I’ll leave every six months and keep getting tourist visas. If I get a “real” job there I’ll apply for a work visa. I honestly haven’t though much about that, I just hope it works out. I am planning on busking! Great to hear about the permit. Hopefully the tourists will start coming soon!!

Build up a taste for good whiskey.

@elbanditoroso I was thinking that, since I’m trying to avoid the calories of beer!