"It has people at its heart": Locals react to Leith being named as one of Edinburgh's coolest places to live
When asking Edinburgh locals on the coolest places to live in Edinburgh, Leith was a firm favourite.
What makes the area so desirable and cool to live in? We took to the streets and asked those who lived here.
Kirsty Wood and Jamie McInnes have just signed their tenancy to move back to Leith after spending some time away. What do they think makes Leith so cool to live in?
Jamie said: “The abundance of coffee places and cake places, community places that are artsy and artistic endeavors. It’s kind of antithetical to the big city attitude. It's a community, it has people at its heart.”
Kirsty, who was wearing a “Live Laugh Leith” cap which she got at her friends fundraiser for Hibs community centre, said it’s the community feel that is the coolest part about the area.
She said: “You’ve got young hipster yuppies but also our neighbour has been a Leither his whole life, its not become completely gentrified. I go to a choir as well that has young people and old people.”
Sophie Mitchell is a Leith local that thinks the best things about Leith are its independent cafes and restaurants.
She said: “Since they've opened the tram, all the new shops and restaurants there's not really any chains, it's all independent retailers and cafes and restaurants.”
Sue and Stuart Gordon never intended to live in Leith when they moved to Edinburgh but rented in the area and realised they loved the neighbourhood.
Stuart went to Edinburgh Napier University years ago and moved away from the city but the couple have been drawn back.
Sue said: “We moved to Edinburgh and rented a place in Leith and it opened our eyes to what it was like. People kept saying to us it was one of the top places in the world!
“What I like about it is its got a lot of nice independent cafes and there is a feeling of community about it.”
Stuart recognises there are still some issues with Leith including concerns with gentrification, but enjoys the quiet streets the area has to offer.
He said: "There's obviously some poverty which is not good, but the whole feel is good. It doesn't feel unsafe or anything like that; it's a nice place. One of the good things is you can get away from the mass tourism of Edinburgh, it's nice to go into Edinburgh but it's great to come away and it's quiet.
Jean McCreedie is also a Leith convert. When looking to buy a home in the capital she never saw Leith as an option but heard it was an up and coming area and says that's proven to be true.
She said: “It's a lot of the regeneration and the new flats they're building. I live down by The Shore and the amount of building work down there, you’re getting an influx of people. If somebody told me 30 years ago that I'd be living in Leith I'd have laughed at them.
“The trams and infrastructure is fantastic and that's why I bought where I did and because I had read it was an up and coming area.”