Edinburgh - suggest the Old Town, New Town, anywhere in EH9 (Marchmont, Grange, Newington), Bruntsfield, Morningside, Merchiston or Leith (but only on or near The Shore - and a lot of places try to pass themselves off as The Shore).

Oh, or the West End.

Will you need a car ? That might make a difference, as some of these areas are very difficult to park in.

trvlgrl,
this banking thing is sounding more complicated by the day. When I studied in Italy for this last year I had to draw money out of the ATM by th e 1000 every other month so that I could avoid the fees for every 20 euros. they suggested i not even try to open an acct there if only for a year.
What about this though? I put my mother on my bank acct before I went to Italy and still haven't taken her off. Couldn't I have her empty my account and send me a check (insured and by overnight of course)my first week in the UK? I could bring enough cash to start me off plus my atm of course and credit cards. then I could set up a temporary post box or something. then all I would need would be to take this check to a bank along with my passport and other paperwork?
Or is this crazy?

If the cheque is drawn on a US bank, there will be fees payable. If it's for a very large amount, you might fall foul of money laundering legislation. It might be sensible to make enquiries with one or more UK banks as to charges etc for things like this.

Just a note on the electoral roll - yes it is compulsory these days but only for those who qualify (it is called the electoral roll and it lists those who are able to vote in UK elections). To qualify to be registered to vote you must be resident or deemed resident in the registration area, a British, other Commonwealth, Irish or European Union citizen aged 18 or over (16 and 17 year-olds can register but cannot vote until they are 18) and not subject to any legal incapacity.

But it is a legal requirement to fill in the form which comes each October, even if only to say there is nobody eligible at that address and why.

As someone who has gone the other way, I would suggest that you not do it. The cost of living in the U.K. is horrendous, house prices boggle the mind, especially in Edinburgh, religious intolerance is common, and the biggest problem of all is the density of population. Go for a summer and work in a bar, but I think you will regret moving there permanently.