Unfortunately I'm going to be in the boat of renting a room and needing to live on the cheap! So I might not get a choice for where I live. I think at best I want to be within range of the bus routes, but I do have a reliable car so it is not the end of the world if I don't. Any locations you'd recommend to absolutely avoid? I've been exploring the city a lot through google maps, and I'll be honest it looks really safe and nice.

Hamilton would be my first time living in a city above 200k population, so it is a little scary but I'm more excited than scared. I'm not entirely sure what to expect living in such a larger city, or if it'll be a lot more mundane than I'd expect. As far as things to do, I'm a bit overwhelmed by choice. It feels like there is a lifetime of recreational stuff to be had here.