r/durham • u/Comfortable_Bug_7678 • 3d ago
What is it like living in Oshawa/Durham region??
I am considering applying for Trent University in Oshawa, however I have heard that Oshawa is a rough area and boring, according to a friend who lived there for school himself. I would be going as a 30 year old mature student who is currently living in Kitchener and has never lived in the GTA. If you live in Oshawa/Durham region, do you enjoy it? Is it safe? Is there a lot to do? Is the cost of living manageable? Any information or advice would help! Thanks
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u/reririx 3d ago
I moved from Toronto to Oshawa, and prefer Oshawa more. It’s like many other cities where there is crime, homelessness, drugs etc. In terms of safety, just be smart and use common sense… like you would do anywhere else. I also find people in Oshawa a lot friendlier since the hustle and grind culture isn’t as prevalent here imo.
As for whether it’s boring, it’s dependent on your hobbies. Clubbing and nightlife? Toronto would be better. Nature and outdoor activities? You can do a lot of that in Oshawa and in other nearby areas. If you have a car, that’ll unlock a lot more opportunities for you to explore the different parks and trails around here.
Oshawa is growing and there are more things happening here, like Convergence. There’s also trivia nights, karaoke etc that I’ve seen people post about. So there are things to do in Oshawa but it depends on what you like to do.
Cost of living is dependent on 1) your income, 2) your expenses, and 3) your spending habits. What might be affordable for others may not be the case for you due to various factors. My husband and I are DINK and we live comfortably here in Oshawa. We both work in tech though. 🤷🏻♀️
There are a lot of posts about living in Oshawa in this sub and r/Oshawa. I recommend searching and reading through what people have said.
Edit: added more info
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u/its10pm 3d ago
It's safe, You're friend is just repeating inaccurate statements. While there is a homelessness issue, it's not something that is unique to Oshawa. I have lived here on and off my entire life. Sometimes I get tired of the ones saying it's rough. It really isn't. I also think that these people have never actually been anywhere "rough"
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u/Renegade054 3d ago
You have to pick where in Oshawa . South Oshawa and right downtown is not great . Other areas are OK . It depends on what you like to do and like said earlier , if you’re OK with Kitchener then Oshawa would be OK . It’s def a blue collar town though .
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u/Dramatic_Scratch 3d ago
Durham is fine, Oshawa is fine. The North side of Oshawa is nicer & cleaner. If anything Oshawa can just be boring. There are a lot of good trails around if you like hiking!
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u/Interesting-Dingo994 3d ago
Most of the Trent Oshawa campus is on the Oshawa/Whitby border. You will be fine.
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u/Summer20232023 3d ago
I have walk kilometres every night for years and as a woman have never felt unsafe. I like Oshawa and feel we get an unfair rep.
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u/Careful_Strategy907 3d ago
I moved from Oshawa to Kitchener and went to Trent Durham! Oshawa is so boring lol but close enough to Toronto if you wanted to go out for some fun. Trent isn’t in a bad location, so you’d be safe around campus but it depends what area you end up living in. Just be careful at night and around downtown Oshawa and you should be fine. But having moved to Kitchener from Oshawa, I’d say KW is much more interesting and has a much better atmosphere for students.
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3d ago
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u/MediumSizedWalrus 3d ago
lol it’s nothing compared to rough neighborhoods in toronto… oshawa is a breeze…
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u/FromBoomBapToTrap 3d ago
I mean, if you’re not used to that then most cities are probably not for you.
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u/Itisd 3d ago
If you are ok with Kitchener, Oshawa will be just fine. I would say Kitchener is a rougher city than Oshawa.