Moving to Hamilton

Hamilton is laid out around the harbour and the escarpment. The lower city runs east–west between the two on a dense grid, with James and King as the main spines. The Mountain sits above, reached by a small number of access roads, and the former municipalities — Dundas to the west, Ancaster and the Glanbrook communities to the south, Stoney Creek to the east, Flamborough to the north-west — ring the built-up core.

Addresses often carry a former-municipality name rather than "Hamilton", which confuses newcomers and search filters alike. If a listing says Waterdown or Binbrook, it is in Hamilton, but it is not near downtown Hamilton.

McMaster University sits in the west end, next to Westdale, and its hospital campus is one of the region's largest employers. Mohawk College is on the Mountain. The hospital system, the university and the steel and manufacturing employers on the bay are the anchors most household commutes get built around.

If your work is at one of them, start your search from that anchor and work outwards; Hamilton's geography punishes a poorly chosen distance far more than a flat city would.

Set up utilities in your own name where the lease requires it, and confirm which are included — this varies enormously between the older converted houses and purpose-built buildings. Register for a health card if you are new to Ontario, and sort out waste collection days, which differ by area.

If you have school-age children, register with the board that serves your address rather than the nearest building. Hamilton is served by two English boards and two French-language boards, and the assigned school is not always the closest one.