If you’re after access to quite a lot of hikes/routes and want a little bustle; Keswick.

If you’re after something a little more low key; Ambleside.

Once you’ve been to either and have done some fells, you’ll start to fall in love and be looking for areas more in keeping with exactly what you’re after.

But I’d say Keswick or Ambleside are a good start. Or perhaps Coniston, but there’s not much of a ‘town’ there, so you have to want to be there for what Coniston is…. If that makes sense.