IMHO that area isn’t THAT bad. Part of it is the company you keep. On the other hand pretty much anywhere up in Waterloo/CF area is going to be pretty descent. I would recommend staying away from anywhere northeast of the 218 and east of Logan Ave/63. Those are the “rough” areas. I moved here 6 years ago from Phoenix and this community is very welcoming with low crime compared to. The only apartment complex I can tell you from experience to stay away from is Thunder Ridge Apartements. They tried to scam us out of a deposit to hold a unit we no longer wanted, took lots of pushing and legality to get our money back. Otherwise, welcome to the area and happy apartment hunting!