Neighborhoods in Worcester, which do you like? (Boston, Shrewsbury: apartment complexes, renters)

[colleenlynn]

Hello "Woosterians",

I am researching neighborhoods in Worcester or as I just learned "Wooster" "Wista"--- I have heard good things about Burncoat, Tatnuck, Salisbury, and Goddard Memorial Drive area (Goddard Memorial Drive is just south of the airport), and nothing about the Green Hill Park neighborhood. What do you think about these neighborhoods? I am moving into the area and mostly curious about Burncoat, Goddard Memorial Dr, and Green Hill Park neighborhoods- Would love to hear your opinons... (oh and I am moving from Chicago, IL so I can do city but looking for a family neighborhood. Thanks so much, I look forward to hearing your comments!

[scarletfire]

Burncoat is good. My favorite is off Salisbury - beautiful family neighborhoods and some gorgeous old and new homes at pretty reasonable prices. Are you looking to buy or rent?

My friend in Worcester gave me this advice about Worcester neighborhoods:

All of zip code 01602, most of 01603 & 01604 (past #460 grafton st) are good. Then there are neighborhoods like Burncoat (think 01606), Forest / Grove (some of the zip code is 01604 but not all) that are nice. There is townhouses & neighborhoods near the Holden line / showcase north that are nice too.

She advised to stay away from these streets & neighborhoods: Dorchester & Providence Sts., Lincoln, Belmont, Crystal Park area, Main South all together & Lower May & Pleasant Street below Park St. Really all the streets off of Main St aren't good.

I hope that's helpful! :-)

[lilylight]

I was born and raised in Worcester but live in NYC now. My entire family still lives here (actually visiting my mother in Worcester as I type this). The best area of worcester is the Tatnuck/Salisbury area. Nice homes, mostly all single family, quieter, etc. Also if you're looking for family oriented I would stick to this area as well b/c this school district is where you would want your kids if they're going to public school (Forest Grove for middle school and Doherty for highschool). I agree with the above poster, start looking in the 01602 area. the prices are generally higher in this area but if you are coming from Chicago area then I'm sure the prices won't seem outrageous. You can get a nice home starting in the high 200s and if you're able to shell out more then you can get an even nicer home. Some parts of 01603 and 01606 are good but if you are not familiar with worcester you might not know which streets in theses areas aren't the best. 01604 has some nice parts but this is also where the Dorchester/Providence area is. I grew up around this area all through highschool and it has steadily declined in my opinoon. More crime and drugs. (btw, 01604 would not be considered Forest Grove area, it's grafton hill and your children would go to East middle and North High). I agree with all the areas listed by Scarletfire to stay away from. Have you visited Worcester at all?
Anyways, overall worcester is a decent city all though some people might disagree.. You are about 45min from Boston if you want big-city activities and about 2.5-3hrs from NYC (depending on traffic and how fast you drive). My husband and I have been thinking about moving here and if we do we will definitely be looking in the 01602 area. Hope that helps. If you are looking for more detailed info or info on any specific streets feel free to PM me. hope this helps.

[colleenlynn]

thanks for your help.. I will continue looking. We are renting for a year and our son is 2 so finding a good school is not a priority - but its a matter of time. -- One more question.

When East Worcester is recommended what and where is this as far as streets go? Is this east of Plantation St or Harrington Way? Would you recommend East Worcester?

[scarletfire]

Do you prefer to be right in Worcester or are surrounding suburbs of interest? Holden, Grafton, and most of Shrewsbury are also nice. Do you prefer to rent a single-family home or an apartment in a complex? In Worcester I saw a nice 2 bedroom home for rent on the west side for $2k/month. If you prefer a complex, there's a place called Avalon in Shrewsbury that is nice. You can get info at Welcome to Avalon Shrewsbury. I'm not sure what the rents are there but I've heard good things about it. There's also a very nice upgraded 2bd condo w/maple/granite kitchen in N Grafton for $1500/mo. Please feel free to PM me if you'd like more info or the contacts for these.

I don't know what I'd recommend for apartment complexes right in Worcester. The ones I've seen seem to get mixed reviews. Perhaps someone else can comment on this?

[lilylight]

There are a lot of decent apartment complexes on the east side on Sunderland Rd, some have community pools, tennis courts etc. A cousin of mine lived at Wexford Village on Sunderland Rd. I've heard of Redwood Hills on Sunderland Rd but I can't tell you too much about it b/c I don't know anyone who's lived there. Theres also Princeton Place which is on Planation St. There is also Tatnuck Arms which is on the westside I believe off of Pleasant st (the good end of pleasant). The complexes are usually a lot more expensive than the usual 3-deckers. For example my cousin was paying 900/mth for a 1 bedroom at Wexford Village. If you are looking to live in a 3-decker there are tons around worcester, most renters live in 3-deckers, but with that you have to do your research on the street and area that it is in.
I agree wtih Scarletfire, if your interested in being in any of the surrounding towns especially shrewsbury a lot of those complexes are nice, quiet etc.
To answer your question, East side would include grafton St area, Shrewsbury St area, around Lake Ave, Harrington Way and Plantation St would all be considered East side. I would recommend West side over this area but there are still a lot of decent areas on East side too.

[colleenlynn]

THANKS AGAIN!!!

Would you not rent below (south) of Grafton St? Where does the west side of Worcester start? Is it west of Park Ave to Goddard Memorial Dr? My husband and I enjoy the city and dont mind a 3-decker. We live in a Chicago's version of one right now. We are on the third floor and it is painfull with dogs and a toddler, going up and down the stairs, but we would consider it if there was a washer dryer in the apartment/ unit. I really look forward to moving and making a home for us in Worcester, sounds like it has allot of character.

[Micah Girl]

I currently live off of Goddard Memorial Drive in one of the newer duplexes. We love the area and the neighborhood. We actually just put our house under agreement (after being on the market a very short time!) since we are moving out of the state. I can't speak for the schools in this neighborhood since I homeschool, but it's affordable, safe, and very nice.

You can PM me if you want more information.

[colleenlynn]

I had a conversation today with someone who lives west of the Green Hill Park on Denmark and they said it was family oriented and friendly and the rumor is that people do drugs in the wooded area of the park. Should I be concerned about this? Or is this an urban myth.... I like the idea of living next to a park and only 12 minutes from work... What do you think?

[MAtoNC!]

Originally Posted by Micah Girl

I currently live off of Goddard Memorial Drive in one of the newer duplexes. We love the area and the neighborhood. We actually just put our house under agreement (after being on the market a very short time!) since we are moving out of the state. I can't speak for the schools in this neighborhood since I homeschool, but it's affordable, safe, and very nice.

You can PM me if you want more information.

How long was it on the market before you got an offer? I live in Grafton and our house has been on the market for two weeks. What do you think brought you an offer so quick? the price you listed at, the marketing, or both? These are also good questions for buyers since it's a buyer's market.