Safe and desirable areas around Worcester (Shrewsbury, Belmont: rentals, lofts, condos)

[puckdrop]

Hello

My wife and I are moving to worcester area this fall. She will be going to pharmacy scholl in worcester. We are looking to purchase a 2 bedroom condo in Worcester, Shrewsbury, Northborough area. Any particular areas in Worcester that are nice or any that I should stay away from?

Your input is much appreciated.

Thanks,

[Roadismyhome]

The most common answer you are likely to get is to stay away from the Main South area. That said, you shouldn't have too much trouble finding what you are looking for as there have been many condos and townhouses built in the area. Many of these are in converted old factory buildings. Price-wise, you shouldn't have a problem since it's definitely a buyer's market, and Worcester never has been a hot city to live in.

Good luck to your wife at MCPHS

[scarletfire]

Best areas of Worcester: Near Assumption College/Salisbury St & Tatnuck. Some good areas: zip code 01602, most of 01603 & 01604 (past #460 Grafton st) &
Then there are neighborhoods like Burncoat (I think 01606), Forest / Grove (some of the zip code is 01604 but not all).

Areas to stay away from: Dorchester & Providence Sts., Lincoln, Belmont, Crystal Park area, Main South altogether & Lower May, as well as Pleasant St below Park (although Upper Pleasant is nice.) Really all the streets off of Main St aren't good.

Shrewsbury is lovely. I don't prefer the area near Lake Quinsigamond but that's just a personal preference, it's not dangerous or anything. Holden is also adjacent to Worcester & is lovely, just a bit of a more rural area in some respects. Another thought is Grafton, which is next to Worcester. There are lots of pretty condos there as well. You can check out positiverelocation.com or boston.com/realestate/community to read more about these towns.

[puckdrop]

Thank you for your replies. I am going to be there this weekend to look at some properties. Since someone mentioned that Worcester has never been a hot city to live in. What do you thinka bout Shrewsbury, Northborough, Westborough. What other near by town should I consider. I may in IT/Networking Professional and would be looking to find a job there once my wife settles in.

[Roadismyhome]

Here is an article about all the condos being built in Worcester and the surrounding areas. This might help give you an idea of what is available in the area.

[smiledoc1]

Originally Posted by puckdrop

Thank you for your replies. I am going to be there this weekend to look at some properties. Since someone mentioned that Worcester has never been a hot city to live in. What do you thinka bout Shrewsbury, Northborough, Westborough. What other near by town should I consider. I may in IT/Networking Professional and would be looking to find a job there once my wife settles in.

Puckdrop,
I live in Holden and work in Worcester. Scarletfire's advice is 100% correct. If you choose Holden, try to stay on the Worcester side of 122A . Otherwise the traffic on 122A can be tough.

Smiledoc1

[brightdoglover]

Westboro has plenty of IT work, and it's a pleasant, quiet town. Shrewsbury is very nice, too. I don't know Northboro- don't know what the commute route is, especially if you work in Westboro. But the border towns to Worcester are all quite nice. I think the only real downer is Worcester itself.
The condo article posted above was interesting. The lofts sound beautiful, but how do you fund a condo association if the units aren't sold? Maybe there are some great rentals available. Best wishes.

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

Originally Posted by smiledoc1

Puckdrop,
I live in Holden and work in Worcester. Scarletfire's advice is 100% correct. If you choose Holden, try to stay on the Worcester side of 122A . Otherwise the traffic on 122A can be tough.

Smiledoc1

I always LOVED Holden. Such a pretty town but is it still expensive like it used to be?

I used to get a kick out of the old joke "Hi my name is Dick Hurtz from Holden" but I'm easily entertained.

[Micah Girl]

Originally Posted by puckdrop

Hello

My wife and I are moving to worcester area this fall. She will be going to pharmacy scholl in worcester. We are looking to purchase a 2 bedroom condo in Worcester, Shrewsbury, Northborough area. Any particular areas in Worcester that are nice or any that I should stay away from?

Your input is much appreciated.

Thanks,

We recently moved out of Worcester. I would think carefully before purchasing a condo if you are planning on moving when your wife is done with school. They are hard to sell and you need to be in a really great location and get a really great price in order for it to be worth your while. Otherwise you could get stranded without being able to sell on the other end. You'd be better off with a half duplex with no condo fees or a small home. We used to live off Goddard Memorial Drive near "Airport Hill" The streets there are Parsons Hill, Ledgecrest, Nutmeg... It's a nice tucked-away area, and I personally think that kind of a neighborhood has better resale than a condo. Again, be sure to get a good price so you can get your money out of the house on the other end.

[smiledoc1]

Originally Posted by Lindsey_Mcfarren

I always LOVED Holden. Such a pretty town but is it still expensive like it used to be?

I used to get a kick out of the old joke "Hi my name is Dick Hurtz from Holden" but I'm easily entertained.

Well, Holden is more expensive than Worcester, but it is less expensive than Westboro. I imagine one could check the City Data to find out more.