Living in Worcester,Ma (Boston, Springfield: appointed, real estate, 2009)

[mervdog]

I was disappointed to read the comments posted about Worcester. Have these people lived here or explored the city? Worcester is a wonderful small city with many colleges, beautiful neighborhoods, many cultural attractions and a diverse population. It is surrounded by lovely small towns and country roads just minutes away. It is a wonderful place to raise a family. As with any city Worcester has it's depressed areas but our city government is aggresively trying to improve these neighborhoods. Worcester is an affordable city to live in without all the hassels of big city living. Having lived in other parts of the country and in Boston, I prefer Worcester and it has been a great place to raise our family. Ask anyone who actually lives here and you will find most people are quite happy.

[hudsonma]

Don't forget the good resturants! No one knows about them outside of worcester.

[Concepts]

I agree Mervdog - I don't live in Worcester but spend enough time there. I've mentioned a couple of times on the forum that it gets a bad rap sometimes. There are plenty of nice areas and is certainly more affordable than surrounding suburbs. As you said, lots of diversity and, as hudson mentioned, tons of great restaurants.

[darcloud]

Worcester is a nasty city. It would be a nice place were it not for the attitude of the people here. They don't care about anything. Trash day is the day that they distribute more trash into the streets. Car insurance is ridiculously high because the people drive like maniacs here. They are rude, inconsiderate and dangerous. And if you think you can get by with public transportation, try getting around in winter when the dilapitated sidewalks are covered in ice and snow. Or during other months when you will encounter all the trash and (I'm not exaggerating!) raw sewage bubling up onto the sidewalks. I pity any children that grow up here. I cannot wait to leave. Oh, and if you think it is a safe place to live, do google search on the following news article: Suspect Arrested in Gruesome Worcester Murder, ABC6 News Story Created: Jul 29, 2009 at 11:15 PM EDT. If you can afford to live somewhere else, don't move to Worcester.

[Lowerdeck]

^^^ That above mentioned murder isn't typical of Worcester however. That sort of thing happens anywhere. Not often, but can be anywhere - It's NOT a typical inner city thing.

Worcester has a better crime rate than other big New England cities. I think Hartford has four times as many murders for example.

There are some rude people and terrible driving, and the inexplicable Kelley Square. But well, there's a lot of that in Massachusetts and southern New England. People who drive and act with complete disregard to all other humanity. Roadways designed very badly and questionable safety standards.

Most people who know Worcester know what parts of town to avoid, but there's plenty of worthwhile parts also.

[western mass and love it]

WOW i guess someone does not like Worcester. I have never lived there but have spent plenty of time there. Never have i seen any raw sewage seeping up onto the sidewalks or felt threatened just walking the streets. I wonder if the poster has ever really been to Worcester, reminds me of all the Springfield haters who have actually never been to the city.

[ro7586]

"I pity any children that grow up here"

As a person that grew up in Worcester, I can say first hand that the way 'darcloud' described the city is incredibly inaccurate.

Worcester, like any city, has it's good and bad neighborhoods. But I would venture to say that in Worcester, the good neighborhoods FAR out-number the bad ones. The West Side of Worcester, where I grew up, is delightful. Tree-lined streets with unique, victorian-era homes make up the fabric of this part of the city. Burncoat and parts of grafton hill (furthest from downtown) also boast this urban yet serene feel, and I found it a great place to grow up. If your going to LIVE in Worcester, I would recommend narrowing your housing search to these areas.

If I could define Worcester in one word, it would be 'eclectic'. People on these blogs always talk of how Worcester is always living in the shadow of Boston. Due to the fact Worcester is only about 45 minutes outside of Boston, this is true to some extent, but Worcester does in fact have it's own identity.

Worcester has a creative vibe to it, but you have to look closely. Just recently, an outdoor, public and FREE art installation has graced Elm Park, with small pieces of artwork littered trhoughout the city meant as a type of viral marketing for the installation. You'de be suprised to discover the creativity that thrives in this city.

There is a great night life scene in Worcester, with a large amount of music clubs where local bands, as well as DJ's play. Water Street is fast becoming a popular night life hot spot, with plenty of places to chose from.

The restaraunts in Worcester are incredibly diverse as well as delicious. There are HUNDREDS to chose from. You will not be dissapointed.

As for the crime, and as I said previously, just as in ANY city, there are certain neighborhoods to be avoided. I lived in the South Bronx for years, so for anyone to portray Worcester as a dangerous and 'ghetto' city is comical. Even the WORST neighborhoods in Worcester have a certain appeal.

Finally, Worcester has greatly improved it's aestetic over the past 5-10 years. Not living there currently, I can say that everytime I go back to Worcester the cityscape has improved, and there is always construction going on (always a good sign of improvements). Worcester is a GREAT place to raise a family, and with the current economic downturn and low real estate prices I can't think of a better investment.

[sgthoskins]

Worcester is a s-hole. I lived there for four years all I heard was sirens nightly. Chief Gary Gemme is a communist that doesn't allow the subjects of his city protect themselves which is why the crime in Worcester is so bad.

There are some nice spots, but for anyone to seriously say Worcester is a nice city needs to get their head examined.

[sgthoskins]

Originally Posted by Lowerdeck

^^^ That above mentioned murder isn't typical of Worcester however. That sort of thing happens anywhere. Not often, but can be anywhere - It's NOT a typical inner city thing.

Worcester has a better crime rate than other big New England cities. I think Hartford has four times as many murders for example.

There are some rude people and terrible driving, and the inexplicable Kelley Square. But well, there's a lot of that in Massachusetts and southern New England. People who drive and act with complete disregard to all other humanity. Roadways designed very badly and questionable safety standards.

Most people who know Worcester know what parts of town to avoid, but there's plenty of worthwhile parts also.

Nothing like supporting your argument with: "Well there are other places that are worse."

Your statement alone speaks volumes.

[Lowerdeck]

Please. I'd much rather be in Worcester than: Roxbury, Dorchester, Springfield, Holyoke, Lawrence, Brockton, Fitchburg, Lowell, Revere, Chelsea... well, you get the point.

I was just saying that the rude people, terrible driving, and crummy roads are all over this state and not just exclusive to Worcester.