Young professional considering moving to Worcester (Boston, Cambridge: apartment, condo, houses)

[Nathan87]

Hi, I am considering moving to Worcester from Pittsbugh, PA for a promotion with my company and am trying to research what areas I should consider living in. I'm a young single professional in my mid-20s. Because I work long hours I don't want more than a 30 minute commute so I'm pretty much limiting my search to the Worcester metro area. I would prefer to live in a neighborhood with young professionals and preferably within walking distance(~1.5 miles) of a park, a bar, a coffee shop and some restaurants. I enjoy being active outdoors and live music. What areas would you suggest I consider? I'm fine with paying up to 1100/month for an apartment.

I appreciate the suggestions.

[ogre]

I don't know Worcester well enough to suggest specific neighborhoods, but I think you'll want to focus your search on the city of Worcester itself. It sounds as if you're seeking a young professionals kind of area, which you're unlikely to find in towns in Worcester's vicinity outside of Worcester itself. Most towns around there are either rural or on the suburban side.

[goyguy]

Worcester is growing larger on the radar screen for some people thanks for improved commuter-rail service to Boston. This also has a lot to do with its being considerably less expensive than all too many towns to the east as well. Some old factories and warehouses are undergoing conversion into "loft residences" as eager buyers line up. But most of the people drawn to the city for its selective (WPI, Holy Cross, Clark University) and not so selective colleges wind up not staying put once they have sheepskin in hand. It's a far cry from Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville with their renowned and thriving young-adult scenes.

With that having been said, I have a personal friend who bought a condo close in to downtown, and know an IT guy from the last office building where I worked who now has a Colonial house in the Burncoat neighborhood, of "Wusstah." Both are 40'ish, are happy with how things have played out, and paid less than $200k for their homes - a price which is absolutely unheard of over about 90% of the region to the east. Although Worcester is far from awash in cool places to hang out, the DCU Center (still known by most as the Centrum) is your typical sports arena and major-act music venue. The Palladium is prized by local and suburban kids of a certain inclination for its bookings of indie, hiphop, and "metal" artists. The city is also home to several good museums as well as the Broad Meadow nature sanctuary: Broad Meadow Brook | Mass Audubon | Nature Connection

The most interesting town in the vicinity is Maynard, where prior to its merger with Microsoft the Digital Equipment Corporation had its headquarters. The massive influx of "DEC'ies" during the '70s and '80s left a lasting impact. (And the former DEC buildings are now home to the Monster.com offices.) Unlike most places, Maynard still has a local independent movie theater. Its small downtown buzzes with activity in and around various restaurants and coffee shops. Any townie/yuppie tensions have long since evaporated. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it has any club scene to speak of, but neither would you be confronted with the choice between a night at home or a long trek into one of the cities. Worcester's a hop skip and jump away via Routes 117, 495, and 290.

Outside of that, you're pretty much faced with either old mill towns (Hudson, Clinton, etc) or towns-turned-suburbs (Shrewsbury, Northborough, Bolton, Sterling, et al.) Those can wait for when and if you've started a family.