Lowell MA (Boston, Lynn, Lawrence: real estate, apartments, lofts)

[Tallcoolone14]

I am just going to start a topic of my impression of Lowell:

Older mill city, could have potential but unfortunately seems to be taking forever for it to get their act together and recover. Nashua and Manchester seem quite further ahead in development than Lowell if you want my honest opinion. Seems Lowell has some real bad pockets still and loads of project buildings. It can leave a bad taste in your mouth. Theres that area where the Spinners play and that seems to be getting better but its a very slow process and theres not enough good about Lowell for me to exactly want to pack up my bags and hurry up to move there.. The nightlife kind of stinks too..I know when checking places out up there,I got bored really fast.. its mostly townie bars or its just places with a hardcore gangster element and hardly any good shopping at all...There are some good places to get something to eat but many are in sketchy areas..Thoughts?

[495neighbor]

Lowell was on the uptrend from the 1990s to the mid 2000s. The late senator Paul Tsongas, born and raised in Lowell, truly advocated for his hometown and funding for development flowed into Lowell for many years. I enjoyed and felt quite safe taking evening classes at UMass and going to the downtown restaurants. It has deteriorated since then. For many years, there has been a tarp on a prominent building downtown because the property owner can't afford to replace the roof. There are still many good restaurants and a thriving artist presence in the renovated lofts. Another factor in the lack of growth is that there has never been another large corporate presence to replace Wang Laboratories. If the infrastructure doesn't improve, I wouldn't expect another renaissance there.

[Tallcoolone14]

Originally Posted by 495neighbor

Lowell was on the uptrend from the 1990s to the mid 2000s. The late senator Paul Tsongas, born and raised in Lowell, truly advocated for his hometown and funding for development flowed into Lowell for many years. I enjoyed and felt quite safe taking evening classes at UMass and going to the downtown restaurants. It has deteriorated since then. For many years, there has been a tarp on a prominent building downtown because the property owner can't afford to replace the roof. There are still many good restaurants and a thriving artist presence in the renovated lofts. Another factor in the lack of growth is that there has never been another large corporate presence to replace Wang Laboratories. If the infrastructure doesn't improve, I wouldn't expect another renaissance there.

So you even think its got worse since the 90s huh? Not better like some seem to think if that's the case. I think its only in small pockets that Lowell has potential. Most of it seems bad though.

[gf2020]

Have you actually been in Lowell lately? Lots of new construction and urban renewal fueled by UMass.

[Tallcoolone14]

Originally Posted by gf2020

Have you actually been in Lowell lately? Lots of new construction and urban renewal fueled by UMass.

Yes.. that is a bright spot indeed and the brewery is good, but if you look at the rest of it, lets be honest.. its very slow in its development.

[brienzi]

Lowell is on the uptrend for sure..much new construction going on and Umass Lowell, the Tsongas Arena etc..

Yes it has it pockets of undesirable areas but they r becoming fewer and fewer.

The city took a hit after the 07 financial crisis but that's over and real estate prices have come back..

Lowell is solid!

[mdovell]

Ever go to one of the university hockey games? Great crowd. Small stadium but it gets packed.

[Tallcoolone14]

Originally Posted by mdovell

Ever go to one of the university hockey games? Great crowd. Small stadium but it gets packed.

They do good with sports but some people come from surrounding towns to watch the games also.

[btownboss4]

Lowell eyed as potential venue for Boston Olympic events | Local News - WCVB Home
Lowell's Tsongas Center and Merrimack River are part of the Boston 2024 bid.

[Shrewsburried]

I lived in Lowell for 6 years starting around 2007. As others have stated, local businesses and development took a hit during the peak of the recession, however, home prices have have rebounded in a big way and the downtown area continues to improve.

Anyone claiming the city is in decline has not had their boots on the ground. At this point, nearly every mill building in the downtown has been restored and turned into either commercial space or loft apartments, including the once hideous tan storage building at the end of Appleton st. which now a beautifully restored glass box. Perkins lofts and UMass have continued to expand and improve the area near Tsongas. More importantly, developers have largely renovated all of the once underutilized mill space at the end of Jackson and Appleton. This area was quite seedy when I moved to Lowell in '07, but the influx of residents to the nearby loft apartments has largely changed the dynamic.

Having spent a great deal of time in Nashua, Manchester, and Lowell (including all 3 yesterday) ... I don't see Lowell as lagging behind. The city certainly lacks the commercial developments of Nashua, but I actually see that a positive. It contains the necessaries (a few Market Baskets, Petsmart, Kohls, and a newish Target) but lacks the ugly sprawl of DW highway. With Nashua and Burlington so close, there is really no need for Lowell to provide a complete shopping experience. I find Lowell has more of an identity than Nashua, which is largely a restaurant/food scene. Lowell certainly has a comparable food scene, but also has quite breadth of non-food destinations such as the artist studios (which have monthly open studios), Mill Number 5, Tsongas, Merrimac Rep Theater, etc.

If we want to discuss lagging cities, let's focus on the other L's ... Lawrence and Lynn.