Professional couple (no kids yet) moving to Worcester area from ATL for work - seeking walkable neighborhood (Boston: sex offenders, neighborhoods)

[parried]

Some of you are just paranoid. Maybe it depends on you or you are just really unlucky. Do you dress like a gang member, or act provoking to people in public? Do you have a loud mouth, or eavesdrop? act snobby? I've lived in some so called "bad areas" (not in worcester) and my exprience was nothing like what people said.

[cwaggy]

Tatnuck Square is pretty nice especially close to the Paxton line. If you really want to live 'near' Worcester and want the primo rural hillsides then look at Princeton, one of the sweetest little unknown towns in Massachusetts.

[495neighbor]

I was in the area today. The downtown is so sad looking, just a real beaten down feeling to it.

What a shock to drive through such glacial beauty around the Wachusett Reservoir to come across seedy looking Lincoln Street. Both West Boylston Street and Lincoln Street are becoming more blighted by the day.

[cwaggy]

I went to Clark and Worcester then was hoping to be 'Paris of the 80's' but alas T-shirts do not make the town. They actually demolished the Worcester Galleria mall in downtown since it was so dangerous to go there no anchor stores were left. Dreadful. What a sorry city hard as they have tried over 30 years it just so sucks. I drove through to get gas off of Kelly Sq. and streets I recall as gentile and quiet were downright blown-out nasty. The West side is still pretty nice as is the area N up by Crystal Lake. Good luck just due your diligence.

[HighTechRocker]

I went to WPI from 2000 to 2004 so I have a soft spot for Worcester. Metal shows at The Palladium are always a great time.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by HighTechRocker

I went to WPI from 2000 to 2004 so I have a soft spot for Worcester. Metal shows at The Palladium are always a great time.

Shadow's Fall? Overcast?

[kudzutoo]

"Now, I've read that some young techies professionals and young families, who cannot afford Boston, are moving to Worcester. I've read that property values are expected to increase substantially over the next year, according to Zillow. So, maybe there is hope that things can turn around? "

I wouldn't count on it...folks moving to Worcester from eastern MA due to lower housing costs is not a really new phenomena. Maybe it is occurring more and maybe it could change things, but I doubt it.

I lived on the west side (or as the realtors called it, the "desirable west side"!), near the Newton Square Rotary. Both houses were landlord occupied three deckers, well maintained on quiet streets. One (off Chandler St.) had 4 different tenants in the other apartment in the 2 years I lived there; this included a drug dealer and his associated pals. Point being - even in "nice" areas, you can get bad issues.

Also lived in an area near the West Boylston line...seemed quiet at first but then realized, again, drug dealers down the road, party house in front and back of us, happy day when we left for...

Sterling! Loved it! It may be more quiet than the OP wants, but especially with you being at home alone a lot, I'd suggest looking into it. Cute downtown, some shops, restaurants, nice library. Depending on where you live in town, great access to Worcester and Leominster (shopping mall). We could be in downtown Worcester in 10-15 minutes, have dinner, etc. and retreat to the quiet of Sterling in no time! It is a very safe town and I found the people to be friendly (for New England ha ha).

If/when you do have children, there are nice parks, which may be good now for you for the walking tracks (near the elementary and middle schools). Neighboring Clinton has a great gym(Ciccone Fitness), second run movie theater (The Strand), grocery stores and an independent baptist church with the nicest folks anywhere (Faith Bible Baptist). You are a short drive from Wachusett Mountain (in Princeton), where you can hike, ski, etc, and there are hiking areas near the West Boylston Reservoir as well.

[Guineas]

What about towns like Uxbridge?

[495neighbor]

Originally Posted by kudzutoo

"Now, I've read that some young techies professionals and young families, who cannot afford Boston, are moving to Worcester. I've read that property values are expected to increase substantially over the next year, according to Zillow. So, maybe there is hope that things can turn around? "

I wouldn't count on it...folks moving to Worcester from eastern MA due to lower housing costs is not a really new phenomena. Maybe it is occurring more and maybe it could change things, but I doubt it.

I lived on the west side (or as the realtors called it, the "desirable west side"!), near the Newton Square Rotary. Both houses were landlord occupied three deckers, well maintained on quiet streets. One (off Chandler St.) had 4 different tenants in the other apartment in the 2 years I lived there; this included a drug dealer and his associated pals. Point being - even in "nice" areas, you can get bad issues.

Also lived in an area near the West Boylston line...seemed quiet at first but then realized, again, drug dealers down the road, party house in front and back of us, happy day when we left for...

Sterling! Loved it! It may be more quiet than the OP wants, but especially with you being at home alone a lot, I'd suggest looking into it. Cute downtown, some shops, restaurants, nice library. Depending on where you live in town, great access to Worcester and Leominster (shopping mall). We could be in downtown Worcester in 10-15 minutes, have dinner, etc. and retreat to the quiet of Sterling in no time! It is a very safe town and I found the people to be friendly (for New England ha ha).

If/when you do have children, there are nice parks, which may be good now for you for the walking tracks (near the elementary and middle schools). Neighboring Clinton has a great gym(Ciccone Fitness), second run movie theater (The Strand), grocery stores and an independent baptist church with the nicest folks anywhere (Faith Bible Baptist). You are a short drive from Wachusett Mountain (in Princeton), where you can hike, ski, etc, and there are hiking areas near the West Boylston Reservoir as well.

From your friendly folks in Worcester:

Man is charged with murdering woman found under car in Auburn Mall parking lot - News Local Massachusetts - Boston.com

[worcesterexpert]

Best place to live in Worcester County are the single families across from Doherty - walk to everything - great neighborhood!