Worcester Safe for College Student to Commute on Bike/Bus to WPI? (real estate)

[calen223]

My son may be attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute and we are planning to set up in a condo/town-home/apartment nearby that is within bike/bus commuting distance. My concerns are twofold:

1. Will there be real estate available in a safe area that is close enough to WPI for bike/bus commuting? What about access to grocery shopping without a car?

2. My son has grown up in a rather isolated western town that is nothing like a big city. He has no street smarts and will need to learn quickly. Is it safe in Worcester for a somewhat naive 18-19 year old to be biking to college?

[gf2020]

The area around WPI is fine. Any reason your son wouldn't live in the dorms or eventually a fraternity at WPI?

[raveabouttoast]

I'd suggest living in the dorms for the first year at least and possibly the second year. By that point, he should have a couple of buddies who could rent an apartment with him. If he's sheltered, this would be a good experience for him instead of putting him up in his own apartment.

For Junior and Senior years, I'd try to find an apartment near Highland St or Institute Rd. The closer to WPI, the better. Lots of students rent the triple deckers around that area. When I was there, we had an apartment on Wachusett St just south of Highland St.

At the end of Highland St, there's a Price Chopper supermarket open 24/7. This is all within walking distance and a safe area of Worcester. Much beyond that, I wouldn't be too comfortable walking alone at night. It's not extremely dangerous and I have been out there alone quite a bit without incident. But I didn't have the same, safe feeling as I did staying closer to WPI.

[calen223]

We are planning to live there together his first year, and then he will take on a roommate in his second year. It seems like finding a condo/townhome nearby in a safe area is going to be the big challenge. Any advice on where is best and where to avoid is most helpful.

[raveabouttoast]

Believe me when I say this - freshmen year at WPI, living in the dorms, will be his best opportunity to make friends at WPI. WPI has 4 "term" instead of semesters, so there isn't as much time to meet and befriend people in your classes before you're moving on to a different set of classes. And WPI students aren't the most social.

For sophomore year, many students are in suites or campus-owned apartments. In other words, they've already established their group of friends and they don't make much of an effort to meet new people. Unless he joins a frat, making new friends during his second year, especially when he lived off campus for his first year, will be very difficult.

Anyways... If you want a safe place for a condo or townhouse, anywhere around WPI, Assumption College, and Worcester State College are generally good areas.

[sheena12]

Originally Posted by gf2020

The area around WPI is fine. Any reason your son wouldn't live in the dorms or eventually a fraternity at WPI?

I attended college in Worcester (Clark University) over 30 years ago and my daughter will be doing the same next Fall.

Clark is in a far worse area than WPI. However, Worcester is not as bad as some people claim.

I agree with this poster - why not live on campus at WPI? Eventually your son may want to join a fraternity - or not, however living off campus will impede friendships. Most people meet friends by living on campus, not off.

After the first two or three years, it isn't uncommon for students to move off campus with friends who they have already made.

I think that your son is depriving himself of the rich on college experience that is available to him at a residential campus such as WPI.

Please think about giving your son the opportunity to attend college without you.

[Bob Lanata]

Although not a student of WPI, I agree with Raveabouttoast. What an opportunity to network. Good friend of mine went there and to this day, those friends he met are part of his networking. Great social life there, not to mention the beer parties that you could walk/stagger back to the dorm safely. I spent a few days/nights there in a youthful party mode back in the day. Great memories for myself as well. I wonder if Notis Pizza is still there. It was a pizza shop one street over from some of the dorms, with chess boars painted on the tables.

[The_General]

Anything above Pleasant will be pretty safe. If your son can live near Highland Street its pretty nice and vibrant and as raveabouttoast said the Price Chopper is there.