Worcester ( opinions ) (Boston, Springfield, Lowell: ski resort, car insurance, crime)

[KellyCrash]

I drive into Worcester about once a month from Charlton via I-290 to take my daughter to the orthodontist and whenever there is a problem on the Pike my GPS takes me through Worcester via I-290. I'm always stuck in the traffic. The hours you will be working you most likely will not encounter the traffic issues those of us who do a 9-5 work day encounter.

Shrewsbury might be a better fit if you're concerned about crime. Worcester does have it's fair share of crime, but I don't think it's that bad. I have lived in Worcester and would live there again on the West side. I live in Charlton and commute to Southborough just east of Westborough.

[Cloudship]

So yiou drive for a living - will you be driving just locally in Westborough, or all over the place? I know Westborough seems to be closer to Worcester, but really there is not much in Worcester. If you were to live in Westborough, you would be far more likely to be spending most of your time around Framingham, which while smaller actually has a lot more. Having said that, yeah one thing Worcester does have is several veg restaurants. Outside of a few decent independents though, you will find a lot more out towards Framingham. Prices might be more than Worcester, but you might find more things to do around there.

Traffic around Worcester and Westborough will be pretty mild compared to what you were used to in Portland. Unless you nee to go down 495 or the pike, which during rush hour can be pretty bad. The conservative/liberal question is really a tough one here, as it doesn't really play out like everywhere else. Religiously speaking we dont have much of the ultra right religious groups, though they do exist here. Worcester itself has a huge immigrant population, so some of those tend to be conservative in some respects, and very liberal in others. It is not really granola/hippie liberalism like you find in Portland, in fact it is pretty old fashioned in that respect. But it isn't redneck/confederate flag waving xenophobic conservativism either. I don't know how to describe it to people who have never experienced it, but you are going to find you feel both more comfortable and more ticked off at the same time around here. But once you get used to it you will hate everything else even more.

[Cloudship]

Oh, should add about the Flea Markets and Farmers Markets...

Yes, there are a lot of flea markets around, though most of them are not the hip city center things for used clothing. They are more the American Pickers style, out in the country, where people think their old junk is going to make them rich. Farmers markets are around in the summer, but since the area is not really heavily farmed, it is not going to be as good as you had on the west coast. That's not to say good quality food is hard to find, just a little more spread out.

[Jimrob1]

I'm from Mass originally not far from Worcester and retired in Florida. I was based in Portland for almost 10 years. I left when I retired in 2012. I lived in the Pearl District and Vancouver WA prior. Believe me few places other than San Fran would have similarities to Portland. Certainly not Worcester. Worcester is primarily live and let live as is much of Mass.


It can be difficult for a newcomer to find a doctor. It became more difficult when Mass required health insurance. It meant more patients but not enough doctors for everyone. You will probably not have alot of choices, but Lets hope the problem has eased up.


Worcester does have some higher crime, but after Portland and what goes on here in Fla. I think I'd take Greater Worcester on this subject.


Yes there are quite a few commuting to the Boston area. Thankfully there is also commuter rail to help with this travel. The traffic will not match the mess that Portland has. I could not understand why Portland, doesn't even attempt to deal wih it. The need a beltway around some of the metro. Of course some of the problem is the hills and rivers plus bridge tieups. Worcester will be a breeze compared to PDX.


I would say Worcester would be less conservative than Syracuse. Housing and COL is high in Mass, higher than Syracuse. However Greater Worcester would be considerably lower than closer to Boston. That's why so many commute from Worcester into Boston.


I enjoyed Oregon but I think it's a shame what happened with Portland. Between the political fanatics, all the homeless. Then when the cost of housing skyrocketed. Now with all the snowstorms and they wont salt the roads. Friends have told me the city has been crippled this winter. I'm glad I had the Max train to get to work at the airport. Horrible traffic jams on the fwys.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by Jimrob1

I'm from Mass originally not far from Worcester and retired in Florida. I was based in Portland for almost 10 years. I left when I retired in 2012. I lived in the Pearl District and Vancouver WA prior. Believe me few places other than San Fran would have similarities to Portland. Certainly not Worcester. Worcester is primarily live and let live as is much of Mass.


It can be difficult for a newcomer to find a doctor. It became more difficult when Mass required health insurance. It meant more patients but not enough doctors for everyone. You will probably not have alot of choices, but Lets hope the problem has eased up.


Worcester does have some higher crime, but after Portland and what goes on here in Fla. I think I'd take Greater Worcester on this subject.


Yes there are quite a few commuting to the Boston area. Thankfully there is also commuter rail to help with this travel. The traffic will not match the mess that Portland has. I could not understand why Portland, doesn't even attempt to deal wih it. The need a beltway around some of the metro. Of course some of the problem is the hills and rivers plus bridge tieups. Worcester will be a breeze compared to PDX.


I would say Worcester would be less conservative than Syracuse. Housing and COL is high in Mass, higher than Syracuse. However Greater Worcester would be considerably lower than closer to Boston. That's why so many commute from Worcester into Boston.


I enjoyed Oregon but I think it's a shame what happened with Portland. Between the political fanatics, all the homeless. Then when the cost of housing skyrocketed. Now with all the snowstorms and they wont salt the roads. Friends have told me the city has been crippled this winter. I'm glad I had the Max train to get to work at the airport. Horrible traffic jams on the fwys.

To be honest, Syracuse as a city may be more liberal due to being a refugee resettlement hub(the city's North Side is probably the most diverse area in Upstate NY: Northside UP - The Northside Urban Partnership | Syracuse, NY ), the presence of Syracuse University(which influences the East Side of the city and is a nice diverse area of the city) and it is a more culturally diverse city(about 50/50 between White non Hispanic and non White). If I was the OP, I would have went with a nice East Side neighborhood like Westcott/University/Meadowbrook/maybes for Salt Springs and Outer Comstock or adjacent DeWitt, which also has residents affiliated with the colleges/universities in the area. Westcott Neighborhood Association - Westcott Community
Home - Westcott Community
https://m.facebook.com/westcottneighborhoodassociation/

This somewhat gentrified neighborhood is on the North Side: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawl...toric_District
Hawley-Green Neighbors

With that said, Worcester's proximity to Boston is a big plus and may be enough for the OP to make a move.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

To be honest, Syracuse as a city may be more liberal due to being a refugee resettlement hub(the city's North Side is probably the most diverse area in Upstate NY), the presence of Syracuse University(which influences the East Side of the city and is a nice diverse area of the city) and it is a more culturally diverse city(about 50/50 between White non Hispanic and non White).

With that said, Worcester's proximity to Boston is a big plus and may be enough for the OP to make a move.

Worcester itself seems more liberal to me than Syracuse. Its also only slightly less diverse than Syracuse 55-56% non-Hispanic white as of 2015. SO as far as diversity and liberalism go its kind of a wash IMO. I think you'd like Worcester if you liked Syracuse.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

Worcester itself seems more liberal to me than Syracuse. Its also only slightly less diverse than Syracuse 55-56% non-Hispanic white as of 2015. SO as far as diversity and liberalism go its kind of a wash IMO. I think you'd like Worcester if you liked Syracuse.

That is why I said it "may" be more liberal, but I'm getting the same impression as you are, as there does seem to be quite a few similarities. The only differences may be how the cultural diversity is distributed and that Worcester has more (smaller) colleges within the city than Syracuse.

This source actually shows different demographic information: Worcester, MA Population and Races - USA.com™

Syracuse, NY Population and Races - USA.com™

Another source: https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/...w.xhtml?src=CF

https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/...w.xhtml?src=CF

Syracuse is 51.2% White non Hispanic and Worcester is 57.9% in that regard.

It appears that Syracuse isn't much different from the city of Boston demographically: Boston, MA Population and Races - USA.com™

[Cloudship]

Diversity and Liberalism are unfortunately not a direct correlation. In many cases large Hispanic populations are pretty conservative.

[missionhill]

The hippy-crunchy belt runs from Northampton, Mass to Brattleboro, Vt.-- what the tourism promoters dubbed "Pioneer Valley" back in the 1930s and what massnative calls "Happy Valley" (with a bit of a sneer.) It is a beautiful area and as close to Portlandia as anything in New England. The entire western end of the state, including valley and Berkshires, runs strongly blue in state and national elections.

In Mass you have lots of freshwater swimming as well as the saltwater beaches. Worcester has Lake Quinsigamond. From Worcester you can head south to Misquamacut Beach, in Westerly, RI--a great salt water beach without the Cape Cod traffic.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by Cloudship

Diversity and Liberalism are unfortunately not a direct correlation. In many cases large Hispanic populations are pretty conservative.

This is true, but in a political sense it may be more the case versus in a social sense.

Near Syracuse, the Ithaca area about an hour away is a similar equivalent to the Brattleboro/Northampton/Amherst area. It isn't unusual to have women and people of color in leadership positions, it has a hippy/crunchy/artsy/outdoorsy vibe and it is largely Blue in all elections. You may also have other college towns nearby with a similar vibe like Hamilton(SE of Syracuse) or Clinton(SW of Utica), both of which have the stereotypical New England feel and private colleges/universities.