Comparison between Worcester and Lowell, MA (Boston, Marlborough: rentals, condo, job market)

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by indiedoe

I am moving from WI to MA for my new job and am comparing between Lowell, Worcester, MA and Providence,RI. My budget for a home purchase is 750K max and I am hoping to purchase a multifamily home that I can add to/improve on (I have the skills). I am looking for communities that would support an active lifestyle with access to outdoors. Culturally, I am looking for a diverse make up (I am Asian Indian) with both food scene and activities scene being vibrant and multicultural.
What are your thoughts?

Of the 3, I'd give Worcester the nod for desi activities, restaurants, and shopping. As others have mentioned, Shrewsbury is kind of the hub. This article is a bit dated, but gives you a good idea. If anything, the population has only increased since 2012.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/re...wzO/story.html

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

Of the 3, I'd give Worcester the nod for desi activities, restaurants, and shopping. As others have mentioned, Shrewsbury is kind of the hub. This article is a bit dated, but gives you a good idea. If anything, the population has only increased since 2012.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/re...wzO/story.html

While I'm a believer in Worcester's positive growth, the only thing it has over Providence is access to a stronger jobs market ... particularly for dual income households where one household member might need access to skilled labor positions along 495 or east.

Providence has a higher GDP than Worcester, but the jobs market is rather dire for certain industries. If that weren't the case, I'd being writing a bullish statement on Providence from a house on the RI coast.

As a former Lowell res, it's a perfectly serviceable small city which provides good access to the Nashua and 95 jobs markets, as well as Boston via rail. DT Lowell is small, but highly walkable and has just enough options to maintain some satisfaction.

Worcester, unlike Lowell, feels like a proper independent city. Much greater diversity of businesses and restaurants, including some legitimately good eats which you simply can’t find in Lowell (e.g., Dead Horse, Volturno). If the desire is to live in a thriving, Worcester is the better choice. If you simply want a loft apartment in commuting distance to high wage jobs along 95, then Lowell is safe and serviceable.

[brightdoglover]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

For Asian food, particularly Cambodian, Lowell is easily the best food scene. It’s been like that for 40 years.

Lowell is also closer to high wage employment.

I left the 495 area over three years ago and still miss Simply Khmer, in Lowell. Fantastic food.

[MMS02760]

Downtown Lowell has far more character and history than Worcester. It has the river, canals, old mills, and other old architecture. Downtown Worcester has no scenic landscape features and its building stock (save for Mechanic Hall & Union Station) is mostly bland utilitarian structures. Lowell even does newer buildings far better as the exteriors of Tsongas Arena and LeLacheur Park are much more appealing than the ugly DCU Center and new Polar Park.

[magicshark]

Originally Posted by MMS02760

Downtown Lowell has far more character and history than Worcester. It has the river, canals, old mills, and other old architecture. Downtown Worcester has no scenic landscape features and its building stock (save for Mechanic Hall & Union Station) is mostly bland utilitarian structures. Lowell even does newer buildings far better as the exteriors of Tsongas Arena and LeLacheur Park are much more appealing than the ugly DCU Center and new Polar Park.

I am sorry but having lived in Lowell off and on for the first 39 years of my life you are so wrong. While downtown Worcester proper is not that exciting The Canal District is light years ahead of downtown Lowell. Polar Park vs The Spinners' park? While The Spinners have a beautiful park as of right now Polar Park wins. I spent last Saturday walking around it and it is stunning.

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by magicshark

I am sorry but having lived in Lowell off and on for the first 39 years of my life you are so wrong. While downtown Worcester proper is not that exciting The Canal District is light years ahead of downtown Lowell. Polar Park vs The Spinners' park? While The Spinners have a beautiful park as of right now Polar Park wins. I spent last Saturday walking around it and it is stunning.

He's been salty about Worcester/Polar Park for a while. His opinions on Worcester are viewed through this lens.

As a resident of Lowell for 6 years, I found the city to be marginally more scenic/beautiful than Worcester, largely because the highly trafficked areas of Lowell are of limited scope and have seen a massive influx of fed-dollars to get to it's current point. The downtown area is compact and largely intact/rebuilt. The river walk is a nice feature and something which you won't find in Worcester as it's was a city planned largely around rail transport (the canal infrastructure is quite limited these days).

This said, while Lowell's compact development and fed dollars have allowed it to curate a largely safe and appealing downtown area, the compactness also becomes negative for longer term residents. It's perfectly sufficient for day-trippers looking to see a D1/Spinners game or concert at Heritage park, but for those living there full time the limited options can become tiresome. The waning professional class thanks, in part, to U-Lowell's purchase of Perkins doesn't inspire confidence within the remaining professional and retiree class who bought the early 2000's Lowell gentrification. We'll see how it rebounds from Covid.

Though Worcester is much more disjointed than Lowell's 'core', unlike Lowell it is flush with options that young professionals expect in a supposedly thriving city. Shrewsbury St. alone has more breadth than Lowell, never mind the options near Canal, Main, Park Ave, or the isolated oddballs like Vincent's, Greater Good, Mare Monti, etc.

I appreciate that for the casual day tripper Lowell might appear to be the better city, but in terms of living in or near a city I strongly prefer Worcester for the breadth. Secondary to Providence, of course, which benefits from a better layout and strong state/fed funding.

[MMS02760]

Originally Posted by magicshark

Polar Park vs The Spinners' park? While The Spinners have a beautiful park as of right now Polar Park wins. I spent last Saturday walking around it and it is stunning.

To each his own. I recently drove by Polar Park and thought its exterior facade to be rather ugly, especially given that over $100M in taxpayer funds was used to help construct it. Blue ribbed corrugated steel cladding seems rather cheap. I much prefer the red brick exterior of LeLacheur Park as it is much more pleasing to the eye and fits in well with its surroundings.


Polar Park
https://twitter.com/polarpark2021/st...97168202412035

[masssachoicetts]

I rather live in Worcester because its more happening and a lot of projects are underway. Fastest growing with the most potential of the three cities and will see the most housing appreciation.

PVD is the best city. Lowell has the best charm though.

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by MMS02760

To each his own. I recently drove by Polar Park and thought its facade exterior to be rather ugly, especially given that over $100M in taxpayer funds was used to help construct it. Blue ribbed corrugated steel cladding seems rather cheap. I much prefer the red brick exterior of LeLacheur Park as it is much more pleasing to the eye and fits in well with its surroundings.


Polar Park
https://twitter.com/polarpark2021/st...97168202412035

LeLacheur works well in the context of Lowell, which is dominated by red brick.

I think Polar Park fits fine in the context of Worcester, which has a history in the steel industry (e.g., American Steel & Wire) and rail. That vernacular certainly seems to have directly influenced the design which, IMO, feels very Worcester in identity ... including the mild disappointment felt by many (ah, so Worcester). I too am not a fan of the blue (IHOP is perhaps not the best association), but the structure is otherwise fine in context of it's environment and certainly a huge step up from dreary McCoy.

The developers did screw up by showing visuals which promised a sort of mini Camden Yards, when the end result resembles nothing of the sort. Had they sold the current 'industrial' aesthetic they would have likely had a more positive response, but instead people were expecting something in line with Victory or Slugger fields. Seems the architect, Quirk, feels that red brick parks a bit of a nostalgic cliche and so he chose to pursue a steel-based approach. That's fine, but doing so after the Red Sox have sold that cliche is going to yield some negative critique.

[Martha Anne]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

Of the 3, I'd give Worcester the nod for desi activities, restaurants, and shopping. As others have mentioned, Shrewsbury is kind of the hub. This article is a bit dated, but gives you a good idea. If anything, the population has only increased since 2012.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/re...wzO/story.html

I agree. Worcester would be my first choice.