Shrewsbury--the good, bad, and ugly? (Worcester, Holden: rental homes, homes, neighborhoods)

[naport]

Has anyone lived in Shrewsbury? How walkable is it? How safe? Any particular parts of town to avoid? The public schools seem pretty good from what I've read online. Are there decent restaurants? Organic food co-ops? Yoga studios? How is it as a place to raise kids--eg are there a variety of sports/lessons on offer? Anyone know if you can keep chickens there? We are considering Shrewsbury as a place to relocate versus a place like Holden (need to get into Worcester to work.) Holden, I gather, is farther out and a bit more rural feeling...(?) Not sure if we'll rent or buy, so would also be interested to hear about the market for rental homes (single-family.) Thanks for all comments!!

[scarletfire]

There are some pretty neighborhoods that are walkable to downtown. There isn't really a ton downtown to walk to, although I do have a friend who chose a downtown neighborhood because she could walk to the park for her little girl and to get a coffee.

- There are tons of recreational opportunities for the kids & some for adults as well. Parks & Recreation - Town of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts (http://www.shrewsbury-ma.gov/parkrec/index.asp - broken link)

- Willy's is a very good sushi restaurant & I think they have steak too if I recall.

- Green Hill Farm is an organic community share farm in town. Info at
ghf@township.com. There are also two community share farms in nearby Westboro.

- I'd be surprised if you didn't find yoga studios in town. Perhaps someone else on the forum can jump in and recommend one.

- I suspect Holden is probably more amenable to raising chickens than Shrewsbury but the Board of Health in town can tell you what the regulations are.

- Holden has a more rural feel than Shrewsbury but it's very nice as well. Both towns are very easy to get to from Worcester.

- I don't think you'll have any trouble finding a single-family home to rent. Perhaps Check out Worcester Telegram & Gazette Online or Craigslist. Actually I know of a beautiful large 3bd rental home near downtown Shrewsbury for $2200/mo.

- re: areas to avoid, personally I like the north side of town much better & I don't care for the part of town that's south of Rt 9 near the lake because it feels little less connected to town and part of it is unattractive with old businesses and a little depressing but the rest of the town is quite lovely.

Anyhow, that's my two cents! :-)

[brightdoglover]

From what I know:
Good- Lovely, quiet town with good schools
Bad- expense
Ugly- nothing

A friend of mine was trying to buy there (couldn't afford it) and I asked her about Holden and she turned up her nose. Apparently it's considered the wrong side of the tracks or something, a hard-scrabble area (as are so many of the former mill towns, etc., in Mass.)
Data point only.

[Jim P]

naport, I grew up and lived in Shrewsbury until 2004, when I was financially able to escape to Arizona. The Shrewsbury I grew up in and now miss terribly was a fantastic place to be a kid and even an adult. That lasted until about the late 1980's, when the town fathers figured that unbridled development meant a gold mine in tax revenue. Maybe that worked, but the town was ruined. Building permits were issued like toilet paper, and now I defy anyone to find any true open space besides designated park areas. The population has exploded, and the traffic even on the side roads will shock you. Rush hours are a tangled mess, mostly gridlocking the major intersections. Any young family with children will be disgusted and angry at this. Walking? Go right ahead, as long as you don't have to cross a street. I moved to Arizona for some long absent breathing room and neighbors more than a few feet away. I really do reminisce about my great days in the Shrewsbury that no longer exists.
The one bright point? The services. Fire, Police, and Medical have always been top notch, and I haven't seen their equal in any of my travels.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by brightdoglover

I asked her about Holden and she turned up her nose.

Ouch!

Just kidding, my name's not from Holden, Mass.

Shrewsbury is a nice town.

[CaseyB]

I was always under the impression that Holden was fairly decent, no?

Holden: Estimated median household income: $83,253

Shrewsbury: Estimated median household income: $83,175