Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

Milk-Foon t1_j7b2lwe wrote

To bring back sky-lite and more outlets for youth the new Boys & Girls club is impossible to find and little league baseball has had a major drop off …I’m not saying it’s a must but having stuff to do help them interact it’s tough to grow up these days

83

legalpretzel t1_j7b3r50 wrote

There is NOWHERE to take kids that’s not a park or the Ecotarium (which is lovely but gets old after 5 visits a year).

We have to leave Worcester for every single birthday party and to keep them busy on weekends and holidays. Yesterday we just sat inside because going somewhere to do something for our kid means driving to Westborough or Leominster and we don’t always feel like doing that. It’s a constant conversation with other parents about how crappy Worcester is when you have kids to entertain.

35

Krny73 t1_j7bcvbs wrote

I agree in general but the kids section of the library is really great too.

15

elemenopppppp t1_j7bp169 wrote

There’s an indoor play place in Sutton right down 146. I think it’s call luv 2 play or something like that

11

mandy_mae91 t1_j7c9epq wrote

Yes! I think it's by market 32/five guys. I took my daughter a couple of times and she loved it!

3

Lazy-Ad-2530 t1_j7c0umb wrote

I took my 5 year old to the Ecotarium a few weeks ago and couldn't believe how outdated and awful it was. Definitely not worth the money!!

3

MrsNightskyre t1_j7e2u4x wrote

There's no where for teenagers to go, either. :(

2

All_The_Nolloway t1_j7empbi wrote

This. If people want kids off devices and to stop gaming there needs to be a place for them to go that doesn't cost an arm and a leg and dare I say.. free. It's not fair for everyone over the age of 30 to screech at them "get off your devices!!" and then give them nowhere to go. Spare me the "but but but back in my day I just got some friends and.." I know old people love to imagine the world is still like the Sandlot but it isn't anymore you can't get a soda at "the general store" for a shiny quarter anymore.. everything is expensive.

4

Particular_End8108 t1_j7d8ukt wrote

Agreed 100%. I take my kid to an indoor playground $15 per child without time restrictions. ABS kids at west Boylston

1

lukewarm_sax t1_j7bdtkk wrote

If I had the money and the time, I would LOVE to open a roller rink in Worcester.

16

PinkPeonies t1_j7bj8xc wrote

I feel like Skylite closed at the worst time. There has been such a resurgence of rollerskating and blading within the last 5 years.

13

LowkeyPony t1_j7bx31v wrote

They closed Roll On America in Lancaster in 2021, and it was always pretty busy there. Used to drop the kids off for birthday parties and skate nights a few times a month. And now all I see on my Insta feed are people at roller rinks having a great time.

6

CoolAbdul t1_j7bwywb wrote

"Hey, I got an idea! How 'bout we tear down Mechanics Hall and put up a roller rink? That's what we need! A big. roller. rink!"

-Roger Saloom

"Out of Worcester"

4

lukewarm_sax t1_j7g405i wrote

Mechanics Hall actually used to be a roller rink in its early days!!! Honestly it would be kinda iconic to host roller skating nights in there as it is

1

xenolingual t1_j7b4had wrote

Like many smaller cities: Investments in public resources, infrastructure, transportation, mixed-income housing, walkable residential areas with convenient, walkable access to businesses (pharmacies, groceries, etc), small parks and sitting areas. Prioritising resident human-owned property development over commercial legal entity-owned property development. etc.

68

fremenator t1_j7d94jk wrote

This plus they need higher paying jobs overall. It's not a great system when so much of the city has to travel to Boston everyday just to make a buck. For people like me in my industry, there's lots of work we could do in Worcester but there's no point in working there when I can make triple by going to Boston.

9

xenolingual t1_j7dd6ro wrote

Right? Such a good point. I'd love to be able to do what I do locally and more directly contribute to the Worcester economy.

3

HistoricalSecurity77 t1_j7e1csm wrote

There are lots of high paying jobs here. Between the hospitals and biotech, plus the higher edu institutions…

3

fremenator t1_j7f6mpl wrote

That's a fair point! I only know about my field and the pay is way lower here than in Boston.

2

HistoricalSecurity77 t1_j7ff4jm wrote

I grew up here in the city, and my parents didn’t make all that much. Most of my childhood/early teen years their household income wasn’t above $$85k, but (back then in the 90s and early 2000s) that was plenty to live a decent middle-class life. Today, teachers with their Masters and a few years in will earn $80k alone. Most Worcester fire fighters and cops make around $100,000 or more with OT. While that won’t go too far with inflation, there are indeed lots of jobs that will pay at least $60k plus. Insurance industry is big here as well.

2

Tamanduas t1_j8vzb93 wrote

Yeah becomes a Worcester cop they make bank.

1

SmartassRemarks t1_j7ihvh9 wrote

This is absolutely huge, and is the core of everything. The city will draw all sorts of business if there is a larger upper middle class and upper class.

By the way, what field do you work in? I work in software, and there are practically no software jobs in Worcester worth half a shit, and anyone working outside Cambridge and Boston makes half what they could be making inside the city.

2

fremenator t1_j7ijd9b wrote

Government (not trying to get into more detail for doxxing)

1

princess-smartypants t1_j7b3k4b wrote

Affordable housing and better public transportation.I

Civic pride. Worcester is a great city. It isn't perfect, but it has a lot to offer.

56

Jaekash1911 t1_j7b6zlc wrote

Worcester is super affordable compared to most places in MA

2

NativeMasshole t1_j7bblfa wrote

Worcester is affordable compared to most places east of Worcester, which is one of the worst housing markets in the country. It's about on par with the more bougie places in Western Mass, but still much more expensive than anywhere that hasn't been gentrified to shit already.

22

dubswho t1_j7bihp9 wrote

that's because worcester is in the process of gentrification itself. it actually makes perfect sense

6

Dk5694 t1_j7c08u2 wrote

Another god damn internet provider because Spectrum is trash

50

TonySpangs508 t1_j7d0urd wrote

Hold strong my friend. Verizon Fios will be here soon haha

3

IIRizzII t1_j7dbeoq wrote

Verizon sucks with their prices gouging.

5

MrsNightskyre t1_j7e2ymi wrote

They've been coming "soon" for 15 years. I wouldn't hold your breath.

2

TonySpangs508 t1_j7eehu9 wrote

Yes, but this time I’ve actually seen them doing the work and talked to the employees about it coming.

2

JoshSidekick t1_j7r2g25 wrote

Whenever I've lived in an apartment complex, the Verizon guy would come around asking about upgrading and then when we'd say yes, they'd immediately return with the "Well, we need everyone to say they'll switch because otherwise it's not fiscally responsible to do the work for one apartment". Now that I have a house, I'm certain they'd say they need the whole street...

2

archeusdevine t1_j7b8mhu wrote

Road maintenance

41

Magisterbrown t1_j7fioop wrote

Instead of maintenance on roads for cars, just invest in better infrastructure like trams

6

Shin_Splinters t1_j7dczvi wrote

Sadly, the city has massively overbuilt (outwards mainly) and the tax base will never justify the current infrastructure maintenance costs without an increase in economic productivity. It's a very difficult hole to climb out of, and will require some changes in management perspectives.

4

Devastator5042 t1_j7bfjbf wrote

I'll say something controversial, a reason to regularly go to the downtown.

The downtown is a ghost town most days, if we invested in the downtown with some more shops, event spaces, bars, etc. It would be much more popular

38

Lazy-Ad-2530 t1_j7bon0b wrote

There are too many undesirable people and lack of available affordable parking for that area to thrive. There used to be all kinds of bars and stores but they couldn't stay open. I hate going downtown because I know I'll have to park far away and it's sketchy for women to walk around there alone.

14

Shin_Splinters t1_j7dd8ys wrote

If people were able to get around without needing the parking that would also help. But public transit is a joke here, barely hanging on to serve primarily those "undesirable people" who will never be able to buy into the car based transportation system.

7

pxt3r t1_j7devgr wrote

Nobody really pays for parking in the city

2

Lazy-Ad-2530 t1_j7df0yq wrote

I do when I have to go downtown and polar park area. Can never find a free spot. Shit, I went to Baystate Brewery and had to pay to park.

3

pxt3r t1_j7df4ji wrote

Damnn :/ Polar park area is definitely a stretch. Downtown on most days you can get away with it.

2

Lazy-Ad-2530 t1_j7dfapb wrote

If I'm going downtown it's usually for a purpose and I don't have time to drive around and around looking for a free, safe spot.

3

eyice t1_j81wpdq wrote

i think the answer is better public transit access to downtown as opposed to more parking

2

Lazy-Ad-2530 t1_j8a5ffw wrote

Not for me! I don't use public transportation nor does anyone I know.

1

eyice t1_j8ayk95 wrote

the reason you don't use public transportation is because it sucks in worcester. parking is never the answer for cities, it's just too space inefficient

2

Lazy-Ad-2530 t1_j8aypty wrote

I wouldn't use it. I live 30 min from Worcester and have a car.

1

ebinsugewa t1_j7ben8m wrote

Walkable organic neighborhoods, and particularly a downtown that offers things past 5 oclock. Affordable housing. More activities that aren’t restaurants or bars.

One thing that I don’t think gets enough attention is trying to retain college students in the area after graduation. We have a ton of excellent universities. Especially with the growth in software/tech, some public/private partnerships to retain WPI students via startup incubation or similar would be great.

There’s no reason that someone should have to go to metrowest, 128, or the city to work in tech for example when we have so many bright kids here for four years or more.

32

CoolAbdul t1_j7bxc4l wrote

> Walkable organic neighborhoods

We have a ton of those.

1

Shin_Splinters t1_j7dd2c7 wrote

Where?

3

CoolAbdul t1_j7do42r wrote

Elm Park, Columbus Park, Coolidge Road, Upper Burncoat, Tatnuck, Forrest, Wheelock, Becker, Massasoit, September/Courtland area... ...there are a ton of great neighborhoods. With sidewalks.

1

Lil_Brown_Bat t1_j7bb9bi wrote

Indie movie theater

27

ajohnson2371 t1_j7bftlu wrote

Movie theater in general. Worcester is one of the few cities in this country with a population of 200k+ without one. Back in the day, Worcester had at least three or four:

  • Lincoln Plaza (three screens)
  • Worcester Galleria (three screens)
  • Webster Square (two screens)
  • Showcase (five screens, now it's the Hanover Theater)

Plus, White City in Shrewsbury was just over the city line and had bus transport.

Showcase North came along later on, and was the place especially when Lincoln and Webster Square went bye bye. Soon enough, it was the sole theater in all of Worcester. Now it's completely gone, soon to become yet another warehouse complex. Shame.

Mind you, I don't mind hitting up West Boylston or Elm Draught House to support the local business (plus it's cheaper than going to Blackstone), but you have to admit the lack of a theater in general is a bit nuts.

28

AceOfTheSwords t1_j7c7f0n wrote

Big cinemas that keep up-to-date with new releases are dying everywhere, not just here. Whether that's just people preferring to stream at home, or the marketing required to get big blockbusters on your screens not being financially feasible without unrealistic attendance rates, it's undeniable and only accelerated by the pandemic. Just recently Regal Cinemas has been going through a bankruptcy. Clearly Worcester and all surrounding towns can only sustain one of the big cinemas, and Blackstone is just where it ended up.

If anything I'd like to see the old Olympia Theatre on Pleasant St be updated to be a modern 2-screen theater. Though it looks like the current owners are placing their bets on making it another tiny indoor music venue.

5

ajohnson2371 t1_j7d4veq wrote

That's not the one that was an adult theater for a bunch of years, was it? I'm not thinking of the Paris Theater on Front Street across from Turtle Boy.

2

outb0undflight t1_j7bp36v wrote

Aside from affordable housing and something other than 'the worst trash pickup I have ever seen' this is my biggest wish for the city.

Cinema Worcester does indie showings at the Park View Room (located in the same building as the Cornerstone Bank on Park Ave, just across from Elm Park. I believe one of their long term goals is to eventually get an actual space but that could take a while.

And I believe Cinema320 at Clark is still kicking.

But we really need an actual Coolidge or Amherst Cinema-esque theater. It's insane how far you have to travel sometimes to catch even some of the more noteworthy smaller releases.

7

Hucklebut t1_j7b7dwf wrote

More walkability/ convenient, affordable, accessible public transportation.

23

GullibleFrisbee t1_j7bo8on wrote

Jobs. Worcester used to be an industrial manufacturing city, now those jobs are in china. These days if you want an upper middle class salary, you need to commute to Boston, which gets old fast when your two hour commute makes you late for work. There is some insurance, banking, biotech, etc, but the people I know that work in Worcester don’t get paid a lot. More money from jobs makes more restaurants, theaters, concert venues, etc. Right now if you have an awesome spot in Worcester, nobody has the money to go there regularly.

20

NativeMasshole t1_j7b7f23 wrote

An outdoor music venue. This was one of the things I was excited for Polar Park, but from what I heard they can't fit the equipment through the entrance thanks to some shitty aesthetic design choice. But an amphitheater or an open air stage would be great too. Even just somewhere in the county.

Affordable housing is obvious. Rental prices have shot well beyond the median income. I've been looking at condos lately and ones that were well under $100k a few years ago are now going for $200k+. I saw a single room, 300 sq ft efficiency marked for $130k, and it sold.

Better chain stores. Worcester never seems to be up to date on any of the best big box stores, restaurants, or grocery stores. It's like they're all stuck in the 90s here.

19

Patient_Customer9827 t1_j7b96lc wrote

Agreed with most of that until you got to chain stores. Not sure what a corporation owned, cookie-cutter retail location does for the city. At that, I’m not even really sure what Worcester doesn’t have. Can’t picture anything that isn’t here.

12

NativeMasshole t1_j7bazqu wrote

You don't want a Wegmans in the city? A Hannaford? Or another Market Basket?

You don't want to upgrade the fast food scene to something better than Popeye's?

You don't think we need a Costco? We need a Costco, damnit!

11

KadenKraw t1_j7bgsuc wrote

> You don't want to upgrade the fast food scene to something better than Popeye's?

What fastfood are we missing. We have like every chain even the rarer chick fil a. I guess we don't have sonic but they aren't as common up north.

3

CoolAbdul t1_j7bxyhs wrote

New England is notorious for being a fast food wasteland.

5

DGBD t1_j7d2lhg wrote

IMO that's largely because New England has a decent scene of locally-owned places. Most towns have an independent pizza place, for example, while in other parts of the country you're lucky if there's a Pizza Hut or Domino's.

Would much rather have fewer fast food choices but better local choices than vice versa.

3

AceOfTheSwords t1_j7c8bxe wrote

Really the only fast food we don't have here that I've had anywhere else in New England and would maybe like is a Sonic, but it's far from the highest priority.

Honestly I've never cared about the fancy supermarkets. Even when I've lived somewhere that had them, I shopped elsewhere.

Costco I can get behind though, whether in Worcester proper or a town over. It's ridiculous that we have to drive an hour to get to one.

3

Patient_Customer9827 t1_j7beyrc wrote

What fast food do you even want?

I don’t shop at club stores so I could care less about a Costco.

MB Shrewsbury is a 5-10 minute drive and on the bus line. Wegmans is a short drive and super overrated. Hannaford is fine but you’re not really missing anything as someone who has shopped there before.

All of these things rank levels below affordable housing for people and better infrastructure/transportation. I don’t have kids but I’d rate the requests above about children’s activities ahead of corporations.

I personally drive 13 minutes to Oxford MB and do some local shopping at Maker to Main.

2

KadenKraw t1_j7bgztr wrote

Costco would be nice none nearby and Bjs are all 20+ minutes.

You might not use club stores but they are great savings for families.

7

CoolAbdul t1_j7by3wt wrote

> and Bjs are all 20+ minutes.

that's what your mom says

2

KadenKraw t1_j7c12ch wrote

Good my mom taught me to always put 100% in anything you do.

2

Patient_Customer9827 t1_j7ck6vs wrote

Fair. Though I do live 10 minutes from the Auburn one and 18 from Northboro. There was a Sam’s Club in Worcester but it wasn’t profitable for them. I’m guessing there was a high demand for it.

2

jeepjockey52 t1_j7bjqr2 wrote

I saw the equipment load in thing and it sounds fishy.

2

Crooks123 t1_j7bblxt wrote

Nightclubs! There are strip clubs, hookah lounges, and bars, but i haven’t found that many places to dance and usually just go to boston

18

New_Analyst3510 t1_j7bupza wrote

Providence is so much closer

4

Crooks123 t1_j7cdu7f wrote

I truthfully have never been, I prefer boston since I have friends there that can let me stay for the night haha but I’ll have to check it out!

3

OrphanKripler t1_j7b83nd wrote

More places for people to hang out that’s not a bar or a restaurant.

Instead of that baseball stadium they should have made an entertainment plaza;

that would have a Dave & Busters, a DZ zone for the really little kids, a Go kart rink, Food court, Pool hall, Swimming pool hall, Tennis, And a small oval for doing jogging laps or just walking in the sun. A mini mall that could be shrunk down by making it multiple floors. (More of a hang out for young teens really)

We already have enough baseball stadiums with the one on chandler street, holy cross, Gillette, Fenway etc.

17

Weenie_Hut_Jr_ t1_j7b9hwf wrote

I’d love something like this in the city but I wonder if it would survive with Apex just 15 min away. Would need its own unique draw

5

howard_mandel t1_j7bha9x wrote

Apex is always way too crowded that alone might be a good enough draw, plus its not always 15 mins for people thats really only if you live right near 290!

7

KadenKraw t1_j7bgkig wrote

Gillette is soccer/football/music not baseball.

2

CoolAbdul t1_j7bxkp8 wrote

barely soccer

4

KadenKraw t1_j7by2v7 wrote

Yeah I use to live very close. Avoid Gillette during football, concerts. During soccer though, drive right in made no difference to traffic or volume.

2

CoolAbdul t1_j7bxite wrote

> More of a hang out for young teens really

Won't happen. Gang problem.

2

MattOLOLOL t1_j7bhorb wrote

What if we built the most expensive minor league park in the country, and then failed to deliver on half of our promises about it?

Worcester rennaisance, baby!

16

OrphanKripler t1_j7clxo1 wrote

Exactly, I would rather have had a casino. At least it would bring lots of people and not just baseball fans. Sure it might bring bad people to the city and crime and whatever dumb excuses ppl wanna come up with to oppose a casino, but that’s literally everywhere and this city already has the bad crowd in it. There was a shooting just a couple days ago in broad daylight a couple blocks from the police station.

The teams the stadium was built for hardly play here. It was built before even getting those teams contracted! The city council is so out of touch. They should have made a driving school mini circuit to teach everyone in this city how to drive.

−2

anothermrnobody t1_j7bnbhc wrote

Better schools. Stayed in Worcester after college until we started a family and my first child entered kindergarten. Had a horrific experience with the school system so we moved to the boroughs for the following year.

12

redhousebythebog t1_j7bsovk wrote

Better drivers. Worcester drivers seem extra special compared to neighboring towns.

11

orions_cat t1_j7e95gs wrote

I have lived in a few different states and every time I move and someone finds out I'm new to the area they inevitably say, "Welcome to [state]! We have the worst drivers you'll ever see here." This has been said to me in every state, even when I moved back to my home state someone said this to me. And I never really thought the driving was too bad in any of those areas.

I move out here and no one made that comment to me about the drivers. And the drivers/driving around here is by far the worst I've ever experienced in my 35yrs.

3

lilGouki t1_j88ciwx wrote

Moved here from CA, someone legit tried to hit and run my car that was parked in a parking lot while I was coming out of the store. Then when I stopped them for their information, they acted like it wasn't their fault and maybe I parked wrong when my car was inbetween the lines and right in front of the security camera.

2

IIRizzII t1_j7dbx86 wrote

Perhaps more monitoring by police to help with the people that constantly speeding on side roads, running red lights, stop signs, almost hitting pedestrians, etc.

2

CoolAbdul t1_j7bx47t wrote

Worcester is a college town utterly devoid of any college town vibe. That is what the city needs.

11

KmHoliday t1_j7bh2t0 wrote

Maybe a shot in the dark, but a solid theatre district. Not like Hanover where it’s more of a garage for touring shows, and more accessible than BrickBox where the average person cannot afford to put a show there. But a good, semi-equity staged theatre so the local theatre scene can bustle and thrive.

It’s wild we don’t have one. Boston has several and even Springfield has one or two. A theatre scene where locals can become story tellers and tell prevalent, palpable, and relatable stories is so important. It sounds a bit sensationalized but the before and after from a welcoming and modern theatre scene does wonders for the culture and night life of a city

9

Oyadonchano t1_j7c0suq wrote

So many things. Public transit that extends into the evening. Investment in Downtown with diverse businesses and better walkability. More independent grocery stores that are walkable from residential areas. In Tatnuck I can walk to like 13 different places to get a mediocre haircut but I can't walk to buy some fruit.

9

masshole4life t1_j7d66t2 wrote

for some fucking stores to be open past midnight.

pre covid there were at least 24 hr grocery stores and gas stations. now everything is closed down at 10 like we're in the boonies.

in a city of 200k+ i should be able to get lasagna at 3 am or a pack of cigarettes without having to drive to the other end of the city.

overnight hospital workers, ems, etc have always been unserved here, but now with so many people up and about at night it's obscene that nothing is open.

and maybe a gd indian restaurant that isn't also a pizza place or in a food court.

9

DGBD t1_j7d69ye wrote

Worcester needs to think about the people who live here and not the people who don't. One of the biggest problems with the boondoggles we've spent on like the outlet mall and the baseball stadium is that they're predicated in bringing people into Worcester, but not necessarily making life better for the people who already live here. Meanwhile, too much of the housing/development discussion seems to be centered on people who don't live here ("people will want to move here from Boston since it's cheaper!") too, which is ridiculous.

To be honest, one of the things we need is for people to stop thinking they need to "fix" Worcester. That's one of the ways we end up with these grand schemes that end in disaster. That isn't to say this question isn't good; it's just that so many people think that XYZ is going to magically make Worcester better and we've seen from experience it doesn't. Instead if we want to improve Worcester we partly have to appreciate what we like about Worcester and look for smaller ways to make a change, which will hopefully all add up. And a big part of that is not trying to get other people to come in and fix our issues with their money or whatever, but do it ourselves.

One thing I'll say to that effect is that IMO Worcester needs a better understanding of what we do well. For example, people talk up the restaurant scene here, but I feel like I'm in a bizzarro world because the places that are usually discussed are the most mid yuppie shit I've had. Meanwhile, Worcester does casual hole-in-the-wall/diner/casual better than most places I've been. I'd much, much rather go to Dalat, Fatima's, Miss Woo, and their ilk than whatever mediocre trendy place just opened downtown. Why try to out-trend the big cities when we've already got other good stuff going on?

9

ekwia t1_j7ewtnx wrote

Reliable public transportation.

8

D_is_for_Doomsayer t1_j7bbbgx wrote

Affordable housing and shop fronts, expanded arts and entertainment, municipal broadband, oust the old boy's network.

7

howard_mandel t1_j7bgytn wrote

Rent control/actually affordable housing, an in city movie theater, a rollerrink/arcade, public transportation, local art studios for the public to view the work of the local students, fix some of the roads, make the city more walkable, nightclubs with proper security/protection, more music venues, more work into parks and rec stuff to have cleaner and safer parks, cleaner streets/sidewalks.

The important thing would be to get more people living in the city through rent control/ making rent actually affordable. More people in the city means more money allocated to make the city nicer. We have SO MANY unused and vacant places and they just keep building more and more.

7

doge-ma t1_j7cq0lv wrote

A decent trash collection and city cleaning. I've been to 3rd world country cities that are cleaner than Worcester. Get rid of Casella and the ridiculous yellow bags!! this city is a dump, I think the mayor and DPW likes to live like pigs. Some cities have trash collection and they'll pick up anything that's on the curb, Casella will nick pick everything. we hardly see the sweeping trucks or city workers cleaning, landscaping. Very sad and neglected city.

7

bmonge t1_j7ba336 wrote

Another Polar Park!

6

outb0undflight t1_j7bsb7m wrote

And not just another baseball stadium. An exact replica of Polar Park. Bonus points if it's located across the street from the actual Polar Park.

6

Sociononymous t1_j7d1t8k wrote

More walking and biking infrastructure to make the city more movable without a car

6

wasowka t1_j7bs7j2 wrote

More urban condominium buildings (not just rental complexes) with bike garages, pet stations, underground parking, LEED certification, gyms, etc. Most of the condo buildings in the city are old and outdated. Not everyone wants a house, especially retiring seniors.

5

NoIdeaWhatToD0 t1_j7bu9zu wrote

Places for people to hang out or places that are safe for women to go to. I've lived here my whole life and I never go out because I don't feel safe going anywhere alone even during the day. But there's also no where for me to go either.

5

freebroccolli t1_j7crlr7 wrote

High speed rail connecting it to Springfield and Boston

5

orions_cat t1_j7efe4m wrote

So I just moved to Worcester a little over a year ago. I am moved from Fort Wayne, IN. When I first moved to Fort Wayne it was fine, had some decent restaurants, and 2 big malls (one being an outdoor mall). It was a college town as well. But during the 8yrs I lived there was tons of effort put into improving the city. It was awesome!

Honestly, when I visited Worcester several years back, the little area where Birchtree Bread Co is was just taking shape. I felt that Worcester was a similar size to FW and hoped it would end up taking steps similar to FW. I live here now (not really by choice) and I'm disappointed in the lack of, well, everything. In my opinion at least.

-The city paid to fix up the exteriors of houses in several rundown neighborhoods. Neighborhoods where I was once afraid to walk to my car with a group of friends I was suddenly able to walk to my car by myself because the area went from meth lab chic to having working street lights and dedicated parking with nice looking homes.

-The city had a really nice farmer's market and it became huge. The city would shut down like 4 blocks in the downtown area, there were tons of vendors, live music, and lots of food trucks. The farmer's market was the most hoppin' place on a Saturday.

-Parking was free mostly everywhere downtown. And there were lots of parking options. It was rare to struggle to find decent parking.

-There were events that the city would throw a few times a year that encouraged people to visit restaurants, small businesses, and neighborhoods that didn't get lots of traffic.

-The city had more festivals than I've ever seen in a city. Every other weekend in Fort Wayne would be the GreekFest, GermanFest, Hobnobben movie festival, Middlewaves music festival, Buskerfest, Pride Festival, the county fair, Taste of the Arts. Pretty much if there could be a festival about something, Fort Wayne would make it happen. There was an event called "Be A Tourist in Your Own Hometown" where a lot of local businesses, museums, etc would have discounted or free options and host events to get people to come check them out if they hadn't before.

-Food Trucks!! Man, I miss the food trucks so much. They are a big part of Fort Wayne. There's SO many food trucks offering amazing food. I don't see any of that here in Worcester. Every day of the week had dedicated places where food trucks would be so they could serve different areas of the city. Like, the food trucks would always be in the downtown town square area around noon and then in the evenings they'd be in one neighborhood one day and another neighborhood the next day. Some of the best food I've ever had. There was a huge food truck culture in FW.

-The outdoor mall started hosting outdoor concerts with local artists on Fridays. It brought them a lot of traffic. Honestly, the music scene in FW was pretty awesome. Lots of good bands and tons of events to support them.

-There were tons of random events like the Le Tour de Fort where people do a bar crawl across the city on bikes. It's a big event that raises money for charity I believe. And also brings a lot of business to all the local bars and breweries.

-Right before I moved Fort Wayne renovated this whole rundown area near downtown and turned into a safe walking area, playground, and a place where you can shop and dine at locally owned places.

-Fort Wayne also had a minor league baseball team. During the colder months the buildings/stadium/parking lot are used to host a farmer's market and, you guessed it, food trucks.

I do have to say that I feel Fort Wayne did a really good job supporting locally owned businesses in general. I would love to see Worcester make strides like FW but I won't hold my breath.

5

SmartSherbet t1_j7frkwx wrote

Good post. It's really incredible how far behind Midwestern cities Worcester is on basic livability.

3

kraftastic t1_j7b9qww wrote

Public roads, if they want to grow the city you have to be able to drive in it

4

princess-smartypants t1_j7brp1n wrote

Consistant/existent signage would be nice. It is intimidating to drive in the city if you aren't from there. Left lane ends, right lane ends, left lane suddenly turn only, right lane suddenly turn only. Is Route 9 from the Leicester line to Park /Stafford one lane or two? Half of the intersections don't have street signs. The traffic lights are inconsistent. Turn down the street and someone is double parked in front of the dispensary, and there is no where to go. I have to really want to/have to do something in the city to put up with that.

5

New_Analyst3510 t1_j7btu36 wrote

Less shity police More money put into affordable housing

3

Eve617 t1_j7d9dh9 wrote

A more walkable city & better public transportation, including possibly having electric buses on tracks so traffic wouldn't be an issue for them. I would love to see 290 buried underground and the city brought together again instead of being split in half by a highway. The area where the highway is could become parks and entertainment areas which would make the abutting areas more attractive. This would help downtown too. It's a huge project but look what it did for Boston.

3

lunch420 t1_j7dmp3y wrote

Big plastic Trash bins for everyone instead of dumb bags that rip and allow animals to tear them open overnight

3

Karen1968a t1_j7dtw9b wrote

You’re not supposed to put them out overnight

1

SmartSherbet t1_j7frxi8 wrote

What are people who are at work during 6-730am legal window for putting them out supposed to do? What about people who work in bars or restaurants until midnight and need to be sleeping during that time?

The whole system is predicated on the assumption that everybody works 8-5 and can easily put their bags out when they're supposed to. It's a flawed assumption and you can't blame people for putting their bags out when it works in their schedules. If we had raccoon-proof wheeled carts like other cities do, this wouldn't be an issue.

4

MusicNerdDavid t1_j7e6ub2 wrote

More public bathrooms downtown. Im always taking the bus there from providence for shows at the palladium and there are barely any between them.

3

Magisterbrown t1_j7fiiqu wrote

Infrastructure for people instead of cars: bike lanes, sheltered bus stops, denser housing

3

CRoss1999 t1_j7dpvuu wrote

It needs better transit, like the busses are good compared to smaller cities but could be more frequent. Same with train service

2

SJ966 t1_j7dwzvr wrote

A extensive DCU Center overhaul to make it better for hockey and attract more events again. They should even look into overhauling management if that is the reason why the DCU Center is only getting Monster Jam, D-level concerts and wrestling every two years.

2

NotLivvvyLoaf t1_j7e21lo wrote

Better schools 100% . Went to a school in Worcester before going to middle school and those years there were probably the worst in my life. Absolutely god awful staff that didn’t do anything and homophobic people.

2

Magical_Thief t1_j7eb5tu wrote

places to hang out! like public lounges for teenagers and older not to mention ROADS THAT YOU CAN DRIVE ON. dirt roads like mine are going to be the death of me also better schools. east middle sucks ass and worcester tech needs a staff overhaul after the shitshow that was my 4 years

2

Merulabird t1_j7ffkx2 wrote

Better commuter trains to Boston, better train service to points south (ct, ny). Also tech companies.

2

flowercrownrugged t1_j7g8irx wrote

A cap on utility costs so people aren’t getting screwed with a 40% increase on National grids whim

2

CloroxWipes1 t1_j7l2co6 wrote

More affordable housing and less goddamned fireworks.

2

Quirky_Butterfly_946 t1_j7b94rq wrote

What about Worcester now do people think is good.

(Not sarcastic, just honest question)

1

Speedwagon1935 t1_j7cfjxl wrote

Still wondering what happened to that nice gazebo next to hanover and alot of places like it that were torn down replaced with variegations that made the city aesthetically pleasing.

1

Puzzleheaded-Phase70 t1_j7cm2gp wrote

Socialism.

Not even kidding.

We need to build funding sources and then invest them into the cultural scene and in housing projects that don't suck, and community gardens, and urban vertical farming, and SCHOOLS.

1

Only-Front-6166 t1_j7d1e7m wrote

All these options are great, from entertainment, movie theaters, kids places, nightclubs etc etc. The one thing all of them have in common is they are commercial spaces. This involves “commercial tax rates” which is $31.26 per $1000. The reason Worcester has so little to do is because of this tax rate. Which is why many businesses leave Worcester and go to neighboring towns. In Shrewsbury they have a flat tax rate of $14.11 per $1,000. So why open all these cool things in Worcester when the owners can open it in other towns for less than half the tax rate.

I say that to say this. It’s important people start taking part in the city meetings when it comes to tax rates because you guys have the power to adjust these tax rates. Especially now with the out of towners from Boston and California buying up all the real estate and changing the home values average price to the point that Worcester natives can’t afford to buy a house in Worcester or rent because everything’s to expensive.

1

Bryan995 t1_j7fgbkv wrote

Better weather. And palm trees.

1

BobQuasit t1_j7g03np wrote

Higgins Armory back. And Pixels & Pints. I'd like a damned good video arcade, too.

1

eyice t1_j81x3jx wrote

i really want the city to do its best to resist gentrification—there are TONS of hew housing developments but almost all of them are loft/small apartment style housing essentially made for young professionals

1

NativeSon508 t1_j7eq85r wrote

Playoff Entertainment to come back. 24/7 arcade

0

[deleted] t1_j7foj51 wrote

[removed]

0

WorcesterMA-ModTeam t1_j7gdiny wrote

Your comment is being removed for uncivil behavior. Our community maintains a respect level of civility in discussion regardless of the views being presented, and posts such as yours that engage in this type of discussion are not welcome here.

Please refresh yourself on our rules before continuing to participate, and show other posters the respect that all other people are owed.

If you cannot provide that, you are not welcome here.

1

OrphanKripler t1_j7b8j4g wrote

Also more places to eat that have actually good food. These mom and pop restaurants I’ve been going to for 20 years are so far behind in quality. It’s always a hit or miss.

It’s hard to find a spot that’s consistent. I shouldn’t have to wait for Friday and Saturday nights for a meal that’s not reheated 10 times or hard as a rock served with dripping oily dark brown moldy fries

−5

New_Analyst3510 t1_j7bu3u1 wrote

Carl's in Oxford is one of my favorites in the country (I know that's not Worcester)

1