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Blotofink OP t1_jbehpck wrote

Reply to comment by Business_Fly_5746 in Is the area around Clark University safe? by Blotofink

Yeah. Even in safe places I've lived, I don't go out unless I'm in a group in like a downtown area cause of some freaky occurrences. And I'm not known to stay out late anyways (unless like class? but they have a shuttle from what I hear past 4pm).

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Wendon t1_jbfii6k wrote

I think you are probably likely to get many biased answers about this because many people who live in Worcester have not lived in a different city, or moved from a more rural locale to Worcester. There is probably more crime than average in the Main South neighborhood, but if you have been in a different city before I would not say it is uniquely worse than any other slightly downtrodden midtown in a different city. On the upside park ave is rapidly developing and you will basically be in restaurant central where you are. If you already have good instincts for city life you will probably be fine.

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Sangy101 t1_jbfry0x wrote

You’ll be fine. I won’t lie and say NOTHING sketchy happened while I lived there — a few friends got mugged. On one notable occasion, a woman was abducted from the corner of Clifton/Oberlin as part of, IIRC, some gang initiation. A few friends got jumped, but it turned out they were all picking fights. Some friends had their house broken into not long after they moved in cos it used to be a dealers’ house.

That was, btw, ten years ago, and the area has only gotten safer since. I have a deep and abiding love for Main South and Worcester.

I’m telling you that in full the spirit of full transparency, and to say: just use basic precautions. The area is most “dangerous” in summer when there aren’t a lot of students and high school kids aren’t in classes — all the muggings I knew of took place over summer. The folks who got jumped were picking fights, so like, don’t yell shit at locals? The other two instances were scary, but I think, in context, two scary moments over 6+ years is pretty minimal/par for the course in a University area.

Clark is really involved in the local community, and that breeds a lot of good will. They run two of the local schools, and students from the area can qualify for a full ride to Clark.

One summer night I was being kinda stupid and walking home with one friend at 2:30 AM. A group of high school kids on bikes rolled up, started circling, and were generally causing mischief.Petty crime, tagging stuff, that sort of thing. I started to feel pretty nervous, especially when one kid rolled to a stop in front of me.

He pulled down his hoodie and asked how I was doing. I ran his after school program. We had a nice chat and I walked home safe. Great kid — I saw him at my five year reunion: he was a Junior at Clark.

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