Submitted by javamauva t3_11q9g0l in WorcesterMA
I’ll be moving to Worcester this summer and don’t know much about the area. Any recommendations on which neighborhoods to live in? I’m a 30F with a dog, will be working downtown, and looking to rent in a decent and relatively fun area. Any info is appreciated!
I loved being in west side/tatnuck and I agree. Very sleepy. That said. Define your (OP') idea of fun? Being in tatnuck you like a 3 min drive to Park Ave which has many bars and restaurants.....
Many bars and restaurants???
Park Ave ? Yes.
Figured I’d hear some things like this. I guess I’m going more for decent and can accept a short drive for the fun part. Thanks for the tip!
I should say Elm Park might be a good fit for you, especially working downtown. Just be aware that it can go from nice to less-nice pretty quickly depending on the block.
I'd recommend something around the elm park area if you can! I'm getting a place there and it's a great area with a park to bring your dogs for walks and is a mile or so from downtown.
Fwiw, you can get to any number of nice trails within 20 minutes of anywhere in the city.
Thanks, I love to take my dog for hikes so I’m glad to hear this. Any specific trails you’d recommend the most?
There is a trail called "The East -West Trail" that's a 14.5 mile hike... however it's disconnected in multiple parts. The portion that runs through/parallel to Green Hill Park is probably the most scenic/fun one.
Sure thing. Dog-friendliness will almost always depend on the specific site, so dig deeper before hitting the trail. Most park/trail websites will have it posted. Best of luck!
White Oak Land Conservation Society
Avoid Main South (south of Chandler from Park to 290) Avoid Great Brook Valley (housing project on corner of NE cutoff and MA-70, most dangerous part of town).
NW / Tatnuk has the most nature to walk a dog in. As does Lake Park/Lakeview area.
There are lots of dogs downtown but that seems like a horrible idea.
Thank you, this is helpful. Agreed I think I prefer not to live downtown, hoping to be somewhere where I could possibly have a small yard or at least a walkable neighborhood.
Your references are out of date old man
Great Brook Valley isn't nearly as bad as it once was (say, in the 80's-90s or even early 00s). Though I wouldn't expect a rental to be available there anyway, so it's kind of moot.
Main South has seen some revitalization recently too, though I'd avoid Main St itself (not just south, all parts) in terms of living on it. Being able to walk to it is fine. I do agree there are better parts of Worcester on average, but I wouldn't rule out a Main South rental at a good price without seeing the area first.
I'd avoid Main Middle more than Main South these days. Not because I felt in danger so much as it just having a sad atmosphere. Passed through the area on foot a couple times, and it was all older 3-deckers with everyone shut inside despite the warm weather, the front porches, streets, and sidewalks pretty deserted.
I am new to Worcester as well, same age range as you, although I've been visiting friends here for a year now.
There are a few things to keep in mind:
- Do you have any issue living in a duplex/triplex? They are very common here in Worcester, and you'll find them in every neighborhood.
- As far as safety, other commenters here have already touched on the places of town to avoid. Overall though, do not be dismayed by the people who say Worcester is a dangerous city. Most of the city is absolutely fine.
- I find the area around Green Hill Park to be my favorite, and it is where I settled on. It is also near Shrewsbury Street, which is the most "fun" outside of downtown, with bars, restaurants, interesting shops, etc.
- Downtown Worcester has some great spots but is a bit dead since Covid. I'm not saying it's boring or not worth visiting of course; I'm just saying you aren't going to gain much from living right in the heart of downtown vs. living in a triplex or apartment 5 - 10 minutes away.
- Shrewsbury is a very nice suburb and a great place to live, but I personally don't think the extra rent is worth it if you're okay embracing city life a bit more.
- Speaking city life; are you a city person? I was a bit nervous because I was a spoiled suburban kid who didn't know what city life is like, but I've had almost no issue adjusting. Worcester isn't some super dense place with people living on top of you, it's actually very reasonable to drive around. So don't worry too much about getting around, it's not hard at all.
Hope that helps :)
Great answer, thanks a lot for the tips! I’ve lived all over the place including larger cities and right now a very rural small town, so luckily cities don’t intimidate me much. Actually really looking forward to being back in an area with things to do.
Checkout Quin 35, it's near Whole foods, Trader Joe's and multiple other name brand stores. It's not so far away from restaurants on Shrewsbury Street and Plantation street.
Also close to Lake Park and 15 min ride up to Wachusett reservoir
This place looks nice, thank you for the rec!
That’s shrewsbury
White City to be specific
Burncoat is nice. Easy access to restaurants and shopping, 190 and 290 and downtown is close, but it has a suburban feel and you might be able to have a yard for your dog (lots of duplexes and 2-3 families). There are a couple dog friendly buildings downtown too--Courthouse Lofts and 330 Main come to mind.
Move to the West Side of the city west of park ave. Look near Worcester State. Elm Park area is pretty good too. North side is safe but not great
I live in the Elm Park area right below WPI and love it, everything is within walking distance. Haven't made a grocery list in years because there's a supermarket a couple blocks away.
Move to the West Side and it will take you an hour to get to the highway
Just a heads up, I had a next to impossible time finding an apartment that allowed dogs on my budget. Depending on what’s in your price range though I think 145 Front street and some of the other big places are more pet friendly
Thanks, I’ve noticed this when searching for places, too. Crazy how limited the options are. I have a solid budget around $2-2.5k which I think will help. Thanks for the advice!
145 Front is beautiful. If it’s affordable for you I would highly suggest living there. I really enjoyed my year and a half there.
And I lived there with my dog. (55 lb golden)
There are plenty of good but expensive lofts downtown. Don’t listen to the self hating goons here. Stay close to the highway as much as you can. Burncoat is a nice neighborhood close to 290 and 190. Greendale north of Worcester along 190, you should consider. Off Hamilton Street has some nice neighborhoods with apartment opportunities. The lofts are awfully expensive. The city is not a buzzing city but there’s plenty around.
I grew up on the West Side. It's nice, relatively quiet. Kind of like the family suburban area. A few things are in walking distance (and for the most part I either walked or biked everywhere when it was just me). I've also lived on Grafton Hill, where there was a bit more close by, but traffic was ghastly in the morning and evening. Then came Lincoln Street. Not a bad area, good places close by, and the highway was really close. However it was quite noisy. Now we live in the northwest area, near the Holden/West Boylston line and Indian Lake. Easy access to the highway and shops. Quieter, more peaceful.
Just to add more specificity to West Side, try to be in easy walking distance of the following:
Pleasant St
Chandler St
June St between Chandler St and Pleasant St
For the most part this is where the buses run, all of which should give you convenient access to your downtown job if you don't want to deal with parking (free parking is becoming less and less common). Getting to downtown is one of the few things that the bus system here is consistently decent with, at least on weekdays.
The Elm Park area is also on a couple bus routes and decent for outdoor dog walks, plus would put you closer to more interesting things to do.
There are some nice areas in the Greendale area. Not necessarily “fun” but as someone with dogs, lots of nice streets to walk
I'm on the edge of Webster Square toward Leicester and I'm within easy driving/rideshare distance of plenty on Park Avenue, downtown, Canal District, Shrewsbury St, and more. There are some dive bars in my neck of the woods too.
After spending 20 years in Portland OR, Worcester is not a big place so the whole city is accessible as long as you're not just walking everywhere.
As much time as I spend in Worcester itself, I think I like exploring the shops, farms, wine, and beer scenes out west just as much or better. Maybe some of us relative newbs should trek out together sometime.
Living near Indian lake has been great for us- off of Shrewsbury st would be cool, near canal district too.
What ever you do DO NOT RENT FROM DiRoberto property management they are horrible and the apartments are trash.. they don’t fix anything and will leave you with out a stove or fridge
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Don’t get in between Kilby and Prov street
The Walmart in Worcester even has phone cases locked up behind the counter. It’s bad. Honestly stay the hell away from Worcester. On top of it, the FBI is investigating the police department.
Do not move the Worcester. It is a shit hole.
Oyadonchano t1_jc25e1s wrote
Hard to think of neighborhoods in Worcester that combine "decent" and "fun". Others have mentioned West Side/Tatnuck as a nice area, but it's suuuuuper boring over here. We do have nice access to trails, lots of dogs in the area, and it's easy to hop on the road out of town towards Western Mass. But on the West Side you'll be leaning heavily on the "relatively" part of "relatively fun".