Stick with it--Don't let them wear you down, and I can tell that you're not.

Also, fuck that rude prick. With the evidence you have so far, you are on solid ground and asking the right questions. That they cannot provide answers is on them.

And in the rare couple of times in my life when I was getting nowhere with a utility on an issue, I found that mentioning to them that you're reaching out to the Dept. of Public Utilities (Mass DPU) has suddenly made progress appear where there was none previous. YMMV but it's an option--either to actually do it, or play the card with NG before resorting to it.

If I'll drive across the entire city a couple-plus times a year for a Steve's Pizza grinder and some Ziti & Meatballs, you better believe I'll do the same for HKI.

(lol I know... "entire city". But when you're getting takeout for the fam, time is a thing)

So great to see this!!

Eyes will be open and looking out! Sending all goodness and strength your and Teddy's way until you're back together.

In response to one or two of the comments here I'd like to say this:

There are tangential and incremental benefits to having more people physically present in a downtown. Not saying this one single place is the silver bullet solution, it's something that gains momentum and grows over time.

Scene: A downtown begins to have increased levels of foot traffic, people coming and going, not even close to Times Square but hey, it's something. Think more like... Downtown Worcester today.

Maybe these people are just doing the mundane like going into an office, or walking to the common to eat the packed lunch they brought from home, or walking back to their car or public transit to go home. Who ever knows where and what any person is doing or going in a city, right? And it doesn't matter.

So perhaps--as the naysayers claim--perhaps these folks don't immediately contribute to the economy of nearby businesses. For the sake of this scene I will grant that maybe these non-contributors come in, and like someone else said, eat food from home, and go back at the end of their day.

Still with me?

But before long--hey now, the downtown is beginning to look lively. And then more places, more businesses like this one here see this new activity, and decide to open a store there (overly simplified, but you get the picture). Which now, in turn, attract more people still.

Insert snowball effect here.

Suddenly (there's no such thing as 'overnight successes'!), you have all these people in the downtown. They may or may not work there. They may have some other business there--City Hall. A restaurant. Medical appointment. Sales visit. Perhaps they're staying at one of the new hotels. Or going to one of the other businesses that have sprung up due to this renaissance.

These things aren't always easily quantifiable.

But one thing that is measurable--as Worcester can sadly attest--is that a dearth of foot traffic in a downtown is a death sentence. No one goes where no one is or wants to be.

In conclusion: I say, take your sad, defeatist, let's-declare-failure-before-we-even-try attitude and keep on leaving the city as fast as you can.

How far away from there? Are they over the Worcester County Jail?

Yeahhhhh... But... I think here that u/masshole4life adds some context to the conversation, even if--as you note--no additional restaurants are called out.

I think they, you, and I are aligned that the same places seem to always get mentioned. Have to say that Brattle Stop in this thread is a new one on me, despite having grown up a 3 minute car ride from there.

I read these threads because I am always looking for new (to me) places to try. For this pizza thread, I myself don't have anything to add other than the Wonder Bar above.

I guess the hope is that someone who isn't commenting might be encouraged to, even if their contribution isn't "mainstream".

I wanted so bad to be pissed at your reply. But I can't do it.

I think it's because it feels at first like you're a snob dumping on my beloved r/WorcesterMA and the city overall -- but you're not doing any of that.

There's some depth in your frustration here. And I don't disagree with what you said.

Upvoted.

No one ever mentions the Wonder Bar in these threads. I know it's new owners, but I have such nostalgia from when I was a kid there and loved the pizza. Last time I had it was a couple years ago and I seem to recall it lost something, but this was during COVID so that might have been part of it.

> Edit, Downvoted for not knowing what planets I was looking at? Lol

Lol is exactly right. Shrug the idiots off. Mom's basement is boring and they wait for anyone happier than they are to appear, so they can mash on that down arrow.

Just laugh, roll your eyes, and move on. It drives them insane.

I do the same thing all the time!

I am always looking up--Planes and helicopters overhead? Pull out planefinder.net on my phone to see what that one is. Hell, even birds :) Catching an eagle or hawk doing their thing up there, just awesome.

Not sure if this is your thing, but I subscribe to NASA's Spot The Station which gives you a heads-up when the ISS will be passing over your location. Includes the direction in the sky it appears, the angle above horizon, duration of visibility, and where it will leave your visibility.

After several years of subscribing, I still go out to watch it 90% of the time it will be overhead--about 2-3 times a month or so. (Unless you're a sick-in-the-head morning person who is up at 4 or 5AM in which case you can see it a couple additional times monthly).

Dammit I meant to watch this and missed it because of the clouds. So cool to see!

> Everyone has different reasons for moving of course, but try to be a little more analytical

Wow. Just..... wow.

The OP is asking about the price of beer, mentioned that Worcester is on their short list for moving to, and you coming back with this judgemental, unsolicited opinion to an internet stranger is just a whole new level of wtf.

Who are you to tell anyone that one of the most major life changes they can do is a mistake?

There absolutely IS a good solution for this.

It's been engineered, it's in use today. Selfishness and not giving a single fuck about anyone else on the road is the only reason this still happens.

> I cannot complain about my haircut at all, and complaining about my haircut is literally 50% of my motivation for living.

Upvote for this because I had to read it twice to make sure I didn't write it myself.

Upvoted a lot of these comments, I learned a couple things here!

And to you respect for the obscure Sandler reference, friend. I got it 😁

Guys-- While I see and HUGELY appreciate the Arstotzka references and the connections to the great game, when I mentioned 'Papers, please' in the previous post I was referring to the savage cultural metaphor for living in a police state.

I am loathe to mention or equivocate to Nazis except in the most blindingly obvious situations. This is one where I feel it's approaching that, and why I am increasingly uncomfortable with these checkpoints. I agree with the end goal of saving lives, but I do not agree with this method.

This isn't an easy stance to have for me. I am morally and soulfully conflicted.

However, I cannot seem to justify or rationalize away the means to the end in this. No matter how good that end is.

Adding on... We all know this, but visual of Worcester County.

I'm old enough that I do my drinking at home and do not drive when I do. And I abhor anyone who does--People I love and care about are out on those roads, not to mention I might be too. DON'T DRIVE DRUNK.

Still... Not a fan of these roadblocks/checkpoints. Sure, have increased presence, increased patrols, 'rolling roadblocks'. But to me these are just too damn close to "Papers, please" and it makes me uncomfortable.

I am trying really hard to not go off on a charging to park rant here. Yes, I have paid repeatedly here at UMMHC when a loved one was hospitalized. It is shameful to charge so one can be beside the bed of someone they love while they are hospitalized.

I also hope there is a special place in hell for whomever decided that I have to pay to park at the university (not UMass) that my child attended and I was paying $50k a year for.

There aren't many hills that I will die on. This is one.

Theater of the mind is so great. The scenes I am conjuring of this random interaction!

"Be helpful to others, and you, too, will be rewarded." 🦗

That, Grasshopper, is the question.

Good Will Hunting sliding into the thread... Smooth!

Taking a mental health day

Fullers in Auburn (near McDonald's) has two--One regular standard with all the brushes and NOT touch free, and right next to it is a touch-free that I used to use with my convertible. High power jets IIRC, so make sure that top is tight!