Not many students in Canal Place 1. I’d say the average age of the building skews towards 40s-50s.

I like to go with Dragon Kitchen. Though they are in Dracut

Me so horney. U liek suckey-fuckey?

The three Canal Place Buildings at 200 Market St and Renaissance by the River are all condos that were Mill buildings and not offices. There are a few others but the names escape me (John st maybe). Many of the other mill buildings are apartments.

If you’re prepared for condo living all of the buildings can be nice. Renaissance by the river has open floor plans, exposed brick and has that look we expect in a converted mill. Canal Place 1 is an older conversion and most of the units are two floors with the upper and lower floors sharing the same large window. It’s a love it or hate it situation. Canal Place 2 has some very interesting units in it, some if which are three stories and others with skylights and roof decks. It abuts a canal so half the building can see water all the time. Canal Place 3 is all one or two bedroom, single story units. It is newer than most. This buildings units are all finished, meaning very little or no exposed brick or original ceilings.

You’ll probably feel welcome at any of the condo buildings as empty nesters. If you have never owned a condo be sure to review the MA gov page about condos and always read the condo docs fully so you are not surprised after moving in.

Great taste, it’s cheap and very good for the price

Also a life long Gold Star customer here. The quality took a real turn for the worst the last 5 years, so not surprised about the food poisoning issues that lead to their closure.

That said, +1 for Mandarin, they’ve become the Gold Star replacement in my house.

Ouch

My favorite Chinese in the "area" is Sichuan Gourmet in Billerica. I like them because their sauces aren't just sweet goopy overuse of corn starch like so many places. Plenty of sauces are supposed to use corn starch but it seems most places go way too heavy and add too much sweetening to appeal to American tastes.

Locally, I'm actually a fan of China Star (the one in the Acre) but I only ever order two or three dishes. I haven't been in years though so can't vouch for consistency or if they're even around.

If you want to expand beyond Chinese, check out Cambodian food at Peephuptmei just west of Cambodia Town (they make a fish dish called Ah-Mok which is insanely delicious), and Zabb Elee (Tum Kao Pun is a sweet-spicy cold noodle salad that is incredibly addictive) a few blocks away for Laotian. Fantastic places.

Any bar outside of Lowell.

There are a lot of loft units in Lowell that have high ceiling post and beam big windowed construction, but not all of them are in old 'mill buildings'. For example, the lofts in downtown around Merrimack, Middle, and the north side of Market street were originally office buildings. Canal Place on the south side of Market were originally mills. Some buildings are more centrally located and walkable than the larger mill buildings near the river. Some buildings have far fewer units than the mill buildings and have sidewalk level shops, restaurants, etc.. Some of the larger mill buildings are very isolated from sidewalk life. Check out the block where Athenian Corner Restaurant is located for a taste of 'sidewalk life' in Lowell (and visit the National Park orientation center across the street). The character of downtown Lowell varies from block to block, day of the week, and hour of the day, so pick your building carefully.

The occupants of the buildings depend on many factors, and there is a big range of demographics. You will find what you're looking for in some buildings, but not in others. There are people like you who're very happy living in downtown Lowell. Some blocks have near perfect 'walkability scores'. This is one of the principal advantages. For example https://www.walkscore.com/score/207-market-st-lowell-ma-01852 The canal and river walks let me walk, get away from cars, and not have to cross many streets. It's really a walker's paradise. I rarely use my car anymore.

Google maps is your friend. Pick a location and do a search for like 'restaurants near here'.
https://www.millcityproperties.com/ specialize in rentals. Some buildings have a mix of rental and condo units. The developers gradually sell off a few rental units as condos. Some buildings are all condos. This allows you to 'try before you buy'. There are also condos available for rent that are owned by individuals.
Downtown Lowell is economically and ethnically diverse down to the block level. Whether that is a pro or con is a matter of individual preference. I think it is a big plus.

Hello, I dont know much about the mill apts, but I can say the rent is typically too high for students to afford, so that shouldnt be an issue

The Keep is excellent and Panela has great food and drinks. Worthen House is always a good time.

I'm loyal to Warp and Weft, my faforite. Staff are wonderful and the live music is a huge plus. Really good classic cocktails and local beers on tap.

Think you would just have to bar hop and experience lowell in person. It's changed so much over the years. There's definitely places to avoid for the no drama part. All and all, lots of choices to choose from.

Old Court; Probably not the best on James Beard or a college barhopper’s list, but the food is good, the staff is kind and helpful, the owners are terrific and the atmosphere is fun but under control.

That being said, I don’t go out much anymore so this is mostly just nostalgia talking. The Old Court has always been my go to in Lowell when I want a good drink and a few minutes bellied up to a bar.

The Keep. Best beer / whiskey list, dope cocktails, good food, and decent staff.

Ooops yes I meant Merrimack!

Is Chen’s Kitchen still on Mammoth? That place was my fav when I lived in Lowell.

lots of good all year hiking. shorter trails where can practice your skills in rougher conditions or at night. longer trails for when you level up

I think tasty dumplings is overrated. Their ramen is good but the dumplings aren’t anything spectacular in my opinion. I’m so sad to hear about Gold Star, they had the best dumplings ever

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Isn't there a bowling alley near the rickety(est) bridge? Bowl a few strings and play some DDR like it's 2004

Go to cncpt 6 if u artsy

Tasty Dumplings, Sizzlin' Kitchen, and Fuji on Merrimack are all fantastic. Blue Taleh does a very nice job. Pho 88 in Drum Hill is really good.

2nd Sichuan Palace if you like authentic spicy Chinese food. New owners took over about 2 years ago and things have only improved. We sat and chatted for about 20 minutes the other night, they are super nice.

Is that the same ppl as Fuji on Merrimack St?