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.

I love strong towns and was asking if maybe there is an email list for the Worcester chapter or like group chat where people can talk and ask questions

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!

Wow thanks!

that was a bizarre entry form

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!

One entry per email, two tickets per entry.

After Old Sturbridge Village's proposal to create a Charter School in worcester that they noted was primarily to help fund the village was approved, I would say supporting them even for a fun event like the road show is a bit dubious.

When I moved to New England, I was astounded at how often places were closed. Even in Boston, there are certain weekdays where restaurants are just closed. Night time? Closed.

I wonder how things are in Boston now. Is it also a ghost town at night?

None of these restaurants seem to be trying to attract people to come from the games though.

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.

Was kinda skim reading the directions, does it say how many tickets you get?

Vanilla is good but I’ve only found bottles of it. I also like the prickly pear citrus winter flavor.

What else would you like to know? We're just starting up so there's not a ton of depth to our specific initiative yet. However if you want to check out strongtowns.org you can see what they're about.

Even if you’re not into antiquing, the people watching at these events is a blast

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.....

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

Market 32 is definitely overlooked, however the last time I went to the one in Sutton they were outright missing 50% of the produce they would normally carry. I've never not been able to buy fresh broccoli, for example.

Patriots games. Doesn't help now obviously, but during the NFL season its a massive difference.

If you don't want to go to MB because it's busy I can understand, but why not at least go to Market32/Price Chopper. Shaws might be the most overpriced grocery store in all of New England.

That meal is going to be "stone cold" by the time you eat it, no matter what. Well, unless you're eating it in the store. Such a strange critique.

Seems fine to me. The layout seems exactly like every MB I've been to recently so I don't know why people are complaining about that. It's definitely not the busiest I have ever been to, so maybe that tempers me a bit to what it's like here. I used to shop at the one in Revere and also been to the one in Chelsea a lot and those were absolute zoos 24/7 with the only saving grace being going during a Patriots game.

DIY or die

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 :)

!!! this is great

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.