legalpretzel t1_j8twz6g wrote on February 16, 2023 at 10:35 PM

I work for a state agency and it is incredible Boston-centric. Work meetings and events with the higher ups are always in Boston. One of our benefits is discounts to stuff but everything is in Boston - none of the museums in central MA are on the list. Worcester is an after-thought at the state level.

It might be more expensive to live in Boston but there’s SO much more to do there, especially if you’re a new grad.

For new grads looking to settle down they will quickly discover that Worcester is not really a kid-friendly city. There aren’t a lot of great options for daycare inside the city (there are a couple fabulous daycares/preschools but most are on the west side). There’s very few stores left in the city so you have to go to Auburn or Fitchburg or Millbury to buy sports equipment, party supplies, teachers gifts, kids clothes, etc… And good luck if you need baby gear or a last minute birthday present for a kid - its Walmart or the Worcester target, which is shit compared to Westborough or Millbury.

We only have one pediatric emergency room and there are very few peds beds. Waiting lists for pediatric mental health services are miles long. When my kid needed a pediatric occupational therapist there were very limited options in central MA so we had to drive to Hudson once a week.

It might be more expensive to live in Boston but not much more nowadays with rent and real estate being as expensive as it is, and there’s more opportunities there that simply do not exist anywhere in central MA.

SmartSherbet t1_j8ugjkv wrote on February 17, 2023 at 12:52 AM

The lack of retail in Worcester is truly astounding. There are 200,000 people here and literally zero stores where I, a pretty normal sized person, can buy well made clothes that fit me right and look decent. There are also no places where I can buy camping gear, quality kitchen tools, or lots of other things. We have way too many barber shops and smoke shops, and not enough basic retail where stores sell the things people need to buy.

AceOfTheSwords t1_j92hnjz wrote on February 18, 2023 at 7:02 PM

Not really seeing the lack of clothing stores. There's a Marshalls, a Kohl's, a Burlington Coat Factory, a Gap Factory Store, and a T.J. Maxx, all in Worcester. All we're really missing is a J.C. Penney and a Macy's, and the latter mainly isn't here because there's one just up the road in Auburn.

Admittedly most of my kitchen stuff is from the Worcester Target and is cheap. HomeGoods might have some nicer things but it's hit or miss. For what it's worth since Sears died I haven't really known a brick and mortar store that was great at kitchen supplies anywhere.

And the Dick's Sporting Goods was basically the only place for camping stuff and that closed down, yeah.

SmartSherbet t1_j93lxaq wrote on February 18, 2023 at 11:59 PM

Haha, your list is exactly why I specified well made clothing. Those places all sell junk that wears out after one season at best.

Lots of similar sized cities to Worcester have kitchen stores, whether chains like Williams Sonoma or better yet, independent shops that carry similar products. I really wish Worcester had one of those, an REI or similar, and a couple clothing shops that sell higher quality items than the kohls, tj maxx, and millbury outlet stores do.

AceOfTheSwords t1_j93v5eq wrote on February 19, 2023 at 1:12 AM

Hah, maybe I just live a more sedentary life than you, then. That said, if that's a failure on Worcester's part it's also a failure shared by most American cities or towns. Higher end clothing stores than that tend to be limited to actual metropolitan areas and some wealthier suburbs.There are independent clothing shops in Worcester but they tend to cater to suits specifically.