Great places in Worcester

[BostonUrbEx]

I'm taking the girlfriend to Southwick Zoo in Mendon, MA tomorrow. Afterwards may hit Worcester for lunch. Anyone recommend some great lunch spots? Will also have my Nikon -- anything especially worth taking pictures of? Or any free places to hit up?

 

[found5dollar]

I used to go to Southwicks as a kid all the time... it was a dump, might be different now. The best part is the "giant red bat." There is alot of good food in Worcester really just drive down Shrewsburry place and pick something that sounds good. the Wunderbar is a favorite from when i was a kid but the Flying Rhino and Brew City might be good choices for lunch.

Things to go see/ take pictures of... the Worcester Art museum just reopened its front doors into the Renensance Hall, i know they are also making the museum free for two months but not sure when that starts. I highly suggest a stop at the Burnside Fountain, A.K.A. Turtle Boy ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnside_Fountain ) just for the sheer fun of it. A great free place near Southwicks Zoo is Purgatory Chasm. It is a great hiking trail through this gorge a glacier left behind. There are huge boulders and caves to crawl around in and over. Plus it stays cool down in the chasm on the really hot days. Higgins Armory in Worcester can be fun too and if i remember it is pretty cheap. That is the stuff i thought of quickly. i know its late, but hopefully you will see this before your trip tomorrow.

 

[BostonUrbEx]

Maybe it is a little dumpy, no idea. It looks decent, anyway. They have some giraffe petting time or something. She LOVES giraffes. And they have a sugar glider (what zoo has that?!). And she LOVE sugar gliders. And they have a tapir. Who doesn't love to see a freakin' tapir? Sure, every zoo has a tapir, but you gotta' see 'em all.

Thanks for the suggestions! Looks like the art museum won't be free until July and August though. Definitely wanted to see that fountain! This Purgatory Chasm sounds really awesome, might try that!

 

[found5dollar]

Yeah i mean who knows how it is there now, i haven't been to Southwick's in like 15 years or something. I f you do go to purgatory, there is a great ice cream places just across 146 from it called the West End Creamery, when i lived in the area i would go all the time.

 

[MonopolyBag]

In Shrewsbury, go to Taco Acapulcos for good Mexican food. Its wicked authentic, reasonable priced, and good food.

 

[Hutchison]

Although I currently work in the city, I hate to admit I don't really know that many eateries. Here are a couple that often get talked about:

George's Coney Island - divey/fun/inexpensive/informal hot dogs
Sole Proprietor - pretty good seafood
Boynton - pizza/pub
Pretty much anything on Shrewsbury St.
Wooberry - for froyo afterwards if you're at the Boyton or Sole

 

[BostonUrbEx]

Yeah i mean who knows how it is there now, i haven't been to Southwick's in like 15 years or something. I f you do go to purgatory, there is a great ice cream places just across 146 from it called the West End Creamery, when i lived in the area i would go all the time.

The zoo was wicked nice! There was definitely alot of noticeably new construction, fresh wood fencing and all. It definitely blows Stoneham Zoo and Franklin Park Zoo clear out of the water -- but that is not hard to do at all. There were many more animals than I actually expected, and it was an awesome time. Although Roger Williams Zoo may be slightly more aesthetically pleasing and have many more amenities (I avoid Zoo food and gift shops and all that, so I don't care), this zoo is overall better, IMO. It was very hands on! We got to feed a giraffe (albeit at a cost -- but the zoo is 100% privately funded and they appear to very good work, so it was worth a little bit more), feed and pet deer, feed and pet goats and sheep, and we got to actually pet the sugar glider we were looking for -- they actually brought it out for us when we asked about it. This is probably my girlfriend and I's favorite zoo now. The only that sucks is how isolated it is -- sheesh!

Anyway, totally missed the chasm unfortunately, because of the way I went to Worcester, we were starving, etc...

In Shrewsbury, go to Taco Acapulcos for good Mexican food. Its wicked authentic, reasonable priced, and good food.

A little upset we didn't stop here, then. I was tempted but forged onward to Worcester.

Pretty much anything on Shrewsbury St.

Flying Rhino and Brew City might be good choices for lunch.

After missing the Flying Rhino, settled on Brew City. It was very, very good, but a little pricier than I expected.

The best part is the "giant red bat."

 

[BostonUrbEx]

Additional note: I must have spent 2 hours alone just taking pictures of the MBTA, P&W RR, Pan Am RR, and CSX. Railgasm.