Worcester Infill and Developments

The only people who call Worcester dead are people who don't spend anytime in it.
 
meddlepal said:
The only people who call Worcester dead are people who don't spend anytime in it.
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The downtown seems pretty dead anytime I have walked around there (save before a big event at the used-to-be Centrum, now whatever). I guess it's about as uninspiring as most New England downtown areas. Still, I would rate it way behind Providence, Portland, and New Haven, and behind Lowell and even Salem in MA. You could argue that New Bedford has a better downtown area than Worcester.

Now, Worcester is over 38 square miles and I don't know much of it beyond downtown, although once ended up on some major road with a bunch of bars (perhaps part of Route 9?). When you speak to Worcester's vitality, are you referring to downtown or some other part of the city?
 
Downtown Worcester certainly still has a *very* long way to go before I would consider it vibrant or exciting, but the momentum is undeniable. Its fate will be linked to how the Boston real estate market develops in the future. If it continues on its current trajectory, then Boston millennials will either continue to live with roommates well into their 40s or look further afield to other urban areas with commuter rail, where real estate and rents are still reasonable.

I’m somewhat wary of reading about the “Worcester Renaissance” heralded in local news outlets, but there is unquestionably positive development even in the short time since I’ve moved here, and it’s being noticed:

https://www.npr.org/2018/10/23/658263218/forget-oakland-or-hoboken-worcester-mass-is-the-new-it-town

http://realestate.boston.com/buying/2018/11/15/home-buyers-looking-for-deals-worcester/

https://www.wsj.com/articles/worces...-pronunciation-11545235851?mod=hp_featst_pos3

https://boston.cbslocal.com/2018/01/11/worcester-dining-renaissance/

And yes, the destruction of Notre Dame was a real shame, such a huge missed opportunity. I took some stomach turning photos during the demolition which I’ll post soon.
 
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meddlepal said:
The only people who call Worcester dead are people who don't spend anytime in it.
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Essentially nowhere with lots of pedestrians walking around. I lived in Worcester for 2 years and street life is 100% dead in winter months except hardcore druggies and/or prostitutes. In the summer, there are slightly more people walking around, but they are still frequently druggies that get into fights or Spanish-speaking immigrants. You will essentially never see a “middle-class” white person walking around anywhere in Worcester, there’s hardly anything to walk to anyway. Not a very walkable city despite it being overwhelmingly composed of historic buildings.

All that being said, the WooSox might legitimately turn this around significantly, at least in the warmer months.
 
DZH22 said:
The downtown seems pretty dead anytime I have walked around there (save before a big event at the used-to-be Centrum, now whatever). I guess it's about as uninspiring as most New England downtown areas. Still, I would rate it way behind Providence, Portland, and New Haven, and behind Lowell and even Salem in MA. You could argue that New Bedford has a better downtown area than Worcester.

Now, Worcester is over 38 square miles and I don't know much of it beyond downtown, although once ended up on some major road with a bunch of bars (perhaps part of Route 9?). When you speak to Worcester's vitality, are you referring to downtown or some other part of the city?
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Yup, thats the thing. I lived by Worcester for a bit after high school and downtown has always been the “dead” zone, but many other areas are plenty vibrant and generally nice. Thats the Worcester conundrum, but this development is slowly changing this but yes downtown...at least the part being developed here with the parking garages, had no retail/life before.
 
It's simply not a walking city. It has never really been one either.

Downtown is pretty dead, no doubt, but Worcester is a city of neighborhoods and each neighborhood tends to have its own (often tiny) commercial and nightlife district. It's really not very different from Boston in that regard other than the fact it is much less dense.

Downtown is dead because nobody really lives there. Give it another decade and it will probably feel very different once more of the projects in that area are completed.
 
DZH22 said:
Now, Worcester is over 38 square miles and I don't know much of it beyond downtown, although once ended up on some major road with a bunch of bars (perhaps part of Route 9?).
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Sounds like you are talking about Shrewsbury St. which is a great part of Worcester. Tons of amazing restaurants and bars.
 
Blackdog said:
Sounds like you are talking about Shrewsbury St. which is a great part of Worcester. Tons of amazing restaurants and bars.
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I took a look and that's probably it! Thanks for the info.
 
As promised, impressions from the demolition of Notre Dame.









From today:


 
Meh. The building was in the wrong location. I grew up there in Worcester, it won't be missed if it helps revitalize downtown.
 
Hes a little too far back to be riding it lol. If he was really on top of the shell yea its up for interpretation, buuut... wtf is this lol. It had to be some kind of inside joke, hes literally directly behind it goin to pound town...lol.

Booyah
DSC_0075.jpg





Worcester ladies n gentlemen...
 
Current state of things, from August 2018. They have started some preliminary construction on the site recently.

This is on the corner of Assonet and Gold street looking west. The ballpark will be right in front, in the background are the elevated train tracks and Madison street underpass:



View from Madison street North towards downtown. The stadium’s main entrance would be about where that construction container stands:



This is a view set further back from Lamartine street towards the park and downtown, approximately where Block F is supposed to be constructed:
 
What does it look like in feb 19’? How much further along are they?
 
They are doing something on the parcel where the ballpark will be, Madison street is down to one lane going West. I am thinking it’s utility work or other prep work, no construction yet.
 
FWIW, a bunch of restaurants opened downtown directly around the Common over the past few months:

- 110 Grill (upscale chain restaurant with a decent hotel bar in the AC Marriott)
- Fuel (coffee shop with a few beer taps)
- Revolution Pie & Pint (pizza and bar, and trying to get a comedy club rolling in the back). The pizza isn't bad at all.
- Craft Table & Bar (not sure what the deal is but looks like it's trying to get the business crowd in after work)
- Brew on the Grid (bar and beer garden)

110 Grill and Fuel seem very busy. I was shocked walking by Fuel on a Saturday morning a few weeks ago and seeing it busy inside.
 
I really wonder how sustainable the patron traffic at some of these is gonna be... downtown just doesn't have enough people yet in my mind to support a ton of bars and restaurants but maybe that has changed and I have not noticed.
 
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