Mill No. 5, Four Sisters Owl Diner, at least three if not four used record stores, two(or more??) independent bookstores, a movie theater (free admission on Weirdo Wednesdays), restaurants of all types of food, National Park, Cornerstones ($$$$), three or four or five music venues, artist buildings with open studios monthly, reportory theater, townie but historic bars, three or four fairly cheap parking garages, all this steeped in literary history and art history. A little spread out but still easy to walk. I'd call it a win.

Just a few of the famous from Lowell - Kerouac Whistler Betty Davis Michael Chiklis Olympia Dukakis Scott Grimes Micky Ward Milton Bradley Demoulas brothers An Wang Ed McMahon