> why are they cheaper lol?

A lot of new units have come on line in the last few years. Developers have wanted to increase occupancy rates quickly, so rents are attractive by design. I would expect rents to go up. Prices on condos in Lowell have climbed rather slowly over the last 20 years, partly because of so many new units coming on line every year. That's good if you're buying now. Not so great for those of us who bought 20 years ago.

Maybe prices and rents in Lowell are a bit lower than say Worcester because of reputation. Look at some of the 'best places to live' posts in r/massachusetts and see how perceptions of Lowell are varied. Some of that is reasonable because for example, the Jackson street area was a bunch of abandoned buildings until a few years ago. Some of that is negativity towards immigrant communities, and low-middle income people.

WRT grilling, I guess that is fun... but I would rather get Southeast Asia BBQ! The variety of restaurants in Lowell is insane and some places are incredibly good values.