As a woman who’s lived in multiple parts of Massachusetts and is in my late 20’s I will say that Worcester is my least favorite place I have lived. The food scene is great and there’s always things to do which I like as well as the affordability of living compared to elsewhere in Mass. But I have never in my life felt less safe living somewhere. I cannot even walk down my own street as all the drug dealers and homeless people congregate at the end and recently have started making their way up and into the neighborhood. I know there are nicer neighborhoods but at higher costs. There is not much for nature that isn’t polluted with trash and I like to get outdoors. We tried going swimming in the summer and every time the pond was closed for toxic algae blooms. I noticed a difference in available fresh produce at grocery stores compared to nearby towns. I’ve also noticed a difference in the overall helpfulness and happiness of people who work in the retail industry, they are a lot more miserable and less likely to help. I’ve had friends sexually harassed at the gym and the male managers do nothing about it. Also the freaking fireworks every night in the summer scare the shit out of my cat. I’ve made great friends in the city and have had great experiences but I do not plan on buying a house or raising a family here. As someone who wasn’t raised in Worcester or a similar city/town it has been a bit of a culture shock.