I think they skirted the parking issue because they wanted to move aggressively to get the team here. Same thing happens with suburban developments that never consider traffic congestion when building McMansion and strip mall developments.

Kelly Square is the icon of 300+ years of short-sighted, slapdash urban planning.

Poorly-designed rotaries encourage terrible driving habits. Specifically, rotaries that require you to drive into the path of oncoming traffic--not "merge" but literally drive directly into traffic. It lowers people's inhibitions for making incredibly stupid, dangerous maneuvers everywhere else.

Other states may have terrible roads, but this particular insanity belongs mainly to Central and Eastern Mass.

Jeanne Collins Crowley at Re/Max in Auburn has been great to work with.

I would contact the MSPCA. (617) 522-6008 or (800) 628-5808, Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm.

Worcester thinks of Southbridge the way Boston think of Worcester. Mostly snobbery. Parts of Southbridge are a grubby, but it's mostly just "wrong side of the tracks" stuff. Find a nice street and you'll be fine.

If you can be within walking distance to campus, your life will be a lot easier. Otherwise, find a place as close as you can to avoid our terrible traffic and not-great public transit.

Also, long underwear (cotton, not synthetic) will be your best friend when winter comes. Buy 2 sets.

Good luck!

"Cis" the word some people use to describe "Not transgender."

I'm copyrighting that idea.

Most barber shops in town are very cis/white male friendly.

Northeast Periodontal Specialists at 65 Elm St. Everybody there was 100% great. I saw Dr. Rafla.

The homeless population is a lot more than just people without a house: there are deeply-rooted addiction and psychological issues in homelessness that a "room with a lock" isn't going to fix. And that's one of the reasons towns banned boarding houses (aka flop houses) 100 years ago. We need to adjust the zoning and regulatory environment that exacerbates the cost of urban development, and we need safe, regulated, institutions for addicted, mentally ill people. Legalized flop houses are not a solution.

A good beginning, but I'd also like to see a broader evaluation of zoned areas across the city. Just in my neighborhood, there are several "unbuildable" lots that could accommodate a 1 or 2 family unit if zoning permitted it. We can do a lot better.

The ones on Beechmont seemed to be in the wrong places--at the top and bottom of the hill instead of in the middle where people really fly.

I tried to find one of those a while--I'll look again, thanks.

Declare a permanent, year-round snow emergency. Tow all cars accordingly.

Traffic can be a hassle, so I recommend living close to where you work if possible. West of 290 is a little nicer than East IMO--unless you're near UMass. I think Elm Park/WPI area is the best mix of safe, walkable, and attractive. I found my apartment through an agent (now retired, sadly) and it was 100% worth the fee.

Worcester, Providence, and Portland (ME) are all decent small to midsized cities if New England is where you want to be. I’m not sold on New England as a great region to settle down in unless it’s education, Health Care or biotech you’re into. High taxes, high rents and not stellar public services. But definitely worth a visit to check out the vibe.

If you plan to park long-term on the street, also make sure your registration is up to date to avoid an "abandoned vehicle" ticket.

Parking in Worcester can be a drag and I feel your pain. Their website has some FAQs that might help avoid future trouble: https://www.worcesterma.gov/parking

People-watching at Elm Park.

Thank you! I knew I'd seen this but couldn't remember the page name.

I would email the department chair of Business Administration--they might be able to direct you more rapidly than the admissions office (or prompt admissions to get back to you more quickly).

https://www.worcester.edu/business-administration-economics/faculty/

100% happy with AllCom Credit Union for 7 years. Online and in-person banking. Always super friendly and professional.

I suspect the east-west rail concept is being hyped to further raise real estate values. All the powers that be can't even keep the T running properly, I can't imagine how any agency will manage to reconstruct rail lines for high-speed service and then keep that service running reliably. At least within the next 10 years.