The Outer Buffer
Have you ever noticed it?
Holden, West Boylston, Shrewsbury, Grafton, Millbury, Auburn, Leicester, Paxton.
All small towns. No actual real suburb. Millbury and Shrewsbury come the closest, but really aren't it.
But you get one or two towns out though. You get places that are or once were actual real metro area suburbs. Downtowns, corner bars and shops. Old tenement houses built on top of each other. Basic downtown infrastructure of a metro area suburb.
To the north, Fitchburg and Leominster. To the east, Marlborough and Hudson. To the south, Webster and Southbridge. To the west Spencer.
What is with this buffer? I think something that occurs to me over and over is that I believe your average Central Mass citizen just really doesn't like city living, metro area living. The ones that do have either moved or sit around on message boards complaining or discussing. Everyone else just likes things as they are, that's why they choose to live here.
I mean just look at all the other over 100,000 population cities in New England. They are all pretty much surrounded by other cities.
They have an entire culture and way of life that revolves around the city. Worcester? Not so much.
List of Metropolitan Statistical Areas
We rank #65 by the way. Even though Worcester is the 3rd biggest city in New England we are the 6th biggest metro area. Bridgeport outranks us. Ew.
If you include PA, NY and NJ we are 14th in the Northeast. Maybe we just happen to think we are bigger than we are, and that is where much of the frustration comes from.
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Re: The Outer Buffer
You aren't implying that Worcester is a horrendously mismanaged city that has tended to both shun its past and resist progress at the same time are you? That the city is a follower that seeks to duplicate successes in places that are so geographically close to us that there is no need for the duplicity. That we are a city that is now primarily known for a fire. That we lack a cultural epicenter that lets suburbs revolve around it. That the suburbs are actually now becoming the epicenters themselves. That Worcester has been run like a get rich quick scheme for the past 20 years.
And that ultimately the success of Worcester will not be because of what the city has done, but in spite of it? Are you implying any of this GABE-FUCKING-ROLLINS!?
Worcester will in fact rise again one day, slowly...oh so very slowly...but with restaurants like Block 5 and 111 chop house, museums, even some cool bars, and...the MOST important thing Worcester has going for it right now...the mini-big dig and it being comparatively cheap...Worcester will rise. It would be nice if some one realized the value of the mills that built the city and how they could be re purposed before its too late though.
Re: The Outer Buffer
I am saying that I think the Greater Worcester area just doesn't have the population to support the things we need it to support, that's all. I do think the majority of people in the area could give two shits about it being a cultural mecca. Just an opinion. I think if the majority of people did the city would be alot more aesthetically
pleasing than it is.
Re: The Outer Buffer
Some times I feel like I'm in a cultural void here in Grafton. I bought a place in Rockland Maine and I have the most fun there. It's fun to be able to walk places (especially bars because it's much safer that way) and they have a Strand theater that has all kinds of cool different music, unusual movies, comedians (next month Paula Poundstone). There are art galleries and the Farnsworth Art Museum. The audiences are receptive and polite. There is next to nothing for crime. The only thing I miss when I'm there is good live original rock music but I'm working on that.