I drove through it about 4 years ago, but I didn't explore the city.

Is it nice and worth visiting?

What is the downtown like?

Everything is worth seeing. :)

another city that has seen better times but i was suprised on how dense and vibrant it was. i wouldnt go out of my way to see this city but if you're on your way to boston or providence, it is worth a visit.

Worcester's worth stopping by if you heading to & from Boston. Worcester's 1980s downtown rebuilding didn't pan out as well as Providence's 1990s revitalization. Like Hartford its a decade or so behind RI's similarly-sized capital when it comes to urban combacks, but perhaps a decade ahead of Springfield.

Interesting, while Worcester actually has rather spawled out city boundaries not that much smaller than Boston, the core neighborhoods still have plenty of three-deckers & apartments buildings that along with growing ethnic & immigrant diversity make the city seem dense & urban.

as stated, Everything is worth seeing.

Its not a touristy place to travel through like youd see in Boston.

I love walking around Worcester tho, its more of my thing than a touristy downtown Boston.
Can get some good shots of old brick buildings with faded ads on the sides, lots of rail and rail yards.

and you MUST MUST view Union Train Station

http://www.wpi.edu/News/Journal/Spring00/Images/back_cover.jpg

http://www.well.com/~tom/scratch_120800/148-4887_img_500.jpg

http://3rdhouseparty.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/unionstation.jpg

^ I was thinking of visiting Worcester the next time I am in Boston and Providence.

Depends on how much time you will be spending in the area. If you are there for 2 or 3 full days, you might arrange to hit it on the way in or out of Boston. That said, if you only have a short time in New England, Worcester would not be at the top of my list of places to visit. If you're driving up and back, Albany/Troy is a must if you've never seen them, and have the time. Obviously, Providence should be first outside of Boston. If you want to hit some lesser towns nearby, try Lawrence and Lowell. Hartford is also worth a stop. If at all possible, try to hit some of the Hudson River towns. Newburgh is rundown, but fantastic. Poukeepsie and Hudson are well worth a stop too.

^ Thanks for the info.

as stated, Everything is worth seeing.

Its not a touristy place to travel through like youd see in Boston.

I love walking around Worcester tho, its more of my thing than a touristy downtown Boston.
Can get some good shots of old brick buildings with faded ads on the sides, lots of rail and rail yards.

and you MUST MUST view Union Train Station


Wow, Worcester's Union Station is absolutely stunning! I only got to see it from the outside, but I thought to myself, the inside's got to be just as nice. And I see that it is.

I heard they are redoing that old galleria mall in downtown there into an open air style center.

^ I was thinking of visiting Worcester the next time I am in Boston and Providence.

It's not a bad place to go see on a stop through or spending a day there. I wouldn't make it a tourist destination, meaning staying over night for a few days. You can do a lot in the city in four or five hours. There's a lot of very good restaurants around, Worcester's downtown is (in my opinion) a fun place to check out the architecture. The downtown doesn't generally have a ton of people, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Another place that's a good stop that someone mentioned is Lowell, Mass. It's an old industrial mill town that is making a huge comeback. Lowell doesn't have many highrises but through the city center there's cobblestone roads and little shops and bars that you might enjoy. It's really old New England with a lot of modern things as well, it's another one of those good stops on your way to Boston. It's about...45 minutes to an hour from Worcester.

If at all possible, try to hit some of the Hudson River towns. Newburgh is rundown, but fantastic. Poukeepsie and Hudson are well worth a stop too.

Poughkeepsie is definitly worth a stop, beautiful bridge, quiet and quaint historical downtown. I love it there. I lived in Newburgh for 2 years, the only thing to see there is the view across the river. It is an absolute slum, you are not safe on Broadway.

Never been there, but I haven't heard bad about it..

Another place that's a good stop that someone mentioned is Lowell, Mass. It's an old industrial mill town that is making a huge comeback. Lowell doesn't have many highrises but through the city center there's cobblestone roads and little shops and bars that you might enjoy. It's really old New England with a lot of modern things as well, it's another one of those good stops on your way to Boston. It's about...45 minutes to an hour from Worcester.
I can agree with that. Many areas still leave something to be desired, but all in all, not bad.

You've gotta be kidding!

Poughkeepsie is definitly worth a stop, beautiful bridge, quiet and quaint historical downtown. I love it there. I lived in Newburgh for 2 years, the only thing to see there is the view across the river. It is an absolute slum, you are not safe on Broadway.

Newburgh is rundown, but i find the place to be fascinating.

Click here for Newburgh (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=102513&highlight=newburgh)

Click here for Poukeepsie (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=103237&highlight=newburgh)