Great alternative analysis re: the hotels, housing, and development. Thanks for that. And yes, I've valued Neal McNamara's work at Patch. I'm sorry to hear he's leaving that. I didn't see a way to send him a note via Patch, so let him know, please.
I may be missing something so, please, correct/educate me if I am, but if the two Gateway Project hotels (I always wondered if two hotels there were necessary) are really money makers, then it would seem the folks who own them wouldn't be trying/willing/anxious to sell them. Also, in a related follow-up to the MCAS/Chamber item, if our city's business community is truly thirsty for a more productive flow of qualified workers, wouldn't the creation of more college-student housing be a more effective way to prime the pump (so to speak), when compared to preserving a high school proficiency test of questionable value? Not sure if or where the Chamber's vision is focused. How about the Chamber and business community create and invest in a program to prepare more Worcester student's for admission to a well-recognized school of higher learning like WPI (or Clark or Holy Cross or Assumption or Worcester State or Mass College of Pharmacy (didn't that school revive a downtown Worcester hotel?) or Quinsigamond CC, for that matter). (Remember when the city had 10 colleges and universities? Extra credit if you can name them.)
I'm always reminded that Worcester is, in all the ways that matter, a college town when my commute gets longer when the students get back...not a dig. It's great to see the WPI students in and around Highland St.
I'm also reminded that Worcester isn't a tourist destination when family comes to visit and it's hard to fill 2 1/2 days worth of things to do here. Or when I watch CBS and I'm reminded that "A greater Boston starts here."
If all "we" care about is money, then going to war with one of the bigger industries in the city for a mythical tourism industry is so shortsighted.
No one's going to come to Worcester for vacation when they can go to Boston. No convention is going to come here when there's nothing else to do.
And there are things that could be done to promote local tourism (things to do within a walkable distance to decent parking, better/more reliable public transportation in and out of Boston/within Worcester, etc.) that would be a benefit to people who live here too without fighting with one of the biggest industries in Worcester.
I also just had family here and while we definitely found stuff to do (tower hill, crompton collective and seed to stem with a lunch at birch tree) , it was more “let me show you nifty stuff in my town” than tourist stuff. Which is fine and great! It’s the reason I like shopping and eating around places like Northampton and Somerville. They are places people live and work and have nifty small businesses that I like to frequent.
Great alternative analysis re: the hotels, housing, and development. Thanks for that. And yes, I've valued Neal McNamara's work at Patch. I'm sorry to hear he's leaving that. I didn't see a way to send him a note via Patch, so let him know, please.
Interesting timing on Jose Rivera (ft. Walter) popping back up right around the time Etel suggests examining the city’s relationship with the EDCC.
yeah it's almost like that's their whole shtick huh
I may be missing something so, please, correct/educate me if I am, but if the two Gateway Project hotels (I always wondered if two hotels there were necessary) are really money makers, then it would seem the folks who own them wouldn't be trying/willing/anxious to sell them. Also, in a related follow-up to the MCAS/Chamber item, if our city's business community is truly thirsty for a more productive flow of qualified workers, wouldn't the creation of more college-student housing be a more effective way to prime the pump (so to speak), when compared to preserving a high school proficiency test of questionable value? Not sure if or where the Chamber's vision is focused. How about the Chamber and business community create and invest in a program to prepare more Worcester student's for admission to a well-recognized school of higher learning like WPI (or Clark or Holy Cross or Assumption or Worcester State or Mass College of Pharmacy (didn't that school revive a downtown Worcester hotel?) or Quinsigamond CC, for that matter). (Remember when the city had 10 colleges and universities? Extra credit if you can name them.)
LOL good point on the skilled workforce thing vis a vis WPI - should have made that connection myself
It's yours if it helps. Keep up the hard work. It is good.
I'm always reminded that Worcester is, in all the ways that matter, a college town when my commute gets longer when the students get back...not a dig. It's great to see the WPI students in and around Highland St.
I'm also reminded that Worcester isn't a tourist destination when family comes to visit and it's hard to fill 2 1/2 days worth of things to do here. Or when I watch CBS and I'm reminded that "A greater Boston starts here."
If all "we" care about is money, then going to war with one of the bigger industries in the city for a mythical tourism industry is so shortsighted.
No one's going to come to Worcester for vacation when they can go to Boston. No convention is going to come here when there's nothing else to do.
And there are things that could be done to promote local tourism (things to do within a walkable distance to decent parking, better/more reliable public transportation in and out of Boston/within Worcester, etc.) that would be a benefit to people who live here too without fighting with one of the biggest industries in Worcester.
I also just had family here and while we definitely found stuff to do (tower hill, crompton collective and seed to stem with a lunch at birch tree) , it was more “let me show you nifty stuff in my town” than tourist stuff. Which is fine and great! It’s the reason I like shopping and eating around places like Northampton and Somerville. They are places people live and work and have nifty small businesses that I like to frequent.