Worcester is a large, vibrant city often overshadowed by Boston. Nonetheless, it is the second largest city in New England, famous for its medical schools and nine colleges. The city is currently working hard to revitalize and redesign the downtown, as well as some of the surrounding neighborhoods. Worcester’s districts are quite divided, and many people tend to stay in their own communities.

Because Worcester is a gateway city, we have a large immigrant community, which is strongly reflected through the shops, restaurants, and people walking down Main Street. Many immigrants live in Main South, the neighborhood surrounding Woodland Academy. The largest immigrant populations in the area are Albanian, Vietnamese, El Salvadorian, Puerto Rican, and Guinean, though this certainly does not come close to representing the community’s diversity.

Walking down the street in Main South, you will find numerous El Salvadorian and Vietnamese restaurants, barber shops, small grocery stores and pharmacies, as well as community resources. Clark University is a prominent landmark in the area, and neighbors are always on campus playing on the green, eating at the school’s bistro, and forming relationships with the students. There is an important balance between the Clark community and the neighbors surrounding the campus.

Over the past five years I have watched Worcester grow and become more popular as a city and landmark. This has led to a large downtown revitalization project and many young people getting involved in local politics. This change has made Worcester an exciting place to work and live in, and I am so happy to call this city my new home.