If you can afford MA, there are better locations
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10/1/2021
I've had the privilege to live in many places across the US in several states. Fitchburg is easily the worst place I have lived, by far. To find it, drive west on the Union Turnpike until you see a lot of garbage on the side of the road; that's the Fitchburg exit.
Most of the people here are awesome, don't get me wrong. But compared to anywhere else in the US there is a high percentage of selfish #@&!-bags. People throw garbage out the window while driving. Vaccination rates are low. I've been in four traffic accidents (all ruled not my fault, get a dash cam) because some people do weird things like pass in the bike lane. While again, most people are awesome and friendly, a quick look at the local social media shows most posts are conspiracies, trolls, and security footage to identify break-ins. I've never seen so many people who thrive on conflict and drama, and the rest are tired of dealing with them.
As for the town itself: much of it is in disrepair. The roads are worse than most places in MA, a state notorious for poor roads. Downtown is largely vacant. Businesses you'd expect to be open 24hrs close early due to robbery concerns. In fact, there's little open late other than bars and pizza delivery. I suspect people from other towns come here to dump their old mattresses/appliances/furniture on the side of the road because nobody here really cares (although to be fair, it was fascinating last winter watching how a piano deteriorates over time).
Karl | Fitchburg, MA