The city of Worcester is situated in Massachusetts, United States and is the county seat of Worchester County. As of 2010, Worcester was named the second biggest city within New England with a population estimated to be around 181,045. The city of Boston, the largest city in New England, is located about 40 miles towards the east and Springfield lies roughly 38 miles towards the southwest. Worcester's centralized location in the state of Massachusetts has led to it being known as the "Heart of the Commonwealth." The official symbol of the city of Worcester is a heart.
Along the border of Worchester are the communities of Grafton, Auburn, Holden, Leicester, Millbury, Paxton, Shrewsbury, and West Boylston Some people wishing to escape the feeling of the "big city" choose to live within these smaller communities and travel to work in the metropolis during the day.
Beneath the center of Worcester flows the Blackstone River. The beginning of the river starts in Institute Park. Emerging from beneath the foot of College Hill, the river continues to course through Quinsigamond Village and into Millbury. The center of the "Canal District" is Water Street, which was formerly called the Blackstone Canal.
There is a diverse economy in Worchester with science and technology playing a huge part within the city. The innovated business Advanced Cell Technology, works on the development of stem cell research, and Abbott Laboratories, a leading pharmaceutical research and manufacturing company, have preferred to make their home within the biotech park by the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
Situated within the city of Worcester are numerous headquarters for financial institutions, like the Harleysville Worcester Insurance Company, that is the oldest insurance company based within the state of Massachusetts. Other famous financial companies headquartered in Worcester include Hanover Insurance and the Paul Revere Life Insurance Company, which is a subsidiary of Unum.
The top employment sectors that do not relate to agriculture are: Health and Education Services, Trade, Government, Utilities and Transportation, Manufacturing, Hospitality and Leisure, and Finance.
There are numerous culture and arts venues provided by the city. Ecotarium, the American Antiquarian Society, The Foothills Theatre Company, The Higgins Armory Museum, Musicians of the Old Post Road, Music Worcester, the Worcester Art Museum, the Worcester History Museum and Opera Worcester are just some of the educational and cultural locations situated within the city.
There are also several arts and cultural offerings in the city of Boston, Massachusetts, the city of Hartford, Connecticut, and Providence, Rhode Island. As Worcester has such a centralized location, these venues are a relatively short drive away.
Due to the Worcester County Poetry Association, the poetic spirit remains strong in the city of Worcester. This organization likewise supports Bloomsday, lots of local and national poets, conferences and literary tours of the city. There are numerous local poets who have competed in the National Poetry Slam and have come out successful.
The Worcester Employment Society was founded during the year 1865. More recently, this site has been transferred in the Worcester Center for Crafts, which provides the community of Worchester with professional level instruction. The initial purpose of the institution was to teach immigrants the abilities and skills they needed to create and sell crafts. Now, they seek to promote an appreciation for the fine arts by providing education in weaving, metalwork, enameling, jewelry-making, woodwork and various other crafts.