Last Call

Jacob Mader, engineer, bartender and new arrival

Veer Mudambi

Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK

Jacob Mader is a new Worcesterite — having moved here this past May after receiving his electrical engineering degree from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. Moving and job hunting during a pandemic, even as the vaccine became more widespread, was no easy task. While he searched for a job in his career, he took a part-time position as a bartender at Worcester Beer Garden. Mader sat down with Last Call to discuss his early impressions of Worcester, what sticks out and his favorite parts of what he sees as a city working on finding itself.

What struck you about Worcester when you first came here?

It’s the second biggest city in New England and doesn’t feel like it. It’s because of the geography, as I understand it. It’s like Texas, it’s more spread out — it’s not built up. New York is built up, you have giant buildings where you’re cramming as many people as possible into as small a place as you can. Worcester you actually have space — you can drive two miles in any direction and you’re still in Worcester. The downtown isn’t as big as you’d think.

So that was an interesting thing — just like weird thing to know. Hey, I’m living in the second biggest New England city and it doesn’t have that city feel. It feels kind of suburby. It’s just something I wouldn’t have expected. Personally I like it a little bit — I grew up in a suburb of Baltimore.

Have you been able to explore the city much since you arrived?

Decent amount. Especially the downtown area from living and working there. Haven’t explored too much of anything west of there.

What about the city really interests you?

I really like that City Hall is just really open. Especially when I was job hunting, I could just go and sit at a table right across from where my girlfriend works and go have lunch with her. I’ve been to the Public Market too — a very interesting place since my girlfriend and I are both foodies. Also just that it’s pronounced Woo-ster too. It’s a big adjustment — you can really tell if somebody’s not from here or hasn’t been here long if they’re still calling it War-chester.

Polar Park’s cool too — I’ve only ever seen Worcester with that because I just moved here. Knowing that’s really a new thing is cool, that this used to be a whole place that just wasn’t here. Fourth of July, it was a really good place to go for the fireworks.

What in terms of entertainment or leisure have you found here?

Well, I’m kind of a workaholic so leisure isn’t really a thing, but I’ve been meaning to check out the Freeplay Arcade. One of my co-worker’s friends at the Beer Garden was telling me a little bit about it. Apparently, a former Dell or Intel engineer started collecting all these arcade games and for a flat fee you can play unlimited games. You can drink there too, so good times.

You’ve come at a really interesting point in the city’s evolution, it seems.

It definitely seems like it’s gentrifying a bit. It sort reminds me of Towson (Maryland) in that aspect but Towson’s a little further along that path, though Worcester still seems like it’s still in the process. I certainly feel like if I dropped some money on some property and just held on to it for five years, I could sell it for a very sizable chunk of profit.

So you would say it’s a city in transition?

Absolutely.

What exactly strikes you as a city in transition?

So, here’s a good example. City Hall is right there and you have the entire Grid Hospitality Group, with bougie restaurant stuff, and two blocks away there’s the 600 Suites where I was living. Thursday night, I got off work, I’m walking home and a guy not 10 feet away from me fired off a semi-automatic. It scared the (expletive) out of me, I was like, “What the hell?” I thought I was about to have a bullet wound. I’m passing this guy and see him like pulling out what looks like a satchel or something and can tell he’s pulling out something looks like a handle of a gun or something then he goes “ehhh, papi!” and then as I pass him, I hear him fire off a shot. I know he fired into the air cause that’s what the cops told me later. A big pop and when you’re 10 feet away you can tell it’s a damn gun.

Right outside Skymark Towers?

Yeah, literally right out the main lobby. I went into the side lobby and the doors don’t lock and I hustle into the elevator and call 911. They said I should go and talk to the officers but there were like four police cars down already and a whole mob of cops.

Wow.

Right? After that I came in, my girlfriend was sleeping but I was like “we are MOVING. We are moving TOMORROW.” Around here, near WPI with a bunch of college students, I don’t feel that’s going to happen but in the center business district at night, I’m not that surprised. That’s a good way I’d say of showing that it’s kind of gentrifying, where you have these really bougie restaurants two blocks away from (expletive) like that happening.

Jacob Mader moved to Worcester in May after graduating from Birmingham

State. VEER MUDAMBI/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE