Worcester is a lot bigger than Salem or Malden with a lot more people, and a bit less wealthy. If you’re comfortable in lower income areas then you’ll probably be comfortable in Worcester. I lived near Vernon hill for a year in 2019 as a young woman (18). I also mostly walked and took the bus until I got a car. Nothing bad happened, just the quirky stuff you’ll see in low income areas. People generally have much better things to do than bother you. Ignore the alarmists in the comments. Most people believe it’s violent because it’s low income and has more people of color. It’s not the projects, it’s not main south, and it’s not any street known for violence (even those areas have a worse rap than they deserve).