UPDATED:
AUGUST 17, 2017
The city of Worcester, Ma has been going thru a major makeover in the past decade or so. Several locations downtown have been totally transformed to make it easier for people to move around, bring several neighborhoods together, spur/enhance business opportunities and make these areas much more attractive.
One major tactic of beautification is to make these areas look more like the days of the past by creating a vintage/classic look (brick sidewalks, hitching posts, benches, various wrought iron works etc..) One major classic visual is swapping out the typical "modern looking" aluminum streetlight poles/fixtures (that we have in widespread use since the early 60's) and installing new "old fashion", black streetlight poles with either simple scrollwork or curved arms, decorative bases and big teardrop globe HPS fixtures made by Holophane. NOTE: Many of these teardrop fixtures are now being converted to LED now (during the Worcester LED streetlight conversion phase that started in August 2016). I have dubbed these series of poles/fixtures the "retro lights". There are several designs used and the review of their variations are listed below.
| These were the first retros on the scene, installed in the early 2000's along Shrewsbury St. These have also been installed at Washington Square, Belmont St, Greenwood St, Plantation St, Franklin St and North Lake Ave. The double arm poles are on Belmont St and North Lake Ave. The ones on Quinsigamond Bridge are very tall and have bases like the Elm Park poles. The poles and bases are one assembly. The fixtures have photocells on top |    |
| These curved arm retros were first installed near the DCU center in the late 2000's. They now adorn the new, revitalized downtown crossing area, where the Worcester Common Outlets used to be. These have the same fixtures and bases as the Shrewsbury St lights. There are only a few double arm pole at this time, located at the corner of DCU and UNO's restaurant and at the front of City Hall. The single arm fixtures have photocells on top while the double arm have spikes. |   |
| These poles look similar to the Shrewsbury St lights but have a simpler finial and the base is taller and slimmer. The base and pole are one assembly. The scrolls and fixtures are the same. Photocells are on top of the fixture. These are located along Green St, Harding St, Millbury St, Chandler St and a few on Shrewsbury St (as replacements from knockdowns) |   |
| These retro post top acorn lights are being installed in Elm Park. The bases look to be wider and are welded to the pole. Same ornate design as the Shrewsbury St and the Quinsigamond Bridge bases. Fixtures emit white light. |    |
| These retros have Metal Halide bulbs and are privately owned. These have much more decorative scrolls, base covers and fixtures vs the city's retros. These are located in the old Chevalier Furniture parking lot on Water St. |    |
| These retros variants are located at the new WRTA site, next to Union Station. These have Metal Halide bulbs, tall two piece base covers (vs the city's smaller cast bases), have pointy finials and come with single or double arm configuration. |     |
| These retros are located along Rt 9 in Shrewsbury Ma, starting at White City Plaza. They have unique cutoff shades to reduce light glare. The poles and bases are one assembly. The bases are slightly thinner than the Shrewsbury St variant. |   |
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These retros are the same as the Shrewsbury St versions except the top of the fixtures have spikes. The photocell assembly is within the top head assembly (that has a hole in it for the sensor to work). |
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These retros surround a 3 sided perimeter of Elm Park; along Elm St, Russel St and Highland St. They are pretty unique with an angled head, a "mini me" sidewalk retro fixture on short arms and have the same bases as the post top poles in the park. Fixtures are LED type. |
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These retros are located on Greenwood St. They have the same pole/base style as the Shrewsbury St versions. However, the fixture are different. These are LED versions that the city has installed here for testing so check them out. They actually illuminate pretty well for being outfitted with globes. NOTE: There are new LED fixtures with the same uplight feature replacing the HPS versions downtown. |
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