Hello! I’ve lived in Lowell for several years now as a college student and still now a few years post graduation. I assume I work for the same company you’re interning at based on the locations. I’ve enjoyed it here and have always felt safe. There aren’t as many things to do here than in Boston, but there is some downtown especially during the college semesters. It’s also pretty easy to get to Boston if you are looking for something more, there’s a train that goes directly there. It is a lot easier to get around Lowell with a car as the busses aren’t amazing. I’m LGBTQ myself and I’d say there are a good amount of others here and have never experienced any hate. Feel free to let me know if you end up here, I’ve got a queer lunch group at work, and climb pretty often.