r/SalemMA

A friend of mine is from the area and said that people from all over enroll at Salem State because they’re “witchy” - is that true? Is the student body “witchier” than on average?

Not familiar at all with the beaches, except for Hampton Beach, and ideally would like to find something closer that has ample parking, restrooms, and possibly nearby food. TIA.

I have got 2 top-tier tickets to see I’m With Her in Rockport tonite at 7:30 but unfortunately can’t go. Selling for half price, $100. Let me know if you’re interested.

As my post title says, I'm in the midst of planning a move to Salem. This is with my partner who grew up in a neighboring town but is moving back to MA for the first time in over a decade. For him, he has family around in several neighboring towns; whereas mine is in LA, Seattle, and Europe) and I'd like to create a social group of my own not reliant on his family network.

I've browsed around this sub a bit to get a handle on how some things with life are in the area but have some questions I'd love to hear locals opinions on regarding how to best find community as a newcomer and any other tips or realities of day to day living I should know? How NIMBY is the local community and in what ways? As in, it is just to keep the town local and not let national chains take over or is it taken to the extreme? Is it the kind of small area where everyone knows each other? What local businesses have garbage practices or policies or politics that I should note to avoid?

For context, we are coming from Santa Barbara so cost of living hasn't really been much of a thought though it seems like Salem is considered on the high end for the north shore (correct me if I'm wrong); have two dogs (heard the area is super dog friendly so love that - any tips for best beaches or local trails dogs are allowed on would be wonderful); have details on several ceramics studios in the area (but the more art - or collectives - to get into the better); and I know it's going to be rough asf moving in October (I'm possibly being blasé as I've lived off the boulevard in the middle of Hollywood and have dealt with crazy traffic and tourist nonsense) but how has it been for others who have moved to area to find a social group, etc? For example, prior to moving to SB I was warned it's rough because it's a small city that is very much isolated compared to southern California proper and locals are not prone to making friends with outsiders.

Oh, and, yes I know winter will be hilariously rough.

Looking for massage recs around the Salem, Beverly, Swampscott, Peabody area. I’ve gone to Elements Massage and they’re pretty good but I’m wondering if there are better spots around here.

Good afternoon, Reddit! Ward 1 Councillor and ten-year Point resident Erin Turowski chiming in here.

Wow, the thread about street sweeping in the Point really blew up overnight. Honestly, it’s a welcome change to see people engaged in what happens in the Point, because it’s historically such a difficult area to engage and, consequently, to advocate for. OP, getting towed sucks, and it’s a hassle, and it’s expensive, and I’m sorry that’s how your week started. I understand your pain - it’s happened to me before, too (twice in Salem, and a few times in Columbus, Ohio, as well). I did want to chime in here to address some concerns, correct some misinformation, and provide some resources to help make it easier for people to understand when street sweeps are happening.

Communication is really important to making sure people aren’t caught off guard by the tow trucks, especially because there have been some changes in the street sweeping schedule and procedures recently - most notably, the discontinuation of the “orange signs.” The city moved away from that practice due to the labor and cost of re-hanging signs every two weeks, and honestly, I support it, although I was not part of the decision-making process. Aside from the staff hours required, those little black zip ties used to attach the signs are often left as plastic litter, and litter is part of the reason we are having this discussion - every little bit matters. I have never lived in a city that manually hangs signs to notify residents of street sweeping; it seems like everywhere else has permanent signage. There were some pain points this year, as there are with any new system, but I am hopeful that going forward, the permanent signs are an economically and ecologically-friendly fix. I’m also disappointed that the new signs aren’t in Spanish, but with the money and time it takes to have signs generated and installed, I don’t see these being substantially replaced anytime in the next couple of years; we are probably limited to “sticker fixes,” if anything. Perhaps there could be stickers affixed with a QR code link to the current corresponding neighborhood sweep schedule. I’d be willing to talk to DPS and the Transportation Department about it.

As for the frequency - sweeps have been biweekly in the Point for several years, and with all of the trash on the ground in the Point, and our abutting ocean shore, I support that, too. People just don’t put their trash where it belongs, and rubbish bins are frequently overfilled, which allows seagulls and other wildlife to go wild. It is most definitely an issue of neighborhood pride and a real-life example of the “broken window theory.” Going back in the archives, I believe our street sweeping program was overhauled in 2018. I was trying to find out exactly when the biweekly schedule was implemented in the Point, but I couldn’t find solid evidence online on a brief review this morning. However, I did find an August 2013 report from the NSCDC and the MAPC (“Vision and Action Plan for the Point Neighborhood in Salem 2013-2020”. This report specifically calls for increased trash pickups and street sweeping because this is a high-population-density neighborhood with high infrastructure demands. I’m not speaking for the NSCDC here, but if they recommended more frequent street sweeping, then I can almost guarantee that they did it from a place of good intent. Implementing biweekly street sweeping was not the city or Todisco (or formerly, Bill’s), trying to make a cash grab here.

A few remarks to address specific comments in the original thread: -Free garage parking in the South Harbor garage (for Point sweeps, 8 pm Sunday night through 8 pm Monday night) and the Museum Place garage (for Downtown sweeps, 8 pm Wednesday night through 8 am Thursday morning) is available with proof of residency (driver’s license, utility bill, etc.). -The Point has fewer driveways than most other neighborhoods but also has a lower per capita rate of car ownership than most other areas in Salem. This was discussed multiple times during last year’s conversations about removing parking minimums for multifamily properties of 3 units or more, but I can’t find the exact source on a quick search. -Year-round resident permit parking has been considered for the Point in the past, but due to a large proportion of cars that are not registered in Salem (and would not qualify for year-round resident permit parking) and the fact that permit cost would impose an additional cost barrier in an already price-sensitive neighborhood, it has not been implemented. The city makes an exception for October resident parking in the Point and grants passes to vehicles that are not registered in Salem. -Parking tickets can be appealed by emailing tickethearings@salem.com within 21 days of receiving the violation. With all of the changes this year, it’s not unreasonable to try this (especially if this is your first ticket).

I’d also like to point out that the city has made leaps and bounds to improve street and pedestrian infrastructure in the Point during the past couple of years, such as upgrading the sidewalks, prioritizing our neighborhood for snow removal from streets and sidewalks (including the Congress Street bridge), reconfiguring the street behind the Sarah Parker Remond School, and soon, installing permanent speed humps on Leavitt, Palmer, Dow, and Harbor Streets. I work with the city to address issues like illegal trash dumping, snow removal, tree limbs and debris in bike lanes, illegal parking, and many other constituent concerns, as many readers can probably attest.

I’m not going to include a bunch of links in this post to avoid triggering spam filters, but I’ll include resources in a comment below where people can find current street sweep schedules and upcoming dates.

I hope this information helps folks out. I know it can be pretty confusing trying to decode the street sweeping schedule, especially for newer residents, but I really do try to share this information far and wide when I can. Thanks for reading - if you have questions or if you just want to grab coffee, the best way to contact me is to send me an email at eturowski (at) salem.com so it doesn’t get lost in the Reddit sauce.

Cheers, -Erin

Hey everyone! I’m looking for some advice on getting started with doing hair at home. I really enjoy styling my own natural hair, and I’d love to start learning more hairstyles, especially things like braids, braided styles, and adding extensions to braids. Eventually, I’d love to be good enough to do other people’s hair too, but I’m not sure where to start or what I should learn first. I’m mainly interested in doing this as a hobby rather than starting a business, so I’m just looking to build my skills and have fun with it. For those of you who learned how to braid or style hair yourselves: What did you start with? What tools/products would you recommend getting? Did you practice on yourself, a mannequin, or other people? Are there any classes, YouTube channels, or other resources you recommend? How did you learn things like adding extensions to braids? I’m also open to taking classes if there are any good ones in the Salem/Boston area. I’d really appreciate any advice or recommendations! 😊

Does anyone know what’s going on at 11 Summer St.? It’s right next to the Salem Inn, and I noticed they were doing some demolition there today. A little while ago they also cut down all the trees between that property and the Salem Inn, so I’m wondering what is planned for the site.

Hear me out, neighbors. I get it. It’s a densely populated part of the city. A lot of people in one place with not nearly enough trash barrels.

But respectfully, what the fuck?! This is the area that has the least number of driveways per household, so there are more people parking on the street at any given time. So making street sweeping every two weeks from April to October is totally asinine and a headache for residents to move their car so they don’t get towed. To add insult to injury, they need to pay to park in the garages if they go past a certain time before picking up their car. And the city doesn’t even have the decency to grant the Point year-round resident parking, so it’s always a mad dash to find a spot anyway.

Don’t even get me started on the new place, Todisco, (that replaced Bill’s after they closed) that is conducting said towings. I’ve heard from a couple people who, when they went to pick up their towed car, there was _visible_ damage done to their car, and when they went to square up about the damage they very obviously did while towing, they ghost on the charges.

Add on top of all this bs that they stopped posting the orange signs to remind people (it’s all posted online now) and it’s hard not to think that this whole goddamn thing isn’t overtly exploitative to the neighborhood with the highest concentration of residents who may not be super tech literate or speak English as a second language, who then have to shell out $200 to pick up their car PLUS a parking ticket to pay.

This is mostly a rant, but other people in the Point, am I being unrealistic? Do we really need street sweeping every two weeks? Everywhere else in the city is less frequent. I just think this whole thing is a racket to separate people from their money in less than totally scrupulous ways. Can I petition the city to reduce it to once a month maybe so they can use those funds elsewhere?

TL:DR - IMO, there’s too much street sweeping in the Point. I’m annoyed and really hoping I’m not the only one!

Looking for a local tailor for very simple tailoring, thanks!

Anyone know what’s going on, on north street past kings heading towards Peabody? There are like 5 or 6 cop cars circling around, possibly looking for someone?

I'm a local and my birthday is coming up. I love sitting and relaxing by fountains, waterfalls, etc. because I love the sound of running and trickling water. Where can I find one (that isn't the poop fountain at Village Tavern) where I can sit for an hour on my birthday? The ocean is lovely, but not the sound I'm going for! Preferably somewhere that doesn't charge an entrance fee, though the garden at the PEM is also amazing.