Resources – Salem Main Streets

Not So Secret Handshake in Salem: Volunteers and Arts Festival

Business Spotlight, History, Resources, Salem Event, Salem Festivals, Salem Shopping, Volunteer Opportunities No Responses »

May 102018

Volunteering is an art. It is a creative gift that you give to your community. And what better gift to give to the Salem community than to be a volunteer at the upcoming Salem Arts Festival, June 1-3. It is a great combination!

This year is promising to be better than ever, with our TENTH ANNIVERSARY, record-breaking number of participants, all types/styles of art-making activities, a new collaboration with Creative Collective/Creative North Shore as co-organizers, and our fifth annual community art project, Bee to Brick. Come BEE a part of the best arts festival on the North Shore (possibly beyond? who’s to say.)!

With more activities than ever, we also need more volunteers than ever. We will probably be adding some additional shifts and needs as the festival gets closer, but for now, sign up early and often.

PLEASE SIGN UP HERE – http://signup.com/go/HpiioHC

Please note that we welcome and encourage volunteers of all ages for Salem Arts Festival. In fact… 10-year olds have been some of our best volunteers in the past! Never too early to instill in young people the value— their value— in community volunteering. This is also a great way for new residents to become part of our community, so spread the word to anyone you know who’s just moved to town.

Don’t forget to share the call for volunteers with your friends, family, neighbors, and that guy you sit next to on the train every day!

Save the Date – we will have an orientation for volunteers on Sunday, May 27 at 5 pm at Old Town Hall for any who can attend (yes, sorry, it’s Memorial Day weekend). We are also holding a benefit night for the Salem Arts Festival at Flatbread Pizza on Tuesday, May 29, so give your oven a rest that night and come grab a pie to support the festival!

Volunteerism improves health by strengthening the body, improving mood, and lessening stress in participants. And don’t forget, seeing art is also a soothing experience.

Questions? Interested in additional ways to help? Let Kylie Sullivan, our overworked but ever-smiling leader know! Call 978-744-0004 x115.

Use Your Feet To Get Around Salem Ma — But Not By Walking

Business Spotlight, Resources, Salem Event, Salem Shopping No Responses »

Apr 222018

Salem, already known as a very walkable city, is gaining prominence as a rideable community as well. For the 2^nd year, the Salem Bike Share program is offering an on-demand ride sharing service, with 50 bicycles in 10 different locations to see the city.

Operated and managed by Zagster, Inc., it began this year on March 1^st. With the weather beginning to get nicer, you can expect the bikes to begin renting out more quickly.

Mayor Kimberly Driscoll has praised the program: “Not only does it encourage residents, commuters and visitors to get out of their cars and onto bikes, but it is reflective of our nationally recognized complete streets policy.”

Reported figures from last season indicate that 1153 different riders made 2480 cumulative rides.

Salem Bike Share program features the Zagster 8, an award-winning bicycle known for its practical design, comfortable riding, and easy handling. The bike includes a spacious front basket that’s perfect for carrying shopping bags or personal belongings. As rider safety is a priority, every bike includes automatic lights, a bell, and full reflectors. Riders must be 18 years or older and are reminded to obey traffic laws, wear a helmet, and be a safe rider.

The way it works

Bikes are accessible at any station via the Zagster Mobile App that you must sign up for. It is available for iPhone and Android – or online at https://bike.zagster.com/salem/ where you can find information on membership options and fees.

Zagster bikes have a built-in lock which allows users to ride as long as they want and stop wherever they want along the way and lock the bike. Check out the video

Bikes need to return to any Zagster-Salem station at the end of a ride.

Appleton Street off North Street
Congress Street
Federal Street
Front Street
Hawthorne Boulevard
MBTA Commuter Rail Station
Salem Ferry Terminal
Salem Willows

The Salem Bike Share program is funded in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and Salem State University.

Why Restaurants are a Hot Ticket in Salem Ma for Next Two Weeks

New Businesses, Resources, Salem Dining, Salem Event, Salem Festivals, SMS News, Uncategorized No Responses »

Mar 182018

Are you hungry? And we mean not only hungry for something to eat but hungry to try something new? Then you have come to the right place. For 10 exciting days, Salem’s diverse dining venues literally throw open the doors and invite you to enjoy some of their best offerings at unbeatable prices. The occasion? Well, of course, it is Salem Spring Restaurant Week. Runs Sunday, March 18 – Thursday, March 22 and then again Sunday, March 25 – Thursday, March 29.

Expect a wide variety of delicious foods – from steak to seafood, American to ethnic, there is something for everyone. Restaurants offer multiple choices for appetizers, entrees as well as desserts.

If you go to a different establishment each night during Salem Spring Restaurant Week, you still won’t see them all! Please note the list of restaurants below is not final, they are subject to change.

Adriatic Restaurant and Bar – Click here for menu
155 Washington Street, Salem, MA – (978) 594-1832
Click here to make a reservation.

A warm interior and excellent cuisine—a winning combination that defines the Adriatic Restaurant & Bar. The brick oven pizzas are always a hit, and imaginative libations entice customers to come back time and again. Excellent market-fresh fish dishes inspired by regions surrounding the Adriatic Sea give this Mediterranean eatery something to boast about. A lengthy wine list featuring imported varietals and blends bring every meal’s flavors to fore and make patrons hunger for more.

Beerworks No. 2 Salem – click here for menu
Offering 2 course menu for $20
278 Derby Street, Salem, MA – (978) 745-2337

Located in Historic Downtown Salem since 1996, Salem Beer Works has something for everyone. With 15 freshly brewed beers on tap each day, guests enjoy the seasonal patio (weather permitting) and proximity to the Salem waterfront. Whether you’re visiting from out of town, or live in the area, Salem Beer Works is the place to go for good food, good beer and good times.

Bella Verona – click here for menu
Offering 3 course menu for $30
107 Essex Street, Salem, MA – (978) 825-9911

Chef-owner Giorgio Manzana hails from Lake Garda Italy in the Provence of Verona and has a hotel-restaurant background that goes back over 35 years. Bella Verona enjoys catering to their clients, creating new dishes and continuing the simple good and authentic home-style cooking of Manzana’s region as well as other parts of Italy. As an Italian restaurant in the heart of Salem, they will bring you back to Verona, the home of Romeo and Juliet, to lose yourselves in the atmosphere and excellent food. In keeping to their traditional roots, they offer creative options with homemade pastas, and great daily specials.

BonChon – click here for menu
Offering 3 course menu for $20
299 Essex Street, Salem, MA – (978) 594-8256

“Bonchon” means “my hometown” in Korean. True to their original roots, Bonchon Downtown Salem is a family friendly establishment, offering an affordable casual dining experience along with lively atmosphere. Enjoy the flavorful chicken wings that are their signature dish and then wash that down with a local Notch brew.

Finz Seafood & Grill – click here for menu
Offering 3 course menu for $30
76 Wharf Street, Salem, MA – (978) 744-0000
Click here to make a reservation.

Innovative and inspired menus, fresh raw bar, and a carefully chosen wine list all lead to an extraordinary dining experience at Finz. Our menu emphasizes creatively prepared fresh seasonal seafood. Our raw bar offers the freshest local oysters, clams, chilled lobster, colossal crab and jumbo shrimp. With indoor and outdoor waterfront dining, Finz is a great place to relax and enjoy outstanding food and drinks. Zagat’s rated Finz Seafood & Grill one of the Top 10 Waterfront restaurants in New England.

Firenze Trattoria – different selections nightly!
Offering 3 course menu for $30
2 Lynde Street, Salem, MA – (978) 219-1188

Firenze Trattoria is chef Zamir Kociaj’s way of sharing his passion for the authentic tastes of Firenze with the historic town of Salem. Merging years of experience with a neighborhood vibe, Firenze Trattoria is the perfect place to celebrate the simple moments with loved ones and friends while dining on delectable Italian fare.

Jami’s Kitchen – click here for menu
Offering 2 course menu for $20
2 Bridge Street, Salem, MA – (978) 740-4619

Located on the line between beautiful Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts, on the sunny side of the Salem bridge, Jami’s Kitchen serves its patrons in the New England tradition; presenting great food, fine beer and entertainment for locals and visitors alike. Our outdoor bar has spectacular views of the waterfront and offers harbor breezes, cool drinks and spirited conversation. We’re proud to welcome you, your friends, and your family of our comfortable kitchen!

Ledger Restaurant & Bar – click here for menu
Offering 3 course menu for $30
125 Washington Street Salem, MA – (978) 594-1908
Click here to make reservations on Open Table.

Ledger, located in the former Salem Savings Bank building (circa 1818), opened just this year by chef-owner Matt O’Neil and is already being touted by Zagat as one of the six sexiest new restaurants in Boston! Ledger is known for its progressive New England concept of traditional 19th-century dishes, cocktails, and techniques that are elevated with 21st-century resources. This is high-style cuisine, whether it’s the artful plating of each colorful dish or the creative take on wood-fired dishes, house-made charcuterie, and raw bar items.

Life Alive – click here for menu
Offering 4 course menu for $20
281 Essex Street, Salem, MA – (978) 677-8518

Want to enjoy a healthy meal that will make you feel good about eating? Look no further than Life Alive! Life Alive is devoted to making nourishing and delicious meals that are full of pleasure. Take pleasure and comfort in knowing that they are devoted to the vitality of our bodies, communities, and earth.

Longboards Restaurant & Bar – click here for menu
Offering 3 course menu for $20
72 Wharf St, Salem, MA – (978) 745-6659

Located on Pickering Wharf, Longboards Restaurant & Bar serves up award-winning sandwiches, lobster rolls and their new signature flatbreads, all with the promise that you won’t leave hungry. Longboards is your staple neighborhood bar with a full bar and a great list of local beers – check them out during your favorite game or come grab a drink and dinner with some friends!

Nat’s at the Hawthorne Hotel – click here for menu
Offering 3 course menu for $30
18 Washington Street, Salem, MA – (978) 825-4300
Click here to make reservations on Yelp.

For an unforgettable fine dining experience in Salem, enjoy the ambiance, warmth and hospitality of award-winning seasonal cuisine from Nathaniel’s restaurant. The menu features contemporary dining in a historic setting, while offering a carefully crafted wine menu and scrumptious desserts that will complete any night out or special occasion.

Opus – click here for menu
Offering 3 course menu for $30
87 Washington Street, Salem, MA – (978) 744-9600

With what can only be described as a maverick kitchen, Opus’ cuisine boasts unexpected flavor combinations that simply taste amazing. The restaurant’s dynamic sushi team draws on both east and western influences to create sushi rolls that are truly unique. The upstairs dining room is centered around an oversized, glowing glass bar where guests can meet for a drink or enjoy a three-course meal. Downstairs, in Opus Underground, guests can enjoy nightly entertainment in a Moroccan-inspired space filled with cozy seating and thought-out details. Opus is a go-to destination for live music, dinner, and cocktails seven days a week.

Regatta Pub at the Waterfront Hotel
225 Derby Street, Salem, MA – (978) 740-8788

The Regatta offers casual dining with flair. Try their signature “Regatta Blue” martini with your favorite burger or fresh seafood with a glass of chilled wine. The Regatta Pub offers an eclectic choice of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and entrees in a relaxed and nautical inspired atmosphere, or chose to dine outside on their patio, weather permitting.

Rockafellas – click here for menu
Offering both 2 course menu for $20 and 3 course menu for $30
231 Essex Street, Salem, MA – (978) 745-2411

Rockafellas established a new tradition in dining in the center of historic Salem in 2003. As the most delicious occupant of the renowned Daniel Low Building, Rockafellas restaurant follows several other institutions of reputation including a department store, a bank (the vault now stores wines) and one of the first churches in America. Their menu features fresh seafood and Black Angus steaks and offers everything from burgers and salads and tapas to gourmet presentations. The wait staff assures a relaxed atmosphere where everyone feels at home.

Sea Level Oyster Bar – click here for menu
Offering 3 course menu for $30
94 Wharf Street, Salem, MA – (978) 741-0555
Click here to make reservations.

Located on Pickering Wharf, Sea Level Oyster Bar boasts two floors of fun while offering comfortable dining and great waterfront views. Sea Level also features a sit down raw bar packed with the freshest shellfish around. With an extensive beer list and creative cocktails that will quench your thirst while the kitchen cooks up fabulous seafood, gourmet pizzas and more, you are guaranteed to leave satisfied! Don’t forget to try their scrumptious desserts stamped in approval.

Thai Place – click here for menu
Offering both 2 course menu for $20, and 3 course menu for $30
Witch City Mall, Salem, MA – (978) 741-8008

Thai Place Restaurant has been open since 1990. Being the first Thai Restaurant in the North Shore area of Massachusetts, they are proud to be one of the first establishments to present the unique taste, culture and sincerity of Thailand. Thai Place’s dedication to prepare the finest Thai food comes with experience, care for their customers and careful selection of the freshest ingredients.

Turner’s Seafood at Lyceum Hall – click here for menu
Offering 3 course menu for $30 (March 18-22 only)
43 Church Street, Salem, MA – (978) 745-7665
Click here to make reservations on Open Table.

Turner’s Seafood at Lyceum Hall is an authentic New England seafood house in an iconic 1843 building with noted cultural history, complementing their family’s seafood heritage spanning four generations. This is where they prepare the catch-of-the-day becoming classic appetizers, entrees and creative daily specials. Turner’s shucks and serves the finest local and regional oysters & clams in their classic raw bar. And, their seafood market, Salem’s only, offers fresh, raw and prepared seafood to enjoy at home. It’s important to get to the docks early as good fish go fast but, the best go to Turner’s… then to you….dock to table … same day!

Salem has become a culinary destination, in addition to its other notoriety; people along the North Shore and beyond eagerly look forward to Salem Spring Restaurant Week. Reservations are encouraged; be advised to contact the restaurants directly. Please mention “Restaurant Week” when making your reservations.

End the Week by Finding That Elusive, Unusual Gift

Haunted Happenings, New Businesses, Resources, Salem Event, Salem Farmers Market, Salem Festivals, Salem Shopping No Responses »

Dec 142017

Looking for that “last gift” or stocking stuffer? Something really unusual? May we suggest you check out Salem Ma this Friday and Saturday for your holiday shopping needs?

Festive Fridays is an on-going December promotion designed to make shopping fit your schedule; many Salem merchants will be keeping their businesses open later on Friday night. Why drive all the way to a crowded mall, only to fight for a parking space? Everything in Salem is within walking distance, and there is abundant parking.

You may have browsed some of our stores during October’s Haunted Happenings and thought “I’d like to come back and check this store out when I had more time and not so many party-goers around.” Well, now’s your chance.

Then on Saturday, a wide range of local vendors will be present at The Salem Winter Market. Patrons can expect to fill their shopping bags with an assortment of foods and artisan crafts including seasonal produce, pasture-raised poultry, locally-caught lobster, baked goods, wreaths, handmade soaps, honey, pickles, gourmet ravioli, and artisan chocolates.

The Salem Winter Market takes place from 1-5pm at the Witch City Mall (formerly the Museum Place Mall, 1 Church Street) for your shopping convenience.

“The Winter Market is a fantastic opportunity to support local farms and artisans through the holiday season, and is a chance to find some truly unique holiday gifts,” states Kylie Sullivan, executive director of Salem Main Streets and organizer of the market.

For further information regarding current vendors and Winter Market updates, refer to the Market’s website, Facebook, and Twitter pages, or contact Kylie Sullivan directly at 978/744-0004 x115.

Happy Shopping!

Street Sense: Marketing Locally

Resources 2 Responses »

May 112017

Street Sense is a semiregular column with Salem Main Streets’ executive director Kylie Sullivan, highlighting common sense lessons learned while supporting the delightfully uncommon community of downtown Salem, MA.

Photo Credit – Creative Salem

Last week, I had the honor of participating in Innonorth’s panel on marketing locally. As I began to consider the topic – specifically marketing LOCALLY – I realized I actually had a lot to say, because Main Streets and local marketing are both all about people and connections. So here are a few of my personal takes on what it means to market locally in a community like Salem.

* YOU ARE YOUR BRAND
Downtown Salem is made up of small businesses – many of them microbusinesses (<5 full-time equivalent staff). For a lot of us, this is one of the things we really love about Salem – we love shopping local, we love knowing the person behind the product, and we love that they know us. There’s nothing more special than going into a business and being welcomed by name by the owner. This means that your business is really about you, no matter how good your product is. The great thing about your personal brand is that it’s the cheapest and most effective form of marketing you can invest in! It also makes it easy to represent your business when you’re simply doing the things you already enjoy – joining a running club, attending community events, supporting another business’ opening. The downside is that there’s a lot more on the line. Brands are about trust. It can take years to build a strong brand, and seconds to ruin one – and when you add your personal brand to your business brand, the number of ways you can accidentally mess up are immediately amplified. So be aware of this in your daily life, at the grocery store, at the bar, on social media (that’s right, even your personal social media can impact your business – perhaps unfair, but true). It can be exhausting, but it’s incredibly important to keep this in mind.

*Be present.
The best way to make use of your personal brand is to be present in the daily life of the community. This could mean physically, online, or financially, but if you’re keeping to yourself in an engaged community like Salem, odds are that the locals are going to overlook you. Sponsor local festivals, come to networking events, maintain a social media presence, participate in downtown promotional efforts. Like any marketing plan, it takes a while to figure out what works best for you – both what’s easiest for you personally and what gets you the most traction – but you won’t know until you try.

*Be a positive advocate for the community.
The emphasis is on positive advocacy. Small-scale economic and community development only really work if most of us are pulling in the same direction, but community advocacy is also an important marketing tool. Customers respond to local businesses that look beyond their own walls to support local causes, advocate for positive change within their industry, or collaborate with other local businesses. Additional insider tip: being an active and positive advocate also makes it more likely that local entities (like Salem Main Streets, let’s say) will think of you first when they’re looking for a downtown business to promote or highlight.

*Don’t forget to talk about what you do!
A lot of local business owners work so hard to make sure that the community knows them as people that they forget to say what their business actually does – and are then hurt or surprised when a community member doesn’t choose their business the next time they need something. Now, I’m not saying that you should be spouting off your elevator speech at every social occasion, or shoving business cards at people who haven’t asked for one – this can actually be extremely off-putting. But keeping your eyes and ears open for opportunities, and not being afraid to talk about what you do and what you’re proud of can go a long way when working in a small community.

*Be genuine and believe in your product.
Transparency is incredibly important to any consumer, but especially to those who choose to shop locally. And maybe it’s a result of living in a historic community with a strong tourist economy, but I feel that Salemites are particularly sensitive to insincerity. The good news is that this makes it even easier to be true to your personal brand – the less distance that exists between your professional self and your personal self, the less difficult it is to make sure that your brand remains consistent over time.