Uncategorized – Page 15 – Salem Main Streets

Feather Your Nest in Salem!

New Businesses, Salem Shopping, Uncategorized 2 Responses »

Sep 052015

HausWitch, 144 Washington Street

Ah, Labor Day weekend. Traditionally a time to enjoy the last gasp of summer, the last barbecue, the last day at the beach. It’s also traditionally a time when many people spend the long weekend painting, unpacking, and otherwise transforming a new house into a new home.

Whether you’re moving into new digs, finally getting around to some upgrades, or attending a housewarming, our downtown Salem businesses have everything you need to get settled. We did a little homework this week, and here are a few ideas we found:

Witch City Thrift Consignment & Thrift (301 Essex Street) is the place to start for everything you need… and everything you didn’t think you needed! Need plates? Got ’em. Need chairs? Got ’em. Need some funky odds and ends to decorate the walls? Got ’em. Need a Victrola? ….Yup. Just don’t be confused when the locals still refer to it as “Jerry’s”.

Newcomer HausWitch Home + Healing (144 Washington Street) is the brain child of Erica Feldmann, a micro-budget decorator who wants to help you “bring the good vibes home.” HausWitch offers unique and affordable ways to add something special to your new space, from clever little hanging shelves, to beautiful napkins dyed with turmeric, onion, and basil, to bunches of sage meant for “smudging“. HausWitch is also known for their HausCraft Spell Kits, careful selections of objects and meditations in a house-shaped box, intended for specific situations in your home (we recommend “Co+Habitate” to help smooth out the edges with new roommates).

Next up, a visit to Kan.del (inside Museum Place Mall) gives a solid reminder that candles can truly be works of art in addition to transforming a new space with scent. Another new kid on the block, Kan.del’s products range from the earth-conscious (like the rareEARTH and “Rescued Wine” lines), to the exquisite (check out the incredible beeswax “busts” of composers and dogs), to the uniquely Salem (including candles inspired in memory of individual Salem Witch Trials victims) – and of course, they will all make your new home smell fantastic!

Last but not least, we took a trip to Roost & Company (40 Front Street), who’s ever-changing offerings are always creative and beautifully displayed. From to gag gifts (especially good for anyone who’s been moving boxes all day), to cookbooks (for when you can find your kitchen again), to beautiful everyday items (why should shower curtains be ugly?), you can always be sure to find the perfect house-warming gift at Roost.

But don’t stop there! You can also find great finds for a new home at Edward John Home Decor, Hedrington’s, the Pickering Wharf Antiques Gallery, Pamplemousse, and many, many more. Our local businesses want to help you call Salem, MA home as much as we do, so go explore!

Salem MA is a Great First Date Option

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Aug 212015

We just tweeted a silly little item, and then thought more about it.

Where do you take a #FirstDate to impress him/her? Salem MA. Just look at what is happening all day Saturday http://ow.ly/RdxnU @DestSalem

Salem MA really is a great place for a first date (and 2nd, and 3rd, etc).

There are over 30 activities and events listed on the Destination Salem Calendar alone for Saturday, 8/22/15. Over 30 just for Saturday!!!

That is important, because according to a number of websites, keeping busy and keeping the conversation going to build trust and familiarity are important on a first date.

Only 24% of people (surveyed at topdatingtips.com) said that they trust someone they’re out with on a first date! Communication and learning about the other person can ease anxieties.

What about the simple dinner and a movie? Prevailing thought is that the idea is not only unoriginal, it can get pretty expensive these days, be stressful and uncomfortable for both sides, especially in a fancy restaurant; then you go to a movie and don’t interact because you don’t know the other person’s “movie viewing” habits (do they like to chat during the film, make one-liners, focus strictly on the movie, etc).

According to the Art of Charm website:

“Instead of just taking the woman out to dinner, take her on an activity date. Ease the pressure of having to maintain constant stimulating conversation by doing something fun. That way you can shift your focus to an outside activity and let conversation arise more naturally.”

That applies to whether your date is female or male.

And that brings us back to Salem MA and over 30 things to do on Saturday August 22, 2015 (see the snippet above). Let Salem MA be your wing man.

Oh and what if the first date is on Sunday? There are just as many activities. We are here for you!

A New Look for Salem Main Streets!

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May 202015

Salem Main Streets is pleased to announce a new brand and look! The local nonprofit, focused on the continued revitalization of downtown Salem, is updating its previous black and white logo of a building for a more modern, bold, and colorful vibrant look.

“When Salem Main Streets was first established in 2001, it was based on a traditional Main Streets model of historic preservation, so the building in our old logo made good sense,” says Kylie Sullivan, Executive Director of Salem Main Streets. “Salem Main Streets has evolved significantly since then. The current model is more dynamic, is more people-focused than building-focused, and, most importantly, is about creating a sense of place and identity. We needed a flexible new look to reflect that change.”

The logo and brand extension was created by local designer Elissa Von Letkemann. “Working with the Salem Main Streets staff and committee members on this was a fun challenge. The experience of being in downtown Salem is different for everyone, so the new logo had to communicate and support a sense of place while not focusing too heavily on any one aspect such as landmarks, restaurants, or otherwise.” Von Letkemann explains that the friendly, positive colors are meant as a nod to the culinary, historical, arts, and commercial destinations in town, while the map locator icon works double-duty as an exclamation point. Salem Main Streets’ materials and websites will be transitioning to the new brand over the next few days.

Salem Main Streets’ mission is the revitalization of downtown Salem as a vibrant, year-round, retail, dining, and cultural destination through business retention, recruitment, and the promotion of the downtown district. SMS produces and supports multiple community events and initiatives throughout the year, including the Salem Farmers’ Market, Salem Arts Festival, Salem’s So Sweet, and the October Information Booth. SMS operates thanks to the generosity and partnership of the City of Salem, the Salem Chamber of Commerce, Destination Salem, and many other local business sponsors and community volunteers.

The Salem Main Street Initiative is a preservation-based, volunteer driven strategy for commercial district revitalization. The Initiative is modeled on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s National Main Street Program. Main Streets works because it involves all interested stakeholders in the downtown and provides a comprehensive strategy of work, tailored to local needs and opportunities of the community.

Salem Cable Replacement Project Getting Underway

History, Salem Event, Salem Shopping, Uncategorized No Responses »

Mar 102015

It’s been said there is a great deal of history buried within the bricks and cobblestones of Salem, MA. Some of it good, some not so good, and some just the kind that needs to be updated. National Grid will be working to replace two aging underground electric transmission lines, located through a small stretch of Salem. These lines transmit electricity used by hundreds of thousands of residents and businesses in Salem and throughout the North Shore.

This of course means a slight bit of inconvenience to motorists driving and parking in the City.

A small number of “no parking” signs will be posted in advance of construction, and those restrictions will remain in effect until construction is complete for that day. Police details and signs will always be present to assist everyone through the work zone and to facilitate traffic management.

The Salem Cable Replacement Project will install new cables in a duct bank and manhole system, which will eliminate the need to dig up Salem streets for regular repairs. The new, modern cables will also address capacity limitations and maintenance issues with the current system.

The weekday work hours for the Salem Cable Project are 7 am to 4:30 pm (which includes the last hour given over to work site clean-up),

The first two work sites for the project, beginning on/or around March 11: Hawthorne Boulevard, just north of the Derby Street intersection, and Congress Street, on the north side of the South River Bridge.

Hawthorne Boulevard : contractors will be installing a large manhole. This work is expected to last for approximately two weeks, weather permitting.
Congress Street : contractors will begin installing the duct bank that will house the new underground electrical transmission cable. This installation will continue northward, towards Derby Street, ending at the newly installed manhole described above. Due to the nature of this type of work, it is estimated to be completed in five to six weeks, weather permitting.

Also, during the construction activities, one National Grid Gas crew will be finishing gas line installations on Hawthorne Boulevard between Derby Street and Washington Square South; and along Congress Street, on the north side of the Congress Street Bridge.

A project map including the approximate location for the Hawthorne Boulevard and Congress Street work sites is available on their website’s Blog: www.salemcableproject.com/blog .

In fact, to stay up-to-date on each phase of the Salem Cable Replacement Project, just sign up for email updates, like it on Facebook, and to follow on Twitter and Instagram. You can also call the toll-free hotline at 1-844-SALEMCABLE (1-844-725-3622).

Tickets Now On Sale for Salem’s So Sweet Festival!

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Jan 162015

While Salem is scary in October and sentimental in December, it is So Sweet in February. This is our way of reminding you that tickets are now on sale— and will, as tradition has it, sell out quickly— for the annual Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate and Ice Sculpture Festival.

The festival is organized in partnership between Salem Main Streets, the Salem Chamber of Commerce, and Destination Salem. This year’s dates are Feb. 6-15 and will include ice sculptures around town, in-store promotions by retailers and restaurants in our downtown district, a Golden Ticket Raffle, and more. But of course the highlight is the kick off event, Friday Feb. 6^th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, Colonial Hall at Rockafellas. It features a luscious tasting event: wine and chocolate samplings from premier Salem restaurants, stores, and sweet shops.

We are talking about everything from chocolate mousse to donuts to chocolate spaghetti, with truffles of all sizes, plus a variety of wines and other alcoholic treats that go with just about every type of chocolate.

“On the one hand, it amazes me how passionate people are about this event – people have been asking about tickets since November!” says Kylie Sullivan, manager of Salem Main Streets. “But on the other hand, it’s not hard to see why. We truly have an incredible food and restaurant scene here in Salem, and it shines through at an event like this.”

Do something special for your your special Valentine this year! Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased over the phone at 978-744-0004, online here, or in person at the Salem Chamber of Commerce, 265 Essex Street, Suite 101.

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