Beyond the creepy reputation: 5 things to know about actually living in Salem
It’s more than just the home of the infamous witch trials.
If you hear the name Salem and don’t think of its infamous witch trials, you clearly didn’t pay attention in history class. Though the town has been commercialized into the Halloween capital of the country, it has a lot more to offer than just reenactments (though they are pretty cool).
1. You’ll live in…
… a historic home. But in Salem there are historic homes across four different centuries, all with unique styles, according to the National Park Service. You might find homes in the First Period style, built during Salem’s fishing community beginnings in the 17th century, Georgian-style homes from the 18th century, and homes in styles like Federal, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate Revival, and Colonial Revival from the 19th century.
The roads are even historic, as some of them are still covered in their original cobblestone. This past summer, workers unearthed cobblestone under Bridge Street when beginning the process to repave the road. History buffs pushed to keep it, instead of paving over it yet again, The Boston Globe reported, making Salem’s mayor compromise by leaving a small strip of cobblestone.
2. You’ll pay…
…much less than in the greater Boston area. The current Zillow Home Value Index puts Salem’s median home price at $320,000 as of September 2015. But prices do seem to be rising for the North Shore town – in the last year, home values have risen by 6.7 percent and Zillow predicts they will rise 3.2 percent in the next year.
In the $300,000 to $400,000 price range you can get a single-family home around 2,000 square feet.
3. You’ll hang out…
…by the water. Though many of Salem’s top rated Trip Advisor “things to do’’ involve the witch trials, such as a variety of historical tours, a memorial, and the Old Burying Point Cemetery, there is more to the northern coastal town than this. If you want to see the ocean, you can go to Pickering Wharf, the Salem Maritime National Historic Site, Misery Islands, Winter Island Park, or even take the Salem Ferry.
Though the Salem witch trials might be the most famous historic event to occur in the town, there are also plenty of other sites that a history buff would enjoy, such as the Peabody Essex Museum. It is one of the oldest continuously operating museums in the United States and has a variety of artistic and cultural artifacts from New England.
The House of Seven Gables, which is a historic home that Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote about, and the beautiful Phillips House, which was built in 1821 and provides a look into an older time, are other attractions worth noting.
Many of the restaurants in the town, not so surprisingly, serve up some pretty excellent seafood dishes. Highly rated restaurants on Yelp include Firenze Trattoria, The Custom House Rotisserie, Turner’s Seafood, Finz Seafood, and the New England Soup Factory. But don’t forget dessert at the Salem Screamery, A&J King Artisan Bakers, or the many other cafes and ice creams shops.
4. Your kids will…
… have pretty low student-to-teacher ratios. Salem public schools have a wide range of scores on the 1-10 GreatSchools rating. The highest score was Salem Academy Charter School, which has a 10:1 student-to-teacher ratio, and a GreatSchools rating of 8. Salem High School, which is the only public high school in town, received a 4 rating.
Other children’s programs include: events for kids at the Salem Public Library, For Kids Only Afterschool, and also a variety of North Shore family-friendly activities.
5. You’ll love…
…the Derby Street Waterfront area. Patch.com notes that this district has almost everything you’d want in Salem: places to eat, places to drink, historic homes, views of the water, and the ferry. You can also walk out on a skinny strip of land to the Derby Wharf Light Station, while on the way pass the Friendship of Salem, a replica of a 18th century ship.
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