Salem is a historic North Shore community just 16 miles north of Boston. In its early days, Salem was one of the landing sites of the English colonists, and soon grew to be the first major port in the United States active in the East Indian trade. Large companies located in Salem made the city, incorporated in 1836, a thriving hub of American commerce. Besides its rich historic and commercial importance is its literary legacy. Salem was the home of Nathaniel Hawthorne, and the famous "House of the Seven Gables", upon which he based his novel, still stands and offers tours.
Perhaps Salem's most famous and infamous significance in American history are the events leading up to the Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692. This episode figures strongly in the city's identity. Over a dozen museums and points of interest mark Salem as "witch city". The high school football team is the Salem Witches and a witch on her broom is symbolized everywhere in the city. Visitors throughout the year tour the sites connected with the witch trials, particularly during the Halloween season when a crowd of thousands descends on the downtown in a carnival atmosphere.
Salem's downtown offers a wealth of commercial activity and historic buildings. The Essex Street Pedestrian Mall is lined with cafes, bookstores, shops and restaurants, as are Washington, New Derby and Lafayette Streets. Another tourist Mecca in the city is Pickering Wharf with winding streets along the harbor. Visitors are also impressed with the newly expanded Peabody Essex Museum, a world-class museum focused on the city's maritime history and key role in East India trade. Asian culture in general is showcased here and the museum's crown jewel is a reconstructed Chinese merchant's house.
Salem has a rich ethnic history, to which people from all over the world have contributed over the generations. Even today, Salem services children speaking no less than twenty different languages in its public school system. The city today serves as the home of Salem State College, the North Shore Medical Center, the Essex County District Superior and Probate Courts, and Registry of Deeds, and a host of banks and other financial institutions. It is the educational, medical, legal, cultural and banking hub of the North Shore.
Visitors and residents have a multitude of recreational opportunities at open spaces such as Winter Island, Olde Salem Greens Golf Course, McCabe Marina and Recreation Area, Salem Willows Park, Forest River Park and pool, and Salem Woods. The city's Parks and Recreation Department also manage twenty-two basketball courts, twenty playgrounds, fifteen baseball diamonds, twelve tennis courts, five staffed beaches, two street hockey courts and a skate park.
With both urban and residential sections, Salem offers a variety of housing options from multi-family buildings, to condo/townhouses, to single family properties. In August 2008, the average home sales price for a single family home or condo in Salem, MA was $281,002. While this data is collected from the MLS and deemed reliable, it is not guaranteed.
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