The First Bentley Visit

Salem welcomed eight 2009 Bentley Continental Flying Spurs on Tuesday, July 1st. The luxurious cars were driven by journalists from the US, United Kingdom, and Korea. The cars parked on Central Wharf at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site for about an hour while the journalists took a brief tour of our Bewitching Seaport.

The visit to Salem is part of a five-week media promotion being conducted by Bentley Motors USA, which just moved to Boston.

If you want to see about a dozen more of the Continental Flying Spurs, Bentley is returning on Thursday, July 3rd. They will be parked on Central Wharf again (approximately 160 Derby Street) from about 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm.


(We're glad the Bentley crew from England was able to enjoy a bit of ice cream on the wharf while the journalists took their tour!)

17th Century Saturdays

17th Century Saturdays is (are!) one of my favorite events in the region. Salem and the entire Essex National Heritage Area, or north of Boston region, is incredibly rich in architectural treasures. There are dozens upon dozens of historic properties that are, on occasion, open to the public. The challenge for you, the patient visitor, has always been knowing just when such a historic site is open for visitation and exploration.

Many of the properties are staffed by volunteers who graciously give their time to sharing the sites they love with the public. There are a couple of cases where there is a paid staff, but a single person is responsible for staffing two, three, or five houses. (These are talented site managers, each and every one!)

Well, 17th Century Saturdays takes the guesswork out of the exploration of architectural treasures north of Boston. The program coordinates the first-period properties throughout the region so they are all (or most) open on the first Saturday of the month, June through October. This weekend, on July 5th, the following houses in Salem will be open to the public:

• The Gedney House, 21 High Street. Built in 1665, the well-crafted and sophisticated timber framed house attests to the wealth and social standing of the home's builder and first owner, Eleazor Gedney. Gedney was a successful shipwright related by marriage to John Turner, builder of The House of the Seven Gables.
• The House of the Seven Gables, 115 Derby Street. The House of the Seven Gables, also known as the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, built in 1668, is the oldest surviving 17th century wooden mansion in New England. The House of the Seven Gables inspired author Nathaniel Hawthorne to write his legendary novel of the same name.
• The Narbonne House, 71 Essex Street. The house is named after Sarah Narbonne, whose grandfather Jonathan Andrews purchased the house in 1780. Sarah was born in the Narbonne house, and lived there for her entire life, which stretched nearly the length of the 19th century.
• The John Ward House at The Peabody Essex Museum (10:30 tour only). Begun about 1684 and added to on several occasions by John Ward, this frame house is an excellent example of the organic, additive process by which most such dwellings developed, growing and changing as family needs and finances dictated.
• Salem in 1630 (Pioneer Village), Forest River Park. Salem's oldest living history museum is a recreation of the English colony established by Roger Conant and his intrepid band of settlers. From these humble beginnings, the seeds of Revolution were planted.
• The Witch House (Jonathan Corwin House), 310 Essex Street. The Witch House is the only surviving building in Salem with ties to the Salem Witch Trials,

If you can't make it this Saturday, many of the sites are open again on Aug. 2, Sept. 6, and Oct. 4. For more information, visit www.EscapesNorth.com.

Photos: Gedney House, 1665; Kitchen hearth in The Corwin House, ca. 1642.

Getting Around Salem

Salem is a small city, but it is still an urban environment. Within Salem you will find corners of quaint New England; intersections of hustle, bustle, and traffic; and neighborhoods of hip boutiques and unique dining. In the mix are, of course, all of Salem's unique attractions and extraordinary museums.

All this is to say you should wear your walking shoes.

If you're not a big fan of getting from destination A to destination B (and on to C, D, and E) on foot, there are options. Salem is a two-trolley town. Cityview Trolley (silver) and Salem Trolley (red) are equally willing and able to provide both a one-hour narrated overview of Salem and then provide on-and-off shuttle service to help you connect sites. Both trolley companies service the Salem Ferry.

A slightly greener, and perhaps more colorful in all ways, mode of transportation is via pedicab. Salem is also a two-pedicab company town. Historic Salem Pedicab Tours and Salem Pedicabs will gladly take you wherever you need to go for free - the pedicabs operate for tips only. Historic Salem Pedicab Tours also offers pre-arranged historic tours of Salem's different neighborhoods and concierge services, as well as point-to-point transportation. Pedicabs also service the Salem Ferry and can be hailed around the streets of Salem.

If you're driving, park in one of the two Salem garages and leave your car for the day. If you travel by train or ferry, rest assured the trolleys and pedicabs can get you where you want to do, should your feet get weary!

Ten Bentleys to Park on Central Wharf

Salem will be the final stop on a day-long driving itinerary for lifestyle journalists from around the world who are participating in a month-long press event for Bentley Motors. Ten Bentley Continental Flying Spurs will be arriving at Central Wharf at approximately 3:00 PM on Tuesday, July 1st and Thursday, July 3rd.

Bentley sets the standard for automotive luxury and performance, and in addition to providing cars HRH The Queen of England, Bentleys appear in the latest James Bond book, Devil May Care.

Salem was selected because of its history, its seaport, and the beautiful backdrops. Organizers were able to choose from Chestnut Street, Central Wharf, and other scenic locations. Central Wharf was ultimately selected for the harbor backdrop and to showcase the Salem Maritime National Historic Site and tall ship Friendship.

The public is welcome to come to Central Wharf to see and photograph the cars. The journalists and cars are expected to depart Salem at 4:00 PM on both days.

"Toast" -- An Evening of Art, Music, Food and Fun

The Art Corner was devastated by fire in April 2008. This Saturday, June 28, the Salem Arts Association will host a Benefit for The Art Corner at the Ward 2 Social Club from 7pm to 10pm. The event will include music by Charlie Chesterman and the Motorbikes with a special guest appearance by Barrence Whitfield. Raffles and a silent auction will include juried works of craft and art, artist designed jewelry and gift certificates donated by local artists and business owners.

"The Art Corner’s owner Wendy Snow-Lang and her husband Charles Lang, are active supporters of the arts on the North Shore, and played a pivotal role in the re-formation of the Salem Arts Association last year," says Benefit Chair Sara Ashodian. "We think this evening is a fitting way to help them begin their re-building efforts."

Tickets are $10, and are available at the Salem Chamber of Commerce, 265 Essex Street, and Experimental Art Gallery and Studio on Artists Row just off Front Street in Salem. For more information on the benefit, the Salem Arts Association, and to get a glimpse at what is being auctioned and raffled, visit Salem Arts Association.

Construction in Salem

Alas, progress occasionally has some aches and pains. Salem is experiencing some of these now - but it is going to be very much worth the aggravation when all is said and done!

If you are coming into Salem via Route 114 East (from Route 128, perhaps), please be prepared for some delays along North Street when you enter Salem on Rte. 114. Crews are finishing up a fantastic North Street improvement project with line painting this week. For those of us who have been driving North Street daily during the improvements, it is exciting to see the end of the project is in site - and the road improvements look great!

Further along North Street at the intersection of Rte. 114 and Rte. 107, or North Street and Federal Street, there is a lot of construction happening as Salem prepares for a long awaited Court expansion. This project is just beginning, so we will see many months of lane shifts and construction that will result in a beautiful new court facility. For more information on traffic interruption due to the Court project, visit the City of Salem web site at www.salem.com.

Finally, on Bridge Street between North Street (Rte. 114) and Winter Street (Rte. 1A) there is construction going on that will complete the Bridge Street bypass road. This project is expected to be complete - and the new road opened - in mid-August. That will be very exciting for everyone traveling between Salem and Beverly.

If you are coming into Salem from Rte. 128 and would like to avoid the construction entirely, take Exit 26 for Lowell Street and follow Lowell Street straight into Salem - it will become Main Street and then Boston Street before it ends at Essex Street / Rte. 107. Turn left on Essex Street and follow straight through two lights. Essex Street will end at Washington Street. Turn left on Washington Street and then take your first right onto Church Street. The Museum Place parking garage will be on your right at the end of Church Street.

Weekend Activities

There has been a lot of great activity in downtown Salem during the past few spring weekends. Fashion shows, environmental fairs, bands, theatre, and dining "al fresca" adds to Salem's dynamic downtown.

Come down this weekend and stop by Pamplemousse on Essex Street for a celebration of summer. After strolling along Essex Street, head back along Front and Derby Streets to Pickering Wharf and the waterfront.

Go for a schooner sail, visit the gardens behind the Derby House, explore the House of the Seven Gables, eat outside, overlooking the harbor at Capt.'s, Finz, or Victoria Station.

There is a lot of magic in Salem. Have you discovered it all ?