10/06/2025
Lots of Good advice here, or dive in early and park outside the main city area. People have Salem into Mardi Gras lately the trash and drunken behavior it's getting worse and worse. .... it's disgusting Salem's Black Hat Society
Salem is not a theme park. As we barrel toward October, this bears repeating. We are a small, dense New England city of forty five thousand residents who need to get to work, make doctors’ appointments, and shuttle kids to their weekend activities. We are also a small city with a budget to match. The bathroom or porta-potty you use is paid for by Salem taxpayers. The trash you throw away, or leave on the ground, is picked up by our DPW, funded by Salem taxpayers. The police keeping you safe are funded by Salem taxpayers too.
The money you spend in Salem does not directly cover these costs. Only the meal and hotel taxes contribute, and they allow us to just about break even. October is not a windfall. It is an enormous effort carried by the talented people who live here.
Most visitors want to be good guests. They come here because they love Salem, and we are proud to share it with you. Here are some ways to make the most of your visit and show respect for the city we call home:
1. Do not drive. This is the single biggest wish residents have for visitors. Our streets cannot handle the traffic. Leave your car outside the city and use public transit, ferries, or shuttles. It makes the experience better for everyone.
2. No city of our size could ever handle this kind of strain without stress and exhaustion. Please meet that reality with patience, kindness, and a little grace.
3. We are not your content. Treat people here like human beings, not props for your social media. Servers, retail employees and locals deserve respect, not a camera in their face.
4. Tip generously. Many of the people who shape your experience, from servers and guides to buskers and drivers, rely on tips.
5. Unless you are the literal Sanderson sisters, don’t walk three abreast. Salem’s sidewalks are narrow, and people still need to catch trains, get to work, or simply move through their day. Walk in pairs, keep moving, and make space.
6. Use crosswalks. Staying out of the street keeps everyone safe.
7. Respect private property. Steps, railings, and decorations are part of people’s homes. Treat them the way you would want yours treated.
8. Be curious. Salem is not a staged backdrop, it is a city with hundreds of years of history, culture, and community to explore.
9. If you find yourself drunkenly breaking up with your significant other on the sidewalk in front of someone’s house, don’t. Or better yet, take that to Marblehead. 😉
10. Have fun. Sometimes our love language in Salem is complaining about the things we care about. And we care about you, we care about this city, and we want you to be safe and to love it as much as we do!
