I had to giggle a bit a while back when I got lumped into Salem’s new creative class, but that got me thinking. An influx of new creative folks into Salem’s affordable, sometimes charming, often grubby Northeast city section? Is there any legitimacy to that?
There is!
I’ve always held that stuff happens in Salem — it’s just laughlingly under-the-radar. Well… something is definitely afoot in the Northeast Salem neighborhoods.
All it took was one party at my friend the poet’s house (also in NE Salem) to determine that there are a lot of us small-housers out here milking the city for its historic properties and living large on a tiny footprint. In addition to me, my sculptor of a husband and my baby Dash, a.k.a. The Next Alexander Calder, we have:
Michael Chasar, a Poet with an Penchant for Pop
Stephanie Lenox, editor of Blood Orange Review, a well-received online literary mag
William Bragg, photographer - or you might know him as a champion for the underpriveleged
Jonathan Bucci, multimedia artist, and his writer wife, Rachel Bucci
Any more you can think of? Whom have I forgotten? Whom haven’t I met yet?
As far as I know, all of the people listed here have been in Salem for five years or less. Yay for new blood — and for E.B. White quotes that can lend themselves to cities other than New York.
I WISH I lived over there. We have to move in a month or so and we’re looking for rentals/purchases over there.
Dude, I’ll keep my eyes open for you. Let me know what you’re looking for!
Just something small, cottage-ish. It’s just my wife and daughter and I, a couple bedrooms should be fine. Thanks!
Will do. Wish something was opening in the microhood.
All three members of the Matthew Price Band live in the Northeast! See http://matthewpricemusic.com/. The band is a three-person band: Price himself, a bassist who is a former professional snowboarder, and a drummer who is a kilt-wearing mailman by day.
There you go! Add some musicians to our merry band.
@ Chris —-> There’s a small 3BR 2B house for sale on Raywanda, a block north of Market, that you should check out.
Thanks, Mike. We’ll check it out. I just had a listen to the MPB stuff on the website, nice work! Did you guys track that locally?
Don’t know where it was tracked — I’m not in the band, just a neighbor and a fellow NE-er.
Here’s one more: Willamette U just hired a specialist in theater set & design who has also moved to the NE.
We have a good little thing going here in SESNA, too. Community gardens, block parties, carnivals and jam sessions. I love living in a neighborhood that is diverse but…gelled. I wonder what exactly is the magical recipe that makes an area a neighborhood rather than just a bunch of houses in lines. Because you see a lot of that in Salem, too.
I second SESNA. We moved into a 1923 there about six months ago and there is an interesting collection of talents just on our street.
UH OH, Sesna representing… sounds like a neighborhood cool-off! I do have my own Bush Park wishes and South Salem dreams sometimes…
I bet that part of the “magical recipe” involves front-facing porches instead of back patios, detached garages, a rectilinear street grid instead of cul-de-sacs and loops, and street trees. Maybe not, but I think what you all are describing is a lot easier to make happen in older neighborhoods. (You know, like where you can actually walk somewhere?) And apart from the people who populate the neighborhoods (who are somewhat self-selecting, after all), there are definite parts of the built environment that contribute to neighborly possibilities.
Shameless self-promotion – my blog about living the NE Salem Life, ok, not really, it’s about living and cooking in the Willamette Valley: http://sallyandherteacakes.wordpress.com/
Also, a shout-out to our neighbor, two doors down, sculptor Andries Fourie: http://afourie.blogspot.com/.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Bonnie Hull a local artist and the grand dame of Salem art and history and food and just about everything else – she lives on Court Street NE (!) and blogs at http://bonniehull.wordpress.com/
Also in the area!
Chris, did you find a place in the Englewood area?
I think we both moved to Englewood…
Emily -
My wife and I are relocating to Salem this fall and we’ve been trying to figure out where to live. We plan to rent when we arrive but will look to buy…if all the stars align. What’s your recommendation on areas for us to look. We keep hearing about south Salem but it sounds like the NE is our type of neighborhood. Every place we’ve lived we chosen to be walking distance to restaurants, coffee houses, etc and enjoyed our eclectic neighbors.
Love the blog, can’t wait to try…everything!
Cheers,
Carlos…