The Attic City Guides, Vol. 4: Salem
As the Attic community stretches across the globe, we often find ourselves in different cities visiting each other or simply traveling – abroad or even at home, sharing recommendations for favorite restaurants and old gems, neighborhoods to get lost in, and coffee shops to harbor us from the rain (or let’s face it, from exhaustion after walking around for miles). Here, we share those recommendations with you, looking not to establish any sort of classical guide to the world, but to share the places close to our hearts (and our stomachs).
All photos by Zoë G. Burnett, unless otherwise specified.
Salem; the name itself conjures manifold images, from disgruntled, murderous Puritans to a talking cat puppet. Whether it’s the classic Halloween kitsch you’re craving or a visit to one of America’s oldest cities, what follows are my favorite spots in Witch City. Everything I’ve listed is within walking distance and are grouped by area, mostly around Essex Street and Pickering Wharf, with a few outliers. You’re guaranteed to find many more magickal locations along the way!
EAT & CAFFEINATE
Drinks at Deacon Giles, photographed by the author.
Gulu Gulu
247 Essex St.
gulugulucafe.com
Right in the middle of Essex Street behind the statue of Samantha from Bewitched, Gulu Gulu is great for a sit-down meal of crêpes, sandwiches, and signature cocktails. Its vibrant atmosphere is incredibly local, with flyers of current events and featured artists. Their late hours are a plus, as is their high tolerance of young, intoxicated, yet unfailingly polite merrymakers. Although the kitchen does close down after dinner, they keep a reserve of Rice Krispie squares and tea available. Not that I know this from experience, or anything.
Brew Box
131-2 Essex St.
brewboxsalem.com
One of the main reasons I combined ‘Eat’ and ‘Caffeinate,’ Brew Box is perfect for a quick snack. With a steady menu of homemade pastries, their menu also changes slightly throughout the year with seasonal drinks and light fare. Any grilled cheese and any latte they offer will not disappoint. Brew Box is the best place to try something new.
A&J King Artisan Bakers
48 Central St.
ajkingbakery.com
If you’re only in town for a day or so and forgot to schedule in snacks, A&J King makes delicious deli sandwiches that will energize you for a walking tour. If your palette prefers pastries these are some of the best in town, but arrive early! Their products are made fresh every day and when they’re gone, they’re gone. It’s not so bad, as their baguettes are refreshed throughout the day, and the Salem Cheese Shop just is around the corner.
Drinks at Deacon Giles, photographed by the author.
Deacon Giles Distillery
75 Canal St.
deacongiles.com
If you’re a fan of the hard stuff, Deacon Giles is worth a visit. About a twenty-minute walk from the main hub of activities, Salem’s local distillery also changes its menu frequently enough that each visit is as varied as their house cocktails. Their liquor is distilled on site, so even sticking to an old favorite such as the Sin and Tonic is sure to please. To paraphrase the Deacon himself, live damn righteously.
Jaho Coffee
197 Derby St.
jaho.com
House-mixed astrological teas, hot and iced. Need I say more? No, but I should. Facing the historic Customs House Nathaniel Hawthorne describes in The Scarlet Letter, Jaho Coffee is the best place to perk up on Pickering Wharf. Aside from their excellent tea and coffee menu, they also offer pastries and more substantial fare. I recommend the coconut macaroons, and really anything else on the menu. Open late, it’s a great place to stop and recharge before a long journey home.
Sea Level Oyster Bar
95 Wharf St.
sealeveloysterbar.com
If this is your first trip to Massachusetts, I’d be remiss in not listing at least one seafood restaurant. Sea Level’s extensive selection of raw bar and fish is locally caught and always fresh. Best of all, their restaurant is located on Pickering Wharf, overlooking the historic harbor. Sea Level may well be your “splurge” meal, but it’s well worth the cost.
View from Sea Level Oyster Bar's Top Deck, photographed by the author.
SHOP
HausWitch
144 Washington St.
hauswitchstore.com
First and foremost recommended for members of The Attic on Eighth coven, HausWitch is geared toward those seeking to embrace their inner witch through the comforts of home and hearth. Founded by Erica Feldman, authoress of the book HausMagick, HausWitch could be described as the first millennial witch shop in Salem. Offering weekly workshops, walking tours, and individual services, the gracious staff is always welcoming to those who would like to learn more about embracing their own kind of magic.
HausWitch window, October 2019, photographed by the author.
Trolley Depot
191 Essex St.
trolleydepot.com
Trolley Depot is the best souvenir shop in Salem with great designs and excellent quality. Not only a tee shirt shop, they also offer a range of fun gifts including literature-themed toys and glittery tree ornaments. You’ll never need to worry about buying your mother or grandmother a present again. It’s kitsch, but the best kind.
Aroma Sanctum Perfumes
5 Central St.
aromasanctum.com
Have you ever dreamed of crafting your own perfume? Aroma Sanctum’s treasure trove of essential oils can grant that wish, and for a surprisingly reasonable price. Build in some time to take in the different scents, and if you’re lucky, the owner and founder Akuura Kulak will be in attendance to advise.
Modern Millie
3 Central St.
modernmillieshop.com
Across the street from Trolley Depot is Modern Millie, which seems almost tailor-made for the Attic shopper. Almost every vintage-style brand you’ve seen online is most likely represented here in a range of sizes. Modern Millie’s stock also changes with the seasons, covering most holidays with a wardrobe full of adorable dresses. Try to contain yourself! Emporium 32 right across the street should be your next stop for accessorizing.
Crow Haven Corner
125 Essex St
crowhavencorner.com
While HausWitch is the New School of Salem, Crow Haven Corner is definitively the Old School. Founded by the city’s Official Witch, Laurie Cabot, CHC epitomizes the aesthetic of witch shops from my childhood. Crushed black and purple velvet, crystal balls, the smell of patchouli, and glittering, in-store altars— no other shop does it quite like this. Book a reading for an authentic look behind the beaded, jingling curtain.
Artemisia Botanicals
3 Hawthorne Blvd.
artemisiabotanicals.com
Any herb you could want, Artemisia Botanicals is sure to have it. Where else are you going to find dried elderflowers? Like apothecary shops of old, jars of goods line the shelves and their learned staff will help cure what ails you. If you’re coming in alive and well, Artemisia also offers many types of premixed teas. Pick up a few grams Scott Cunningham’s Psychic Dream Tea for a restful and possibly wild night.
Pyramid Books
214 Derby St.
It’s all well and good to enjoy the Halloween season, but if your witching hour doesn’t end at midnight on October 31, Pyramid Books stocks any book on the occult you desire. If they don’t have a particular title, they can order it for you. Their Tarot card and special rock selection is just as extensive.
Pickering Wharf Antiques Gallery & Witch City Consignment & Thrift Store
69 Wharf St. 301 Essex St
This was a difficult choice, so I decided to include both antiques/vintage stores for those who are willing to dig. The Pickering Wharf Antiques Gallery is a consignment booth dream, covering everything from vintage Halloween decorations to costume jewelry to a library of used books. My most recent find was a book about planetary placements in astrological birth charts from the 1930s, its cover in a pleasing shade of pink. Witch City Department Store is a historic landmark of Salem; my mother remembers shopping there when it was a more conventional retail experience, whereas nowadays I’ve found both deadstock 1950s gloves and Twin Peaks VHS tapes on their enticingly cluttered shelves. Build in some time, both locations are more extensive than they seem.
Pickering Wharf Antiques Gallery, photographed by the author.
VISIT
The Witch House (Jonathan Corwin House)
310 Essex St
Home to its own haunts, the house belonged to Judge Jonathan Corwin, who resided over the Witch Trials in 1692. One of the most iconic examples of Puritan architecture in the country, witchy subculture has since reclaimed the house’s image. Connected to Salem’s Pioneer Village through its various tours, many events take place throughout opening season.
The Peabody Essex Museum by night, photographed by the author.
Peabody Essex Museum
161 Essex St.
One of my favorite museums in the country, the Peabody Essex Museum is a beacon of Salem’s historic maritime past. If you need a break from the witchery, keep in mind that Salem’s port was the most important in the colonial period, at one time eclipsing Boston and New York City. Their new American Wing just opened during the last week of September, displaying works of art that have been in storage for decades. During my internship with PEM a few years ago, I was fortunate enough to sign the last beam installed. It’s a memory I’ll treasure forever, and I will always support this wonderful jewel box museum.
Salem Witch Trials Museum
19 1/2 N Washington Square
Having family heritage in Salem, it took some doing to convince my mother and grandmother to visit the Witch Trials Museum. “Too touristy,” my tiny, Polish Grammy would say with a dismissive wave. When we finally made the trip, it was as hokey and melodramatic as expected. What else would one expect from a wax museum? There are many such places in Salem, but this is the original.
Salem Horror Fest
1 E India Square Mall
Every October, CinemaSalem hosts a series of classic, independent, and contemporary horror films and events for the annual Salem Horror Fest. Their full schedule was just posted, and this horror movie fan can’t wait. Catch me at the 20th anniversary screening of The Blair Witch Project on October 12th, I’ll be the girl wearing Doc Martens with Hogarth’s The Rake’s Progress printed on them.
House of Seven Gables
115 Derby St.
Near and dear to my heart, the House of Seven Gables is a “must visit”when touring Salem, even if you hated reading Hawthorne in high school. An architectural landmark, the House has passed through many hands and reflects each of the families who lived in it. Also host to Hawthorne’s birthplace (moved from Derby Street nearby and reconstructed), the museum includes a beautiful garden and fantastic views of the harbor.
The House of Seven Gables in Salem, photograph by Sam Cohen from "Travel Through The Pages: New England.”
RELAX
The Old Burying Point, photographed by the author.
Ropes Mansion Garden
318 Essex St.
A gorgeous example of Georgian Colonial architecture, the exterior of the Ropes Mansion had a brief cameo in Hocus Pocus (1993) as the exterior of the main love house. Part of PEM’s architectural tour, the rear garden is also open to the public. Rest your weary legs and take in the beautiful arrangements.
(Note: Fans of Hocus Pocus may be interested in finding other filming locations in Salem here.)
Old Burying Point/Charter Street Cemetery
Charter Street
If your tastes tend towards the more macabre, the Old Burying Point is one of the oldest cemeteries in the United States. Many grave markers date back to the seventeenth century, and the adjacent stone garden commemorates each victim of the Witch Trials. A melancholy but peaceful place, keep in mind that this location used to be the farthest outpost of Salem Village. Puritans were not about that grave-dwelling ghoul life like some of us.
Derby Wharf Lighthouse (c.1871), photographed by the author.
Derby Wharf Light Station
Pickering Wharf Marina
Overlooked by the Sea Level Oyster Bar, Long Wharf is a National Historic Landmark and sometimes the main dock of Salem’s Friendship. Wonderful for a stroll down its gravelly path to a picturesque lighthouse, one of my favorite things to do in Salem is scour its banks in search of sea treasures. Rarely have I gone home without bits of pottery, ceramics, and early glass to display in many jars around my bedroom. Someday I’ll make a tray or something out of them… maybe.
Pickering Wharf, photographed by the author.
Zoë G. Burnett is a writer, menswear stylist, and film enthusiast based in Boston, Massachusetts. A born and raised New England Yankee, she feels equally at home in the 7th arrondissement. She is currently editing her first novel. You can read her personal blog here.
Continuing our tour of the world, Rhea Peters takes us around the Austrian capital and shares her favorite Viennese finds while concentrating on books, culture, coffee, and pastries.