Salem welcomes Cruise Ship
When I first heard Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll talk of cruise ships coming in to the old Salem power plant wharf I was surprised and frankly sceptical. But this week Salem welcomed its second cruise ship, the Fred Olsen line’s Balmoral, a 750 ft vessel carrying 1,300 passengers.
And as this Salem Patch article Balmoral cruises into Salem points out, Salem was an important seaport known for its maritime trade in the 18th and 19th centuries, so the arrival of cruise ships can be seen as a continuation of Salem’s maritime history.
“I am very excited that Salem welcomed its second major cruise ship, with today’s visit of the Balmoral,” said Mayor Kim Driscoll. “As we continue our effort to revitalize and transform our historic waterfront, trading coal ships for cruise ships and creating new public access to the harbor, the positive economic impact from these visits is a major component of that effort. Not only are we bringing several hundred visitors to Salem for the day, without the traffic impact that comes from visitors who drive, we also know that cruise visitors have a high likelihood of returning on their own to a port of call for a repeat visit at a later date. This helps increase future visits, further helping our local economy, supporting local jobs and small businesses.”
Salem’s strong real estate market
Salem is a vibrant and exciting city, attracting many young people. Not surprisingly, therefore, its real estate market this year is quite strong. I will write in more detail when the third quarter ends next week, but so far this year sales of Single Family Homes (SFH) and condos are up about 15%, while prices have increased about 4% for SFHs and almost 10% for condos.
If you – or somebody you know – are considering buying or selling a home and have questions about the market and/or current home prices, feel free to contact me on 617.834.8205 or Andrew.Oliver@SothebysRealty.com.
Andrew Oliver is a Realtor with Harborside Sotheby’s International Realty. Each Office Is Independently Owned and Operated
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