Welcome to the neighborhood!
We are a neighborhood association in historic Salem, Massachusetts
About US
Is Pepper Spray Enough? Or Do I Need a Gun?
Notes on Options for Self-Protection
After her neighbor was assaulted by two homeless persons last year, our resident reporter started her journey to investigate ways to defend herself. Many thanks to Joanne Mattera for sharing her research with us. Notes on Options for Self-Protection is a 9-page essay outlining different types of protection you might want to consider. You can download the PDF or read it here:
The 40R Zoning Process
Following the second passage for the Lifebridge and Harborlight Homes expansion by the City Council, the City will request final approval from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC). The Commonwealth has 30 days to review. A more detailed explanation of the process can be viewed at:
https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleVII/Chapter40r
After EOHLC, there will be a Plan Review of Development Application, and it requires a public hearing of the Planning Board for site plan review.
FIND additional materials related to 40R zoning in the GESNA neighborhood:
https://imaginesalem.org/40rsmart-growth-overlay-districts-marginhighendicott
To learn more about about 40R and Smart Growth generally, please see the 40R Strategy and application process at Imagine Salem online here or contact Elena Eimert, Senior Planner, via email eeimert@salem.com or telephone 978-619-5685.
GESNA & HSI Grant Approved
GESNA & HSI working together to preserve our community
GESNA and HSI are proud to announce our grant request was approved by the Massachusetts Historical Commission and the survey work began this summer of 2025.
Citizens for a Better Salem presents: The Lifebridge Expansion Proposal
Salem Access TV (SATV) posted a video to YouTube about the Lifebridge and Harborlight Homes expansion in our neighborhood. It is presented and produced by Citizens For A Better Salem. The 45 minute video is also running on their cable TV channel.
GESNA recommends that you take the time to watch it. Our neighborhood, obviously, figures prominently in it. The video thoroughly explains the project, its issues and implications for our neighborhood and the City, and so much more. Here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzuBJEx7Xe0
A Perfect Day for a Party
We greatly enjoyed visiting with our neighbors at the 3rd Annual GESNA Heritage Block Party on September 21 at the High Street Playground. Our Block Party was filled with fun stories, lots of laughter, and the musical stylings of Dan Kupka.
We were excited to learn that the Christmas in Salem Historic House Tour, presented by Historic Salem, Inc., December 6-7, 2025, will feature homes in the Summer Street area, including our neighborhood Gedney House. Tickets will go on sale starting October 1 at www.historicsalem.org.
GESNA Salem
The Greater Endicott Street Neighborhood Association (GESNA) of Salem, MA, is a community organization serving as a voice for its residents. The area it serves is roughly south of Norman Street, west of Margin Street, north of Jefferson Avenue, and east of Jackson Street. GESNA includes bits of Ward 2 and Ward 3.
Our Neighborhood, Our History
We have a GESNA committee focused on the expansion proposal by Lifebridge North Shore and Harborlight Homes. Lifebridge has a homeless shelter on Margin Street, an "emergency shelter" on Canal Street, and a large thrift shop on Canal Street — all in Salem. Lifebridge has teamed up with Harborlight Homes, a nonprofit housing developer, to propose a large new complex that will radically expand their presence in downtown Salem and change our city forever.
Their proposal would include demolishing the existing shelter on Margin Street and adjacent structures, and building a significantly larger Lifebridge shelter complex plus Harborlight studio apartments for unhoused individuals. Lifebridge’s offices and the thrift shop would also move here.
The project would expand Lifebridge’s footprint to include the entire Margin Street block — including the historic St Mary’s Italian Church — and would extend around the corner onto side streets. It would also expand upward to 4 stories, and possibly 5 stories in some sections.