Bridge Street Neck is a narrow peninsula between downtown Salem, the Danvers River and Beverly Harbor. The city's Bridge Street Neck Vision Update Study describes it as north of downtown and the commuter rail station, with a bridge to Beverly. Bridge Street was first called Ferry Lane and was laid out in 1743.
It is a neighborhood of small lots and close-set houses, and that is the starting point for this page.
Verified local facts.
What the city study says about the housing.
- The study area covers about 450 parcels on roughly 86 acres. The median lot is about 0.1 acre, or about 4,300 square feet.
- Residential density is about 8 units per acre, which the study calls moderate.
- The area is densely settled with 19th and early 20th century homes around the Bridge Street commercial corridor, from modest capes to Greek Revival houses.
- Single-family, two-family and three-family homes sit on small lots, and triple-deckers are among the housing types residents discussed.
- Most of the neighborhood is zoned for two-family homes, with a smaller area zoned for one-family homes.
- The study notes a National Register listing in 2002. A nomination form lists 382 buildings dating from about 1780 to 1952 in styles from Georgian to Queen Anne.
Our angle.
Small lots, close houses.
Lot size and building age are documented. Pipe material is not, so we describe what the layout suggests and leave the rest to an inspection.
When houses stand a few feet apart, the work often happens in tight spaces. Access to a basement wall, a cleanout or a water heater can be limited, and a plumber needs to plan the route for tools and parts. If you can clear a path before a visit, it saves time.
Older houses, more than one era.
A house built in the 1800s has usually been altered several times. A plumber often finds more than one pipe material in the same house and needs to check each section.
Two and three-family houses.
In houses with several households, a drain problem may affect more than one unit. Telling us how many floors share the line helps us plan.
Basements near the water.
On a peninsula surrounded by water, basements can take on moisture. A working sump pump and clear floor drain matter more than they do on high ground.
Narrow streets.
Parking for a work van can be tight on side streets. Tell us where it can park and whether there is a cleanout or basement door.
Have a plumbing problem on the Neck?.
Call and describe it. We will tell you what to check and how to stay safe while you wait.
Waterfront setting.
Tides, Collins Cove and wet basements.
Salem's Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness report names Bridge Street Neck and Collins Cove among the areas that coastal and tidal flooding will affect first. It notes that Bridge Street and Commercial Street flood at extreme high tides, and that assets around Collins Cove are at risk of being isolated by high water. These are the city's statements about the area and its streets.
They do not describe any one house. But they do suggest a sensible plan for homeowners here. Know where your main shutoff is. Check that your sump pump runs and has a discharge that is not frozen or blocked. Keep valuables off the basement floor. If water is coming up a floor drain, stop using water in the house and call. See basement waterproofing and sump pump repair for what a plumber can and cannot do.
Services.
Drains, leaks and water heaters.
The most common reasons homeowners call about older houses are slow drains, leaks and water heaters. For a drain that keeps backing up, see drain cleaning and sewer camera inspection. For a stain or a bill that jumps, see leak detection. For no hot water, see water heater repair.
The Neck is also the way into Beverly. If you live just across the bridge, our Beverly page covers that side, and the service area page lists the rest of Salem.
Getting oriented.
Landmarks that help us find you.
The study names the Carlton Innovation School off Skerry Street, Collins Cove Playground and Charles Curtis Memorial Park as neighborhood anchors. If you are not sure how to describe where you are, a landmark and the nearest cross street are enough to start.
If water is running.
While you wait for a plumber.
Shut off the main.
Turn the main water valve clockwise, usually where the water line enters the basement.
Keep clear of electricity.
If water is near outlets or the panel, do not stand in it. Turn off power only if you can do so from a dry spot.
Protect belongings.
Lift valuables and rugs out of the wet area and put towels at doorways.
Call.
Give your street, what you see and whether the main is off.
Standards.
Code and permits.
Plumbing work in Massachusetts follows 248 CMR 10.00, the state plumbing code. Sump pump discharge, floor drains and drain repairs may call for a permit, and Salem Inspectional Services at 978-619-5641 can tell you what applies to your address. That is the standard any plumber working here should be following.
Limits of the research.
What we could not confirm.
We would rather say what we do not know than guess. We could not confirm the pipe materials, the age of sewer or water lines, or how many basements in the area take on water. The city study describes buildings and lots, not pipes, and it does not mention sewers or stormwater. We also could not verify search demand for this neighborhood name, so we treat it as unknown.
Map of Bridge Street Neck, Salem, MA.
Bridge Street Neck, Salem.
The Neck runs north from Webb Street along Bridge Street toward the bridge to Beverly, with Collins Cove on one side and the Danvers River on the other.
FAQs.
Plumbing questions on Bridge Street Neck.
Yes. We serve Salem, including the Neck from Webb Street to the Beverly bridge. Call to confirm your address.
Check that the floor drain is clear, the sump pump runs when you lift the float, and the discharge pipe is free. If water is entering, call. A plumber can look at drainage and pumps, and may suggest a waterproofing contractor for the foundation.
It can. Units on different floors often share a drain line, so a blockage low in the line can back up into the lowest unit. A camera look tells us where it is.
The city's resilience report says Bridge Street and Commercial Street flood at extreme high tides. It does not say any specific home floods. Ask a plumber about floor drains and a sump pump if you have a basement.