Community Corner

After the Blaze 1: Jessica's Nails and Spa

The first story in the After the Blaze series looks at Jessica Xiong, who lost both her business and her apartment in the March 1 blaze that destroyed the Gateway Building.

A month after the fire,knew she would reopen her business.

Until then survival — food, shelter and work — was her focus.

The had destroyed her Humphrey Street workplace, Jessica's Nails and Spa, and her upstairs apartment.

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She lost money, jewelry, family heirlooms and photographs, clothes. Everything.

Starting March 2, her customers and friends arrived. They saw to it that she survived. They gave her checks and gift cards for food and clothes.

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A friend found her space to work at Artistic Nails, in Swampscott.

The help continued for weeks after the fire.

All the help brought a realization.

"I knew I would open the business," she said. "People backed me up with their hearts."

Xiong has a list that she carries around in her head. It is a list of people and groups who helped her.

She rattled off names. 

Swampscott Town Hall, Lynn Chamber of Commerce, Charlie Baker, Paradiso Restaurant, Burke's Tumbling Academy, Ultra Hair and Nail Salon, Ooh La La, and her Swampscott customers.

Today, her new Humphrey Street shop is in the block next to the lot where the Gateway Building stood at Humphrey and Redington.

The unit she rents is familiar space. She worked from that space for years before moving to the Gateway Building.

She has made the space her own.

She has four nail stations. Three pedicure chairs.

The motif is African. A warm and soothing atmosphere with earth colors, animal prints and modern touches.

Xiong, originally from the south of China, came to the United States in 1990 as a young woman. She studied liberal arts at Bunker Hill Community College and learned how to do manicures and other salon skills.

Her customers have followed her to each stop.

Lorraine Zannino has been a customer for 10 years.

She says that Xiong can do anything.

"Her specialty is making your hands look beautiful,' Zannino said.

Today, Xiong has a new apartment. It's also on Humphrey Street but not in the same building where operates her business.

She does not want to live in the same building where she works.

Today she is happy and appreciative.

"I want to say, 'Thank you,'" she said.


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