Vampire Flies. - 2/14/2022

I've been to Savannah many times. It is where my wife grew up. The downtown is picturesque and historic. There's a great beach. The food is to die for. Supping on the roof of hotel, we watched the ships come and go. There's one big problem I'm not finding in these comments. The sand gnats or vampire flies are vicious and pernicious. Your first day, if not covered with Cutter's or the local variety, you'll be eaten alive. The bites itch for 8 months.

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Not a bad place if you can conquer the bugs - 2/11/2022

My spouse and I moved to Savannah in fall of 2020 from our northern California home. But before we’re labeled as Californians driving up housing costs, let’s set that straight shall we? Yes, we did buy a large, historical home in the very desirable midtown area of Ardsley Park but it was run down, had been sitting empty for several months and had been on the market for over a year. Evidently no one (local) wanted to tackle this beast except us dumb out-of-towners. Anyway, 16 months later and while we’re still in the midst of a necessary & complete remodel, let me share some of my observations about this city. Quick list: Pros: • Cost of living is much less expensive compared to other coastal cities of similar size. • Preserved historic architecture and downtown city planning is phenomenal. • SCAD will forever give it a youthful glow. • Airport is ridiculously small yet sweet. • 1980s called and they want their traffic back. Cons: • Mosquitos, Palmetto bugs (cockroaches to westerners) and super small, biting gnats that they call no-see-ums. Get yourself familiar with mix of bug repellents that work for you personally and any surrounding yard you might have. • Sometimes the air outside smells from a paper plant nearby. • Limited healthy eating options. • May have problems getting motivated tradesmen. • Did I mention mosquitos? Its no joke. Seriously, if anything is going to drive me away it will be the Bugs. April to October I’m wearing repellent. In general, downtown historic Savannah with all of its preserved architecture & 22 squares or parks is incredible - more like something you see in Europe. We’ve visited than half of the country, much of Europe, and lived all along the west coast all our lives. Savannah is one of the prettiest cities we’ve visited – which was only twice before we decided to move here. The main reason we did come was for the beautiful, affordable historic homes. Food is pretty good, varied ethnicities, can be generous in proportion, and relatively inexpensive depending on where you are coming from. But beware most things skew towards the sweet side (including Asian food) and pretty heavy on the butter. Then, it IS the south. If you’re looking for more salads and/or low-carb foods, hopefully you don’t mind cooking. Traffic & commute: Almost laughable from a Californian’s point of view. There’s almost no one on the freeways and I usually can get to the other side of town in about 20 minutes. Airport: Again – almost laughable. On more than one occasion, I’ve parked my car in long term parking, walked the few hundred yards to security, went through security and got to my gate within 25 minutes. On a weekend. All my out-of-town guest have mentioned the same phenomenon. It’s a little airport but who cares when its 25 minutes from car seat to plane seat? Housing: I doubled the size of my house and paid less than half the cost than what I had in CA. Granted, it was a complete reno but so was my house in CA, so apples to apples? Not sure what the rental market is here, but I’m hearing <$1000 month for a 1 bedroom in midtown. Safety: Lots of tourists in the historical areas so there will be crime. And of course there are some pockets of bad areas just like any other city. You just have to be alert and practice common sense. Less homelessness here than CA for sure. Friendliness: I’ve experienced both the southern charm as well as some pretty rude people. Maybe its clickishness or maybe its COVID but we have yet to form any true friendships here. In general I think people are nice & polite with a majority of workers (cashiers, wait staff, etc) including millennials looking at you eye to eye and with a smile. As far as racism, we are an interracial couple and have not had a problem with it so far. I have lots to say about remodeling a home here in the south, but probably too much for this forum. But in a nutshell – just be ready to learn to do much of it yourself.

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Lovely affluent and charming place! - 12/19/2021

I’ve traveled extensively both in the United States and abroad. This is a beautiful city! No skysc****rs, great food, kind people, and the charm and historic splendor are exemplary! Like any big city, it has its problems and not so nice areas but nothing more than any other city worth living! Crime is not bad as you’ve been led to believe. Overall great place! Classy people, love it!

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Beautiful city, politicians need to fix problems!! - 3/13/2021

The pros are you're close to the beach, there are beautiful historical homes and a beautiful historic area, the food is amazing.. Really great churches in the area and people are really nice! The cons are crime crime crime and corrupt city politicians! I was hopeful with the new mayor but then he's been dealing with Covid so I don't think much has gotten done outside of that. They really need to focus on the citizens that live in the city and combat poverty, education and crime. All the city ever really cared about is tourism and SCAD.

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Why We Nearly Moved Here, But Chose Elsewhere - 1/3/2019

Savannah. The beautiful, historic squares, charming streets, tree lined with hanging Spanish moss. This city was absolutely on our short list of ‘possible places to move to’, as we scoured the USA. It made it to our semi finalist list, but ultimately we chose another place- here’s why. First, the positives. Undeniably better weather than many northern locales, Savannah is not far south enough to suffer from truly oppressive summers, as one finds in New Orleans and Florida. Such a beautiful city that it was spared destruction during the Civil War (as was Wilmington NC, where we ultimately chose to move!) the squares (parks around which houses are constructed) are some of the most charming in the country. Forsythe Park is particularly worth noting. Amenities such as SCAD (Southern College of Art and Design) offer a youthful, liberal counter balance to the more traditional and conservative base, a nice mix. Many of the outlying gated communities offer a sense of security. Against those factors, we aren’t a family that wanted to live the gated life. A mixed couple, where we had felt our races to be a non issue in both New Orleans and major metropolitan areas, the segregation within Savannah is still aparrent. Many neighborhoods are predominantly one race or another, and tensions are palpable. As small business owners, we were concerned by recent decisions that evidenced the continued influence of ‘old money’ vs ‘new ideas’. Airbnb, for example, has become significantly restricted- in many areas, people can’t even rent one room of their five bedroom homes. These weren’t whole house rentals, just families trying to earn some extra income in a city with already limited employment opportunities. The crime, too, is extensive. For us, the risk wasn’t worth the reward. One of the best things we have learned in our search for homes is to research the difference between the nature of crimes reported: muggings and petty theft don’t bother us as much as murder and rape. The areas that fit within our budget (Under $500k, preferably less than $400k) were historic and walkable to downtown, putting us near statistics that we didn’t want to become a part of. Wilmington NC offered us historic homes, a port city, a fun and funky downtown peppered with great eats, more than 300 blocks of historic homes, higher wages, 20 minutes drive to sandy beaches, less oppressive summers while still avoiding winters, a much more diverse population- and we were well below our budget! A great film industry (Dawson’s Creek and One Tree Hill were filmed here) dog and people parks, and houses at significantly less expensive prices. We purchased a 3000 s/f home that had been on the historic homes tour, is a 20 minute walk to downtown, and our neighborhood (Carolina Heights) is so much more scenic than what we could have afforded in Savannah. Bottom line: If income isn’t a necessity for you (retired etc) and you don’t mind uber-ing after hours, if you’re not as concerned with crime, Savannah is a lovely scenic city. If income is a necessity and you are looking for a city that has a fun and funky vibe, vs a formal and traditional one, whilst still offering historic charm- check out Wilmingon NC!

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Big City Crime Rate in a little town - 6/20/2016

We said good-bye to our downtown place and moved here recently from a city metroplex with a population of six million. People warned us that the crime was bad but I laughed it off because we were living downtown in a city much larger than Savannah. We were totally wrong. We are renting in a neighborhood near downtown that everyone keeps telling us is so fantastic. Their definition of fantastic is severely distorted. In the two months we have been here there have been three homicides within three blocks of us, one police standoff six blocks of us and we hear gunshots at least once a week. There are mansions two streets over and the houses on this street range from $275000 and up. I can't even imagine living somewhere any cheaper if this is fantastic. If you look at a crime map of Savannah, it's basically polka dot. It doesn't matter where you live here, you are screwed. CNN did a story on the high crime rate in Savannah recently that had everyone defending their beloved town. These people are so clueless thanks to their local news ignoring important stuff like when a U.S. Marshal was injured by a guy who purposely smashed his truck into him and tried to hit another US Marshal. These are U.S. Marshals! That was a 30 second story that we never heard about again. They don't want to scare off the tourists so they rarely report anything upsetting; it's usually festivals, the weather or road closings. I'm so insulted for these people. I actually read in the paper that they plan on solving the high crime rate using shame. That's right, I said SHAME. Where the hell am I??

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Savannah,Ga - 6/2/2015

DO NOT MOVE HERE!!!!!!!!!!! VISITING IS FINE,BUT ONCE YOU MOVE HERE YOU WILL REGRET IT. CRIME HERE IS HORRENDOUS! EVERYDAY SHOOTINGS, EVERYDAY FIRES,ETC. THERE IS ONE MAIN STREET HERE-ABERCORN STREET...SO REALLY ONLY ONE WAY OUT OF SAVANNAH...NOTICE I SAID SAVANNAH, TYBEE IS A WANNA BEACH TOWN. SAVANNAH IS OLD WITH A M IN FRONT. THE COPS/SHERIFF DOES WANT THEY WANT,THE PREVIOUS ONE FIRED,PRISONED AND COLLECTS HIS CITY RETIREMENT. WTH? THEY HAVE OUTRAGEOUS PRICING SYSTEMS,THEY HAVE THEIR OWN MATH. IF YOUR NOT RELATED TO SOMEONE YOU BARELY HAVE EXISTENCE HERE. DOWNTOWN HAS HIGHERED THEIR RENTS TO KEEP THE LOW-INCOME OUT. THE PLACE CLOSES DOWN WITH WHAT IS HERE...BASICALLY SOUVENIR SHOPS...RESTAURANTS WILL ONLY GET 2-3 TIMES A REVISIT--FOR A REASON....

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Good, Bad, and Ugly - 5/23/2015

Pros: Parts of the city are absolutely beautiful like no other. Southern hospitality is definitely here.....if you have good neighbors. Beach, golf, parks, music, museums, festivals, St. Patrick's Day... Cons: Race problems not being worked on or addressed ON BOTH SIDES. It may not be perfectly evident until you live here for a while, but do not be fooled. The subject gets brought up occasionally by "church leaders" etc and never worked on. The poverty rate here is a staggering 21.8% as of 2013. Most of this is concentrated around the Historic District and Southside among African Americans, many of whom come from fatherless families - no family structure or values- leading to school dropouts, violent crime, and a sense of entitlement to government assistance as a lifestyle. I am white and have several African American acquaintances personally and professionally. If people could just learn to start talking to one another congenially some progress could be made, but here in SLOWVANNAH, both sides are too lazy to care. Oh and if you move here form someplace else (doesn't matter where from) you will hear the word "Yankee" get tossed around in that ridiculous Southern fashion with a smile or chuckle like "I'm just kidding, but really I'm not." What these idiots don't realize is that people who move here from other places actually SEE the beauty this city has the potential of attaining, and they invest HUGE amounts of money starting businesses, restoring and beautifying, (especially in the Historic District where crime is high and the natives have given up and moved away from long ago... White Flight). Government corruption, ridiculous voting districts, and poor representation among demographics are a problem too. Just Google "Willie Lovett, Otis Johnson, Rochelle Small-Toney" and you will start to get a picture of it all. My apologies for the rant...I won't move away (even though I am a two-time crime victim, one involving a gun). There are a lot of of positives for Savannah, but just driving around and seeing what's going on makes me sad. Wake up Savannah, and put your BACK into working on these things.

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When you die your soul is sent to Savannah,Ga not - 6/14/2014

This so called town of historical beautiful whatever.It is just a load of crap.Cops doing whatever they want.People dontwant anything new hell lets put up a new gas station,mall,or something to do with golf.They got the moss pulled over there eyes.This town is a pool of waste,and puke.

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Overpriced and rude - 4/28/2014

way overpriced for what you get

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No place for a white girl from the country to live - 5/13/2013

We moved here a mid 2012 and have been here 9 months. Crime is everywhere downtown, southside, midtown you name it. The historic areas are near the projects. You have to drive through the projects to get to anywhere. Time to move.

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Steamy summers and chilly winters - 3/11/2013

Its nice if you like your weather steamy in the summer and damp and chilled in the winter. Great place to visit.

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what happens to a city when the law becomes an ene - 1/6/2013

I am a student at savannah college of art and design, I moved to savannah from charlotte, nc a few years ago to pursue my dreams and attend college. Growing up I was raised right, educated well, and attended church weekly. When my boyfriend and I came down to savannah to visit we fell in love with the beauty of the city and its closeness to the beach, the city truely inspired me, but in my worst nightmares I never imagined what was in store for us when we started living in this city. the first thing I noticed was the overwhelming amount of public housing throughout the city not to mention the shocking amount of inhabitants there that recieve welfare, foodstamps and other government aid. It seemed at first that more people here lived off of government assistance than their own hard earned dollars. The next thing I noticed was how high the crime rate was everyday there were murders and robberies of people, gas stations, grocery stores, houses, ect. I lived a block or so from the largest square/ park in savannah (forsyth) blocks away from the million dollar houses and I never felt safe walking down my street by myself or to class but I always assumed that those men and women brave enough to protect and serve in this city would do this for me . while we were living downtown we recieved a noise complaint, it was called in, when the police arrived I expected to recieve a ticket or a fine to pay but what happened when they arrived scared and shocked me and does to this day. upon exiting the house we both positioned ourselves on the front porch while we conversed with law enforcement officers my boyfriend (often fidgeting) clasped his hands together then loosley let them fall to his sides he picked up his back foot and eased himself against the wall at this point officers asked him where he was going, to answer he stood up straight again leaning forward he opened his mouth to say nowhere but right as the "no....." escaped his mouth I was forced to watch as three officers threw the love of my life down six stairs onto a brick sidewalk blood pouring out his mouth he tried to breath by lifting his face away from the ground I watched as they repeatedly slammed his head back down onto the bricks. his teeth went through his bottom and top lips, he also suffered a cuncussion from the blows they admistered as well as bruises covering his entire face. he was taken to jail without medical treatment and once incarcerated they continued to deny him treatment. he was held without bond for over a month over christmas and new years because he was too cuncussed to talk or respond to the judge in his innitial bond hearing. at the end of his ordeal he owed chatham county upwards of 2,000 dollars in court costs and the public defender. I thought all of this was some sort of misunderstanding until a few months later when I walked into a gas station to get a pack of ciggarettes when a bystander decided to alert an officer, she didnt think I should be driving. I was in fact completely sober but the officer refused to breathalize me despite my begging him to do so. so he detained me and told me that if I did not submit to a blood test that they would take my liscence for the rest of my life, I now know it is more like 6 mon. but he told me it would be forever, so obviously i submitted to one. he impounded my legally parked car and hauled me off to jail. when I showed up in court the DA was unprepared, they never produced my blood test results..... however they did convict me with absolutely zero evidence. the judge denied my lawyer a chance to defend me and the DA his right to prosecute me she changed a plea that had already been agreed upon. I walked out of the courtroom with upwards of 7,000 dollars in fines and 40 hours community service. the 18 year old african american that was called to the bench before me was charged with DUI, 2 counts child endangerment, open container, and possession of a firearm by a felon, as well as failing to signal; he walked out with 80 hours of community service. I can only assume that justice does not exist in this city anymore and that the county relies on SCAD students like myself, who came here with good intentions, to better myself, and to learn, to pay for their greed because I know for damn sure that they arent using it to repave the roads or fight crime in this city. its an ugly government that profits off its people's pain anna

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You could fry an egg!!! - 12/14/2012

If you are looking for a climate with four seasons stay away from here!! It is not only hot here, it's so humid that you can hardly stand it. The air is always moist so you have to be careful of mold growing on things. When the weather finally cools down it is still so humid that your bones hurt. You will be housebound here in the summer, which lasts a long time.

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Great place to retire - 11/25/2012

Moved here from Northern VA to retire. Lower cost of living, great restaurants, good health care, nice airport, close to beach, friendly people, lots of cultural events and love the weather - little hot in summer but wonderful rest of the year. Very comfortable and enjoyable place to live.

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Savannah is a beautiful city that everyone should - 11/14/2012

Savannah is the most romantic city I have ever visited. I love the moss draped live oaks. It is beautiful to walk downtown anytime of year. I do hear the crime rate is high. I live 30 miles from Savannah in a town called Bluffton, SC. I love it in this area. Savannah is 30 miles from Hilton Head Island or Beaufort, SC. We have lived here 2 years and don't ever want to move.

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Sep 2012 - 4 homicides in lil over 24 hours - 9/9/2012

Unsolved I might add, three homicides the people were gunned down. The fourth, was committed by a 14 year old boy, when he killed his father. All happened over Labor Day weekend, saturday and sunday, 2012.

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Good to visit, bad to live - 4/20/2012

I am generally amazed at the seemingly uneducated populace commenting on Savannah's profile. I make this comment because no one can spell, and that alone gives the appearance of being uneducated. However, I can attest, after living here for two years, that Savannah and its surrounding 'burbs, are over-glorified. I was born and raised in Georgia, and I can tell you, 95% of Georgia is this way. I couldn't wait to leave Georgia back in the day, and I can't wait to leave it now, as an educated professional seeking better opportunities for my kids and family. If it weren't for SCAD, the entire downtown area of Savannah would be Ghetto-ville. There is a growing sub-community of gays and lesbians in Savannah 'enriching' the diversity, but overall, the SES of Savannah is VERY LOW and the poor population is reflected in the school systems and high unemployment rate. 'White flight' is alive and actively present, with only the upper crust living downtown and being able to afford private schools in the area, such as Savannah Country Day School. With limited educational opportunities, limited job prospects and zero growth potential through REAL diversity (meaning diversity enriching life, not detracting from life), Savannah is a dead end. Period. End of story. This is a place to retire, not a place to raise a family to adulthood and/or invest/grow your career. Careers die here. Nepotism is RAMPANT, too. And, even if you have all this worked out, you better be 100% prepared to attend Savannah Christian Church. It is the do-all, end-all. And where you attend church defines who you are and what you are able to accomplish. Even the DAR wants to know when/if you join.... If you have been around the block (so to speak), there is a pretty good chance you will not be happy here.

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Savannah Climate - 7/12/2011

I love living so close to the sea. It may get a little hot in the summertime, but the rest of the year the weather is so enjoyable!

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Quality of life? - 6/19/2011

Hi there, I couldn't resist saying something after having lived here for 3 1/2 years. I moved from Manhattan, N.Y. I have been sober in A.A. for 18 years. I keep looking for a meeting that doesn't have just poor people in it, only for the reason that it's not the poverty but the lack of social instincts that seem to go along with that! Can't even park my Porsche without someone simply opening their door on it simply because they never saw one and doesn't even have a clue it's an expensive car! I keep looking for some meeting that doesn't have the usual colledge kids believing (I have arrived) with no knowledge whatsoever, or the usual family that has 8 kids with only 20,000.00 a year! Remember, it's not the money, since I know of no worse than really wealthy people that are more self centered than poor people, it's just that usually when a family has money to raise the kids they learn not to open the car door on to the car next to theirs! Let's face it, if the only reason a car is had is for transportation to the grocery store, and the car is usually a '91 chevy pick up, then there is no reason to teach the kids, or the parents for that matter, that they should take care of their things and try to not damage other peoples things either. At least I learned that when I was young and thought everyone knew it... Self centered myself there! There are some really nice personal people in savannah. it's true. it's just that everyone is so used to genial poverty that no one makes any comments and simply let's it go. So as long as you've got a cheap old car then you're all set. C'mon down, and stay awhile. If you drink alot it's even more acceptable! Heck, I went out friday to a gas station and almost go hit by a drunk in the gas line! The cops all know it and don't even bother. They simply give tickets to people who can pay them for speeding over the 35mph limit to make money for the city! Good luck! Richard

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