Savannah or Norther GA

[cpowers21]

I came from South Western Pa....I like Georgia so far. We first moved to Columbus then Savannah. Both areas are nice. They are completely opposite each other, at least in my opinion. I do miss a little snow every once in a while.

[ladyhen]

Originally Posted by StaceyPSU

If you any of you moved to GA from another location, did you ever regret it, or was it the best move you have ever made?

My husband is a native Pennsylvanian (from Tyrone, near State College). I'm a native Californian. He moved to Atlanta in 1993. I moved there in 1996. We bought a business in Stone Mountain, sold it in 2003 and moved to Northern California.

We loved Georgia. We left the Atlanta Metro area due to the traffic.

It did not take us long here to realize that we left our hearts in Georgia. We're currently planning to move to Habersham County in the NE Georgia Mountains - just as soon as our house and business here sell.

So no, we never regretted moving TO Georgia, but we certainly have regretted leaving.

[scubashawn]

I live in Savannah...and the crime here is the worse I have ever seen ....and I'm from L.A. originally.

[deesonic]

That is a perfect nickname for Savannah. I actually get sentimental sometimes when I think about Savannah. My wife and I lived there for four years and owned a home in the very popular Ardsley Park Historic District. So, I'll break down the "good" and "evil" for you the best I can. We left Savannah in June of 2006, so it's still pretty fresh on my mind:

The Good:
1) History and architecture. There are many wonderful historic neighborhoods in Savannah that have been meticulously restored and many decaying neighborhoods that are being brought back to life. Again, we lived in Ardsley and it's a fantastic neighborhood. I really miss our old house and great neighbors there.
2) Culture. Savannah is full of culture. And with SCAD in town, there is a thriving arts community. Lots of quirky businesses. Very cosmopolitan city to be so small.
3) Weather. It's rarely below freezing. But the summers can be oppressive at times. But have no fear, the beach is only 20 minutes from downtown.
4) Foliage. Those beautiful live oaks can't be beat. I miss my morning runs down Washington Ave. What a beautiful street with trees that create a tunnel effect.

The Evil:
1) Crime is rampant! I don't care what anyone tells you, that little city has a crime rate to rival any big city. As great as my neighborhood was, we constantly had break ins and car thefts in our area.
2) Schools are horrendous! I hate to tell someone not to teach in Savannah, because the city does desperately need good teachers. But I taught at one of the "good" high schools for one year and it drove me screaming from the teaching profession. I was an Army reservist at that time and received a mobilization order to go to Iraq. Believe it or not, I was relieved. Iraq sounded easier. Bottom line, it takes a very special and dedicated teacher to work in Savannah-Chatham Public Schools, particularly the high schools.
3) Cost of living is quite high for such a small southern city. Maybe coming from up north it will seem reasonable, but other southern cities of this size are much much cheaper (ie. Huntsville, AL where I live now).
4) Jobs. Savannah is not booming with jobs, which makes me wonder why the housing market is skyrocketing. Employment is mostly with the ports, tourism, and military contracting.

All in all, I really do love Savannah for all the good things, but ultimately my wife and I knew it would not be a perfect fit as we grew older and opted to move closer to family in Alabama. We still have very good friends there that we hope to visit during St Pattys as often as possible.

[pickleswanson]

I would have to agree with the posts here overall. You have a family and Savannah is great for vacation, visit it often but make a living in ATL instead of getting stuck in Savannah. If you really want the coast in GA I would choose the islands near Brunswick it is making some real positive advancements for the community as a whole.

[jhsrichards]

Savannah has its good areas and things to do, but it is mostly a flat, sketchy-looking city with bad crime and an invisible-jellyfish-filled beach. North Georgia is absolutely beautiful even if you're not in the mountains, crime is almost nonexistent except in Atlanta or Augusta and to a lesser rate Athens, and there are unlimited opportunies everywhere for shopping, dining, and recreation. Savannah is kind of out in the middle of nowhere, so if you decide you don't like it, your only choice is to move.

[antiquesmountainapache]

I think you would enjoy northern Georgia to actually live in due to the weather. Savannah is a beautiful treasure for our state, but the climate will be so different foryou. I am not up on teaching opportunities, so I think if I were you I would start with that criteria.

[johndoeboy]

I like savannah alot, it does have crime in some areas. But to me no more than any other city