Wilmington Island (Savannah, Whitemarsh Island, Tybee Island: real estate, apartments, rentals)

[gimme it]

Can any of you tell me what life is like on Wilmington Island? How does it compare to Isle of Hope, Whitemarsh and Thunderbolt? Does it feel like any other suburb or does it feel coastal? I appreciate hearing about your area.

[Padgett2]

Wilmington Island is much larger than those other places. You would never have to leave there for anything. Supermarkets, doctors, dentist, post office, you name it and it's there. Plenty of places to eat too. All major churches and a very active YMCA. Also a nice golf course. It's like a well equipped small town. Even it's own fire department and police station. Good schools for the elementary and middle school ages. High School is bused into Savannah or Thunderbolt.

The commercial area is located all in one section along the two main highways. The rest is strictly residential except for the churches. You must go through part of Wilmington Island to get to Tybee Beach.

As far as feeling coastal, I am not sure what you mean. You have to go over bridges to get there and it's surrounded by marshland with much deepwater riverfront property. It can't get much more coastal than that. It really is an Island.

[NOTAM]

Wilmington Island is where i lived last year for 8 months. nice quiet safe "suburb" of Savannah. PUBLIX grocery store is very nice. Kroger is ok. great little cafes and restaurants to eat in. a few dive bars. it is upscale however and expensive to live there, but worth it if you want a safe place to live when you work in Savannah. i wouldnt have lived anywhere else. very short drive to Tybee Island beach. small Walmart a short drive away in Whitemarsh Island. luckily, the island offered pretty much everything i needed so i didnt have to drive to Savannah to do anything but work, and i never drove into Savannah unless I had to-too much crime, too much traffic, just plain scary. once in a blue moon i would drive to River Street/Historic area, and luckily there is a back way out there from the islands-on Islands Freeway-a very small road that goes over some causeways and lands ya directly on Bay Street near River Street. the WORST part of moving there was having to go to the Savannah Water District to set up an account for water-very rude racist people work there (i am white and most everyone there was black and made it clear they didnt like white folk). oh and to try to find parking for a big pickup truck just to go set up that account. argh!

[gimme it]

Thank you to those who gave feedback. Some questions: Does Wilmington Island have a walkable downtown with things like bookstores and outdoor cafes or is it all chain restaurants on a main strip? Are places like Isle of Hope and Whitemarsh more charming? Is Savannah actually "scary" during the day? I live in NYC and there isn't anywhere here that scares me when it's light out. In otherwords, are there predators lurking around during the day waiting to rob you? Thanks in advance.

[Padgett2]

...."Does Wilmington Island have a walkable downtown with things like bookstores and outdoor cafes or is it all chain restaurants on a main strip? Are places like Isle of Hope and Whitemarsh more charming?..."

Isle of Hope is small and strictly residential except for the Marina which is on the Intercoastal Waterway. It does have a nearby off-island supermarket, restaurants, etc.

Whitmarsh is smaller than Wilmington and does not have as many businesses as Wilmington. It has many more apartment and condo complexes.

The Isle of Hope is the only one that I would call charming. The others are quite nice, just the usual thing for this area of the country. Pretty, lots of flowers, trees and well kept houses. Houses range from small little crackerboxes to many-roomed mansions in all three areas.

Wilmington does not have a walkable central part like you describe. We are addicted to our cars and developments tend to reflect this.

[NOTAM]

well, i worked as an RN at the huge Level I Trauma Center in Savannah, and in my 8 months there, TWICE during broad day light, nurses were held up at GUNPOINT in the parking lot of the hospital!! oh and yes we had security, matter of fact, the hospital is so big it has its own police dept with real police officers!!

Originally Posted by gimme it

Thank you to those who gave feedback. Some questions: Does Wilmington Island have a walkable downtown with things like bookstores and outdoor cafes or is it all chain restaurants on a main strip? Are places like Isle of Hope and Whitemarsh more charming? Is Savannah actually "scary" during the day? I live in NYC and there isn't anywhere here that scares me when it's light out. In otherwords, are there predators lurking around during the day waiting to rob you? Thanks in advance.

[redriter]

Are there reasonable houses to rent on WIlmington Island? Does anyone know of a reputable real estate agent? Any help would be appreciated. If yu could not afford the Island, what would be the next safest area for a newcomer to Savannah? Thanks for the help.

[Just Plain Al]

My last post in the previous topic...

"I'm on Wilmington Island.
Retired.
On a very limited, fixed income.
I'm not leaving until the Lord votes me off the island.

Not much crime.
Plenty of interesting people to meet.
Plenty of places to rent.
All in all, a good place to live.".

I try to not leave the island unless there is a real good reason.
And there hardly ever is, heh.

We've got PUBLIX...
Very nice.
We've got Kroger...
Not as fancy as PUBLIX, but the prices are more in line with what I can afford.

We've got ACE Hardware...
If you don't wanna cross the bridge and go to Home Depot, or Lowe's.

Fast food?
McD's, Wendy's, Domino's, etc.
We've got plenty of sit-down restaurants as well.

Two bars that I frequent...
Lots more that I don't.

Lots of banks.

A great vet for your pets.

Alas, you have to cross a bridge to get to the nearest Wal-Marte, sniff.

East to West...
Tybee = Party Time
Wilmington = Some business, lots of residential
Whitemarsh = Very few business, more residential
Thunderbolt = Lots of both

Did I miss anything?
If you wanna get specific, drop me a line...

I don't really bite, just growl alot, heh.

I am also the fund raiser for Voice for Pets...

It's a local outfit dedicated to rescuing what used to be our "Best Friends" from the last walk at animal control in Chatham, and Effingham counties.
So sometimes I have to go to PetSmart to do adoptions, but that's about the only time I leave "The Islands".

[Just Plain Al]

"Does Wilmington Island have a walkable downtown with things like bookstores and outdoor cafes or is it all chain restaurants on a main strip?"

Again, East to West...
Starting at the bridge to Tybee.
Victory Dr.(US 80) runs almost straight through the island. Not much business at all.
Johnny Mercer Blvd. branches off to the South, and is the main drag through town(?).
Mostly rentals 'til you get to Penn Waller. Then the shopping begins. Just about all of the business places are on JMB.
Many other roads/streets abound on the island, and all are residential.
JMB and Victory meet up over on Whitemarsh, and become Victory Dr.(US 80) again.
Stay on that, and over another bridge, and you're in Thunderbolt proper.
HTH

Gee, I'm starting to sound like I know what I'm talking about?
And I've only been here since 4:30A on June 19th, heh.

[Atlanta08]

I am moving to Wilmington Island. What are good apartments?