Question about neighborhoods in and around Savannah (Montgomery, Forsyth: fit in, best neighborhoods)

[hudsterboy]

Hi,

I'm sure this has been answered somewhere here, but I can't seem to find the specific information that I'm looking for. My wife and I are in our forties and we don't have children, so school districts and the like aren't an issue. Same for employment, as I work remotely.

I'm looking for areas in and around Savannah that meet the following criteria.

- Relatively safe: I grew up in NYC and hung out in alphabet city and the south Bronx in the 80's. I'm not intimidated by crime stats. I don't want to live in an area where bullets are flying, but I don't mind living in an area where some common sense is required to protect your property.

- Has character: I don't want to live in a planned community, or a suburban wasteland by the mall. I like places with lots of history. Places with a community that has grown organically (not forced like some yuppie enclaves). Lots of trees and parks is a plus.

- Has some community: I like places where stuff is happening. Where there are people hanging out together and enjoying life. Where there is a pulse. Where people aren't too uptight.

- Is not insanely expensive: A place where someone who makes around $135K salary can live comfortably.

I'd consider Charleston, SC, but it seems overly expensive and stuffy.

I'm heading up there next weekend to look around and would like to know which neighborhoods in Savannah, and the area around (tybee island?) to check out.

[Padgett2]

Georgetown certainly sounds nice, but it is one of those planned communities. It isn't historic either.

There are many sections of Savannah that would meet your requirements. The downtown historic district might be a bit pricey for your income, but there are many communities farther out that would work. Some are much closer to shopping than others. That might not make a difference now, but if you stick around until driving might be a problem....well, just think about it. We are about three miles from that loaf of bread or gallon of milk, and the streets are easily traveled. It makes a difference, Trust me!

A lot of communities revolve around church activities. Soooo, if you wouldn't fit in one of these, check out the neighborhood. On the other hand, if this suits you, check out the locations of the local church. You wouldn't want to have to travel halfway across the county to get to the social happenings.

It would take more than one weekend to check out all the possibilities. Savannah is spread out. The rivers, marshes, lowlands and swamps make it that way. One area may be terrible, but if it's cut off from the next by a large area of uninhabitable land, you don't have to worry.

Now, having said that, there are "nice" sections of the Savannah area, that you couldn't pay me to live in. Other people love the same area and wouldn't live anywhere else. If you move here, rent first for at least 6 months to a year. Look around, see what we have to offer, before you make the decision to settle down. It will pay off in the long run.

[Gracienfamily]

You may like Ardsley Park. It is close to the Historic District, and is an old neighborhood so the houses are all different and unique.

[MatthewInSavannah]

I live and work downtown, so I'm biased. If you don't need schools, downtown and Ardsley Park are great options. Ardsley is a more family oriented and downtown gives you more of an opportunity to walk out your door to shops, restaurants, and entertainment. Speaking as a real estate agent, with your income I think you could afford downtown or Ardsley Park. If you're looking for 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, best neighborhoods downtown or Ardsley, you're going to be $400k and up, but if you're looking for something smaller, prices can range from $200k to $350k for nice places. Feel free to contact me directly if you have questions.

Matthew

[ellie]

Parkside is also nice. It's just east of Ardsley Park and has a great vibe. Actually, anything south of Ardsley Park all the way to DeRenne Ave. is pretty cool and centrally located. Homes become less expensive the farther south you go. There's a reasonable amount of diversity and plenty of people your age in all of the areas people have mentioned.

I don't think Georgetown would meet your criteria.

[Padgett2]

Just happened to think..... would you like being on the water? There are a lot of riverside communities, like Thunderbolt, Vernon View, Rio Vista, etc. that might suit you better than the downtown area. Take time to visit some of them before you decide.

[tigafan]

Isle of Hope!!!

[hudsterboy]

I want to thank everyone for their advice.
I'm in Savannah right now, staying right next to Reynolds Square.

I went up to Charleston Fri. night, had breakfast with my family Sat. morning and we all came down. We walked around the N. historic district and so far, we love it. However, all we have seen is this area. Today we're going to drive around some, check out the neighborhoods and maybe talk to some RE folks. This will need more than one trip. We definitely plan on renting with a view to buying at some point. How common are homes for rent in the area? We're not averse to the idea of living in a loft either. It would be nice to be a little bit removed from the tourist area, though it seems that the tourist area pretty much overlaps completely with the historic district itself.

Quick question re: the Victorian district--is this an area that can be potentially hairy, i.e.. a bit more crime than is usual? Are there any homesteading movements there?

The one thing that kind of turns us off is the paper mill smell. It sort of came upon us in the middle of the night and got kind of rough, haha. I'm used to it from staying with my family in Mt. Pleasant. I know that a lot of it depends on the way the wind is blowing, but what is your take on it? Does it drive you nuts? Are you used to it? Which areas are worse than others?

[ellie]

Originally Posted by hudsterboy

I want to thank everyone for their advice.
I'm in Savannah right now, staying right next to Reynolds Square.

I went up to Charleston Fri. night, had breakfast with my family Sat. morning and we all came down. We walked around the N. historic district and so far, we love it. However, all we have seen is this area. Today we're going to drive around some, check out the neighborhoods and maybe talk to some RE folks. This will need more than one trip. We definitely plan on renting with a view to buying at some point. How common are homes for rent in the area? We're not averse to the idea of living in a loft either. It would be nice to be a little bit removed from the tourist area, though it seems that the tourist area pretty much overlaps completely with the historic district itself.

Quick question re: the Victorian district--is this an area that can be potentially hairy, i.e.. a bit more crime than is usual? Are there any homesteading movements there?

The one thing that kind of turns us off is the paper mill smell. It sort of came upon us in the middle of the night and got kind of rough, haha. I'm used to it from staying with my family in Mt. Pleasant. I know that a lot of it depends on the way the wind is blowing, but what is your take on it? Does it drive you nuts? Are you used to it? Which areas are worse than others?

Yes, drive around. Your instincts are right about the Victorian District, etc. Plenty of "homesteaders" and students out there. Many of the original inhabitants aren't bad, either. It's the thugs who stink. Things are less vibrant and expansive due to the weak economy. Generally it's safe but you have to be watchful.

Houses for rent are more common lately.

There are more tourists the closer you get to the river. Many of the residential streets in the district are quiet and pleasant.

Speaking of stinky, the paper mill problem is intermittent and worse in cooler weather, due to inversions and wind direction. You get used to it but it's annoying and a little embarrassing. Distance from the river is the key to stink dissipation.

[hudsterboy]

Originally Posted by ellie

Yes, drive around. Your instincts are right about the Victorian District, etc. Plenty of "homesteaders" and students out there. Many of the original inhabitants aren't bad, either. It's the thugs who stink. Things are less vibrant and expansive due to the weak economy. Generally it's safe but you have to be watchful.

Houses for rent are more common lately.

There are more tourists the closer you get to the river. Many of the residential streets in the district are quiet and pleasant.

Speaking of stinky, the paper mill problem is intermittent and worse in cooler weather, due to inversions and wind direction. You get used to it but it's annoying and a little embarrassing. Distance from the river is the key to stink dissipation.

So we started out driving down Abercorn, then cut west to Forsythe Park, did a circle around it, then back east, to Price and continued south. We drove around the Baldwin Park area, then continued south to 52nd, and cut west toward Ardsley Park. We drove around Ardsley Park, then up Montgomery, to the West side of Forsythe Park again. We meandered around that area, slowly making our way up toward the historic area. We ended up parking around Drayton and Liberty and walking around.

We thought the area around Forsythe Park was just gorgeous. Also around the Baldwin Park area. Ardsley Park area didn't do much for us. Seemed kind of boring. I don't care for 20th century brick ranch type houses. It was also funny to see a few mid century moderns in the mix. Some were kind of neat. My absolute favorite area was where we parked and walked around. It looked very active. Lots of neat shops, restaurants and cafes. Lots of different people socializing and walking around. I'm hoping there are decent 2 br rentals in the under $1500 range.

After that we headed over to Tybee. We just adored it. We were very happy to get away from the paper mill stank, but we've heard that it can get there, too, but much less frequently. Tybee was very charming. We may actually end up there, as that smell is somewhat of a deal killer.