Savannah ranked a top 10 World's Best City (Atlanta, Rome: to rent, how much)

[Tom Lennox 70]

Originally Posted by Padgett2

They just visited that tiny little Historic District. I wonder where we would stand if they had visited the rest of it....warts and all.

Every city has bad parts, and the "bad" parts of Savannah are not that bad at all compared to most American cities. Plus the "ghetto" of Savannah doesnt cover that big of a percentage of the city. My closest large city, Baltimore, is like 75% ghetto and the ghetto is real!! Washington DC is about 50% ghetto, Richmond about 30% ghetto.....I think Savannah is nice 10% ghetto maybe if that.

[ellie]

Originally Posted by Tom Lennox 70

Every city has bad parts, and the "bad" parts of Savannah are not that bad at all compared to most American cities. Plus the "ghetto" of Savannah doesnt cover that big of a percentage of the city. My closest large city, Baltimore, is like 75% ghetto and the ghetto is real!! Washington DC is about 50% ghetto, Richmond about 30% ghetto.....I think Savannah is nice 10% ghetto maybe if that.

10% ghetto? Tell ya what, I can help you find more of it than that.

I'm sure it's not as big or intense as ole Balti, but it's not nice.

[Newsboy]

^^^ I'd be willing to go as high as 20 percent, but reality is: there are some VERY nice neighborhoods within the City Limits of Savannah. This city is FAR FAR from the rotting ghetto that some people like to portray it as. The poverty rate is 21 percent, not anything to celebrate and higher than the national rate of 15.6 percent, but not much. That means 79 percent of the people in this city DO NOT live in poverty, and a large percentage of those live in LUXURY in fact.

[Padgett2]

Perhaps we need to look at the word "ghetto" and make sure we agree on what it means.

I think that a lot of us would think of ghetto as old tenement style apartment buildings with garbage cans on the sidewalks, etc. Savannah doesn't have much of that so the 10% might be close to true. BUT, we do have neighborhoods where the family type homes have gone downhill so badly, and the people that live there, don't seem to care, that I feel that the percentage would be much higher. This is not the typical "ghetto" that one might find in larger cities, but the situation is the same.

[Newsboy]

What Savannah does have too much of is substandard, blighted or abandoned / boarded up housing. There are many reasons for this, and I think progress is being made. But it doesn't do the city any favors image-wise that the HAS boards up empty units that go vacant until they are rented again, or that absentee landlords allow so much of their property to go unmaintained. Also, even in the nicest neighborhoods the rough humid tropical climate can wreak havoc on a home's exterior, making it appear much more "rundown" than it really is. I've always thought that was what many people confuse with "ghetto" in Savannah.

[midgeorgiaman]

Savannah has the same problems that most old midsize cities have, but Savannah is also a very unique gem in an otherwise increasingly homogeneous America. The positives outweigh the negatives any day!

[Newsboy]

^^^ Yep Savannah's age and history -- all those old rundown buildings in fact -- are its greatest asset. I'm truly amazed at the progress that's been made since I moved here the first time 20 years ago. The entire "old city" from the river south to Victory Drive has almost been restored, block by block. Next on the block is the Victory Drive corridor itself, where several big UPSCALE projects are underway. Sure, there are still pockets of sketchiness throughout but it is nothing like it was just two decades ago. It's been a true renaissance and fascinating to watch.

[afonega1]

Originally Posted by Padgett2

Was this article about that teensy, tiny little part of the entire Savannah area called the Historic District, or was it about ALL of Savannah?

ALL of Savannah includes those high crime areas. Are we supposed to pretend that sectiions like that don't exsist?

Shall we pretend that we don't have schools that should be torn down and replaced, or housing projects that need to watch their tenants better?

And the decaying eyesore housing that just sits there and makes a particular section of Savannah a place to ignore?

Do we ignore the homeless that haunt our streets? Or the hoodlums that think that if they carry guns, they are macho men?

Ah, Yes, Let's pretend. A Southern Fairy Land! Who knows, if we pretend enough, we might even get more tourists to come see us......WOW!!! wouldn't that be just dandy!!

Why would a tourist in NYC hang out in the Bronx?Or in Boston hangout in Roxbury?North Philly and Camden in Philly mSA?Yet people still go there in droves.Why does Savannah have to be any worse or better?
NONE of American cities should be held up so high if it were under the scrutiny you place Savannah.

[boo radley]

I think it is great that t/l ranked Savannah so high. I've visited Savannah numerous times and love it. I love the charm of the old streets and architecture. I know that this is only the historic "tourist" part of Savannah, but that is exactly what the city needs to build and expand on. Its what brings outside money to the city.
Perhaps more tax credits to developers to 'doze blighted areas and introduce "mixed use" developments is what is needed. (This has worked wonders in Atlanta!) So, Savannah need not try to be like other cities, rather just be its own unique self. Its what "outsiders" like me love about it. (even though I love Atlanta, I hope to relocate to Savannah soon.)

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by afonega1

why would a tourist in nyc hang out in the bronx?or in boston hangout in roxbury?north philly and camden in philly msa?yet people still go there in droves.why does savannah have to be any worse or better?
None of american cities should be held up so high if it were under the scrutiny you place savannah.

^^^ this!