Want to relocate to Savannah (Commerce: transplants, real estate, rent)

[jvinc]

I have been researching for a possible relocation to Savannah from NYC and have found quite a lot of material - but I am getting only very limited information about the job situation. I opened a mail-order subscription to the local paper, and the classifieds seem really paltry (but I have only received a few issues so far.)

Can any local Savannahians (sp?) provide any insight? I am an office manager for a NY law firm, and have done everything connected with that - legal secretarial, paralegal work, etc. Are jobs very difficult to find? I am aware that the pay scale is (much) lower, but can anyone tell me by how much? Are the lower salaries difficult to survive on, or does the corresponding lower cost of living make up for it?

I appreciate any help you can provide.

Thanks!

[jsylvia]

You said in your post that you have found a lot of good information on Savannah. Any particularily good sites on climate, crime, etc. you care to share?

[atlantagreg30127]

I had to spend some time down there (job related) a couple of years ago and I think you're in for a HUGE culture shock (New York to Savannah). Some like it and this might be a good thing, others will not and it will be bad. It depends on your ability to adapt and blend.

Savannah is not THAT large of a city, so no, jobs are not plentiful. When good ones come along, be first in line with the resume. Others who live down there full time will obviously be able to tell you what the full job market is like.

Savannah is a strange "old south meets new south" kind of town in terms of culture. There's a lot of old money down there, and the golf/country club mentality is strong. On the flip-side you see things like a large gay population (tourism store owners, etc), and they are accepted much more so than you expect. My feel for the place is that New Yorkers aren't going to have an especially hard time so long as you don't play the game SOME transplants do, where you say things like, "well, back home we do it this way...", or, you try to rushrushrush the folks. They will respond accordingly to those things (badly). If you learn to slow down (a lot), take it easy and all that, you're accepted much more. If you have one of those super heavy "fergetabouuutit" type of NYC accents, my advice is to consciously tone it down a bit upon moving. ;-)

A lot of job market there revolves around tourism (restaurants, shops, tour guides, etc), but like anyplace else, there are 2 lawyers for every resident, so law-related work shouldn't be hard to find. One of our customers down there is a shop owner AND a lawyer. lol. Home prices vary from insanely expensive (in the historic square areas) to very moderately priced a bit inland. Keep in mind you ARE in a hurricane zone, and while Savannah usually dodges big ones, it may be best to research flood planes and all that when buying.

[jvinc]

Thanks for the information - certainly some things to keep in mind. If the 2 lawyers for every resident statement is accurate - I must admit I do like those odds. I've been to Savannah before, and am returning soon, so I know about the fairly slow pace of things. I think I am actually ready to slow down, and as I do not live the fast-paced lifestyle even here in NY, I don't think it will be that difficult to adjust.

As far as my accent, that's another story. Everybody can seem to tell where I'm from after a few moments conversation. So I doing my best Eliza Doolittle impersonation - "The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain ..." - practicing feverishly to tone it down.

To jsylvia - here are a few places to start obtaining Savannah information:

City of Savannah-official government website
www.savannahga.gov

Savannah Economic Development Authority - has alot of economic data
www.seda.org

You can obtain a Relocation Resource Guide (as .pdf file) from the Chamber of Commerce (it's 84 pages - so it can take quite a while to download, depending on whether you have a high-speed connection) - www.savannahchamber.com
On the topic bar at the top of the page, select "Relocation" and you will see "relocation resource guide" in the drop down menu.

Another website - removed

Also - the website of the local paper- Savannah Morning News
www.savannahnow.com

Those are a few good places to start research - there is also no shortage of real estate agents and buyer's agents with websites that can shed light on housing prices and various developments in and around Savannah.

Hope that helped!

[bgnzsavnh]

Other good Links
http://www.thecreativecoast.org/
http://www.savannah.chatham.k12.ga.us/home/
http://www.fema.gov/individual/home.shtm

Before you buy a home or rent check out the 100 year flood maps for your location. We live in 10 miles from Savannah and would not be flooded by even a Cat 5 hurricane (blown away but not flooded) A little research to stay clear of those expenses
the cost of flood insurance depends on the chance of and frequency of flood

[Cayce]

Originally Posted by bgnzsavnh

Other good Links
http://www.thecreativecoast.org/
http://www.savannah.chatham.k12.ga.us/home/
http://www.fema.gov/individual/home.shtm

Before you buy a home or rent check out the 100 year flood maps for your location. We live in 10 miles from Savannah and would not be flooded by even a Cat 5 hurricane (blown away but not flooded) A little research to stay clear of those expenses
the cost of flood insurance depends on the chance of and frequency of flood

Very good advice! I live in Gulfport MS and see first hand every day all the destruction caused by the storm surge of Katrina. The surge pushed in from the Gulf of Mexico to the Mississippi Sound and into the bays and up the rivers, creeks and bayous. In some areas homes probably a good 8 to 10 miles or further inland had several feet of water in them. And many of these homes did not require flood insurance according to the Fema flood maps. Fortunately we do not live in one of these areas and only had wind damage. But after seeing what could happen, we and many of our neighbors purchased flood insurance this year. We feel it's worth the peace of mind.

[jvinc]

Thank you for all the feedback - now I have to begin my research on flood plains. One other question for the locals, though. I just heard about the phenomenon of "sand gnats." I always visited in summer, when these insects must not be an issue. I understand the South has bugs - you should see the bugs up here - some NY roaches are big enough to try on your shoes (just kidding, but not by much!) The South can't possibly be worse than that - I'm sure it's the same everywhere.

But I hear these sand gnats are biting pests and are small enough to fly through even screened windows. I'm thinking they must only be a seasonal annoyance - since I wasn't bitten when I visited last summer (and I am a "bug magnet" for biting insects.)

Just curious - appreciate any insight.

To Cayce - my brother lived in Gulfport for several years quite a while ago when he was stationed there. He did grow to love it and was heartbroken when he heard about all the hurricane damage. Hope the recovery is coming along!

[RichCapeCod]

I suspect those "sand gnats" are what we call "noseeums" on the Cape. Tiny little guys that mostly hang out at the beach (at least around here!). Their bite hurts but a bit of Deet keeps them away.

[bgnzsavnh]

http://www.sandgnats.com/

[kmalone4]

I'm thinking of moving to either Savannah or Charleston (SC) from the Chicago area. Where did you find some of your Savannah info?