Skidaway Island vs. Richmond Hill? (Savannah, St. Marys: environment, relocating, real estate)

[SoCalFamilyof3]

We're continuing to do research in anticipation of our possible move, and are wondering about the differences between Skidaway Island and Richmond Hill.

I'd love to hear what you think, pros, cons, etc. We have a four-year-old daughter, so we'd like someplace that's family-friendly (as in things to do for the kiddos, playgrounds, activities, nice parks, etc).

Thanks for any information you can provide!!

[ellie]

Skidaway Island, aka The Landings is a gated community made up mostly of wealthy retired people. Richmond Hill has more young families.

[bgnzsavnh]

I Know many families with children in The Landings and many wealthy retired people in Richmond Hill. The wealthy water front areas of Richmond Hill have alot of retirees also and is a long commute into Savannah for work. The Landings or Modena would be more Convenient to shopping, work, entertainment. It is country club community- close in. The east side of Richmond Hill would be a more reclusive lifestyle- beautiful and quiet. (I would love Kilkenny or Lincoln River or Belle Island) Neither would be bad, just different. The City of Richmond Hill and the Subdivisions along I-95 are standard middleclass suburban fare. Like Pooler or Rincon or ...............................................

[SoCalFamilyof3]

Skidaway sounds like the neighborhood we live in now. Most of our neighbors are retired - there is only one other family on our block with children. We love it, though. It's a very close-knit community, and our daughter has lots of adopted grandmas and grandpas.

I've been looking at real estate listings online and I like the look of the houses on Skidaway - seems like they have larger yards, mature trees, more privacy.

The length of the commute is something we're considering - my husband would be working near the Savannah airport.

We know people who live in the Southbridge development, and they seem to like it. My only concern is that I don't want to live in a neighborhood where they're going to tell me that I can't park my car in the driveway or paint my house a certain color. I don't know if Southbridge is like that, but "planned communities" tend to make me nervous.

We live very close to the water here in California and I hate to give that up. That's one of the appeals of Skidaway, along with the state park which looks very nice.

Thanks for the information so far! We're hoping to go down for a visit soon - we've both been there before, my husband quite frequently for business, but never really looking with an eye to move there.

[ellie]

I haven't spent much time in Richmond Hill, but have at the Landings. Seems they also have strict HOA rules but I never experienced any problems with them. Some of the people who live out there are what I consider to be unpleasant control freaks, to put it nicely. Others are wonderful.

At the same time, I feel like it's way the heck out there and not convenient to anything except the state park. Of course, convenience is relative, isn't it? But once you get here, you can make up your own mind. Since you're from SoCal, you're probably used to something different.

Most intown Savannah residents won't drive south of Derenne Ave. if they can avoid it.

Skidaway Island is probably a 45 minute drive from the airport if you drive at a normal rate. Having driven to Skidaway about a bazillion times from downtown, I can vouch it is a half hour away due to traffic. I'm not an aggressive driver but am efficient and know every conceivable route and most traffic patterns. Once the Truman Parkway is complete it will make the trip faster. That's a few years off.

I once had a conversation with a downtown business owner who had recently moved here from a larger metro area. He and his wife lived at Southbridge and thought they were making out like bandits to live SO close to downtown. I simply raised my eyebrows and wondered how bad it must have been where ever they came from.

Though I've often said I'm not crazy about what's happening out in "Pool-aire," it would make sense for you to consider finding a home in that area. With gas prices going up and kids needing to attend events, you might be happy finding something centrally located for your family's interests.

Southbridge is close to the airport and is old enough now to have an established feel. I've heard complaints about how wet the soil is in some areas of the development but I don't think it floods. Check bgnzsavnh's past posts for links to that kind of info.

[bgnzsavnh]

Savannah Quarters:*Home (golf) Is across I-95 from Southbridge and Real Estate In Savannah Georgia - Rice Hope is just North of the airport (Aquatic Amenity Park Includes: 2 Pools, Water Slide, Lazy River, Splash Garden 3,100+ Square Foot Clubhouse Sidewalks and Walking Trails Fitness Trail Around Lake Children’s Play Area Pocket Parks Convenient High-Tech Package) and Berwick Plantation is south of Southbridge on US 17 Berwick Plantation Neighbors, Savannah and Green community, Low-impact community, Environmentally friendly community Tradition Hilton Head is just up I-95 (20 miles) in SC

Newer Planned Communities convienient to the airport

[chrisg3]

Richmond Hill and The Landings are very different; however, they are both beautiful. It is the lifestyle of The Landings that I think you will like better. There are more young families living on The Landings than most people (who don't live there) realize. Just go to the pool on the weekend or anytime during the summer. I think the drive from the Landings to Savannah is easier than the drive to and from Richmond Hill. Also, it is easier to access Tybee from The Landings than Richmond Hill. However, the Landings has rules. You may want to check into their list. I think they can dictate the color of your house.

I am originally from Savannah. I lived in RH for 1 1/2 yrs. I consider it a small blessing that my husband's company moved us to St. Marys, Ga. I feel relieved not to live in RH anymore. I would rather drive 2hrs from St. Marys to see my family in Savannah than drive 45m from RH. Also, I have a cousin (30s with a young family) that lives on The Landings. She wouldn't live anywhere else.

You may want to look into Savannah Quarters. It is in the same area as Southbridge...near Pooler. It doesn't have as many Oak trees as The Landings or RH, but the homes are beautiful and it is definately a family community. We briefly looked into living there (to get out of RH) before we knew we would be relocating.

Good luck.