The lo-down on Savannah (Atlanta, White: renters, crime, buying a home)

[damiana00]

Hiya,

I want to get the lo-down on Savannah before I consider buying a home there. I live in Northern California(Bay Area) now and phew....despite the market crash it's still bloody expensive here.
I have lived in various areas in my life and always find something to kvetch about so I know half of finding Shangri-la is up to the individual(moi) and I'm working on that, until then... I need to get a honest but fair opinion of Savannah.

I don't need a gated community where people don't talk and desperate housewives plot against each other(live near that or a poorer version of that..hahah), nor do I want to live where drug dealers sell on my lawn(had that in Venice Beach-LA) and you live in fear as you goto sleep at night. Just regular folks who are unpretentious and NOT yuppified, or gentrified or plastified with cells stuck to their heads, but still real and down to earth...friendly and still got some smarts to share over a cup of something.
So here goes:
1) So how bad is the crime and is it all over, what population does it affect or is it just criminals hating on other criminals?? Is it safe on the streets in most areas, can one walk around at night or during the day without worry or need to be paranoid!?
2) Since it's a tourist town and the jobs are limited, how is it to live there and making a decent living despite this?? What is the average population like in terms of people who rent homes?? are there a lot of renters, responsible at that? ( I am planning on renting part of the home to renters and roommates.
3) How are the race relations?? I was there only one day but it SEEMED to be mellow and friendly there, unlike Charleston(where I was there 4 days and it seemed to still be living on the lifeblood of former slavery(history, tours etc...). It felt very tense in Charleston. How are things honestly?? I am dying to be some where where there really is very little angst and tension and some goshdarn cohesion amongst the people. IS that too much to ask the universe!? I don't think so. Hoping it agrees.

Anything else anyone can tell me without hype or hyperbole is helpful.
Hank you.
-Gypsy looking for her next home.

P.s.And hold your quippy snippy comments....I'm an idealist and still hope that somewhere in America there are some fricckking civilized people who can mostly get along once in awhile and share a bloody lo-country boil and a smile together and not give a damn if they came from the same background or bloodline etc..... Capishe?

[ellie]

If you go to the trouble to read the past year's posts about Savannah you'll get the lo-down. Capiche?

[damiana00]

Some people can't resist being bi@#$y.

First off, I did read many threads on Savannah and through it all I got a lot of people like you with your quippy snippy retorts and responses instead of just answering the bloody questions people asked. I also saw there were a lot of divergent opinions some of which were from people who didn't stay long and had wayyyy different standards than most- some of which were helpful but I needed more info...so what, my paragotive before I invest in a new house. Duh.... So therefore what I wanted in case that wasn't clear ELLIE was that I wanted info from natives and people who did live there for a long time and got passed certain things to be able to tell me really, truthfully how safe it really is versus hype and fear-info on jobs, housing and so on about other issues without the attitude that others were giving some.

Two, Ho capito?! E voi??

Three....you should have NOT answered because you obviously didn't read my statement about not responding with snotty remarks but just give me info. So thanks for reading correctly. Argh... it just peeves me so- people who do that, respond just to see their words on screen or whatever or express their nastiness.

anyhow.

Next comment hopefully from someone who lives there who cares long enough to try and enlighten me on how it really is to live there for someone who doesn't expect a gated community like atmosphere but yet also wants to be safe and enjoy oneself with decent neighbors.

[ellie]

With your charming attitude you'll love living here. I'm sure you'll fit right in.

And I'm sorry. I can't help resist matching attitude with attitude. Ask nicely and we'll go out of our way to help you in a civil manner. Otherwise, make do with what you get.

Considering I am a native and have lived here a long time, I'm probably one of about five regular posters who can tell you what you're asking for. The rest of them are probably just laughing at the two of us go at it.

[Padgett2]

Decent neighbors are also polite neighbors.
Some areas are very, very safe, even though they aren't gated.
Some areas are very, very unsafe.
Some people have a great deal of problem finding jobs.
Some people don't.
Some people like the bars, "good" times.
Some people don't
Some people expect to be welcome with open arms regardless of how they speak, act, think, etc. They are seldom happy, no matter where they live.

As far as race relations.....would you care to define what you mean? 100% Asian or a 1/4 mix? 100% Black or any degree up to and including 99%? 100% White, Anglo-Saxon?

I have found that usually those who are concerned with race, have had problems along that line. These people will have problems in Savannah. There are bigots here, just as there are in any locality. Where you live and work makes a big difference. Go looking, and you will find whatever you are looking for.

Oh, and drop the dumb foreign language slang.

[gapowermike]

What area in town are you looking to move to? Where will you work? Each answer has a lot to do with your Savannah experience.

My opinion is Savannah is good for some, bad for some...depends on your situation.

Michael

[lulupalooza]

The bottom part of your post made me LOL. Anyway, also check out Augusta too. We are about 2 hours from Atlanta and Savannah. Besides the Savannah River dumps into the Atlantic there. No way I would swim in them waters

[Pear Martini]

Originally Posted by lulupalooza

The bottom part of your post made me LOL. Anyway, also check out Augusta too. We are about 2 hours from Atlanta and Savannah. Besides the Savannah River dumps into the Atlantic there. No way I would swim in them waters

Augusta any good for students who work ****ty ass jobs just to keep themselves from starving to death/passing out on the way to community college?

[damiana00]

Ellie,

You're right. I was in a crappy mood when I wrote that because I just got done reading so many other crappy nasty letters about Savannah and watching people go back and forth over stupid stuff when simple questions couldn't be answered directly. So I appreciate your moxy with me and didn't mean to come off nasty myself. Although I didn't think it was necessary to be rude to me either. I am actually very friendly and real, down to earth and although I was only in Savannah for a minute, found people there very nice. I just also heard the horror stories about crime there and wanted to get the lo-down without hype and fear. You know how it is when people's fear get in the way of the truth?!

Anyhow....Peace.

[damiana00]

Padgett2

First off I was speaking Italian and it is certainly not dumb! It was apropos and in response to another's comment. Don't understand it, then ignore it but no need to be judgmental.

Second, it's always nice to know if things are going well or are cohesive in terms of racial relations in a place and not tense or unhealthy. I felt some tension in Charleston and was a little put off unfortunately because I love Charleston otherwise. So ideally it would be nice to find a place where the wounds are a little less prominent. That's why I asked. I have lived in some places where they weren't and it sucked so I am looking for Shangri-La. My choice.

read the original post...I am an idealist. Cynical but hopeful...odd combination but c'est la vie. Oh wait whooops!! ....there I go again with the darn foreign language thingy...

cazze!@!