Is Savannah Really that Bad? (Atlanta, Wilmington Island: apartment, to rent, loft)

[lululoo]

Could it be that some of the posters on here are not considering the obvious? With all due respect to the experiences of others, I felt I needed to put in my 2 cents.

Economy: Savannah's cost of living is 88.1 National average is 100, Washington DC is 140. The new city reports just came out and this info is based on first quarter 2006. That basically means if you make approx $22K a year in Savannah, that would be like making approx $36K in DC. Cost of living determines how far your money actually goes. From my personal apartment hunt in Savannah, I was SHOCKED at how cheap, nice places were in "decent" parts of town. So don't get hung up on an hourly wage. I understand it can be demoralizing after years of hard work, but if you like the lifestyle a place affords you, that might be worth more than an extra couple of bucks an hour.

Crime: Guess what? Every major city has crime. Every small city has crime. I have lived in a "safe" area of DC for the past several years and been held up at gunpoint in the elevator of my "very secure" building by a somewhat substance addled stranger. Just out of college, I was attacked in the subway in Chicago and robbed for $30 at 8pm on a weekday.

Friends of mine from all walks of life, all colors, all genders have been beaten, robbed, purse snatched, had cars broken into, bicycles stolen, carjacked, pick pocketed, raped: the list goes on and on. They comprise a group of people who have lived in NY, San Francisco, LA, Atlanta, New Orleans, Denver, Houston, Boston, Mobile, Albuquerque, Austin, Phoenix, Miami- you name it. There is no getting away from crime. There is no magic place that crime does not exist. If it concerns you so much that you feel you are at risk every hour of the day, there are lots of nice suburbs outside of every city. AND how is crime EVER gonna get better if the people are so alarmist they base their entire major moving decision on opinions of strangers and stay away? This is silly. Be smart, certainly, but see for yourself. I think some of the people on here are the sort that totally avoid a movie if it got a single bad review!

Moving with/without a job: Basically, I think there are 2 kinds of people- risk takers and bet hedgers. Its certainly preferable to move somewhere that you already have gainful employment, but sometimes there are situations where you HAVE to move without a job lined up. A good friend of mine was leaving an abusive spouse and had to move to a new city with no connections and no job to get away. I have moved plenty of times without jobs for assorted reasons. Sometimes I've had to work as a waitress for a little while to make ends meet, but this never bothered me. That WOULD bother a lot of people, I'm sure. I think it just depends on how you see life. For some, life is an endless array of possibilities and new experiences. For others, security, practical solutions and advancement are the name of the game.

So, really, visit, go with your gut, decide for yourself. Understand that everyone on here is different, but we are all trying to relay the benefit of experience. Would you have it any other way?

[ellie]

You're right Lu, crime happens everywhere. I personally love the city, warts and all. You're welcome to pm me when you get here.

[mycomfortcorner]

Lu - well said.

[maggiemay]

I LOVE Savannah. I'm from there originally and although I don't make it home as much as I would like to, I'm back several times a year and stay in constant contact with everyone so I stay pretty up on the current events of the local area. A few thoughts about postings:

1. I do agree the job market is a challenge. Do your research. Network like hell. DO NOT come down to Savannah telling everyone how it is so much better/faster/more efficient back home. We get quite a bit of that and it will not endear you to locals. (There's even a bumper sticker that says "We don't care how you do it up there.) That can be important because every job I had in Savannah had to do with knowing the position was open from a personal connection (friend of a friend of a friend kind of thing). I do recommend renting a local PO box if you are trying to procure employment from a distance. My husband is in the military and I have found that makes a huge difference in my ability to find employment prior to our actual move to a new place.

2. Yes, it does flood and it can be a pain. We are talking anything from several inches to perhaps a foot in the residential areas. Perhaps more, once in a blue moon. It usually dissipates within several hours. We are not talking about taking a canoe down main street. We are not talking about flooding inside your home, which can happen, but is very, very, (very) unusual.

3. I'm puzzled by the comment "How safe would a black man or a gay couple be walking through Rincon or Richmond Hill at 3 am?" I don't understand the relevance. It you live in Savannah you will not be in Rincon or Richmond Hill at 3am no matter what your race or orientation. Rincon and Richmond Hill aren't even in The Great State of Chatham (old-fashioned locals' reference to Chatham County).

4. I'm know racism does exist in Savannah as it does in NYC, LA, Arizona, Detroit...shall I keep going? It is everywhere. From my experience (white female) Like most places in the US today, IMHO the bias is much more class-based than color or ethnicity based. I had friends who were African-American, Asian-American, and from other countries. My husband and I were very good friends with an inter-racial couple. At cocktail parties in our home it would have been completely normal to meet people of several different races, sexual orientations, and country of origin. For our part, we enjoyed meeting people for what they brought to the table (intellect, humor, kindness, interesting stories, etc). The only people my group was prejudiced against were Mean People.

5. Regarding tolerance: display tolerance yourself and you are more likely to attract tolerant people. I cannot count (literally) how many times I have heard someone say "People from Georgia (or the South) are so narrow minded and racist." My reply is always "Really, you've met them all? So you think it ok for you to brand over 20 million people (Southerners ) or 8 million people (Georgians) as something extremely negative, but you're not prejudiced, right?" (The irony gets lost on most.) Try to keep an open mind about initial differences and you will find people you enjoy. Take the negative comments of 5 people and extrapolate that to the whole population of Savannah and you will feel isolated and angry. Your choice. (The same could be said of NYC, or anywhere for that matter.)

6. If you do move, some things are more important in Savannah than in other places: 1. Always reply if RSVP is on the invitation . 2. Always take a hostess gift. It doesn't have to be expensive, herbs from your garden, etc, but, if you have to stop and pick up a blade of grass, don't go into a party empty handed. 3. Always write a thank you note afterward.

7. Crime does exist, but I'm bewildered by the focus on it here. Most people in Savannah do not walk around thinking of crime. I don't even know anyone that has been the victim of anything other than petty burglary. (I'm that person...I had a bike stolen from in front of my apartment downtown.) Yes, it pays to exhibit the natural caution anyone should at night. Yes, there are isolated stories about terrible crimes. Perhaps people in Savannah should walk around thinking about it all the time, but they don't. Mostly, what I have seen is that people who live near Savh or who visit Savh hear about something and it sounds terrible and that forms an overall impression about daily life. An incorrect impression in my opinion. I've found the same mentality when doing research to live in DC, NYC, and New Haven CT (we've lived in DC and are moving to New Haven). The people who live there are aware that they don't live in a crime free Utopia, but don't seem to walk around shaking in their shoes. It seems like people who don't live there and who listen to stats or a story and "just can't imagine living there" are the people who think about the crime all the time. (By the way, our DC experience was a crime-free blast, contrary to what all of our friends living in MD and VA said it would be. We LOVED living in the city with the ability to walk or take the metro to everything. Never had a single problem.) So, for the record: I grew up in Ardsley Park and we never had a problem. Although I remember hearing about people who experienced problems, we never knew anyone personally who encountered crime. (It's out there...just not everywhere as some would have you believe, although the 80s were a dicey time admittedly.) As an adult I lived in 3 different places downtown. I felt safe in ALL of them, even when I lived on Taylor, one block EAST of Price. Perhaps I was just lucky, but I usually got up at 5:30 every morning (still dark) to run and I never had a single issue. Also, as I was a spunky single gal in my 20s, my weekend nights were usually quite late. Returning home at 3am () solo did present an opportunity to be alert and aware, but where in the world would a woman not pay attention to her surroundings alone and in the dark at 3am? Again, no problems. Sorry to go on an on and on.....but, I just think that a single story or a statistic does not tell the whole story on what impact crime has on the average person's daily life in Savh. IMHO.

Good luck. If you decide to move it will be a BIG change. I think Savannah is eccentric and lovely, but there are challenges for newcomers. It helps to keep an open mind and try to adapt while still staying true to your essential core. After all, if you moved to France you would learn how to speak French, but would still be an American.

[Lucy42]

Maggie May

I just joined after reading the quoted article. I have not been in the area since we moved in 72. I am now a married woman with 3 children under 8. We are moving back and I would appreciate from the bottom of my heart if you would pm me to discuss the ins and outs of a move back to Savannah.

I am in WI now, and for all the talk of Southern bigotry, I have never lived in an area so closed minded, I am so happy to bring my children back to the South, and finally be home! Thank you!

I tried to send an email direct, but am too new to do so!

Originally Posted by maggiemay

I LOVE Savannah. I'm from there originally and although I don't make it home as much as I would like to, I'm back several times a year and stay in constant contact with everyone so I stay pretty up on the current events of the local area. A few thoughts about postings:

1. I do agree the job market is a challenge. Do your research. Network like hell. DO NOT come down to Savannah telling everyone how it is so much better/faster/more efficient back home. We get quite a bit of that and it will not endear you to locals. (There's even a bumper sticker that says "We don't care how you do it up there.) That can be important because every job I had in Savannah had to do with knowing the position was open from a personal connection (friend of a friend of a friend kind of thing). I do recommend renting a local PO box if you are trying to procure employment from a distance. My husband is in the military and I have found that makes a huge difference in my ability to find employment prior to our actual move to a new place.

2. Yes, it does flood and it can be a pain. We are talking anything from several inches to perhaps a foot in the residential areas. Perhaps more, once in a blue moon. It usually dissipates within several hours. We are not talking about taking a canoe down main street. We are not talking about flooding inside your home, which can happen, but is very, very, (very) unusual.

3. I'm puzzled by the comment "How safe would a black man or a gay couple be walking through Rincon or Richmond Hill at 3 am?" I don't understand the relevance. It you live in Savannah you will not be in Rincon or Richmond Hill at 3am no matter what your race or orientation. Rincon and Richmond Hill aren't even in The Great State of Chatham (old-fashioned locals' reference to Chatham County).

4. I'm know racism does exist in Savannah as it does in NYC, LA, Arizona, Detroit...shall I keep going? It is everywhere. From my experience (white female) Like most places in the US today, IMHO the bias is much more class-based than color or ethnicity based. I had friends who were African-American, Asian-American, and from other countries. My husband and I were very good friends with an inter-racial couple. At cocktail parties in our home it would have been completely normal to meet people of several different races, sexual orientations, and country of origin. For our part, we enjoyed meeting people for what they brought to the table (intellect, humor, kindness, interesting stories, etc). The only people my group was prejudiced against were Mean People.

5. Regarding tolerance: display tolerance yourself and you are more likely to attract tolerant people. I cannot count (literally) how many times I have heard someone say "People from Georgia (or the South) are so narrow minded and racist." My reply is always "Really, you've met them all? So you think it ok for you to brand over 20 million people (Southerners ) or 8 million people (Georgians) as something extremely negative, but you're not prejudiced, right?" (The irony gets lost on most.) Try to keep an open mind about initial differences and you will find people you enjoy. Take the negative comments of 5 people and extrapolate that to the whole population of Savannah and you will feel isolated and angry. Your choice. (The same could be said of NYC, or anywhere for that matter.)

6. If you do move, some things are more important in Savannah than in other places: 1. Always reply if RSVP is on the invitation . 2. Always take a hostess gift. It doesn't have to be expensive, herbs from your garden, etc, but, if you have to stop and pick up a blade of grass, don't go into a party empty handed. 3. Always write a thank you note afterward.

7. Crime does exist, but I'm bewildered by the focus on it here. Most people in Savannah do not walk around thinking of crime. I don't even know anyone that has been the victim of anything other than petty burglary. (I'm that person...I had a bike stolen from in front of my apartment downtown.) Yes, it pays to exhibit the natural caution anyone should at night. Yes, there are isolated stories about terrible crimes. Perhaps people in Savannah should walk around thinking about it all the time, but they don't. Mostly, what I have seen is that people who live near Savh or who visit Savh hear about something and it sounds terrible and that forms an overall impression about daily life. An incorrect impression in my opinion. I've found the same mentality when doing research to live in DC, NYC, and New Haven CT (we've lived in DC and are moving to New Haven). The people who live there are aware that they don't live in a crime free Utopia, but don't seem to walk around shaking in their shoes. It seems like people who don't live there and who listen to stats or a story and "just can't imagine living there" are the people who think about the crime all the time. (By the way, our DC experience was a crime-free blast, contrary to what all of our friends living in MD and VA said it would be. We LOVED living in the city with the ability to walk or take the metro to everything. Never had a single problem.) So, for the record: I grew up in Ardsley Park and we never had a problem. Although I remember hearing about people who experienced problems, we never knew anyone personally who encountered crime. (It's out there...just not everywhere as some would have you believe, although the 80s were a dicey time admittedly.) As an adult I lived in 3 different places downtown. I felt safe in ALL of them, even when I lived on Taylor, one block EAST of Price. Perhaps I was just lucky, but I usually got up at 5:30 every morning (still dark) to run and I never had a single issue. Also, as I was a spunky single gal in my 20s, my weekend nights were usually quite late. Returning home at 3am () solo did present an opportunity to be alert and aware, but where in the world would a woman not pay attention to her surroundings alone and in the dark at 3am? Again, no problems. Sorry to go on an on and on.....but, I just think that a single story or a statistic does not tell the whole story on what impact crime has on the average person's daily life in Savh. IMHO.

Good luck. If you decide to move it will be a BIG change. I think Savannah is eccentric and lovely, but there are challenges for newcomers. It helps to keep an open mind and try to adapt while still staying true to your essential core. After all, if you moved to France you would learn how to speak French, but would still be an American.

[laurenlolasmom32]

Desperately need info on area, my husband and I are relocating to the Savannah area from the midwest. We currently live in Webster Groves, a subburb of St. Louis Missouri, to sum it up, it's a white collar community, mainly professionals and soccer moms. The homes are all 100+ years old and it's very historic, the homes start at a minimum of $200,000.00 with most exceeding 350K. My husband's job is a Regional Sales Manager for a company based out of San Fran and he travels Mon-Fri, therefore I will be left alone with our 2 small children. I have received an apt. guide and need to get a insight on where to live. We were looking at the Georgetown area but I have read some pretty bad things about the area in general. We are wanting to rent for a year to learn the area and find something similar to our current situation. Please advise, where to go as we want to be in a white collar community that is safe and nice.

[laurenlolasmom32]

Maggie-it seems to me that you know your way around the area, I could really use your advice on where to go and what to do.

[laurenlolasmom32]

My husband and I are in the process of relocating to Savannah from Webster Groves Missouri, a subburb of St. Louis and I am having some difficulty getting accurate info. I recently requested an apartment guide and upon reviewing it, we liked 2 apartments, Georgetown Grove and the Oaks at Wilmington Island. However, I read some pretty bad reviews about Georgetown and now I'm a little frustrated. We are trying to find a place to rent for a year so I can get familiar with the area and then we will buy something. We would like to live in a community similar to where we live now. We own a home in a beautiful subburb on St. Louis, they call it "The Queen of the Subburbs", it's not new money, all homes are 100+ years old, kids are riding their bikes down the street at any given time of day, we have block parties and it's just a wonderful community. The area is 93% white (i'm not racist, just giving the stats), over 90% of the people that live here hold a degree. To sum it up, we live in a white collar community where most husbands work as either a DR. or Lawyer or a executive level in large corporation, most moms drive their Volvo or Mercedes station wagon and have nannies, infact I am the only girl on our street that does not have a live in nanny! (I was a nanny in college and I can't justify paying for help while I can stay at home w/ our girls). Please advise, we have to move in August and due to the sale of our house, my husband's travels Mon-Fri, I just don't know if I can fit in a trip down to view some places, therefore I think we will have to rent something via internet and/or by mail. Where does one go to get the equilivant of our current situation.:

[Crooklyn Lover]

I lived in the Garden City, GA, which is just on the other side of Savannah for 4 years. Every section of Savannah is going to have it's good and bad. Georgetown is not bad, it's just a pain in the butt if you have to make a morning commute into downtown, cause there is really only one street that will get you into Savannah from there. If you can visit for about 7 days and check out the apartments during the evenings to get a good picture of what they are like.

The one good thing about Georgetown is the fact that most of the people who like out there are not Georgia natives. I experienced a bit of a bias from people who were born and raised there. Hunter Army Airfield is in Savannah, and Ft. Stewart is in Hinesville, so the incoming and outgoing of soliders can make find an apartment a headache from time to time if you are looking for apartments in the $700-850 price range, if you can afford try looking for something with three to four bedrooms and you may have better luck, cause military families who needs more than three bedrooms are more likely to be moving on post.

Chatham County Public School System is going to be your biggest problem. When we left in July of 2006 mosty of the elementary and middle schools were on academic probation or just coming off. Just don’t go by the academic ratings you hear or read, because they not worth the paper or website they’re printed on. My son stated the teachers were giving students answers on their CRCT test, I believe it was done to help improve the scores which would get the school off of academic probation!!

[mycomfortcorner]

I just moved here to Savannah, the Georgetown Area 2 days ago, also from the mid west. I can't say yet if I like it or not because I haven't been here long enough. I can say this though, it's beautiful.