Need Specific info!!! (Savannah, Hinesville, Pooler: appointed, apartments, city hall)

[ampetry]

I am currently living in Pennsylvania (about an hour outside Pittsburgh). I have wanted to move south ever since I was about 13. After years of setbacks I finally have the opportunity to make the move, so i have spent weeks researching areas that I would like. I have read almost every thread under the Savannah section and thought I had everything answered for me and it sounded absolutely perfect. That is, until I talked to a friend who used to live near Savannah. This brought up a lot of questions for me. The questions are:

1. She told me that there are cockroaches everywhere and that everyone has them. She also said they fly. Is this true? (Haven't read anything about this, or really anything about bad bug problems, so maybe she's exaggerating.)

2. I will be moving with my boyfriend. We are both 20/21 years old, so children and schools are not an issue. We are interested in things to do for a young couple. We are very interested in Pooler because it is close to Savannah and the beach without having to live in the "city". Will this be a good place for us?

3. He is an auto technician hoping to eventually break into building custom cars. How hard of a time will he have finding a job in those fields? (especially without a local address.)

I think those are all the questions that we had. Thank you for your time in answering any thing you can about what seems to be a very beautiful place.

[ampetry]

Oh yea, also on bugs. She said there are spiders the size of your palm. Is this true? Sorry for all the bug questions. It's just that it's the only thing that really concerns me and I would like to know what I'm in for!!! Thank you!!!

[FFG3]

Your friend might have lived near pecan trees. That is where **** roaches hang out. Or the swamp, that is where big spiders like. Never heard of that in my life. Just keep your home sprayed by pest control. Savannah is not any different than anywhere else in the country.

[Padgett2]

Anywhere down where it's warm all winter will have roaches. They do fly, but mostly they crawl around at night. We have our homes treated. As far as spiders as big as your palm, well, I have lived here all my life and I have never seen one.

Pooler is not near the beach. In fact it's a nice little drive just to get to Savannah. Savannah has a lot of suburbs. Pooler is growing very fast, all the house are new and look just alike.

As far as a job, he probably won't have a hard time finding one. It may not pay as much as he has been getting in PA, but the cost of living should be lower too.

I would suggest that you come down for a few days and look around. Check out the Savannah Morning News for a listing of available jobs and apartments.

SavannahNow

[ampetry]

She lived in Hinesville, which I know isn't exactly Savannah but it's still south Georgia so she had me really concerned. I can deal with bugs (lets face it, they're every where) but flying cockroaches and giant spiders that look like they could take out my cat is not something that i would be looking forward to. Thank you for your response, I think she was exaggerating!

[ampetry]

"Pooler is not near the beach. In fact it's a nice little drive just to get to Savannah."

I live in an area where it takes at least an hour to get to a city and about 12 hours to get to a nice beach, so if I can get to Savannah and to the ocean within 30-60 minutes I will be completely thrilled!!!

[Padgett2]

OK then, I didn't want you to be disappointed in thinking you would be close to Tybee Beach. I'd say with the traffic moving well, the drive might take a hour. Maybe less.

Pooler is rapidly growing and has a fewl car dealerships with service areas and other type automotive shops. He shouldn't have a problem.

[ampetry]

Ok, that's really is great to know. We don't mind having to drive to get to the beach. Unfortunately, we would have to take a vacation to go to a beach instead of just making a "day-trip" out of it and really can't afford a lot of vacations like that.

How long is the drive to Savannah? Mapquest says that it's about a 20 minute drive (which is not bad!) Is that an accurate estimate?

[Padgett2]

That's about right. It really depends on what section of Savannah you would be going to. That is probably the Historic District or City Hall. To go from Pooler to the Midtown or Southside areas would probably be about the same, but sometime the traffic might hold you up 10-15 minutes more during rush hour. You would use a different route to get into the other area.

Savannah is really spread out for a medium sized city. There are a lot of lovely places to live. It's hard to explain how it is. You'll have to come and see.

[critter54]

Hey there. I live in Pooler and it only takes me about 20 minutes to get to downtown Savannah, not during rush hour. I work on the Southside, close to Savannah Mall and it takes me 25 minutes to get to work.
The big "roaches" are actaully Plametto bugs. They do look like giant cockroaches and they do fly. They only come in the house on occasion but keeping the areas around the house sparyed for bugs usually does the trick. I have never seen any giant spiders here and I've lived here 22 years.
Your boyfriend should not have a problem getting a job as a mechanic but the pay will not be very good. The Savannah pay scale is very low for most jobs. Housing is going to less than up there though. Be prepared for a culture shock because things move a lot slower here. It could be because it is so hot here that people move slower or maybe because there is no need to be in a hurry. Also watch out when driving because many people do not use turn signals.
Pooler is a nice little town. It is rapidly growing. There are some nice subdivisions and appartments. Tell your boyfriend to check out the Dixiland Cruisers of Savannah website at: Dixieland Cruisers of Savannah, Georgia (Home Page)
They meet every Sunday afternoon in Pooler as Lovezolla's Pizza on Highway 80. He is sure to like looking at the old cars.
Feel free to contact me if you have any specific questions. Good luck.