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Other than being big tourist and art cities, I don't think Savannah and Asheville have much in common. The mountain vs. coastal lifestyle makes each pretty unique. Jobs in the health field are plentiful here. There are some free-range creative nuveau type restaurants here but far more that serve plain old fried seafood or a meat and three. Rents are comparable. Nightlife is MUCH better. Weather is neat perfect this time of year. Politics are odd -- there are more card-carrying Democrats than Republicans in Savannah, but they tend to be the conservative rather than the liberal kind. Like Asheville, Savannah does have a large and very visible (not hidden) gay community so that's always made things interesting. And of course the very liberal drinking laws which keep the party going.
As someone who has done both, I can honestly say living here is just as much fun as visiting -- except when the weekend is over you don't have to drive 300 miles home. Home is here!
That is exactly the kind of restaurants I want to go to, those kind of places are VERY hard to find here in Asheville. One of the most popular places in Asheville is the Mellow Mushroom, you have one of those in Savannah as well. The one is Asheville is in the heart of downtown in what use to be an old gas station, outside in what use to be the parking lot they turned it into outdoor dinning, they built a wall around the out side dinning area out of bowling balls & rocks.
Just to give some of you an idea of what kind of restaurants Asheville has to offer, here are a few website listed at the bottom of this page.
The gay community of Asheville is mostly lesbians, actually Asheville has the most lesbians per capita than any other town or city in the US, according to USA Today. Moderator cut: offensive & inappropriate Those qualities are not limited only to lesbians, there are MANY straight people in Asheville who could be described that way as well.
These links are to restaurants that claim to have southern, country & soul food, They are the most popular places, not many locals (natives to WNC) go to these places, but the transplants LOVE them, would love to hear what you all think about their southern menu & the prices.
I have no children, so I am not interested in the schools.
I do have pets, small dogs & a cat. To be perfectly honest even if an area is not pet friendly I would be bringing them with me, there is no way I would ever give them up for anything or any one.
The kind of place I would like to live does not have to be in the historic district, although that would be a dream for me. I would prefer not to live in something new, nothing with HOA fees, no amenities like club house, pool, or walking area. I want older (built before 1950) can be anywhere within 30 miles of city center. Not looking for somewhere withing walking distance necessarily. I have a car & I am not afraid to use it.
I am also curious about what the typical light bill & water bill is in Savannah & surrounding areas. In the area of WNC I current live in, I have a 980 sq ft home. my light bill last month was $330, my water bill was $30. My cable package which is TV, internet & home phone costs me $185 a month. because I live in the mtns I can not get cell phone service in my home or withing 50 feet of my home, so I have to have home phone service. I am hopping that I could drop that if I were to move to Savannah.
I am not big on up scale dinning, restaurants that have executive chiefs or use words on their menu like, innovative, inspired, artisan, gourmet or organic. I am also not interested in sushi, or trendy places, touristy places (Such as "she who must not be named" She just opened a new restaurant in Cherokee at the casino here in WNC, so I can get her at home) I prefer traditional southern, low country, Cajun, country & soul food. I also like typical sea food places, the kind that serves a HUGE plate full of several types of breaded & deep fried fish, hush puppies, slaw, grits & choice of fries or baked potato.
Not every thing on my list of wishes has to be in downtown or in the historic district, I am more than willing to drive 25 to 30 miles or more just for dinner or even to go to work or shop. I have to do that now living here in WNC. I can not afford to live near an area where any restaurants or shops are.
I have been to Savannah MANY MANY times over the past 15 years, so I am well aware of SCAD & the impact the school has on the city. I am not looking to move there because I want to live somewhere that has a young, fresh or vibrant feel to it. I like Savannah because of the history, the architecture, true southern people who's roots run deep in the south. people who know what it means to be southern & are proud to be southern. (I am also southern, 9th generation born in Western NC, before that 2 generations born in North GA) I also want to live there because according to my research Savannah has a much higher pay scale & a MUCH lower cost of living compared to Asheville & all of WNC. The Balance between cost of living & pay in Savannah seems MUCH better than Asheville.
I would love to hear from any locals & by locals I mean native born southerners, people either born & raised in Savannah with family roots that run very deep in the south, Not even necessarily born & raised in Savannah but anywhere in the south with deep southern roots. I want to know if you type of people still think Savannah is just as southern as it has always been or have the resent influx of Yankee transplants started to diminish the southern feel of the town.
In Asheville, the locals & native southern people feel that Asheville has COMPLETELY lost every bit of its southern feel, we feel that Asheville has become a mix between San Francisco, Seattle, New York, New Jersey, Boston & Connecticut. That is where the majority of the transplants are from. Asheville has several nick names, one of them being "San Francisco of the south". To those "non" southern people who move here, they say that Asheville feels VERY southern to them, so it is a matter of perspective. So I want the perspective of someone who is a natural born southerner, their view of how southern the city still feels would be more similar to my perspective & expectations.
LOL. I like you because you think and pay attention to social details. I'm a native southerner and chose not to move to Asheville for many of the reasons you're fed up with it --too many transplants, too many stoners and young lost souls, and far, far too much traffic and congestion for a formerly pleasant mountain city. Makes me depressed.
Savannah works for me because both traditionalists and progressive types mix and mingle in many places and on many occasions. I'm not fond of ignorance from any perspective, be it from the right or from the left, but if the person is honest and can calmly defend his/her position whether it's verbally or from a choice of lifestyle, then it adds to the experience.
You obviously like food. Well, that's a big part of life here, particularly with the in-town crowd. Doesn't matter if it's upscale or other. Restaurateurs are keeping pace with both comfort food and cultural curiosity.
Water bills are higher than yours and electric is a little less depending on your comfort level. You'll find the summer heat difficult. Rent for a small house in a safe neighborhood will be between $750-1000. Fortunately, there are plenty of options close to the hospitals in some of the mid-century neighborhoods. You might even be able to bike to work.
Don't even bother with Savannah. Its cheaper, safer, cleaner, nicer, and better schools across the river in Beaufort County. And with all the foreclosures on the market housing is way less for newer construction. I commute to Savannah every day (its at the most 30 minutes with no traffic lights until you get to the city) and its way way better.
Also I always get a funny look when I tell people I work in Savannah and live in South Carolina. I can see in their mind the question "Can you do that?"
And I answer.. "yes thats why they built a bridge."
Trust me, you get all of Savannah without the hassles.
Don't even bother with Savannah. Its cheaper, safer, cleaner, nicer, and better schools across the river in Beaufort County. And with all the foreclosures on the market housing is way less for newer construction. I commute to Savannah every day (its at the most 30 minutes with no traffic lights until you get to the city) and its way way better.
Also I always get a funny look when I tell people I work in Savannah and live in South Carolina. I can see in their mind the question "Can you do that?"
And I answer.. "yes thats why they built a bridge."
Trust me, you get all of Savannah without the hassles.
I have been all over Savannah & I have visited Beauford MANY times, I like them both just the same, I personally think Savannah is just as nice & clean if not more so.
Like I said in an earlier post, I have no children so I could not possibly care less about the school systems anywhere in the entire US.
When it comes to housing I want a home that is over 70 years old. I have no desire what so ever to live in a newer construction home, to me they are nothing more than soulless boxes.
The only think that would completely change my mind instantly would be if the city became over ran by Yankee transplants just like Asheville has & no longer has a southern feel to it. In Asheville I can go days without hearing a southern accent unless I visit my family, I hear a NY & NJ accent more than any other.
What I want more than anything in the world is to live in a true southern town, full of southern people who's roots run very deep in the south, with southern values & southern people who love to eat southern food, then sit out on their front porch on a hot summer day with a big class of tea.
Have you considered Mobile, Alabama (I know this is the GA forum)? It sounds like what you're looking for, and there are four good sized hospitals (medical jobs are usually in high demand). Its just an hour away from Gulf Shores, and you can't get any better food than southern fried gulf snapper and shrimp po-boys, you can even get fried gator tail.
Have you considered Mobile, Alabama (I know this is the GA forum)? It sounds like what you're looking for, and there are four good sized hospitals (medical jobs are usually in high demand). Its just an hour away from Gulf Shores, and you can't get any better food than southern fried gulf snapper and shrimp po-boys, you can even get fried gator tail.
I have been to Mobile & Montgomery & I have no desire to ever live in Alabama. Nothing against it, just not my kind of place, not exactly the "southern" I relate to. I have found I relate better with Georgia natives.
You can get fried gator in Georgia, When ever I am in Valdosta I have to make a trip out to Ray City so I can eat at Rays Millpond, they have a dish they call the "swamp combo" fried catfish & gator.
Apparently a lot of you that have commented on this thread must be northern transplants, you don't seem to get what I am trying to get across. I am really hopping I can get the attention of natural born Georgians so I can get their view on Savannah
OK, here goes.....I am a native Savannahian. I won't tell you how long ago, but it's decades! The last time I went into the historic district and put my feet on the sidewalk was March 17, 1969. Our son was marching with the Jenkins High Band in the St Patricks Day Parade. We drive around and look at the flowers about every third spring. Other than that, I couldn't care if the entire historic district floated out to sea.
However, I LOVE living in Savannah. There is a lot more to it than the downtown bars and restaurants. There are areas that I wouldn't be comfortable in, but I think that it's a great place to live. I love the look of the Live Oak trees and camilleas, and azalaes. There's nothing like Savannah in the Spring. But I hate the heat and the humidity. I hate the local political scene. I hate opening up the morning paper to see that someone shot someone else because of some dumb arguement.
You need to come and stay long enough to see ALL of Savannah. Learn about what the long time residents think about it.
Yes, there is crime. It's bad in certain areas. Our families have lived here since the early 1900s. To my knowledge, no one has ever been a victim of a crime. It depends on where you live. There are good and bad places all over the place. You have to live here awhile to decide what's right for you.
It's Southern with a twist. We are a port city, and have always had many different types of people living here.
I don't think you could call it a typical southern city. It's different.
^^^ PADGETT2 I feel sorry for you. I have met other "native" Savannahians such as yourself and the bitterness and hatred for your city abounds. How could you say you love living in a place, yet have no regard for its historic heart -- so much so that you haven't visited since 1969? Which is an outright lie ... unless you've never served on a jury? Never attended a government meeting? Never been the guest at a wedding or funeral? Never walked on River Street or eaten at one of the many fine restaurants?). And your statement that you'd be fine if the Historic District drifted out to sea is the best example of cutting of your nose to spite your face I've ever heard!
THIS IS TRUE: If not for all the outsiders like myself who stumbled upon this city, discovered its charms and saved it from destruction, the place YOU call HOME would not exist.
^^^ PADGETT2 I feel sorry for you. I have met other "native" Savannahians such as yourself and the bitterness and hatred for your city abounds. How could you say you love living in a place, yet have no regard for its historic heart -- so much so that you haven't visited since 1969? Which is an outright lie ... unless you've never served on a jury? Never attended a government meeting? Never been the guest at a wedding or funeral? Never walked on River Street or eaten at one of the many fine restaurants?). And your statement that you'd be fine if the Historic District drifted out to sea is the best example of cutting of your nose to spite your face I've ever heard!
THIS IS TRUE: If not for all the outsiders like myself who stumbled upon this city, discovered its charms and saved it from destruction, the place YOU call HOME would not exist.
......"Which is an outright lie ... unless you've never served on a jury? Never attended a government meeting? Never been the guest at a wedding or funeral? Never walked on River Street or eaten at one of the many fine restaurants?)."
gee thanks! Nope, never served on a jury since then. Before, yes. There are other great churches outside of the historic district. Friends and family use them for weddings and funerals. I have no reason to attend those downtown, although I have sung in concerts in most of them and know what they look and sound like. They are Great!.
I have even lived and worked in the historic district.
I've walked on River Street, don't see a thing that can't be found elsewhere. I'm a good cook, I don't fancy paying a wad just to eat someone else's cooking. In fact, I remember when a lot of those great restaurants were rat infested, run down buildings. I don't think I could enjoy a meal in some of those places.. We prefer not having to look for parking when we do eat out.
There is much, much more to the Savannah area than the downtown historic district. And that "other Historic Savannah" is the part I love!
For starters, River Street wasn't restored until the 1970s -- Rousakis Plaza was opened in 1976! -- so the chance that you "walked" on River Street before then when it was an abandoned, muddy eyesore is HIGHLY doubtful. And the only way you could have avoided serving on a jury since 1969 is by NOT VOTING! My, what a fine upstanding citizen of Savannah you must be!
PS -- Let me guess that 1969 is when you abandoned the public schools like all the other "white" Christian families in Savannah? It's no coincidence that every private church-affiliated school in the city opened that year.
Admit it: You don't go downtown because you're scared of people different than you, right?
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)? It sounds like what you're looking for, and there are four good sized hospitals (medical jobs are usually in high demand). Its just an hour away from Gulf Shores, and you can't get any better food than southern fried gulf snapper and shrimp po-boys, you can even get fried gator tail. 
