Savannah - A Tale of Two Cities (Forsyth, Tybee Island: low income, home)

[Port Pitt Ash]

So I finally managed to make the trip down to Savannah (only 6 months late!) and I have to say more so than any other city of its size it makes itself very clear to you very quickly.

Basically Savannah is just like any other southern city of its size in SC/GA with an added Historic District and nearby beach.

On the one hand for the vast number of people who call the area home it is not a good place to live at all. Cookie cutter, projects/low income housing (albeit clean and maintained), ho hum development, and so forth.

But on the other hand if you have the money to live in or near the Historic District (or out at the beach) it’s a storybook lifestyle.

Divisions by class & money seem alive and (unfortunately) well.

The People:

Basically you have:

* Tourists.
* Businessmen.
* SCAD students.
* Drifters of the gutter punk/crust punk type.
* Locals (both black & white with other minorities underrepresented).

Just about everyone was somewhat friendly saying hello and the locals followed the traditional southern ways (being addressed as Sir, manners, etc.) Even the tourists were friendly. Probably because the nature of the Historic District is so laid back and beautiful.

Diversity was a bit lacking. Mostly it was the tourists and SCAD students who crossed race/orientation boundaries. A lot of the black people I spoke with seemed overly friendly and a bit timid sort of like the servant mentality coupled with the fear that you might tell them their place at any moment.

SCAD students seemed on the whole a bit stuck up, which I suppose since they go to the equivalent of an Ivy League School for artists is understandable, but that they failed to recognize me as one of them despite lacking their alternative uniform/dress/hairstyle was depressing. Maybe it is just the mistakes of youth and a blanket resentment of tourists? I have no idea.

The business men seemed pissed off having to put up with the tourists. While the drifters of the type common to both places like Asheville/Portland were not as numerous and were mostly doing street performance.

Other white locals seemed to embrace more mainstream views (with one even proud that the city wasn’t big on microbrews) or were older.

Dating/Singles Scene:

As far as the women went a lot of them were on the plain side. The singles scene, while the city has many bars, seemed weak overall.

Mostly it was black or white with the most diversity being when talking about SCAD students. A lot of the tourists were older or families so even the typical touristy thing of having flings with tourists didn’t seem to apply.

The Savannah accent is a bit different from your typical southern accent. It made guys sound like your buddy, but removed the feminine aspect of the southern accent on a woman. A northern comparison might be a woman with a Jersey or Boston accent?

Also once night fell all these young black guys made their way into the city. Most of them were dressed in all black, which certainly wasn’t good for visibly when driving.

A lot of homeless looking people just started wandering around at night as well. The city became a bit spooky with all the Spanish moss oaks filtering the light and the cobblestone shadow-filled passageways. I loved the spooky atmosphere and can see why it’s said to be the most haunted city in the south.

Compared to Charleston I’d say the nice areas are nicer, but the areas outside of that were lousy, while Charleston’s were livable. Charleston has more beaches to choose from, but as far as quality the two cities seemed comparable. Charleston has largely eliminated the riff raft from downtown and the women are more attractive on the whole.

Unlike what other CD posters have suggested the comparison between Asheville and Savannah being on the same level, they aren’t. It’s not even close. However, Asheville's other positives outside of the city seemed better (nature mainly).

Overall...

It's an amazing city to visit, but as far as who would want to live there it’s a bit of a question mark. Those most likely to be able to afford living in the nice areas are probably going to find a deal breaker in the negatives of the city and those who are more willing to accept the risks/downsides can’t really afford the nice areas. Those people are probably likely to just go to New Orleans (assuming the spooky/ghost thing isn’t the main draw for them).

Personally I see it as a place to either fall in love with as a SCAD student (and then move after school) or as a place to retire for well-to-do (probably white, probably married), laid-back, heat loving folks who have a higher tolerance for riskier situations.

As such I'd love to go back and visit, maybe even stay for a few months, but will probably never call it home as it is in its current state.

Ah well, mark another off the relocation list.

[gastech]

Before I go out on a limb and accuse you of being a self important pompous ash, I would like to ask you...

...this contributes to Savannah and her citizens how??

[Port Pitt Ash]

Originally Posted by gastech

Before I go out on a limb and accuse you of being a self important pompous ash, I would like to ask you...

...this contributes to Savannah and her citizens how??

People have asked me for an update on my trip and I figured it would be best placed in the Savannah forum. I suppose it could fit under the General U.S. forum though.

Also thought the update was important as a general post since most of the info I got from other CD posters about the city before I went didn't really cover it/mostly sugarcoated it.

EDIT: It contributes under the headings of opinion, recommendations (I have more than 10 posts, thanks.), and is generally for people who are interested in visiting/relocation. It's not really for the citizens, but as a visitor it would be nice to hear from them on what (in their opinion) I got right/wrong.

[Newsboy]

Thanks fo sharing.

We'll try to make our women more acceptable to you in the future.

[Port Pitt Ash]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

We'll try to make our women more acceptable to you in the future.

You should know that people on CD ask about such things from time to time. Is is shallow? Absolutely. Doesn't change the fact that they still want to know. When the comparison is made with Charleston women (again, don't pretend like this isn't a comparison that gets made a lot) it's not even close. But then again there are many places that don't hold up with Charleston that are much larger all over the US. It's more of an outlier than anything else.

In the sense of fairness a lot of the guys were at about the same level. The main difference was more of the guys dressed nicely.

Obviously sloppy dress is nothing new for modern times, but a preconceived notion people have about southern ladies and gentlemen is they are more put together than other areas. I'd assume Hollywood is to blame here.

Anyway, I believe decisions can be better made by having the knowledge (both good and bad) to make the best decision possible. Obviously others prefer the "think happy thoughts" sunshine & rainbows approach (while ignoring the negative).

Side Note: Looking through the fountain in Forsyth Park at just the right angle on a sunny day literally allows you to see a rainbow.

[CoastalGAGuy]

Savannah is simply overrun with those who bring a peculiar desire to fuse what they idealize for the town (whatever it may be) beyond what they encounter, as if it could be made to change to their own will somehow. Naive hipsters EVERYWHERE. This place has its own accent for a fierce, but fading reason - that it's got something of an identity worth fighting to keep alive, despite its foibles and our historical reservations. But, it's a dying tongue, drowned by the chaotic harbinger that is the tourist apocalypse.

Personally, I think we'll both do better that you've decided to stay in Asheville, Port Pitt.

[J2rescue]

You lost me at "Savannah is just like any other southern city of its size".

[SavannahLife]

Originally Posted by J2rescue

You lost me at "Savannah is just like any other southern city of its size".

Mm right. Ladies here care not for what people in Charleston or Hollywood think we should be wearing. It's a woman's city, really. But Mr. Pitt, I hope you come back and dig deeper and enjoy your time. Also realize that Charleston with its adorably dressed ambiguously gay men with tight pink shorts with fish belts moved its poors to North Charleston (why you don't see them). As to the outskirts of our city..it's sea islands and countryside. I make no apologies for not wanting it to 'grow' too much or too fast. Not many places like the Georgia coast left. I also enjoy the infusion of 'hipsters'. The sport of our city seems to be art and I like this.

[pink caddy]

"Crossed off the list". Highlight of your rambling. Your writing reminded of one that has a book report due this afternoon and hasn't yet read the book.

[Port Pitt Ash]

Originally Posted by CoastalGAGuy

Savannah is simply overrun with those who bring a peculiar desire to fuse what they idealize for the town (whatever it may be) beyond what they encounter, as if it could be made to change to their own will somehow.

Personally, I think we'll both do better that you've decided to stay in Asheville, Port Pitt.

Well, when it comes to quality of life and justice issues, yeah, they should change for the better. As should anywhere, but I get what you're saying.

It's basically inferred that I haven't decided to stay in Asheville. Many of the same issues are also present in Asheville, but at least Savannah has its Historic District. Asheville has none of that in a downtown and the closest thing is probably Biltmore, which is something locals don't really go to much, and Grovepark Inn.

Originally Posted by J2rescue

You lost me at "Savannah is just like any other southern city of its size".

Outside of the Historic District and to a lesser extent Tybee Island. Unlike most I tend to explore beyond the usual places you'd be likely to find tourists. Hence the title. Savannah is like two cities.