Savannah, we need your advice on finding the right neighborhood for us! (Wilmington Island: crime, home)
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Hello! Great information!
I love all of the bike trails you speak of and by contrast, when I look at Google satellite maps, Pooler has very few which as a new community, I find surprising and disappointing. Hoping the satellite maps are outdated and trails have been built since image was taken. Not a big fan of being trapped in a car culture with no options. It all evens out. I noticed the Landings has a Part-time resident membership which, since we'll keep the NYC house, might work for us. Really pretty. I could imagine a lifestyle that is tranquil and outdoorsy. Can't wait!
Also, thank you everyone for the eye-opener on Savannah Quarters. I was so surprised when I narrowed in on the development last night. I never knew! Plus, it's all new and clean and there's a Publix (yahoo!) Again, a real contender! The choices are expanding and I thought this process would narrow things down. Looks like a road trip is in the works. Probably the best.
Thank you, everyone! I bet you all wish things would stop growing and we'd all stay away. ha! Like getting off of Hilton Head Island on a Sunday afternoon, the roads and sub-urban sprawl is getting out of hand? I've been in some cities where there is just too much traffic on too few roads. Just came back from my run through Central Park, Tropical Storm Fay is closing in on the city. A few rain drops started falling as I approached our building. Did SAV get hit by the storm? As I recall, with or without a tropical storm, your area gets a heavy rain just about every day in the summer, doesn't it? OK, thanks for stopping in.
If you plan on keeping your NYC property then then landings is probably exactly what you are looking for. There are quite a few retirees from the city who live there & pre-covid, there were several flights a day out of JFK to Savannah. You could leave your apartment at 6am & be in your house in the landings for lunch.
A few thoughts..
Savannah historic district[...] is probably the least safe place of those you mention. Compared to New York, though, it’s fine.
This crack -- based on pure mythology and a self-acknowledged conservative worldview -- can't pass without a comment. It's especially egregious coming from one who doesn't live in New York, spent their childhood in New England, and fairly recently retired to Savannah from the Midwest.
I grew up in Savannah and visit it regularly from NYC. Savannah's Historic District is much riskier than most New York neighborhoods today (outside of notorious areas such as East Brownsville, Brooklyn). So are vast swaths of east Savannah, southside Savannah, and other areas within the city limits. The NYC subway, which I now ride in mostly empty cars and platforms, is safer. Several southside Savannah neighborhoods where I grew up have been the scene of simply heinous crimes since the the 1990s, and today my Savannah relatives won't venture there in their cars to see our childhood homes. These are older folks who will go most everywhere in New York, on foot and unarmed, when they visit me. Many areas within Savannah's city limits are less safe. Bottom line: Please address what you know and can compare. Leave personal politics out of it.
Last edited by masonbauknight; 07-10-2020 at 09:45 AM..
Hello Mason,
Thank you for coming to the aid of New York City. It is a city that everyone feels free to criticize, it's always been this way and NYC can handle it. I don't think Gentlearts meant anything by the comment and has been very helpful. We all remember the NYC of the bad old days. The 70's, the 80's and even early 90's when there were 2,000 murders a year, crime, dirt and graffiti everywhere. Remember Death Wish?
In the last two months, we've all seen the images of the rioting, the burning, the looting, the shootings and the deaths. Like flipping a switch, the city has admittedly taken a turn for the worse.
And the truth is, for decades we have lived in Manhattan and felt totally safe. And if you're here as I am, you know how things have changed. On the heels of coronavirus, people are leaving the city in droves, going to the Hamptons, the Hudson Valley and well beyond. In a city that is majority renters, over 25% have not paid their rent for several months. That's residential, commercial is much worse. The tax base is declining, services will be cut and I fear the crime will worsen. Sad, sad sad, that black people are dying here everyday and no one says a peep about it.
It is also a travesty what this mayor and city council have done to NYC. It'll take years to repair the damage. Since we're personally looking at a change, I have appreciated the most welcome advice from the poster's here.
As for Savannah, it is a sad reality as to what is occurring in some of the downtown neighborhoods. But that trend has been happening for a while and in this political climate, I don't know when things will turn around. We feel very fortunate to have some of the posters on here informing us of some very nice options. And in further support of your main point, there are many cities in America that have had a much higher crime rate than New York. But as I said, everything has been turned upside down.
Hello Mason,
Thank you for coming to the aid of New York City. It is a city that everyone feels free to criticize, it's always been this way and NYC can handle it. I don't think Gentlearts meant anything by the comment and has been very helpful. We all remember the NYC of the bad old days. The 70's, the 80's and even early 90's when there were 2,000 murders a year, crime, dirt and graffiti everywhere. Remember Death Wish?
In the last two months, we've all seen the images of the rioting, the burning, the looting, the shootings and the deaths. Like flipping a switch, the city has admittedly taken a turn for the worse.
And the truth is, for decades we have lived in Manhattan and felt totally safe. And if you're here as I am, you know how things have changed. On the heels of coronavirus, people are leaving the city in droves, going to the Hamptons, the Hudson Valley and well beyond. In a city that is majority renters, over 25% have not paid their rent for several months. That's residential, commercial is much worse. The tax base is declining, services will be cut and I fear the crime will worsen. Sad, sad sad, that black people are dying here everyday and no one says a peep about it.
It is also a travesty what this mayor and city council have done to NYC. It'll take years to repair the damage. Since we're personally looking at a change, I have appreciated the most welcome advice from the poster's here.
As for Savannah, it is a sad reality as to what is occurring in some of the downtown neighborhoods. But that trend has been happening for a while and in this political climate, I don't know when things will turn around. We feel very fortunate to have some of the posters on here informing us of some very nice options. And in further support of your main point, there are many cities in America that have had a much higher crime rate than New York. But as I said, everything has been turned upside down.
I totally agree with you that life here in NYC has been hard since March 10. Still, I won't let comments from others pass that wish to make out the Savannah Historic District as safer than Murray Hill, Midtown, the West Side, Chinatown, or most of Brooklyn or Queens. Many City of Savannah neighborhoods, including the HD, are simply not as safe, at any hour. The four suburban/exurban communities outside Savannah you mentioned in your OP are safe, of course, and other posters are right: the main concern there is how much commuting you both want to do for work and fun. For day-to-day living, though, Savannah within the city limits is less safe (and sometimes considerably less safe) than a good bit of New York City today.
Last edited by masonbauknight; 07-10-2020 at 11:17 AM..
This crack -- based on pure mythology and a self-acknowledged conservative worldview -- can't pass without a comment. It's especially egregious coming from one who doesn't live in New York, spent their childhood in New England, and fairly recently retired to Savannah from the Midwest.
I grew up in Savannah and visit it regularly from NYC. Savannah's Historic District is much riskier than most New York neighborhoods today (outside of notorious areas such as East Brownsville, Brooklyn). So are vast swaths of east Savannah, southside Savannah, and other areas within the city limits. The NYC subway, which I now ride in mostly empty cars and platforms, is safer. Several southside Savannah neighborhoods where I grew up have been the scene of simply heinous crimes since the the 1990s, and today my Savannah relatives won't venture there in their cars to see our childhood homes. These are older folks who will go most everywhere in New York, on foot and unarmed, when they visit me. Many areas within Savannah's city limits are less safe. Bottom line: Please address what you know and can compare. Leave personal politics out of it.
This “crack“ is based on what the OP said in her post, not my opinion.
“We also put an emphasis on low crime rate. Over the last two months, the shootings in NYC have skyrocketed. First the pandemic. Then the anti-police movement has led to hundreds of NYPD officers leaving the city, so lawlessness is on the rise. After 20,000+ city residents died from Covid, hundreds more have been killed in shootings. Who needs it! Especially sad as "my" NYC may never make a comeback.“
Gentlearts,
I completely understood your comment and took no offense at it.
It's all good, no harm, no foul.
Everyone, everywhere (perhaps especially NY because of its size and density) is on edge and worn out. We're definitely ready to come on down, I hope you all stay healthy as your Covid-19 numbers are climbing.
No politics, please, just wear your mask and wash your hands. ;(
This “crack“ is based on what the OP said in her post, not my opinion.
The shootings in NYC have skyrocketed. First the pandemic. Then the anti-police movement has led to hundreds of NYPD officers leaving the city, so lawlessness is on the rise. After 20,000+ city residents died from Covid, hundreds more have been killed in shootings. Who needs it! Especially sad as "my" NYC may never make a comeback.“
Your comparison to the HD was a crack. The sad reality of so much of Savannah: violent crime, severe poverty and inequality, a deep racial divide (even with Savannah's conciliatory Brooklyn-born black mayor) and drug activity. The OP doesn't need "it" either, but it must be part of any discussion. Suggesting that a middle-class Manhattan resident will find the Sav'h HD safer is false. It's got serious problems -- even after Covid, NYC street protests, a recent spike in homicides, and the damage to Macy's (which has since reopened).
Last edited by masonbauknight; 07-10-2020 at 01:08 PM..
Just to weigh in (my grandparents lived in Ardsley Park for 40 years until their deaths, and my dad went to Savannah High) if you want Savannah, you probably don't want Bluffton or Beaufort. I lived in Beaufort for several years and love SC too, but it's certainly not part of Savannah or much like Savannah. I also cannot see the appeal of Pooler, but maybe I just haven't spent enough time there. I think the islands would suit you, or maybe Isle of Hope?
We recently bought a 2nd home at The Landings on Skidaway (domiciled in Portsmouth, NH). Chose The Landings primarily because, unlike the Bluffton gated communities, club membership is not required of homeowners and you can get a 4 month membership there. Also, The Landings is not high density or cookie cutter housing unlike many of the Charleston sub-divisions. Further, Charleston has become overcrowded as many northern families are moving there to work either remotely or in their emerging tech industry.
Another plus factor for Savannah is significantly cheaper housing costs as compared to Charleston. My take on the reason for that is that Savannah has a much higher percentage of people living under the poverty line, the crime rate is higher (the latter not a concern as the vast majority of crime occurs in neighborhoods you would never visit) and, unlike Mt. Pleasant, Daniel, James and Johns Islands (Charleston suburbs), the public schools have a high percentage of students on free and reduced lunch which many northerners use as a barometer to judge the quality of education.
Re: insurance costs: Most of Skidaway is not in a AE flood zone, meaning flood insurance would not be required by the mortgage underwriter. Still, home insurance on Skidaway is about twice what we pay in NH due to the frequency of hurricanes.
Re: property taxes: The mil rate in Savannah (Chatham County) is approximately 13 vs 5 for the Charleston area. However, if you are not domiciled in SC the mil rate is about 15 as SC uses property taxes on 2nd homes to pay for their schools (how's that for a shake down?).
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