Cant decide between Jax or Sav (Atlanta, Savannah: apartment, insurance, crime)

[AnonRose3]

I cant decide if I should move to Jacksonville FL or Savannah GA for the life of me. I have been doing non-stop research for a month, looking at youtube videos, browsing forums, reddit, you name it. Please let me know your opinions on which place you think I would like more or which place you liked more.

I will keep this brief - I am self employed, late 20s, no kids, single, my elderly dad will be moving with me because he has health issues.

I am an introvert. I like to party but only occasionally, I appreciate good bars, love going to restaurants, having good places to shop like outdoor malls is important to me, love going to parks, the farmers markets on saturdays, book stores, and coffee shops. I love yoga, not too big on sports except maybe surfing and rock climbing. I appreciate a good art/live music scene. Love the beach, that's a big priority to me. That's about it in terms of must-have hobbies and interests.

I have CPTSD, big urban cities stress me out, places like New York or Atlanta are way too hectic for me. I want somewhere I can feel safe in and also feel like I wont get lost in. Honestly, as long as I have a good neighborhood to live in and can go out and enjoy my little area of familiar favorites then I would be really happy.

I am aware both Sav and Jax have crime issues. I am also already aware that FL has no state tax. I know Jax has the Mayo Clinic. Jax is huge, kind of intimidating, everyone says it takes 30 mins to get anywhere. There's also way more people there so in terms of the dating scene, I may have better luck? Not sure how to feel about that. I dont want to get lost in such a big metro but I also wonder if I will feel like I have no anonymity if I live in Sav where everyone will know your face after a while.

I love the romantic look of Savannah and the square parks and the Forsyth Farmers Market looks amazing. Bugs are bigger and badder there though, and more tourists.
But I love the better beaches in Jax, and more shopping and activities, hate that everything is so spread out and such a mix match of good/bad areas.

I cannot afford to live near the beaches in Jax, so that's out. I would have to live more in-land. I was also looking at Pooler near Savannah which is more burbs. It seems like in both places, you have to be really careful about which neighborhood you pick because you can easily end up in a bad part which sucks.

Any other info is appreciated & also your own experiences! Thx

[gentlearts]

Not sure where you are getting your information.

Georgia bugs are the same as Florida bugs.
There are no unsafe places in Pooler, but it is “any town USA”, it could be a suburb anywhere.
Both Jacksonville and Savannah have tourists. To me, Savannah has 100% more charm than Jacksonville, and tourism creates a pulse that feels very festive.

We are retired and find the medical facilities in Savannah to be very good.

Only you can tell which place feels good on you.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by gentlearts

Not sure where you are getting your information.

Georgia bugs are the same as Florida bugs.
There are no unsafe places in Pooler, but it is “any town USA”, it could be a suburb anywhere.
Both Jacksonville and Savannah have tourists. To me, Savannah has 100% more charm than Jacksonville, and tourism creates a pulse that feels very festive.

We are retired and find the medical facilities in Savannah to be very good.

Only you can tell which place feels good on you.

Sure both cities have tourists but in Savannah, they are part of the city's demographic landscape as well as on the coast. They have much more of a regional presence and impact. In Jax, they are mainly limited to the beach towns and St. Augustine. Downtown Jacksonville is unfortunately a bit lackluster and it doesn't even have a modern convention center.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by AnonRose3

I cant decide if I should move to Jacksonville FL or Savannah GA for the life of me. I have been doing non-stop research for a month, looking at youtube videos, browsing forums, reddit, you name it. Please let me know your opinions on which place you think I would like more or which place you liked more.

I will keep this brief - I am self employed, late 20s, no kids, single, my elderly dad will be moving with me because he has health issues.

I am an introvert. I like to party but only occasionally, I appreciate good bars, love going to restaurants, having good places to shop like outdoor malls is important to me, love going to parks, the farmers markets on saturdays, book stores, and coffee shops. I love yoga, not too big on sports except maybe surfing and rock climbing. I appreciate a good art/live music scene. Love the beach, that's a big priority to me. That's about it in terms of must-have hobbies and interests.

I have CPTSD, big urban cities stress me out, places like New York or Atlanta are way too hectic for me. I want somewhere I can feel safe in and also feel like I wont get lost in. Honestly, as long as I have a good neighborhood to live in and can go out and enjoy my little area of familiar favorites then I would be really happy.

I am aware both Sav and Jax have crime issues. I am also already aware that FL has no state tax. I know Jax has the Mayo Clinic. Jax is huge, kind of intimidating, everyone says it takes 30 mins to get anywhere. There's also way more people there so in terms of the dating scene, I may have better luck? Not sure how to feel about that. I dont want to get lost in such a big metro but I also wonder if I will feel like I have no anonymity if I live in Sav where everyone will know your face after a while.

I love the romantic look of Savannah and the square parks and the Forsyth Farmers Market looks amazing. Bugs are bigger and badder there though, and more tourists.
But I love the better beaches in Jax, and more shopping and activities, hate that everything is so spread out and such a mix match of good/bad areas.

I cannot afford to live near the beaches in Jax, so that's out. I would have to live more in-land. I was also looking at Pooler near Savannah which is more burbs. It seems like in both places, you have to be really careful about which neighborhood you pick because you can easily end up in a bad part which sucks.

Any other info is appreciated & also your own experiences! Thx

Jax is a larger, more spread out metro area but your day to day life will most likely be confined to the part you live in and maybe a commercial cluster with a concentration of amenities. Unless their line of work requires it, very few people travel all across a 1M+ metro on a regular basis.

[bellhead]

Personally I would look at St. Augustine as it checks off quite a few boxes, about 45 minutes south of Jacksonville but a easy drive to the Mayo Clinic, better beaches, small thriving arts scene & good places to eat.

[Zach911]

OP you couldn't pay me any amount to live in Savannah due to the crime... but I'm from the Chatham/Effingham Co area and did spend a couple years about 10 years ago in Pooler prior to moving west.

Like the above poster said it's an "Anytown USA" but it was quite safe and conveniently located. I'd imagine it's only gotten better. I lived in the "Savannah Quarters" apartment homes which you can find via Google.

[gentlearts]

Originally Posted by Zach911

OP you couldn't pay me any amount to live in Savannah due to the crime... but I'm from the Chatham/Effingham Co area and did spend a couple years about 10 years ago in Pooler prior to moving west.

Like the above poster said it's an "Anytown USA" but it was quite safe and conveniently located. I'd imagine it's only gotten better. I lived in the "Savannah Quarters" apartment homes which you can find via Google.

Pooler, ten years ago when we moved here, is not the current Pooler. Neither is the crime in Savannah. The pluses in Pooler are the independent fire, police, and water, sewer, taxes, trash services, and that they are NOT tied to Savannah politics.

Pooler is working towards its own identity. It has growing pains, but it’s doing ok.

[engineman]

I lived in Jax some decades ago and have visited Savannah many times. The feeling I have is that Jax is much more a commercial city than Savannah. Jax is a large port, has a large Navy presence and many insurance companies there.

St Augustine, a short distance south of Jax is a much smaller city. We have enjoyed visiting the Historic district many many times.

We have lived in Florida for 33 years and have found we prefer the west central gulf coast.

[SCGAFL]

Between Jax & Savannah, the winner by a mile is Jacksonville.

Jax is more of a conglomeration of small towns forced together into a city, and that's exactly how it came about when consolidation took hold in 1968. It's very much the same way now: San Marco, Jax Beach, Mandarin, Westside, Neptune Beach, etc. It also feels like this. Sure there is traffic but it's really not bad.

The medical facilities are far more numerous and far more capable than anything in Savannah. Of course you have the Mayo Clinic, but you also have great facilities with Baptist and St. Vincents medical centers. You also have the a training and research hospital at Shands on the northside.

No state tax, cheaper electricity and reasonable housing prices add to the attractiveness of Jacksonville. Plus you're 30 mins from St. Augustine and 2 hours from Orlando. I am concerned that you mentioned being self employed, yet finding the Jax beaches too expensive....what do you do? May need to up your game or find something new to do?

[UptwnRsdnt]

I grew up in Savannah, and go back often, while I lived in JAX in my 20s, and have been back a few times since then. Over the past ten years, Savannah has really upped its game and profile nationally when it comes to dining/bars in a way I don't think JAX has. It also has the charm and character that JAX does not have. That being said, there are areas of JAX like San Marco and Riverside that are real neighborhoods, as opposed to the sprawling surburbia that the rest of JAX is.

If you like outdoor malls, Savannah has the outlets in Pooler, Hilton Head, and a true downtown that you can walk around, explore, shop. JAX has outdoor malls, strips malls galore, but downtown is really just a shell of a city. Savannah's parks in the city are more charming, but JAX has a big park system, zoo, etc.

Regarding arts/music, Savannah punches above its weight with its museums, galleries and of course SCAD, and has plenty of great music festivals, i.e. Savannah Music Festival, Jazz Festival, Stopover, etc. I was surprised by the scene in JAX when I lived there, because the colleges have better music programs, which feed the scene...

When I lived in JAX, I lived a bit inland from the beach off of Beach Blvd, and it was a quick drive from the beach, but it was just suburban sprawl anywhere USA. I think you could find a neighborhood with nice character in Savannah, and still be close enough to the beach.