Mass Tourism Has Ruined Savannah (Atlanta, Pooler: low crime, hotels, townhomes)

[CoastalGAGuy]

Originally Posted by masonbauknight

I'm "from here," but anyone who's honest -- like Gentle -- knows the Savannah College of Art and Design stabilized Savannah's downtown...

Honesty, as I said earlier, isn't really the question. The definition of "stabilized," however, absolutely is. If you think stability simply equals gentrification and an outsized tax base and nothing more, even at the expense of neighborhood and community, well then, yeah, we're clearly economically stable. At some point, success can be its own enemy. Selling our soul in the name of this brand of "stability" is kind of where we find ourselves today. If you like it, you might just live in Pooler.

[masonbauknight]

Originally Posted by CoastalGAGuy

Honesty, as I said earlier, isn't really the question. The definition of "stabilized," however, absolutely is. If you think stability simply equals gentrification and an outsized tax base and nothing more, even at the expense of neighborhood and community, well then, yeah, we're clearly economically stable. At some point, success can be its own enemy. Selling our soul in the name of this brand of "stability" is kind of where we find ourselves today. If you like it, you might just live in Pooler.

I never said it was all good, CG, and some of it is LOUSY. But Savannah is like many other booming cities that are partly booming because of their special attractions. Victims of their own success? Probably true, but they're also not Columbus or Montgomery. Plus, many older townies like me remember the dirty, decayed backwater Savannah of yore and prefer the current one any day. But it is more crowded and expensive. The city council will have to address (and crack down on) QoL issues. As Charleston SC, Newport RI, and Santa Fe NM all had to do.

[CampinMom]

I totally get what the OP said. I work part time in the trolley industry. I’ve had some pretty drunk wedding folks puking on my vehicle and they’ve gone to lavish weddings downtown to boot. These are the local upper crust for a few of these weddings and honestly they behave just as badly as tourists. I’ve seen places thrive after locals put in the effort to revitalize their cities. It goes great for a while then it sometimes takes a different turn. Not sure there really is an answer to rein it in again, keep businesses a float and promote the city as a scenic/historical destination. But I don’t believe that anyone wants what Savannah was in the 70’s again. Just a better balance between visitors and those who call it home.

[beach43ofus]

“If you go to Atlanta, the first question people ask you is, "What's your business?"

In Macon they ask, "Where do you go to church?"

In Augusta they ask your grandmother's maiden name.

But in Savannah the first question people ask you is "What would you like to drink?”

― John Berendt, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

The tourists are not the only ones drinking to excess...Savannah has been known for drinking for a long time.

[njkate]

Just about any tourist town has the same issues. Have you been to Nashville lately? It's like one huge frat party. Gatlinburg so crowded you can't move but at least the bars and Honky Tonks are at a minimum in Gatlinburg.

I avoid downtown on weekends, go during the week, not as crowded.

Savannah needs to focus on crime, shootings and guns, even the historic district has problems with this or we will become New Orleans East.

[JMatl]

Originally Posted by beach43ofus

“If you go to Atlanta, the first question people ask you is, "What's your business?"

In Macon they ask, "Where do you go to church?"

In Augusta they ask your grandmother's maiden name.

But in Savannah the first question people ask you is "What would you like to drink?”

― John Berendt, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

The tourists are not the only ones drinking to excess...Savannah has been known for drinking for a long time.

Isn't Savannah just a little too Black for your sensibilities? If Gwinnett is no longer safe according to you, you're going to be clutching your wife's pearls in Savannah.

[WanderingImport]

Been around since 91 and I love how vibrant the city is now. I also drive part time and see firsthand who’s coming downtown. Yes, it’s a butt load of tourists, but to say no locals are coming downtown is just plain silly and untrue. I, myself come downtown probably every day or every other day just to walk from Forsyth Park to the river and it never gets old.
Sure, some of the tourists can be annoying as well as the walking tours taking up sidewalks and squares, but it comes with the territory.
I can’t wait to see what happens over by the arena in the next 10-20 years. It’ll be a whole different place and an extension of downtown.
Really, what needs to happen is planning for smart growth. Increasing density downtown and surrounding areas (we’re a growing city, not a museum) and not adding to the traffic and sprawl problem. Pooler traffic sucks for a small town. More focus on old Pooler and creating a town center in places like Richmond Hill, Rincon and Bloomingdale.

[masonbauknight]

Originally Posted by WanderingImport

Been around since 91 and I love how vibrant the city is now. I also drive part time and see firsthand who’s coming downtown. Yes, it’s a butt load of tourists, but to say no locals are coming downtown is just plain silly and untrue. I, myself come downtown probably every day or every other day just to walk from Forsyth Park to the river and it never gets old.
Sure, some of the tourists can be annoying as well as the walking tours taking up sidewalks and squares, but it comes with the territory.
I can’t wait to see what happens over by the arena in the next 10-20 years. It’ll be a whole different place and an extension of downtown.
Really, what needs to happen is planning for smart growth. Increasing density downtown and surrounding areas (we’re a growing city, not a museum) and not adding to the traffic and sprawl problem. Pooler traffic sucks for a small town. More focus on old Pooler and creating a town center in places like Richmond Hill, Rincon and Bloomingdale.

Good points, Wandering. With metro Savannah at twice the population (410,000 in new 2021 US Census estimate) as several decades ago (204,000 in the '70s), more noise, traffic, and public nuisances do come with the territory. And CampingMom is right: some of the nuisances are local. But there's been a big inflow of new residents and visitors just since 2010. No other GA city has changed so much in so little time. If I still lived in town, I'd make your same walk from Forsyth to River St. every day. Downtown Savannah (and much of midtown) is stunning.

[MadManofBethesda]

Originally Posted by masonbauknight

Good points, Wandering. With metro Savannah at twice the population (410,000 in new 2021 US Census estimate) as several decades ago (204,000 in the '70s), more noise, traffic, and public nuisances do come with the territory. And CampingMom is right: some of the nuisances are local. But there's been a big inflow of new residents and visitors just since 2010. No other GA city has changed so much in so little time. If I still lived in town, I'd make your same walk from Forsyth to River St. every day. Downtown Savannah (and much of midtown) is stunning.

Yes, it is.

My wife and I have been here since December, renting a townhouse on Gordon St. across from the Mercer-Williams House and a block north of Forsyth Park. I would venture to guess that the cumulative 120+ days we've been living in the Historic District is more time than many residents in other areas of Savannah have spent visiting this area over the years. In fact, we hear that a lot from residents; "Oh, we don't go downtown; it's too crazy and full of tourists."

So even though we've only been here a short time, I think I'm still qualified to opine about the tourists in the Historic District. I think the OP is being hyperbolic. Oh sure, River Street and City Market can get crowded and boisterous, especially on weekends, but there aren't hordes of drunken tourists overrunning the city, imo. And while we're walking through the squares, we sometimes have to walk around the tour groups; but again, it's not much of an imposition and it's nothing really to complain about.

My wife and I have visited over the years, and while Savannah is definitely more crowded than it used to be, it's definitely not a "cesspool of debauched tourism." For examples of that, check out Las Vegas, South Beach in Miami, or countless other tourism-centric cities.

Historic Savannah is nothing like those cities and is still as lovely as ever. In fact, we like it so much that we bought a house here (albeit not downtown, although we tried).

[ajc100890]

Chiming in as another native Savannahian who goes Downtown...

We didn't in the 90s as much. Ten years earlier, as one of the posters mentioned, my parents worked on Johnson Square. My mom shopped at Fines and Globe Shoe during her lunch break. She remembers Paula Deen selling sandwiches out of a wicker basket in Johnson Square at lunch. After my parents took jobs in Georgetown and Garden City (c. 1992), we stopped going downtown as much. We still went to River Street, my mom and aunt still had lunch at The Windows in the Hyatt, but we didn't go to Broughton Street.

In 2000, the Gap opened its then third location in Savannah, Banana Republic relocated from Savannah Mall, and Starbucks open its first Savannah location. All of a sudden Broughton Street was popular again. We opted to go to the shops on Broughton and less and less went to the malls on the Southside.

A lot of locals complain about parking downtown. Of course, if you're trying to get a parallel spot on Broughton that's going to be a struggle. Go to the Jefferson garage or even the Whitaker garage and there is ample parking. Further south of Oglethorpe, on street parking is typically easy to find.

Is SCAD the ultimate villain? No. As the article from the SMN pointed out, SCAD could do something like Harvard or Yale did. Those institutions make annual payments to compensate for municipal services. However, if that's the expectation, Georgia Southern and Savannah State should be expected to do the same thing.

Was SCAD the ultimate impetus for gentrification and lack of affordable housing in Savannah? No. The creation of Historic Savannah Foundation, the saving of the Davenport House, the renovation of River Street, Jim Williams shooting Danny Hansford, John Berendt writing the book, Forrest Gump sitting in Chippewa Square, and Paula Deen's restaurants have all contributed. Television, film, social media... they've all made it substantially easier to read and see Savannah.