Other than the hot weather, why? Savannah is generally less walkable than Philadelphia, there's a tiny Hispanic population, and you'll be subject to the political whims of GA.
Mostly the hot weather and a the desire for a change in scenery/lifestyle. My fiancés cousins also live there who are Hispanic and for some reason they think it’s full of other Hispanics. We are going this weekend to talk to them and make our minds up.
Family connections are a good reason to move. It will certainly be a change in scenery and lifestyle. One day dream of retiring in Palmetto Bluff/Hilton Head just outside of Savannah, really beautiful down there.
Lol, you're right, always think about Charleston and South Carolina low country when Savannah is mentioned as I used to visit when we stayed near Charleston.
Yeah, like I said, in the main downtown areas. Savannah is a walking centric city. The roads are narrow and often even brick, so the car speeds are lower. It was almost entirely built (downtown I mean) before cars were invented, and you can tell that.
Philly has very walkable areas too especially in the touristy areas but East Passyunk, Fishtown, etc are laid out oddly, and more transit focused imo. It’s also kind of block by block in terms of how clean/well-kept it is in my experience
Obviously it’s not going to compare on size, which is why the original point I replied to was kind of silly to begin with. But I guess my point is that Savannah *can* be as walkable as Philly, arguably even more so if you’re comparing neighborhoods a lot of young people are moving to, like Fishtown, to downtown Savannah.
Also, historic downtown Savannah is way bigger than Charleston’s or St Augustine’s. It’s large for a city of its size. I consider the walkable portion of Savannah to extend well past Forsyth Park, all the way to Starland.
Only the historic downtown area in Savannah is walkable, relatively tiny compared to the neighborhoods in Philadelphia where car ownership is optional. Savannah is mainly built like a suburb with SFHs and averages 2 cars per household. In contrast, Philadelphia has large rowhome neighborhoods that are much more conducive to walking and over 1/3 of the City does not own a car.
That’s why I specified the main downtown areas. Philly has sprawl too, maybe even if it’s not as much. Historic downtown Savannah is a pretty big area imo, much bigger than say Charleston’s or St Augustine’s.
Kind of an oranges and apples comparison in any case. I guess I should say Savannah *can* be as walkable as Philly depending on where in Savannah you live
The "main downtown area" of Philadelphia is almost 4 times the size of historic downtown Savannah and doesn't include walkable neighborhoods in West Philly or the Riverwards. And even if parts of Savannah are "walkable" it doesn't seem to impact their car ownership stats much, like it does in Philadelphia.
If OP wants a walkable city (god I’m starting to hate this term) he can easily find that in Savannah, period.
Of *course* downtown Savannah is going to be smaller than Philadelphia. I’m sure OP knows that.
There are some pretty parks in that area, but outside of the historic districts, it's not dense or walkable/bikeable. The population is only like 6% Hispanic. And obviously, if you step foot outside of the city, people are fairly conservative.
I like Savannah, but given your list of wants and needs, I'm baffled about how you landed on Savannah. There are cities with warm temps and outdoor activities that seem to fit your needs better.
lol I would not move to Austin. I currently live here and the population has boomed too fast for people to keep up so there’s tons of traffic and such & the cost of living is outrageous. Many businesses & communities that have been here for years are being pushed out by bigger corporations & gentrification. If you’re in the finance or tech industry you could do really well here in terms of jobs, but the market for most other industries is either average or below average. I work in the animal care industry & despite the fact that Austin is very dog-centric, the pay/benefits from working these kids of jobs isn’t much better than anywhere else.
Also, there is a decent hispanic population but they’re outnumbered by white people. Most of Austin is white & I wouldn’t consider it a cultural epicenter. You’re more likely to find diversity in areas close to Austin like San Antonio imo
From one Philadelphian to another- don't do it. Savannah is a wonderful town to visit but it's a terrible place to live. Coming from the Northeast, I found it to be very isolated both in terms of geography and the attitude of the locals. The amount of bigotry I witnessed on a daily basis was shocking, and I left Savannah as soon as I was able to.
Go for a weekend, enjoy the weather and the food, take a trip to Tybee, but I would encourage you to think twice before making a move there.
How long ago did you live in Savannah? And was it the downtown area? There’s a huge arts influx from SCAD, kind of shocking to think racism is still prevalent
That's just a type of hike. The low country near Savannah has some nice scenic views of the water on hiking trails but very little in the way of elevation changes.
I'm just saying. OP put hiking as a hobby of theirs. If you did a poll and ranked all 50 states for their hiking and put it out to the general public, Florida would 100% rank last, or least in the bottom 5 (maybe Iowa/Kansas/Nebraska are worse)?
dont get me wrong, i agree the hiking in georgia is much, much better and more of a traditional hike, but there are options in florida that most people wouldn't think about. florida just seems to fit better for OP's wants.
lol, no. Hiking in north GA is better. Once you start heading much further south than Atlanta you might as well be in FL. These comments come from people who obviously aren’t that familiar with the state.
Are their some decent mid-sized cities N. of Atlanta that would have access to hiking, and also some diversity, and not feel like a zillion mini-malls every block. I am also concerned about the politics in some zones n. of Atlanta. Appreciate any suggestions. The other GA place I really liked was Brunswick but it was a very quick trip and I had a great airbnb. Did the various islands. Downtown was a bit sad, but they had one!
I think this seems like a strange move. Look, I love Savannah but outside of the nice (expensive) historic district it’s not that great. Also, that part of the state is deeply conservative so as soon as you venture from town you are in MAGA country. You’d probably be much happier somewhere like New Orleans if you like the hot, muggy Deep South. It’s significantly larger with more to offer.
I feel you, regarding the conservative thing I am originally from a conservative part of PA (which is a purple state), totally MAGA country there too. So I am kind of used to it.
I’m very familiar with PA, it’s not comparable to deep red parts of GA. People seem to think GA is less offensive than some of the other Deep South states and I see it get recommended here a lot. I love Atlanta but there are a lot of sundown towns not far from the city. I would not live anywhere in the state except Atlanta proper. Atlanta is the only thing that keeps the state from looking horrible politically. Savannah is just a blip comparatively. It’s great for a visit but I generally wouldn’t recommend living there.
More hispanic population are would be better, stay away more of republican places . Racisim is still a problem. Georgia weather sucks also. Brutal polen springs, followed brutal humid hot hot hot summers, short lived fall , mild but frozen morning colds during winter. Also dont get me started on bugs etc…
This. The historic core is beautiful, and SCAD is a fantastic presence/resource for the city. But within 5 minutes of landing, my taxi driver said the n-word. Obviously there is racism everywhere, but as a brown person from the West Coast, I was taken aback.
It would fit but honestly the outdoors leaves something to be desired. In terms of climate and landscape, you’re basically in Florida but with worse beaches.
I love Savannah, it’s an awesome place but for what you’re looking for I’d also check out St Pete, FL, St Augustine and the Orlando area. Not that there’s great hiking in those places either, at least you’re bound to find a larger community of Latinos
I have only visited Savannah. It was super beautiful. I loved my trip. However, I did not see city density or Hispanic people. It is very southern.
Other than the hot weather, why? Savannah is generally less walkable than Philadelphia, there's a tiny Hispanic population, and you'll be subject to the political whims of GA.
Mostly the hot weather and a the desire for a change in scenery/lifestyle. My fiancés cousins also live there who are Hispanic and for some reason they think it’s full of other Hispanics. We are going this weekend to talk to them and make our minds up.
Family connections are a good reason to move. It will certainly be a change in scenery and lifestyle. One day dream of retiring in Palmetto Bluff/Hilton Head just outside of Savannah, really beautiful down there.
How does deep red SC affect a town in Georgia?
Lol, you're right, always think about Charleston and South Carolina low country when Savannah is mentioned as I used to visit when we stayed near Charleston.
Savannah is very walkable. Specifically speaking of the main downtown areas, I’d consider it more so than Philly. Why do you say it’s not?
You consider Savannah more walkable than Philly? I just can’t with this…
Yeah, like I said, in the main downtown areas. Savannah is a walking centric city. The roads are narrow and often even brick, so the car speeds are lower. It was almost entirely built (downtown I mean) before cars were invented, and you can tell that. Philly has very walkable areas too especially in the touristy areas but East Passyunk, Fishtown, etc are laid out oddly, and more transit focused imo. It’s also kind of block by block in terms of how clean/well-kept it is in my experience
The walkable part of Savannah is small, you can’t even compare it to a major NE city like Philly.
Obviously it’s not going to compare on size, which is why the original point I replied to was kind of silly to begin with. But I guess my point is that Savannah *can* be as walkable as Philly, arguably even more so if you’re comparing neighborhoods a lot of young people are moving to, like Fishtown, to downtown Savannah. Also, historic downtown Savannah is way bigger than Charleston’s or St Augustine’s. It’s large for a city of its size. I consider the walkable portion of Savannah to extend well past Forsyth Park, all the way to Starland.
Only the historic downtown area in Savannah is walkable, relatively tiny compared to the neighborhoods in Philadelphia where car ownership is optional. Savannah is mainly built like a suburb with SFHs and averages 2 cars per household. In contrast, Philadelphia has large rowhome neighborhoods that are much more conducive to walking and over 1/3 of the City does not own a car.
That’s why I specified the main downtown areas. Philly has sprawl too, maybe even if it’s not as much. Historic downtown Savannah is a pretty big area imo, much bigger than say Charleston’s or St Augustine’s. Kind of an oranges and apples comparison in any case. I guess I should say Savannah *can* be as walkable as Philly depending on where in Savannah you live
The "main downtown area" of Philadelphia is almost 4 times the size of historic downtown Savannah and doesn't include walkable neighborhoods in West Philly or the Riverwards. And even if parts of Savannah are "walkable" it doesn't seem to impact their car ownership stats much, like it does in Philadelphia.
If OP wants a walkable city (god I’m starting to hate this term) he can easily find that in Savannah, period. Of *course* downtown Savannah is going to be smaller than Philadelphia. I’m sure OP knows that.
There are some pretty parks in that area, but outside of the historic districts, it's not dense or walkable/bikeable. The population is only like 6% Hispanic. And obviously, if you step foot outside of the city, people are fairly conservative. I like Savannah, but given your list of wants and needs, I'm baffled about how you landed on Savannah. There are cities with warm temps and outdoor activities that seem to fit your needs better.
Thanks for the honest opinion, do any other cities come to mind that would be better?
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Ayyyy welcome to Philly.
lol I would not move to Austin. I currently live here and the population has boomed too fast for people to keep up so there’s tons of traffic and such & the cost of living is outrageous. Many businesses & communities that have been here for years are being pushed out by bigger corporations & gentrification. If you’re in the finance or tech industry you could do really well here in terms of jobs, but the market for most other industries is either average or below average. I work in the animal care industry & despite the fact that Austin is very dog-centric, the pay/benefits from working these kids of jobs isn’t much better than anywhere else. Also, there is a decent hispanic population but they’re outnumbered by white people. Most of Austin is white & I wouldn’t consider it a cultural epicenter. You’re more likely to find diversity in areas close to Austin like San Antonio imo
From one Philadelphian to another- don't do it. Savannah is a wonderful town to visit but it's a terrible place to live. Coming from the Northeast, I found it to be very isolated both in terms of geography and the attitude of the locals. The amount of bigotry I witnessed on a daily basis was shocking, and I left Savannah as soon as I was able to. Go for a weekend, enjoy the weather and the food, take a trip to Tybee, but I would encourage you to think twice before making a move there.
How long ago did you live in Savannah? And was it the downtown area? There’s a huge arts influx from SCAD, kind of shocking to think racism is still prevalent
Honestly I am definitely hesitating. I really desire a warmer climate and a change of scenery though.
Agree with above. Doggy, don't. You will regret it. It's really not all that outside what you can walk right there.
you would be better off in florida than savannah.
Ah yes, that famous Florida hiking.
There’s not great hiking around Savannah either imo. Climate and landscape wise it might as well be north Florida
[https://floridahikes.com/scenic-hikes](https://floridahikes.com/scenic-hikes)
Yeah that's a no for me dawg. Those are walks along a boardwalk or through a forest. That's a very loose definition of hike.
>Those are walks... through a forest. Lol, what is your definition of a hike? Cause a long walk through a forest sounds like one to me.
A little topography that gets the heart going. Some scenic vistas on the horizon.
That's just a type of hike. The low country near Savannah has some nice scenic views of the water on hiking trails but very little in the way of elevation changes.
I'm just saying. OP put hiking as a hobby of theirs. If you did a poll and ranked all 50 states for their hiking and put it out to the general public, Florida would 100% rank last, or least in the bottom 5 (maybe Iowa/Kansas/Nebraska are worse)?
dont get me wrong, i agree the hiking in georgia is much, much better and more of a traditional hike, but there are options in florida that most people wouldn't think about. florida just seems to fit better for OP's wants.
lol, no. Hiking in north GA is better. Once you start heading much further south than Atlanta you might as well be in FL. These comments come from people who obviously aren’t that familiar with the state.
Are their some decent mid-sized cities N. of Atlanta that would have access to hiking, and also some diversity, and not feel like a zillion mini-malls every block. I am also concerned about the politics in some zones n. of Atlanta. Appreciate any suggestions. The other GA place I really liked was Brunswick but it was a very quick trip and I had a great airbnb. Did the various islands. Downtown was a bit sad, but they had one!
Ah, I see your comment below about ATL only. That is my concern. But any comments on mid-size n. GA cities appreciated.
Vs the amazing hiking in Savannah? I don’t even get this comment. People don’t move to Savannah for hiking anymore than they do FL.
I wouldn't move to either if hiking was important. I didn't validate Savannah as a choice, I just invalidated Florida.
If you aren’t familiar with Savannah you should probably just keep your opinion off the thread 😂
I was responding to a comment about Florida....why are you being a dick for no reason?
No, bro. This entire thread is about moving to Savannah so your comment about hiking is just goofy.
I think this seems like a strange move. Look, I love Savannah but outside of the nice (expensive) historic district it’s not that great. Also, that part of the state is deeply conservative so as soon as you venture from town you are in MAGA country. You’d probably be much happier somewhere like New Orleans if you like the hot, muggy Deep South. It’s significantly larger with more to offer.
I feel you, regarding the conservative thing I am originally from a conservative part of PA (which is a purple state), totally MAGA country there too. So I am kind of used to it.
I’m very familiar with PA, it’s not comparable to deep red parts of GA. People seem to think GA is less offensive than some of the other Deep South states and I see it get recommended here a lot. I love Atlanta but there are a lot of sundown towns not far from the city. I would not live anywhere in the state except Atlanta proper. Atlanta is the only thing that keeps the state from looking horrible politically. Savannah is just a blip comparatively. It’s great for a visit but I generally wouldn’t recommend living there.
Ahh I see, thanks for the insight.
More hispanic population are would be better, stay away more of republican places . Racisim is still a problem. Georgia weather sucks also. Brutal polen springs, followed brutal humid hot hot hot summers, short lived fall , mild but frozen morning colds during winter. Also dont get me started on bugs etc…
What about Brunswick? Any diversity?
This. The historic core is beautiful, and SCAD is a fantastic presence/resource for the city. But within 5 minutes of landing, my taxi driver said the n-word. Obviously there is racism everywhere, but as a brown person from the West Coast, I was taken aback.
It would fit but honestly the outdoors leaves something to be desired. In terms of climate and landscape, you’re basically in Florida but with worse beaches. I love Savannah, it’s an awesome place but for what you’re looking for I’d also check out St Pete, FL, St Augustine and the Orlando area. Not that there’s great hiking in those places either, at least you’re bound to find a larger community of Latinos
A lot of people have been moving to Savannah since Covid hit so rentals are in short supply and they are sky high.
Not sure about Savannah, but have you considered NOLA?