KB

I was planning on taking my mother to Savannah in the fall. I've never been before and have been doing some research and lately the impression on this forum and others have given me the impression that Savannah is 1)overrated and 2)higher crime than it used to be. Am I over-estimating the allure of this place or is it just a few malcontents?

KB

Ugh. A million apologies. I did not intend to post this twice in this forum.

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al

Savannah's a very pretty city in parts and your mother would probably like it. Some of it is very quaint and there are some very nice parks. As far as I know crime is no worse than it used to be and in fact may be a little better than before. Not sure about that. Just be aware that the quaint part is a small part of the city and the rest of it is just like anywhere else.

May

I like Charleston much, much more than Savannah. Same general area, much different ambience. Cleaner, safer, prettier, better food, better hotels....

max

Savannah is an interesting city to visit, especially if you liked the book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (or whatever the title is). However, stay near the river. You can also combine Savannah with a stay at Hilton Head, which is close.
However, beware of hurricane season. I know that hurricanes are rare, but when we were in Savannah, the city was evacuated because of one and we ended up in Perry, Georgia. It wasn't pretty.
Charleston is nicer, by the way.

northerner

Savannah is great, but watch out for the roaches. At night the sidewalk is covered with them, never saw anything like it.

Harold

Savannah is beautiful, charming and different than most cities you'll visit. Of course, you don't walk around in dark alleys at night, but other than that, it's as safe as any place you're probably going to visit. Now I would not go into the "Victorian" (read BAD) area, right next to the historic area, even in daytime. A lot of minorities live there, and the worst crime rate is in that area, I'm sorry to say. But the Waterfront is fun, and the restaurants are superb, the historic district is lovely. Charleston is always and also fabulous, I always combine the two in a one-week visit.

Kari

My mom and I took a trip to both Savannah and Charleston. While Savannah was nice, we both much preferred Charleston. If we had to do over, we would have skipped Savannah and headed straight to Charleston. We only had one day downtown Charleston, but it was one of those really great days. Hope this helps.

xxx

As much as I love Savannah, those people truly are as wacky as the book portrays them to be in "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil". You'll have a blast if you go.

Bill

I liked Savannah when there for a conference 3 years ago but 5 days was WAY too long!!

L

I spent 3.5 weeks there in 1998, and it was too short. I love the book, ambiance, and city planning.

KB

Thanks for all the great advice. I'll have to do some research on this Charleston. Maybe they are close enough to go to both over a long weekend (four days)?

Lani

KB, both cities in a long weekend are way too much!!! If you are curious and like to get to know a place, you could spend a week in each city, at least, and it would NOT be too much. I would choose one, for a long weekend. Either would be wonderful in the fall, especially after the temps cool some!

SavannahandCharleston

You can definitely go to both Charleston and Savannah -- I believe they're about 1 1/2 hours away from each other.

Personally, I love Savannah just as much as Charleston and could spend an equal amount of time in both places. Recently took a 4-day trip down there and had a great time. I don't know what the crime rates are but I felt perfectly safe walking around both cities at night (can't speak of the areas outside of the historic districts however).

If you go, check out the bed and breakfasts in the area. Most are in old homes that have been restored, and have so much more character than any hotel chain could offer. You're also more likely to get better restaurant recommendations from them, especially if you want to stay away from the ones that are geared specifically towards tourists (IMO, they generally don't have the best food).

Have a great trip, whatever you decide.

Lani

Back to say that, yes, of course, you CAN see both cities in a long weekend, but how much will you really see & learn, and how much time will you have to relax? Take my advice and see one. Four days is enough time to really get the flavor of a city, and save the other one for the next time!

J

Savannah is beautiful, and I like it lots better than Charleston! Savannah is an artsy city, and the parks and squares are beautiful!
It is much more genuine than Charleston (meaning many of its original squares are still there with its statues of military and historical leaders) I find Savannah to be more interesting. Charleston is busy and all about tourism, and you can't find any fresh seafood there. I think Charleston is way overrated.
There are some wonderful restaurants in Savannah--The Olde Pink House and Elizabeth on 37th are incredible! The bed and breakfast inns are very quaint.

Go to Savannah!

Devil's Advocate

The whole thing is so silly. Savannah was always this sleepy town until Midnight in the Garden. Now out-of-towners want to go catch a glimpse/be a part of the old south/southern hospitality. Drinking a mint julep with Southerners doesn't make you a Southerner. You're still an outsider, and most likely the butt of a few jokes when you leave. The last thing Savannah needs is a bunch of tourists ruining everything and making 'y'all' or 'fixin to' jokes to people who have spoken that way their entire lives. Leave them alone.

Chamber of Commerce

Please pay no mind to Devil's Advocate.
We have been trying to run the village idiot out of town for quite some time.

xxx

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