I just found out I'm meeting my daughter in Savannah for tomorrow (Saturday) evening. I will get there in mid afternoon and would like to walk around the historic area for a couple of hours. Where is a good place for me to park and start exploring?

Thanks!

For me, a good place to start is near the SCAD store at 340 Bull Street

http://www.shopscadonline.com/contactus.asp

I love the shop and it's a great starting point for strolling up toward Bay and/or River Street or down toward Forsyth Park.

I can usually find street parking on Bull or nearby without much problem.

Then, on the way back I'd stop at the Gryphon Tea Room across the street for a quiet cup of tea and a rest before continuing on to meet your daughter.

River Street is my least favorite part of Savannah. I have a couple of shops I like at City Market. But, mostly I like just strolling the squares and wandering into shops.

Other ideas would be a trolley tour or an organized walking tour.

Some depends on where you will be meeting your daughter. I would start on Bay Street (parallel to River Street - on block away from Savannah River) and head away from River until you find a street space. SCAD is still on winter break, so parking will be easier.

Several squares are easily walkable from there.

While one does not need to be paranoid, I would be very careful after dark - which does not give you much time from mid-afternoon at this time of year. It is easy to wander into some sketchy areas in Savannah and with SCAD students gone and it being a non-tourist season, the streets will be fairly empty. I would not wander alone after dark.

So if you still have some time after dark, drive away from River on Abersorn and appreciate as much of the architecture as you can in the dark/dusk.

My favorite walk is down Bull St, as Starrs mentioned--it has the prettiest squares, and is about a mile from City Hall on the north, to Forsyth Park on the south. If you have time, I'd do the length of Bull from Forsyth Park to City Hall. The most northern two squares, Johnson and Wright, are commercial squares, but still pretty. The further you go from Bay Street (City Hall), the prettier the squares and more residential the area, until you hit my favorite, Monterrey Square (location of Jim Williams house from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, as well as some other pretty spectacular homes), the last square before Forsyth Park. Another pretty walk would be down Jones Street, a few blocks both east and west of Bull.

River St is important in Savannah's history, but it's my least favorite area of the historic district as well. You do get a nice view of the river and some incredible river traffic, and a look at what the cotton warehouses were...buildings still stand, but now houses teeshirt/junk shops, unfortunately.

My secret getaway is at Monterrey Square and the memories of the immediate area are some of my Savannah favorites. The Williams house is now open for tours - although I haven't been on the tour. I did inquire about tickets and they had some really neat stuff in their gift shop (not house related - just a very creative buyer).

I disagree about safety cautions for walking Bull from Forsyth to Bay during the day. I do it often, feel I'm in the heart of the residential area of the historic district and can't think of a route to stroll in Savannah where I would feel safer.

I agree Bull is very safe during the day, almost all of the area is unless you go south of Forsyth Park, or too far east or west. Even so, I didn't carry a purse when walking around, or if I had to, was conscious of it. You will sense when you are leaving the "good" area and back off.

I was very very leery of being out by myself after dark, even on Bull St, however, which is what Gail was referring to I believe. Heck...even with my husband, even if we were going someplace as close as the symphony (1/2 mile) after dark, we drove. Unfortunate.

Thank you very much for your replies. I'm leaving now, and will check for parking in the areas you suggest and start walking. And thanks for the "warnings" about the River Street stores. As a Floridian, I don't need any tacky t-shirt shops!

I have never felt unsafe in Savannah during daylight hours. I have always been very wary after dark, even in Historic District, and even more so on the outskirts. (Son is student at SCAD). My point was not to scare but to point out that daylight hours are limited at this time of year.

Just reread OP and not sure if OPoster is male or female. If male, I might extend safety zone a bit, but not much.

THANKS to all of your suggestions! My daughter was delayed driving in from Virginia and I had a great time wandering around on my own for three hours.

I parked on Bull by SCAD and immediately went to Gryphon Tea Room, which I never would have noticed without Starrsville's help. THANKS - I loved it and will return!!!

Then I visited the SCAD store and walked to St. John the Baptist, which was so lovely inside. The Christmas manger scene and all their Christmas additions made it a wonderful stop and certainly one of the high points of my short trip.

From there I walked all the way to River - just to see the river and walk along it back to Bull - then walked Bull to the southern end of Forsyth Park, which reminded me a little of Sheep Meadow in NYC's Central Park, the way so many people were sitting on the grass.

It was turning dusk then so I went back to my car. I drove south and then west and was very glad I hadn't ventured west on foot as the many public housing buildings didn't look too welcoming. Still, I got a kick out of seeing the Streamliner closed diner, which is also marked SCAD so hopefully it is open at times, or will be?

I was walking thru one of the squares when I heard a tour guide announce this was the square where the bench scenes in Forrest Gump were filmed. I got to my hotel, turned on the TV, and there Forrest was on the bench. Strange coincidence!

We needed a dog friendly hotel and stayed at the brand new Comfort Inn and Suites just outside the airport (exit 104) and it was one of the nicest places I've ever stayed. It was 15-20 minutes to the historic district but I'd stay there again.

Again, thanks for all the help. Most heartening were all the shouts of "Go Gators!" as I walked the historic district wearing my UF t-shirt!

Oh, it sounds wonderful! I'm so glad you had such a good time. I try to time it just right when I'm tired or thirsty and be near the Gryphon Tea Room I do love it so. Isn't the store great? Pricey, but great and unique.

You retraced my favorite Savannah steps. One of my favorite spring afternoons was spent on a blanket in Forsyth Park with my two schnauzers. Everyone was so friendly to the pups - my equivalent of your UF Tshirt

Yep, dicey areas are off to both side and past FP, but Bull takes you down the center of the safest area IMO.

Your Forrest Gumps moments are what my friend and I call "woo-woo" moments.

I'm so glad you got out and strolled the squares and enjoyed it so. Thanks so much for your trip report!

Also glad you enjoyed your visit. If I can pace the diner you passed, it is in fact part of the SCAD dining options. Part of the history of SCAD is that it started with a couple of buildings and then began to acquire vacant buildings within the Historic District, for its academic use, as part of their historic preservation major, and as investment. There was the expected friction from the City of Savannah, but it soon evolved to the benefit of both - the Historic District has some nicey renovated buidings and SCAD has the space it needs. Some time when it is open, check out the restored interior of the old ucas Theater.

Yes, the Lucas Theater piqued my interest as well.

By the way, I had started to put coins in the parking meter when a man came out of a building and said that parking was free on weekends. He went on to say, "This city takes in more money from tourists on weekends because they don't tell them on the meter that it's free." I was a little scared to not feed the meter, but since I didn't have a ticket three hours later, he must have been telling the truth!