Would like the Truth about Savannah
 

I've recently made plans to drive to Savannah from South FL for our 10th wedding anniversay. We plan on staying at the Hampton Inn in the historic district(we loved the Hampton Inn in Sedona) Leaving early on 10/19 arriving the same day and checking out on the 23rd. One of my colleagues just told me that I'm making a big mistake in going to Savannah. That the historic area is "touristy" and "tacky", and if you go a very short distance away from the historic district, you will run into unbelieveably bad neighborhoods. I need some feedback from you guys.

We haven't been there YET, but it's on the list for soon. From all I've read, it sounds like a great destination. It'll be interesting to see what those who have traveled there say. Have you searched here to read past threads?

Must have hit a wrong key as this posted before I had a chance to say that we've never been to Savannah before and we've always looked forward to going. 10th Anniversary is a big deal and I want to make sure that we've picked the right place to celebrate. Thank you for any advice you can give me.

i'm from south fl, and we frequently go to savannah for weekend getaways. yep, we are jaded down here. there are touristy things there, that's for sure, but Savannah is beautiful. not sure where u r from in south fla, but i'm near west palm, to use as an example, if someone expected to stay in palm beach, but landed in the bad part of west palm beach, a mere 1 mile away, they'd have quite the culture shock. same can be true for savannah. do your homework. there is ton's of info here on fodor's of areas to see. historic neighborhoods, walking tours, art museums, theatres, scad (savannah college of art and design) the out islands to visit, as well as areas to not waste your time on.

Bayou Girl, yes I have done research on this site and others and that's why I made plans to go; but this guy was vehement when he told me that I wouldn't like it. He and his wife said that they couldn't wait to leave. Now, I have no objections to "touristy" places..like San Francisco's Fisherman's wharf, NY's Time Square, etc. after all most of our once beautiful travel cities are turning into tacky T-shirt + areas (thinking of Sedona particularly)..so that wouldn't bother me too much..just don't like the idea of what he says is a very small area to visit and a very large area where we shouldn't venture in at all.

I have always had a good time in Savannah. A tour of the homes that are open is interesting. I found "Midnight Of The Garden Of Good & Evil" tour to be fun, even though I had been to Savannah many times. The length of your stay may be too long and you might enjoy the trip more if you add Charleston to your agenda. "Jukebox Journey" , a musical tribute is a great way to spend an evening. They are doing a tribute to broadway music this summer. If you get out of the main district in most cities, you will encounter less than desirable neighborhoods. That being said, Savannah is a beautifully laid out city. Many enjoy the restaurant , The Lady & Her Sons". I have not eaten there. It is owned by Paula Dean. Other suggestions are Elizabeths (have eaten there) and the boarding House, where food is served family style. I don't care for the riverwalk very much. Be sure and read "Midnight In The Garden Of Good & Evil" before making the journey.

I topped 2 threads for you, and I have a current thread on top destinations. Savannah came up many times on that thread, too. I hope you get a lot of responses here. Good luck! :)

here is the website for Jukebox Journey playing at Broadway On Bull Street. the site is savannahtheatre.com. Friends have seen the show and loved it.

We stayed at the Hampton in the historic district a couple of years ago. Great location and nice staff. Would stay there again. Lots of great restaurants in Savannah. For info check: http://www.savannah-visit.com/

We spent a night in Savannah a few years back and loved it! Yes, there are touristy areas, yes there are bad neighborhoods surrounding the historic district (just as in 90% of cities in the US), but the area of interest is beautiful and charming. Just strolling from square to square admiring the landscaping and architecture is worth the trip alone, never mind the food!

Don't worry, you'll have a nice time.

John

Oh, I meant to add that you are probably staying there longer than it will take to "see" the city so you might want to consider a day trip - lots of places of interest within an easy drive. Also, do a ghost walk - fun!

We spent a week in Savannah in March and just loved it. Our hotel was one block from the Hampton Inn, so I can tell you that the location is terrific.

We found nothing whatsoever "touristy" or "tacky" about the historic district, except for the usual gift shops, horse and carriage rides, and trolley tours.

It is true that there are housing projects on either side of the edges of the historic district, but you will not be wandering into those.

We found Savannah very romantic, particularly with regard to dining options.

We enjoyed a magnificent dinner (not the buffet) at Lady & Sons. Also highly recommend The Pink House, Savannah Bistro, Vic's on the River, and 17 Hundred 90. All our dining choices were hits (no misses), with lots of other appealing places but not enough time. We don't usually do dinner cruises, but went for the scenery, and the food was truly excellent.

We loved our long weekend in Savannah ! We stayed at the Hyatt, we walked all over town, from Square to Square, went to the museum, book shops, galleries, antique shops and restaurants. I wish we were still so close, I would go back again soon!
Tacky - I guess there might be places that are overly touristy and cheesy but for the main part, it is an old beautiful Southern town and the people living and working there are charming and helpful.
Personally, I think it was a tad tacky of your co-worker to makethis comment to you after your plans are made, unless you specifically asked him for an opinion.
Everywhere you go, there are bad neighborhoods on the outskirts, you would not be going to those neighborhoods in Savannah anyway..
Happy Anniversary ((F))

We had a long weekend in Savannah a year ago and LOVED it. We cant wait to go back again!

Savannah is one of our favorite weekend getaways. Yes, part of the riverfront is "touristy" (I wouldn't call it tacky, though), and yes, there are parts of town that are not not good - just like most towns.

The historic district is lovely, beautifully laid out (if only every urban area had those gorgeous squares!), and filled with good restaurants and interesting house museums.

Go on a walking tour (we liked Savannah Walks http://www.savannahwalks.com/), drive out to Bonaventure Cemetery, wander around Fort Pulaski. I'm sure you'll have a great time.

The tacky part of River St, where there are some t shirt places are old warehouse buildings, some of them dating from the late 1700's. Many of these have been turned into restaurants, hotels etc. Your colleague is full of crap for telling you to avoid this place. You want to visit a chunk of history, visit Savannah.

sparkerlaw,

Don't let your colleague influence your decision. I was in Savannah this past spring and loved every minute of it. I think it's a very romantic city. My husband and I walked from square to square each evening and thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful architecture and gardens.

I will say that we did not spend more than 10 minutes on the river walk area. That did seem a bit tacky. But there's so much more to see, and I would not call the history area "touristy" or "tacky" at all.

Of course there will be some bad neighborhoods, but you'll find that in any city. If you stick in the general historic district though, you'll be fine.

Thank you, thank you all. I know I could get the real deal at Fodor's. Yes, I suppose my colleague was a bit callous, but his opinion was so strongly voiced that I just had to bring it to you guys. It's funny Scarlett, he told me that he and his family stayed at the Hyatt and how shabby it was..go figure! Everyone is entitled to their opinions. I remember my very first posting here I had the audacity to suggest The Milford Plaza as an economical place to stay in NY as we had stayed there each year we went to NY and it was fine (for us)..Boy oh boy, was I shot down! The responses were downright cruel (silly me - who knew it was referred to as "Mildew Plaza")? So, there is no accounting for taste..right? We do plan on going and enjoying ourselves. We're also planning a day trip to Tybee Island; and will let you know about our Savannah adventure when we return.

Another vote for you to go. We've been twice and just loved it. DOn't let anyone spoil it for you. YOu can see by all the other replies how much people love it. There will always be people who find places too touristy. They became popular tourist destinations for a reason....they are great places to go.
Happy Anniversay and have a wonderful time in Savannah.

I cut myself off too early before! lol

The tacky River St is why Savannah is there. It was a place to park sea ships. It was a good place to build a town.

Cotton was sent to Europe from there. Ships coming to Savannah to buy cotton would drop off their "ballast stones". That is what the street is made of there..ballast stone from the old sailing ships.

Slave labor loaded the ships. Savannah was the cotton capital of the USA. Now there are some bars there, a few t shirt places, lots of great restaurants, a few hotels. And lots of history if you know where to look.

Why be afraid of a tee shirt shop when you walk down River St? You are walking down history there.

sparkerlaw, there were rooms in the Hyatt when we were there that were tired but they were doing a renovation then..a year ago..so I think by now the hotel is in better shape regarding the rooms. We ended up with a room on the corner so we saw the river and town..and could look straight into the pilots house or whatever it is called when the huge boats came down the river..from the dining room :)

sparkerlaw: I would say that everything turns on your preparation and expectations.

Highly recommend at least one trolley tour (if you're lucky enough to get Pookie as your driver on the Olde Towne Trolley...) and one walking tour. Absolutely amazing is Bobby Davis, who gives private tours (www.exploresavannah.com.

A huge information package was presented to us at checking (East Bay Inn) with a plethora of seeing/doing/dining brochures off the lobby. We loved the Paula Deen Tour (before booking this trip, we'd never heard of her).

Ask at the front desk for the phone number of "Pedi-Cab". It was highly recommended by many locals, though we never had the opportunity to try it, having drinks at the Mansion on Forsythe, then phoning Pedi-Cab for a ride to your dinner destination, and again for a ride to after dinner drinks (or a drive around), then a ride "home". (All our evening destinations were within an easy walk of our hotel and we loved strolling all about in the moonlight - and felt perfectly safe doing so.)

Our son attends SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) so we are there several times a year (to drop off, pick up and visit once) and he lives off-campus - so we are not experts on Savannah but at least very knowledgeable.

The Historic District is certainly not tacky - beautiful old buildings and squares. SCAD has a large historic preservation department and a number of these buildings have been lovingly resotred as part of a "living classroom" for the school - and the school, having a very scattered-site campus, owns quite a few that look very non-academic.

River Street is what I would call touristy, not even tacky. T-shirt shops, souvenier shops, and the like. But again the city has made a great effort to keep the building exteriors authentic.

Safety - our son lives in a "bad" area - as many college students in many cities do. Property crime is an issue there (stolen cars, break-ins) and there has been, in the city, an increase in street crime late at night. But there are few places in the world I would be strolling late at night. Be careful after dark - stay in well-populated areas or take a cab - sounds like the advice I would give anyone going anywhere.

Hampton Inn - still my favorite place to stay in Savannah. I am not a B&B person, and there are some lovely inns, but the Hampton is convenient, comfortable, professional staffed and has a nice breakfast buffet. Parking is in their underground garage or across the street in a public lot or garage.

You might consider a day trip to Charleston since you have 3-4 days.

As far as your colleague is concerned, it is always important to evaluate from where "reviews" come. Sometimes the person is so picky that the hate everything. And often they are the people who go to the same family beach house and no where else every year and miss their own bed anytime they are away.

PS _ Tybee Island may seem a little tacky

Take it from this GA girl, Savannah is wonderful. I recommend a day trip (or a side trip during your traveling depending on your route...) to Jekyll Island to see the Millionaire's Village, stately vacation
"cottages" that belonged to grand families like the Rockefellers a hundred or so years ago. HUGE oak trees dripping in Spanish Moss, wild turkeys walking around.

Have a great time and Happy Anniversary!

Ask these "friends" what their idea of a great place is -- it's probably Branson or Disney World.
Ignore them and go.

The Hyatt has had a major renovation.

Savannah is "Touristy and Tacky" only in the way that many of the tourists dress. You would not believe the flabby guts and white legs on display. However, I wouldn't call the Historic District Tacky.

It's a little hard to describe something that dates back from one to two hundred years as tacky. They didn't do tacky back in those days.

Now, if your colleague stayed at the beach(Tybee) I can understand his remarks. Other than that, I wonder just where he and his wife went. Maybe I don't understand the word.

The Historic District is about one mile in each direction. And Yes, being the oldest part of the city, (it was laid out in 1733, it naturally has areas around it that have deteriorated. You would have no need to go into any of those areas.

South of the Historic District is the Victorian District. These are homes that are being restored to exacting standards. Again, not something that could be called "Tacky"

I can understand that if your colleague and his wife were not interested in just looking at history, architecture or the plantings and monuments in the squares, that they would be unhappy in their choice of destinations. If they didn't care for that sort of thing, the only other thing they could do would be to eat.

The historic district Hampton Inn is my favorite place to stay in Savannah, BUT make sure you have reservations at the one at the corner of Bay St. and Abercorn St. There is a new one opening up on MLK and it is billed as "historic district" also. Technically correct, I guess, but I would not like the locations. Friends/ coworkers stay at the Courtyard for Marriott points and I just don't like that side of the historic district very much.

Scarlett, the Hyatt renovations are finished and it IS a beautiful hotel now. Still too "big" for me, but I may stay again next year during an annual conference. (Who am I kidding, I know I will walk back to the Hampton Inn :-) ).

Most folks who don't like Savannah just strolled down River Street and considered it "tacky". River Street used to have great shops - but now its mostly tshirt shops and restaurants. Be sure to stop by one of the candy stores for a free sample of pralines. My favorite restaurant is the Greek restaurant. I grab lunch there during conferences at the Hyatt.

DO get out and stroll the squares. Take a walking tour. Immerse yourself in the "real" parts of Savannah. I did a do-it-myself walking tour of John Wesley sites the last time I was there. Loved it! Shop at the SCAD store. I find great one-of-a-kind presents for hard to buy for folks there. Pricey, but wonderful stuff.

Explore Savannah. Do more than River Street and City Market and you too will fall in love with the city.

Savannah is hardly what I would call an especially tacky or even overly "touristy" destination. Perhaps the people you spoke to were only thinking of River Street- which is lined with many shops that would appeal to tourists. However, In my opinion, River Street is not tacky either.
Savannah is charming to just get out and walk around-- visit the many squares, Forsyth Park and admire the historic buildings.

The truth:

Savannah only has one street (River Street) that would be considered touristy, and it's on the river front, which lays lower than the rest of the historic district, completely hidden, thus can be completely avoided if desired. And even River Street is no where near as tourist-tacky as Times Square or Fisherman's Wharf.

The rest of the historic district is quite charming, with great restaurants, shopping, etc all within easy walking distance. Mixed in are some of the greatest squares in the world, old cemetaries, etc. A great strolling city as long as it's not too hot (Oct is perfect).

The Hampton Inn on Bay Street is a great hotel in a perfect location. Much more charming than your typical Hampton Inn.

Walking a few blocks in the wrong direction will put you in some very bad neighborhoods, but you won't have a problem avoiding them by staying close to center. It's not like you'll turn a corner and say, oh no.

Your colleague's fears are unfounded. Have a great time.

Savannah is a beautiful, unique city to say the least. Try and pick up "Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil" prior to going. It is an interesting read, & will make your trip even more interesting.

I just got back from 3 nights in Savannah and Tybee Island this past weekend.

I stayed one night on the north end of Tybee Island near the Lighthouse. I found the beach to be very clean and as it was a weekday, there was hardly anyone out there. I've heard that a lot more people visit the south end of Tybee so you may want to stay away from there. Didnt get a chance to enter the lighthouse because it was closed by 4:30.

We stayed 2 nights in the historic area of Savannah right across from Forsyth Park at the Forsyth Park Inn (which I highly recommend), which was a little less then a mile from River St, but it made for a nice walk through the squares. I also got to visit the Telfair Art Museum, which I recommend, as well as touring the Owens-Thomas house, which I also recommend. You can buy discounted tickets at these locations if you include 2 or more attractions.

Personally, I liked Savannah much more then Charleston. If you have some time, you might want to visit some of Georgia's other barrier islands in the area...some are quite secluded actually. I cant wait to return to Savannah, hopefully next year! You'll love it!

I'm surprised nobody has thought of this, but is it possible that Sparkerlaw's colleague visited Savannah sometime around St. Patrick's Day? If so, that would explain everything! As a former resident of the city who has experienced the Mardi Gras-style decadence of the nation's second-largest St. Pat's Day festival, I can agree it tips the tackiness scale (unless you enjoy getting bltized on green beer by 9 a.m. and vomiting in the streets). But the 400,000+ or so people who pack the Historic District on March 17 are hardly the type to spend a romantic 10th anniversary weekend in the city, or any other time of year for that matter. Yes, Savannah has a rowdy side ... it's a port city and a party town. I tell people it's like a tamer, prettier, cleaner New Orleans ... which brings me to this thought: Why doesn't anybody EVER raise issue with all the negatives about the Big Easy? Pre-Katrina, it seemed the entire world was oblivious to the fact the entire CITY is essentially a ghetto. But you never see anybody question a trip to the French Quarter because getting there means driving through some of the most blighted neighborhoods in America. Anyone?

10 TIPS FOR VISITING SAVANNAH
(from someone who lived there and hopes to die there)

1. DO read "Midnight in the Garden" before you go. Twice.
2. DO rent and watch "Forest Gump" and make a mental note that the traffic in the bench scenes is going the wrong way.
3. DO make time on your first night to walk the length of Bull Street, from Bay Street in front of City Hall to the Swan Fountain in Forsyth Park. Halfway there, you'll declare out loud that your colleague is an idiot.
4. DON'T go to River Street at night (when the bars are loudest) but during the day, to watch the cargo ships glide silently up river while you munch on pralines.
5. DO go to City Market at night, where some of the city's best restaurant's are clustered (Sapphire Grill, Savannah Bistro, Girabaldi's, and for pizza ... Vinnie Van Go-Gos). Avoid the hassle at Lady & Sons.
6. DO take in Savannah's surprising and eclectic arts scene (the recently expanded Jepson Center for the Arts at the Telfair Museum of Art, and the Savannah College of Art and Design's numerous galleries tucked throughout the historic district).
7. DO plan a day trip to Tybee Island, going early enough to eat at The Breakfast Club or late enough to enjoy boiled shrimp and brew "in your barefeet" at The Crab Shack. The beach doesn't compare to those in SoFla, but the Tybee Lighthouse and Fort Pulaski National Monument are worth seeing.
8. DO plan to visit Bonaventure Cemetery, have somebody give you good directions to Isle of Hope and take a driving tour of Ardsley Park (Savannah's first "suburb"). A drive down Abercorn Street south of DeRenne Avenue past the malls and chain joints will reveal how the REAL Savannah lives (and put the historic district in perspective).
9. DON'T go to Charleston or (god forbid!) Hilton Head Island. Instead, make the drive to Beaufort, S.C., one of the most charming towns in America and where "Prince of Tides" was filmed.
10. DO go inside the amazing Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, no matter your religious background, to meditate and take in its majesty.

Newsboy, I have a drive to Isle of Hope planned for our April trip to Savannah. I'm interested in your good directions.

ARB -- There are no "good" directions to Isle of Hope. I lived in Savannah for 4-plus years and have been back countless times, and couldn't draw you a map or tell you "turn left, turn right" if my life depended on it. But of course, that's part of the charm of Isle of Hope ... it's all the more special when all of a sudden you accidently arrive and have no idea how you got there! But for starters: Take Victory Drive-U.S. 80 East toward the beach, turning RIGHT (South) onto Skidaway Road. If you're patient enough to endure the traffic through endless suburban Savannah, it will eventually lead you straight to Isle of Hope. However, as an alternate and more scenic route I suggest you veer off Skidaway onto LaRoche Avenue at Savannah State University. Not only does it afford marsh views, but passes by the fav seafood restaurant for locals -- PEARLS ELEGANT PELICAN (no doubt because tourists would never find the place). LaRoche eventually runs back into Skidaway right at the turnoff to Isle of Hope. GOOD LUCK!

Great tips!

keep 'em coming newsboy.