Starland District, Thomas Square, and Midtown

"Midtown" in Savannah includes the charming historic neighborhoods south of Forsyth Park all the way to Derenne Avenue, including the Thomas Square Historic Streetcar District, artsy Starland, stately Ardsley Park, and the post-War residential areas surrounding Habersham Village plaza.

The most interesting dining, shopping, and adventure options are centered along the Bull Street corridor from 32nd Street to Victory Drive, though exploration a few blocks east and west is rewarded with tucked-away murals, funky stores, and hole-in-the-wall eats.

Developed in the 1880s, Thomas Square became the next "suburb" as the Victorian District filled in with families and new businesses. Architecture runs from sublime Beaux-Arts mansions to modest Craftsmen cottages, though many of these historic homes were foundering before the revitalization efforts of the 21st century. The Savannah College of Art and Design's renovation of the historic Richard Arnold School in 2009 brought renewed foot traffic to the area along Bull Street, spurring small business development in the form of cafés, galleries, shops, and bars as well as a vibrant cultural arts scene distinct from the rest of the city.

A few blocks to the south, at what was once sprawling farmland at the edge of the Thomas Square neighborhood, lies the old white dairy that gives the Starland District its name. The area's cheap real estate and funky storefronts were claimed by artists and entrepreneurs in the 1990s, and the area has exploded in recent years with public art collaborations, innovative gathering spots, unique shops, and restaurants that go far beyond the typical Savannah menus. Presiding over the corner of Bull and 41st streets is the neighborhood's pink and purple crown jewel, art supply hub Starlandia.