I am going to be in Savanna for a week in August. I have been thinking about relocating lately, and I have heard a lot of good things about GA,.

What can I expect?
what should I check out while I am there?
What is the all around feel of the place?

I live in LA now and I am getting sick of the Big city vibe. Any way any info about the place would be much appreciated, even if you have only driven through.

Thanks, coop

 

I moved from NorCal to Atlanta and that was bad enough... I've visited Savanna a couple of times. It is a gorgeous city, but you'll constantly be reminded that you are in the deep south. Having been raised in the West, I was color blind before moving here, but racism runs rampant in the South. It's a hard thing to get used to.

Savanna has three classes of people; the RICH, the POOR and the tourists. The lines are fairly clearly drawn all over town. On that note, don't expect a lot of culture. You'll have to travel to Atlanta to see the ballets, stage productions, and for the gourmet dining, etc.

You have to like the heat! It's hot down there, ya'll! Expect a normal summer day to be around 95 deg with 80-90% humidity. In the south, things don't move at the same pace as they do in the rest of the U.S. There isn't the same sense of urgency. But, the people are a WHOLE lot friendlier - that will blow you away almost immediately.

It's about 4-5 hours (4 in a 225 TT, 5 in a 180 TT) from Atlanta. If you need your big city fix, Atlanta can certainly supply that! It's not as friendly or as laid back but still nicer than New York - well, so is Turkey!

Obviously, it's right on the Atlantic. If memory serves me correctly, it's about three hours away from the Gulf of Mexico. The SCUBA diving is fair in in that area of the Atlantic. It's a little pricey due to the distance you have to travel to get to a good dive site. The main technique is drift diving - pretty fun, very effortless. The diving in the Gulf is much warmer, but visibility can be a factor. Schedule your trips outside the June to Septemer (or is it October) hurricane season for the best dives.

And remember you're moving from Earthquake Central to Hurricane Central and Tornado Alley.

Life is generally more affordable. Home prices and property taxes are certainly more reasonable, as well as insurance. You will however pay the price for moving away from the San Fernando valley as your food bill will shoot up. For some inexplicable reason, the BASE cost of home phone connections is much higher here than in CA.

Their is an abundance of weekend destinations from Savanna. One hour north is Hilton Head Island, SC - very upscale, VERY nice. One hour South is Jekyll Island (I'm not a big fan) that most people like and Saint Simons Island. St. Simon's is nice - kind of a Bohemian getaway to a tiny town on the ocean - make reservations, in advance.

Of course, further south is Key West. That's gonna be a 9-10 hour drive depending on how heavy footed (and lucky) you are. You can't beat Key West... well... you have Monterrey... ok, call it a tie!

 

It's a fun town, as long as you stay out of the Chatham County Jail. It's hard to find a decent breakfast place downtown, but that's the only drawback I can think of.