Savannah named a top 10 best place to live on the East Coast

[CoastalGAGuy]

Who lives in the Historic District anymore anyway? Increasingly fewer year-round locals, that's for sure. At least, I mean that for the Landmark Urban Historic District. Savannah's different from other places really only because of it. Otherwise, we're miniature Jacksonville. Sufficient, perhaps, but not stunning.

[masonbauknight]

There are many refurbished places downtown where full-time folks live, and more than there were 20 years ago. I also wouldn't forget old neighborhoods outside the Historic Landmark District:.Starland, the Victorian District, and Midtown (with Ardsley Park, Chatham Crescent, and Habersham Village). Much of this is stunning and provides urban sidewalk living. I feel I'm definitely not in Jacksonville.

[CoastalGAGuy]

Of course, I'm exaggerating for effect. But, the trend has been toward unaffordable housing, I think we can all agree. The full-time downtown residents are increasingly wealthy transplants, or folks who have their snowbird home here, and live elsewhere much of the year. Of those, many rent their places out via VRBO or the like. Others have become SCAD facilities, or bed and breakfasts.

Incidentally, Jacksonville definitely has places reminiscent of Ardsley Park (see Riverside and Avondale). And... The southside, Wilmington/Whitemarsh/Talahi Island, The Landings, Midtown, heck even Tybee has cousins down there. Not to make mention of Pooler and all the other environs. We are not unique after you get out of downtown, but even that is getting whitewashed in so many places.

[gentlearts]

Lately, I like to take Habersham to DeRenne from downtown and back, instead of battling the traffic on 516. The route has many nice neighborhoods along the way. Yesterday I went that way to Skidaway Rd/ Bacon Park area and there were many cute neighborhoods there too. Not sure how affordable the homes are anymore.

[garden17]

We visited SAV recently and loved it. It's the right size town, all the stores we need but not too big, congested, or sprawly. We felt welcome there, no hostility or unfriendliness among the people we met.

I'd be a little concerned about home prices. We prefer a walkable area close to good restaurants and clubs but we want a neighborhood that's low in crime, and preferably HOA. Condominiums would be on our list too.

For now we'll stay where we are and that's in roasting-hot PHX. We left SAV under beautiful weather conditions and returned to 104-degree temperatures.