Thinking about relocating to Savannah - any advice?

January 13, 2009 10:00 AM

I'm thinking about relocating to Savannah, Georgia in a few months to stay for probs a year or so. My background is in advertising and art and also office admin and plenty of retail, customer service and food service - a little bit of everything. Anyway, I was wondering about cost of living and if it's a cool city to stay in (loved it when I was there) and job prospects. I'm prepping a portfolio to apply to fashion school next fall so I'm looking for a good place to go. Love big cities but they seem to be a massive drain on the bank account (too many awesome rock shows!), but I'm not opposed. Mostly I need a place where I can afford a live/work situation so I can get the artwork done. Any other recommendations for hip / inspiring / artistic / progressive / bike and walk friendly (no car) cities are welcome. Female, mid-20s and tired of the Midwest. :) Thanks in advance!
posted by HolyWood to travel & transportation (14 comments total)

This is more general advice than specific to Savannah, but are you sure you want to relocate just before you go to school? If you're going to be applying for fashion school next fall, might that not entail a move of its own? So if everything works out, might you wind up moving twice in two years? Some people like that sort of thing, but I think it'd be a pain in the ass.

On another point, I think you'll find that most southern cities aren't geared very well towards life without a car. Southern cities tend to be pretty spread out, and public transit offerings tend to be pretty lackluster. Sure, people can and do live without owning a vehicle, and yes, some of them manage to do it in pretty hip areas, but this is the exception, not the rule.

Savannah's main public transit system consists of a bus service that isn't particularly densely-woven. Bus service runs from 7AM to 10PM, Monday to Saturday. No subway service, and if it's anything like the other southern cities I've frequented, cabs are basically called for ahead of time. The few places you can theoretically live without a car tend to be either very expensive or oppressively poor. Atlanta is rare in the south for having a subway in addition to bus service, but even Atlanta has no light rail to speak of and the vast majority of people get around by driving. Charlotte, Chattanooga, Nashville, Knoxville, these are all decent cities to live in, they just aren't very non-car friendly places.
posted by valkyryn at 10:27 AM on January 13

I've got to toss Portland, OR into the ring. Very much an interesting, artistic, progressive city--and you can basically choose how much city you want. You want to be in the thick of things? West side. More laid-back artsy/cheaper? East side. Damn fine bike and public transport. There are definitely some past askMeFi questions on activities in PDX.

So, sorry nothing to add to the Savannah point of view, but good luck with the move. I hope you find someplace that's a good fit.
posted by eralclare at 10:31 AM on January 13

Savannah is not bike/walk friendly. You really need a car. Nor is it what I'd call progressive, unless you nestle yourself up against SCAD. I lived in Savannah most of my life but fled (ironically, to the Midwest) as soon as I got the chance. If you have any specific questions, you can memail me, but as for the cost, etc, of actually living and working there, I can't really help you.
posted by phunniemee at 10:34 AM on January 13 [1 favorite]

I'm gonna vote for Northampton, MA. It's pretty progressive, has a good local music and art scene, and isn't too far from Boston or NYC.
posted by xbonesgt at 10:47 AM on January 13

Wait... why Savannah? Are you just looking to have a depressive episode?

I'm prepping a portfolio to apply to fashion school next fall so I'm looking for a good place to go.

You're doing it backwards, sweety. You APPLY and get ACCEPTED to school FIRST, then you MOVE. Not the other way around.

Granted Savannah has it's art school and I hear okay things about it, but there are many art schools out there in much more livable places.

I've been there a few times. It certainly has a developed downtown area, most colonial cities do (see also Norfolk, VA.) But that doesn't mean you'll be able to afford to live in the walkable part of town... generally these areas are reserved for the owner class and tourists, not scrappy college students.

Love big cities but they seem to be a massive drain on the bank account (too many awesome rock shows!)

Your problem isn't big cities, it's your lifestyle. If you can't control your spending, you're going to be broke no matter where you live.

If you want walkability, good public transit, bike lanes, and a "cool place" that all cost money which usually translates into a higher cost of living - meaning the things you buy cost more. Within such an environment it is critical that you set spending limits... maybe that means you skip some of those "awesome rock shows!"

Focus on school first, then sort your options based upon the towns they are located in.
posted by wfrgms at 10:51 AM on January 13

Richmond, Virginia. Virginia Commonwealth University is located right in the thick of the city, and has a huge art school with many highly-rated programs. Everyone is working on a portfolio or an installation or a book or something here; there are art supply stores right by campus and plenty of painters, illustrators and photography types (as well as fashion) around to inspire you. The city is bike/walk friendly (few art students have a car), and there's an okay bus system if you need to get out a little further to go to a mall or something. Richmond is cool enough not to kill your creative spirit, but not so fun that you can't get work done if you're serious about it. Dash Shaw (a native) spent over 2 years in Richmond working on Bottomless Belly Button before moving back to NYC.
posted by junkbox at 11:12 AM on January 13

Bus service runs from 7AM to 10PM, Monday to Saturday.

You are incorrect, it really depends on the bus line, as most of the major ones will have a slower schedule on Sunday.

Savannah is not bike/walk friendly. You really need a car.

Bullshit. I moved to Savannah from Baltimore, MD in 2000 to go to school and not having a car was a secret blessing. Depending on where you live, a car can be a necessity, luxury or burden. If live anywhere above 40th street south, MLK west or Broad Street east, it should be walkable or bikable. The biggest thing about not having a car will be clothes shopping at the mall, which can turn into an all day affair with a car, but again, it's doable. Recently a Target and movie theatre has opened closer to downtown, which would make it much easier.

You're thinking of SCAD, huh? If so, the only place to live is downtown. There's plenty enough clubs, restaurants and social life to survive.

However, when did you visit and what did you like about it? I ask because someone who worked for me visited during the winter and loved the temperature and so they decided to move. After they moved, they found out about the heat and humidity and came to hate Savannah, so be warned. In order to live here, you really have to hate or not miss cold weather and be ok with humidity, if not love it or at least hate snow and ice more.

Job prospects aren't much at the moment, what with the economy. The city has SCAD, and art students can bring down the price of some design and art jobs. Plenty of jobs waiting tables though.

As to the cost of things, I can go to a matinee movie for $6.

Let me know if you want to know more.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:13 AM on January 13

As to price of living here are classified listings from SCAD's student newspaper to give you an idea of things.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:19 AM on January 13

My husband went to SCAD and I spent every weekend in Sav with him. Brandon is right on. You only need a car for the occasional trip to the mall and why would you want to go there? Savannah has so much charm and great things to do downtown. I would recommend Savannah and SCAD whole heartedly, it's a great school and fabulous city.
posted by pearlybob at 11:22 AM on January 13

Apparently the previous commenters have never lived in Savannah? If you live in downtown you do not need a car. It is very bike friendly and I (and most of my friends) almost never drove anywhere, because of the school there is a large bike scene if you are into that. There isn't much in the way of public transit, but you never have to bike more than a mile or two to get where you're going. Outside of downtown it is typical Southern, uninspiring sprawl full of un-hip non-progressive people and things but in the 4 years I lived there I very rarely went to "south side". It is completely possible - and highly recommended - to just pretend that that part of town doesn't exist.

The city is beautiful, there are always a ton of interesting things going on that are mostly free, and rent is cheap (when I lived there I did not know anyone who lived outside of downtown and we were all broke art students, at one point I was paying $280 to split a big house with a friend). I don't know if I would want to live in Savannah permanently, but it is a very unique and interesting place to live for a few years. When I first moved there I wasn't sure I was going to like it, but now that I'm gone I miss it a lot.
posted by bradbane at 11:22 AM on January 13

Lived car-free in Savannah for the first six months I moved down here. It's doable but the big clothes-shopping runs and movies were a full-day trip on Saturday and now that I have the cats with me, I like having a car. Housing downtown will run approx $700-2,000 a month depending on size, location, quality and neighborhood. Eating out downtown strikes me as marginally more expensive, utilities slightly less expensive.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 11:38 AM on January 13

the big clothes-shopping runs and movies were a full-day trip on Saturday

Not such much these days, since a movie theatre and Target (plenty of cheap clothing there) opened up at Skidaway and Victory, easily accessible on the #12 bus, which is all of ten minutes from downtown. They've also built sidewalks all long Victory to Skidaway so it's bikable too.

Of course, if you want to spend major money, you can shop on Broughton Street for designer stuff or Loose Lucy's.

The biggest thing about not having a car in Savannah is that you can't go to the beach, but if you're going to school, you'll make friends and end up on the beach eventually.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:10 PM on January 13

I love, love, love, Savannah. It's downtown is one of the prettiest in the country. And it's cheap. You might also check out Asheville, NC. I've wonderful things about it being a great town for artists.
posted by bananafish at 12:45 PM on January 13

Hey all, thanks for the input and the great advice!

I'm a fan of living in different places (have done Berlin, Seattle and Beijing for max ten months at a time) and a beautiful and inspiring city is a great way to work a portfolio / body of work so no probs there. Thanks for the sympathy from the fellow artists on this board.

And while I'm not planning to apply to SCAD (shooting for London or Antwerp), the fact that there is a thriving artist community in Savannah is nice incentive. And it does seem ridiculously affordable. Hm, it's just a lovely place. Good vibes all around.

I love Portland. Love love love it.

And just to throw it out there - big cities end up being a massive drain on the bank account because of the cost of public transportation (NY Metro yikes and even Chicago's CTA has gone waaaay up in price), the cost of entertainment (stimulus, getting out is necessary for creativity - at least in my opinion), etc. so while it is a lifestyle thing... well, let's just quote the Dandy Warhols (holla Portland):

For all the money, the simple life honey is good.

Now to decide on a final locale....

Thanks guys, you make me love MeFi more. :)
posted by HolyWood at 3:10 PM on January 14