Historic Savannah Beautiful City for Visiting or Living

Savannah  is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and a wonderful place to make your home or vacation destination. The city was founded in 1733 by General James Oglethorpe and served as the first capital of the Georgia colony and state. The enduring charm of the city is visible in historic downtown with its Spanish moss-covered live oaks lining the streets and horse drawn carriages carrying tourists around some of the 22 beautifully maintained historic squares. Savannah's Historic District is a National Historic Landmark, so there are an abundance of historic buildings. Notable buildings include the Owens-Thomas House built in 1818 (Oglethorpe square) the Spencer Woodbridge House built in 1795 (Habersham Street), and the 1853

Gothic Revival Greene House (Madison Square), and the Drayton House the city's first restored historic building. Along the cobblestone paved River Street along side the Savannah River, musicians, galleries, and shops compete for attention, while iron bridges and the old Cotton Exchange attract visitors to Factor’s Walk. The art scene flourishes, thanks in part to the Savannah College of Art & Design, which is sprawled throughout the city.

Historic Squares

One of the biggest attractions of living or visiting downtown Savannah are it's beautiful squares and parks. Each square has been named after notable military men, or leaders in the native american community. The city of Savannah maintains the squares on a daily basis making sure they are clean, fountains flowing and shrubs and flowers kept healthy. You can download a walking tour of the squares at https://www.citywalkingguide.com/squaresofsavannah  Forsyth Park, Savannah's version of Central Park, is the largest park in the city and has a small cafe, playground, tennis courts, and an amphitheater where nearly every weekend there is an activity happening during the summer months. Bordering the park are numerous beautifully restored historic 18th and 19th century architecture Victorian homes. The beautiful Victorian manor like homes boast wrap around porches, wrought iron fences stately entrances, and mature fauna. Currently there are over 30 homes for sale in downtown Savannah, where walking to your favorite restaurant is a delight!

Victorian Historic District

The Southern half of the park is surrounded by the Savannah Victorian Historic District, which runs from the south side of Gwinnett Street to Anderson Street, bordered by MLK and Broad Street to the west and east, respectively. South of the Victorian District is the Thomas Square Historic District; a much larger district which also includes Victorian-era homes and is thus sometimes also erroneously included when people speak generically about the "Victorian District." The Victorian District and Thomas Square District have become popular in recent years as an alternative to the more expensive Landmark Historic District directly to the north.

Best Walking Neighborhoods

Different from the Downtown Historic District with it's squares, the streets of the Victorian district were arranged on a grid pattern with a green planting area between the sidewalk and street and a small garden in front of each house. The old frame construction abounds in the Victorian District, sturdy wood frame houses dating from the 1870s and 1880s are a mixture of several Victorian styles of architecture embellished with ornate brackets and cornices. The Victorian District is one of Savannah's best walking neighborhoods and is ranked "Very Walkable" by WalkScore.com. Prices in the Victorian District can range from $100,000 for renovation projects to $1,000,000 for a home on Forsyth Park. You can search for homes in the historic districts here.