I have visited Savannah several times over the years. It remains a city dedicated to its own history and aesthetic. The century old dwellings, the beautifully shaded squares -- all tightly preserved and controlled. Whether you're a history buff or a home restoration reality show addict, a walk through town will be a thrill.
What has happened is that it has gotten busier and more expensive (at least in the historic areas). When I first visited (15 years ago?) people used to tell of finding beatdown dwellings for cheap and fixing and flipping them for good money. Not any more. An uninhabitable shack will go for hundreds of thousands on location alone before you spend a cent in restoration. It's gentrification, but gentrification in imitation of the past under the watchful eye of the Savannah Historic Preservation Commission.
The city is busier also, I think in no small part because of the Savannah College of Art and Design, or SCAD. Founded in 1978, it has grown in both enrollment and reputation very quickly for what is a fairly new university. For comparison, my alma mater, the University of Michigan was founded in 1817. I got a close look at the place this visit as I was attending for parent's weeks with my significant other, whose daughter attends.
SCAD likes to say that their campus is the entire city of Savannah and that is certainly true. Much of the SCAD activities are housed in various buildings throughout the city. Of course I went into it with the usual preconceptions about art schools -- that it was a bunch of off-kilter kids painting and drawing all day and getting piercings and tattoos all night. I was way off. First, SCAD is very focused on getting their graduates jobs in the arts. "The arts" in this case includes things like fashion and film and theme park design and…well here's the list. You should have seen the special effects studio and the art museum they have. They are quite serious and arming these kids with marketable skills. There is also a fairly significant dropout rate, which again indicates they are not fooling around or providing a four-year vacation.
Another positive note, from my observation, these kids are really, really talented. I was quite impressed. You may be asking if it is extremely wokey. Well, yes, but all colleges are wokey. I don't think SCAD is more so than others, possibly less so than some liberal arts schools. If your kid tells you he wants to go SCAD, it's not an absolute that he's going to have to move back in with you after graduation, is what I'm saying. He will probably come home with tattoos and piercings, though.
Anyway, Savannah remains a delight; a place I would happily spend more time. You do owe yourself a visit. A perfect trip would be maybe three nights in Savannah touring and enjoying the city, followed by three nights in nearby Hilton Head lounging and enjoying the beach and the beach. Count me in.
I note that nearby Dutch Island was named one of the best places to retire in Georgia. Hmmm.
