Savannah, Georgia is probably best known—to nonlocals, at least—for serving as the setting to a pair of 20-year-old cultural sensations: first, 1994’s true-crime bestseller Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (in which the “Hostess City” is practically a main character) and, later that same year, Forrest Gump (the park bench upon which the Tom Hanks character sat, telling his life story to everyone who’d listen, was situated in Chippewa Square).
But the city has much more to offer than history, even if it does have plenty of that to spare. Proponents like Ben Carter, founder of the commercial real-estate firm Ben Carter Enterprises, point out that the mixture of gorgeous architecture, gracious residents and great restaurants, clubs and shops have made Savannah a top destination for vacationers (quite a few of whom have fallen so in love with the place that, like Carter, they’ve moved there). “When he founded the city in 1733, General James Oglethorpe laid it out as a grid that featured buildings around park-like squares,” Carter explains. “The concept was a city that could grow and prosper organically and efficiently.”
Today there are 22 squares, and Carter says that each one is like “an oasis.” (Forsyth Park, a 30-acre green set in the middle of the Savannah Historic District—which, combined with the Savannah Victorian Historic District, is one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the United States—offers another alternative for those seeking sanctuary.) Dotted throughout the city, and surrounded by businesses and private residences, they function as neighborhood hubs and are a big part of what makes Savannah so walkable.
Visitors can book rooms at luxurious local hotels such as the Bohemian, the Mansion on Forsyth Park and the Marshall House (which first opened back in 1851) or at the Savannah outposts of upscale chains like the Hyatt Regency and the Andaz. Can’t-miss eateries include Garibaldi’s Café, A.Lure and Leopold’s, an ice cream shop that’s celebrating its 95th birthday this year. And the shopping districts boast a unique mix of local and national options, including the beloved honey-and-beauty-purveyor the Savannah Bee Company, the century-old Globe Shoe Company and newer arrivals like L’Occitane and J.Crew. (Soon Carter’s company plans to open the Grid, a shop/incubator similar to New York City’s Dover Street Market that will feature young designers, including many who attended the nearby Savannah College of Art and Design.)
Factor in the lively music scene, the annual film festival and the Jepson Center for the Arts, which was completed in 2006, and it’s clear the city, which is also known for its air of romance, is having a moment. But, as Carter points out, one can’t quite call it a renaissance because—as the many historic buildings and long-standing businesses prove—Savannah has been thriving for centuries.
Savannah, Georgia is probably best known—to nonlocals, at least—for serving as the setting to a pair of 20-year-old cultural sensations: first, 1994’s true-crime bestseller Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (in which the “Hostess City” is practically a main character) and, later that same year, Forrest Gump (the park bench upon which the Tom Hanks character sat, telling his life story to everyone who’d listen, was situated in Chippewa Square).
But the city has much more to offer than history, even if it does have plenty of that to spare. Proponents like Ben Carter, founder of the commercial real-estate firm Ben Carter Enterprises, point out that the mixture of gorgeous architecture, gracious residents and great restaurants, clubs and shops have made Savannah a top destination for vacationers (quite a few of whom have fallen so in love with the place that, like Carter, they’ve moved there). “When he founded the city in 1733, General James Oglethorpe laid it out as a grid that featured buildings around park-like squares,” Carter explains. “The concept was a city that could grow and prosper organically and efficiently.”
Today there are 22 squares, and Carter says that each one is like “an oasis.” (Forsyth Park, a 30-acre green set in the middle of the Savannah Historic District—which, combined with the Savannah Victorian Historic District, is one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the United States—offers another alternative for those seeking sanctuary.) Dotted throughout the city, and surrounded by businesses and private residences, they function as neighborhood hubs and are a big part of what makes Savannah so walkable.
Visitors can book rooms at luxurious local hotels such as the Bohemian, the Mansion on Forsyth Park and the Marshall House (which first opened back in 1851) or at the Savannah outposts of upscale chains like the Hyatt Regency and the Andaz. Can’t-miss eateries include Garibaldi’s Café, A.Lure and Leopold’s, an ice cream shop that’s celebrating its 95th birthday this year. And the shopping districts boast a unique mix of local and national options, including the beloved honey-and-beauty-purveyor the Savannah Bee Company, the century-old Globe Shoe Company and newer arrivals like L’Occitane and J.Crew. (Soon Carter’s company plans to open the Grid, a shop/incubator similar to New York City’s Dover Street Market that will feature young designers, including many who attended the nearby Savannah College of Art and Design.)
Factor in the lively music scene, the annual film festival and the Jepson Center for the Arts, which was completed in 2006, and it’s clear the city, which is also known for its air of romance, is having a moment. But, as Carter points out, one can’t quite call it a renaissance because—as the many historic buildings and long-standing businesses prove—Savannah has been thriving for centuries.
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