We're thinking of moving to Savannah.. (Atlanta, Forsyth: apartments, rental market, new home)

[cookingartguy]

Please don't be mean lol. We're a long-term male couple in our late sixties. After 35 years in South florida, we are desirous of a change. It has simply gotten too busy here with way too much traffic and the threat of hurricanes etc etc. Even though we never have been to Savannah, we have investigated it and really like what we see. No, it is not totally based on seeing some movie and I know Savannah has its problems like most places. But it just seems like a nice place to settle down. We are both retired, with decent savings but living on social security combined of about 3,000 a month. After owning five homes over 30 years, we are looking to rent something in the 1200 to 1500 dollar range. Of course rents go up and while I realize that they probably do not go up at the rate that they do here in South florida, that would be an issue if they were to increase too greatly. I know this is kind of vague but I'm just looking for any kind of feedback. We are not really night people anymore so we're not looking for a wild gay lifestyle, in fact we like quiet and peace most of the time but we do like going out during the day for breakfast and to charming areas. Of course, safety of the area where we'll be living is of utmost importance. One of the main reasons we're considering Savannah is that we do not like harsh winters. We were considering a move near family up in the Northeast but we just can't do winter. Anyway, any input or suggestions is appreciated and thanks a lot. Have a great day.

[SavannahLife]

well the good news is that jetblue has great and affordable nonstops to the northeast to NYC and BOS. Come visit see what you think.

[CoastalGAGuy]

Our daughter is looking for a decent house to rent in various parts of town right now, and honestly, I think your range is kind of low for anything with more than a small place with a single bathroom in a decent neighborhood in Savannah proper. If you're out in the suburbs, you may be able to pull it off a little easier. Savannah's rental market availability (for houses, at least) is pretty tight these days, and that's exacerbated by what is surely going to be a sizeable influx of new residents over the next few years as major economic impact projects really get going (namely Hyundai's new EV plant in neighboring Bryan Co. and all of its secondary suppliers with what will probably eventually account for 12,000-ish new jobs in the region, which for us is really huge). Apartments seem to be more plentiful and slightly less expensive, but are more likely to push you out of the heart of the city and into suburban areas. I second SL's recommendation - come visit and spend some time checking out your options! It's about as cold as it gets here right now.

[gentlearts]

A rental in your price range will be sort of hard, but it’s possible.

There’s an active organization called First City Pride, and that would be a great place to start. I met quite a few nice gay retired couples who belonged to the club when I worked downtown, so I think you’d like it here.

https://www.firstcitypridecenter.org/

[cookingartguy]

Thanks all for your valuable responses, really appreciate it.

[Midcoaster]

You will either laugh or cry. The advice to contact the area Pride organization is wise. I am seriously considering pretending to be somewhere in the LGBTQ etc. catagory, as, for one thing, age is not a protected category, and there are also far more direct-networking and assistance organizations that assist the LGBTQ, etc. population.

Remember how there used to be faux marriages in order to be in the military and for other reasons? Well, this would be the opposite. I don't want to life, but I'm looking square in the face of homelessness, (as so many are), and the amount of rent I could manage puts me out of every market everywhere, save, perhaps, for certain parts of Florida. I am in the northeast. There is not heavy snow where I live, or even moderate snow, except on rare occasions. Even here, the amount you have available for rent will not get you an apartment. (I would say that you are better off owning if you can, so that you are not subject to "apartment life."

Why I was looking at Savannah, or anywhere else, really, is fairly amusing, as most places have changed beyond recognition. I don't know where your relatives are in the northeast, but if you lived along the coast, you would be nearer, but you still couldn't find an apartment for what you can pay.

[PA991.1]

My $0.02. It sounds like you would like the historic district, Starland, Thomas Square or Ardsley Park. The challenge is your price point. Rents have run up quite a bit here in the past couple years. You can find something in your budget, but it will be quite modest.

[marklyn3500]

CookingArtGuy, my husband and I are considering Savannah as well but our immediate focus has been Fort Collins Co. We are going to do a 1 month stay in Ft. Collins in Sept and then we are considering coming to Savannah for a bit to further check out the area. We visited about 3 years ago and really liked the smallness of it (compared to Austin Tx).
We were zeroing in on the south, se and sw parts of the city. I didn't want to live in the older (central) part because I really want a home that is under 20 years old and I'd like to live in a suburban type neighborhood with less traffic, more walkability in the area, etc.
We regularly travel, abroad and Hawaii, so having a decent airport was important to us. While SAV airport seems to be very adequate for our needs, so does Ft. Collins (Denver nearby and shuttles direct to DIA from Ft. Collins).
We visited Savannah in August and I do remember the humidity. But, Ft Collins for us would be really cold for 4 months, so there's that.
From what I understand about Ga state tax, we'd be exempt, since we're 62. The property taxes are lower than Ft Collins, certainly much lower than what we pay in Austin.
Car tags are relatively cheap in GA, about the same in Austin, under $100.
We also wondered what it would be like living there as a male couple. In Austin, we're pretty "safe" and feel valued/appreciated but we haven't received any feedback about Savannah.
I do recall there was a limited restaurant selection but obviously in a 150k (350k metro) area, you will have fewer options. What restaurants we ate at there were good though but we need to investigate that more on another visit.
Hope the little bit of research we've done helps you in some way. Ping me directly if you have other ?s
M&L

[masonbauknight]

Originally Posted by marklyn3500

We also wondered what it would be like living there as a male couple. In Austin, we're pretty "safe" and feel valued/appreciated but we haven't received any feedback about Savannah.
I do recall there was a limited restaurant selection but obviously in a 150k (350k metro) area, you will have fewer options. What restaurants we ate at there were good though but we need to investigate that more on another visit.
Hope the little bit of research we've done helps you in some way. Ping me directly if you have other ?s
M&L

No problems living as a male couple in Savannah proper or on the islands. The metro population hasn't been 350K residents in over a decade: 2022 Census estimates announced next month will show 418K, and Savannah is the fastest-growing metro in Georgia. No city this size will be as open-minded as Austin (a large metro with a mega university), but Savannah is just fine. It punches above its weight in restaurants and cafes -- miles ahead of any GA city except Atlanta. That's because tourism is exploding along with the population. Downsides: more congestion from growing pains, increasing housing costs (Savannah is in greater demand), relatively high rates of poverty and crime, hot weather much of the year, high humidity for several months, and bugs (much less of a problem downtown and midtown, more so elsewhere).

[PA991.1]

Originally Posted by marklyn3500

We were zeroing in on the south, se and sw parts of the city. I didn't want to live in the older (central) part because I really want a home that is under 20 years old and I'd like to live in a suburban type neighborhood with less traffic, more walkability in the area, etc.

I do recall there was a limited restaurant selection but obviously in a 150k (350k metro) area, you will have fewer options. What restaurants we ate at there were good though but we need to investigate that more on another visit.
M&L

If you want a walkable lifestyle, and lots of restaurants, then you want to be in the Historic/Victorian, Starland, or Thomas/Streetcar districts. While many homes are old, there is also a decent amount of new construction on what were empty lots. As an example, our home in the Victorian district was built in 2018 so we have the low maintenance lifestyle and can walk in Forsyth Park every morning. There are easily 50 restaurants and 10 coffee shops within a 1 mile walk. Since the city is a tourist destination, the restaurant count is far higher than your typical 150k area.
If having a yard is important to you, then Ardsley Park is where I would look. Not too far from downtown, a cluster of restaurants, grocery & pharmacy in Habersham Village. New homes in this area are few and far between, lots of 1950's construction, so a little more maintenance.