Might be moving to Savannah, GA -- Can you tell me about it?

[Alicia64]

DH is looking at a job in Savannah, GA. We're in VA now. Love the idea of Savannah because it's so close to the beach. We're water people, but I'm afraid of the heat and the bugs.

 

Can you tell me what you like about living in Savannah? Also, what homeschooling is like?

 

Any suggestions for area to rent in that are family friendly?

 

Thanks for any help,

 

Alley

[Night Elf]

I don't know about Savannah particularly, but here is the GA Dept. of Education site for homeschool laws.

[AlmiraGulch]

Oh, I'm so envious!  I adore Savannah.   The location, the history, the architecture, the pace.....all of it.  

 

I've not lived there, but I've spent quite a bit of time there and I will say that there are definitely "good" and "bad" parts.  It will be very important to look closely before selecting a place to live. 

 

As for home schooling laws, check out the link that Beth sent.  I don't home school anymore, but I found it very easy and non-intrusive in Georgia.

[Alicia64]

Oh, I'm so envious!  I adore Savannah.   The location, the history, the architecture, the pace.....all of it.  

 

I've not lived there, but I've spent quite a bit of time there and I will say that there are definitely "good" and "bad" parts.  It will be very important to look closely before selecting a place to live. 

 

As for home schooling laws, check out the link that Beth sent.  I don't home school anymore, but I found it very easy and non-intrusive in Georgia.

 

Thanks Q! Could you tell me what you liked about it? I'm really hesitant. I'm a beach lover so that would be great, but beyond that. . . what makes Savannah a neat place?

 

And thanks!

 

Alley

[MusicMama]

It is a very beautiful historic city, the historic district is stunning. SCAD attracts a very vibrant and artsy college crowd.  However, make sure you live in a family friendly area!  There are some pretty rough neighborhoods if you aren't in the right place, just like any other city.  But in Savannah, where the surface is all Southern charm, I think people forget that bit of common sense.  

 

That being said, there is lots for kids to do, and the beach is VERY family friendly.  No high rise condos!  It is slower paced island life.  Quiet.  

The gnats are horrible!  The summer is so muggy, but we have enjoyed 70+ degree February's many times.  That's when we go visit.  It really is sticky in the summer!  But the trade off are those wonderfully mild "winters".    
 

[plansrme]

I do not live here, but I am here for 4 days, so hello from Savannah!  It's hot and muggy right now, but I am from Atlanta and, with the breeze, would not say it is worse than Atlanta.  The rest of the year it is noticeably warmer than Atlanta, however (this is my first mid-summer trip, and I am surprised that it is not worse than it is).  It is a funky city for its size, lots of elements all jumbled up together.  There are artsy type (SCAD is big here), retirees, beach lovers and tons of tourists.  The touristy areas are beautiful, but there are plenty of homeless people hanging out in the famous squares.  (I will say that Savannah has the most polite homeless guys of any city I've visited.)   It is clean, but you'll still catch the occasional whiff of urine as you walk the city streets (a personal pet peeve).  The historic district, like most historic districts, has spots that lean more towards "old and run down" than historic.  Once you get outside the historic district, there are Targets and Home Depots and Starbucks like every other city in America.  If I hadn't had my fill of hot weather already (I talk daily of retiring in Wyoming), I could see living here.  The history and the mix of ethnicities are somewhat unique to this stretch of the cost--Savannah to Charleston, more or less, and it reminds me of Charleston with less money.

 

 

 

[Susan C.]

Effingham county has much better schools than Chatham.

 

Wilmington Island is nice. Skidaway too but pricey.

 

Go way south (near Savannah Mall, or to Richmond Hill), or Wilmington Is. or Effingham (Rincon). But oh the traffic to Rincon.... it really backs up at rush hour.

[happymomofboys]

Effingham county has much better schools than Chatham.

 

Wilmington Island is nice. Skidaway too but pricey.

 

Go way south (near Savannah Mall, or to Richmond Hill), or Wilmington Is. or Effingham (Rincon). But oh the traffic to Rincon.... it really backs up at rush hour.

 

Having grown up in Effingham and lived on the southside of Savannah for several years,  :iagree: with all of this.  

 

ETA:  My oldest son was only in 1st when we moved from Savannah, so I'm not up to date on the law, but I do remember it being pretty easy to homeschool there.  I did have to mail in monthly attendance though.  I thought that was kind of silly.

[mommylawyer]

The reporting laws have changed in Georgia. As of July 1, there is no attendance reporting. You just have to send a Declaration of Intent to Homeschool. There are time and testing requirements, but nothing that has to be turned into the state.

 

Savannah is a lovely place. My family and I will be visiting tree in the coming months. Good luck if you relocate!

[LaCEmom]

Well, I've lived here for less than a month and I haven't ventured out too much yet. (1st trimester morning/all day sickness) But it's definitely hot and muggy, and yes the gnats are TERRIBLE. After researching the area, we decided to live in Richmond Hill. Our neighbors are all very nice & there are lots of school age kids so I'm not regretting that decision although the comparative cost of housing here also reflects this areas popularity. I haven't gotten into the specifics, but I'm told homeschooling is really easy here. Haven't checked out the beaches yet, but I'm told they're decent.

[LaCEmom]

After rereading it I hope the above doesn't sound too negative. I know a lot of people love it here, but we've previously lived in Charleston, SC. and when we moved here I was expecting Savannah to be similar, but it's just not as nice. It's hard for me to be impartial after I've lived there. For reference sake Savannah is smaller than Charleston and feels poorer iykwim.

[Samiam]

Get past the historic tourist side. Truly. We lived in Charleston for several years, and while it has a very charming historic side, that's not your everyday life. I mean, the housing in the historic areas are millions, so the regular folks live out in suburbia. So between life, and avoiding the historic area during high tourist season, a person who lives there might only go to the downtown historic area 1-3 times a year. So while the historic beauty of Savannah is great to point out,, it's important to focus on the "everyday life" factors. What is life like for someone who lives there, not just a visitor? Can't offer any advice myself on Savannah, but just wanted to point that out.

[GTJo1996]

I grew up in Savannah and attended both private school (K-8) and public HS. The schools are tricky. Many people do not think the public schools are very good, not horrible, just not good. When I attended highschool it was 1988-91 and the schools offered magnet programs. Many people send their kids to private school because of the perception that the public schools are not "good enough". Honestly I think it's a social status thing to send your kids to "the right" school in Savannah.

 

I attended Jenkins (on DeRenne Ave) and had awesome teachers and a great challenging program. Can't say about what they are like now. Homeschooling is not as popular in Savannah as it is in north Georgia. In general I feel that the PS system in GA is struggling to find a way to teach the gifted kids while simultaneously educating the kids who are struggling. I mean, it is a systemwide problem, not necessarily unique to one school system in one town.

 

All of my cousins which still live in the area either live on Isle of Hope or at Richmond Hill. Isle of Hope is full of charm and in a decent school district but many of the children attend Savannah Christian or Savannah Country Day or Benedictine (boys only Catholic).

 

It is hot and muggy and the mosquitoes are horrendous. On the flip side, there is nothing like the marsh and the river in your backyard. It only snows in Savannah about once every 5-6 years and I can only remember 2 times when the snow actually stuck and stayed around for 24 hrs. Most winters you won't break out you heavy coat for more than one week.

 

My parents moved from Savannah about 10 yrs ago to Effingham County. I do NOT like Effingham's quality of life. It is near the port (LOTS of tractor trailer traffice) and the paper mills (they stink!). There are not multiple routes in and out of Effinham if you are commuting in to Savannah. So at rush hour it is a parking lot on Hwy 21 and on DeRenne Ave/516/16 to I-95.

 

Pooler seems to have a better lifestyle and all the shopping is near there. Rincon is not the best place for quality of life - in my opinion. My mom is a retired teacher and she taught in Effingham schools briefly. She liked the schools and admin.

 

There are 2 universities and of course SCAD which attract a diverse population and many out-of-town-ers. As for GA homeschool laws, it's so relaxed it aint even funny! Just file a Declaration of Intent (DOI) saying "I'm homeschooling these kids!" file it electronically and you are done. For the most part.

 

Feel free to msg me privately if you have any questions about specific areas.