9 Tips Only a Savannahian Would Know
Here are 9 of our top-secret facts that we usually don't let tourists in on, but you're pretty cool so we'll tell you.
People usually seek South Magazine for the best places to Eat, Play, Stay, Shop and Go because we always have the perfect recommendations. Although, if you’re a tourist you may not know some of the secrets that southerners keep between themselves, so we decided to share them with you.
You know you live in Savannah when…
1. Pollen is the only thing that will be blanketing your car.
Our world famous pollen blanket can cover anything! It’s usually crafted in early March and sent out to local Savannahians and kept on the market until November. It’s only available for a limited time and comes in one color, yellow.
2. Summer and fall are the only seasons that are noticeable.
The only item of clothing that’s saved for a certain season is our “winter” coats. We only don our furs during late fall and mid winter, but there are special occasions when we layer during these colder seasons. The weather here is very unpredictable. It could be 50 degrees one day during the winter and the next it's 30. For the rest of the year though, it’s summer time and that means shorts and t-shirts.
3. You refer to the malls as the "new" or "old" mall.
There are only two malls in Savannah, the “new mall”, The Savannah mall, which we remember by the two-story carousel, and the “old mall”, the Oglethorpe mall, which is remembered by its recently renovated food court. We call it the new mall because it was the second mall to open up in Savannah and no others have opened since.
For more information go to, Savannah Mall's website or call them at (912) 927-7467.
For more information go to, Oglethorpe Mall's or website or call them at (912) 354-7038.
4. Horse drawn carriages are normal.
Do you feel like you’re stuck in the 1800’s watching the horse drawn carriages parade around town? We don’t, we just feel like traffic is being held up and can’t wait to go around them. Although, when you’re not in a car it does feel like a fairytale riding around town in a horse drawn carriage.
For more information check out, Plantation Carriage Company's website or call them at (912) 659-9005.
5. The heat could kill a thousand men, but you walk through it like it’s nothing.
Have you ever walked through the desert while water vapor is engulfing you? Well, we do that everyday in Savannah and we don’t complain about it. Unless a tourist does, then we begin to feel it.
6. You know there’s not actually a bench where Forrest Gump sat, but you don’t tell the tourists that.
Some scenes from the movie, Forrest Gump, were filmed in Savannah and we’re proud of that. The most iconic scene is in Chippewa Square where the bench scene was filmed. Now we don’t usually tell our best-kept secrets to mere tourists, but that bench isn’t really there! It was a prop made for the film and is being displayed at the Savannah History Museum.
For more information go to, the Savannah History Museum's website or call them at (912) 651-6825.
7. Your town is the birthplace of the Girl Scouts.
The first Girl Scout ever, Juliette Gordon Low started the Girl Scouts on Oglethorpe Avenue in 1912 at her home in Savannah. Ever since then it’s been a right of passage to go to the Juliette Gordon Low House for every Girl Scout- no matter their age. This is a place that was made by girls for girls.
For more information go to, the Juliette Gordon Low's Birthplace website or call them at (912) 233-4501.
8. You hear local ghost stories, but you're not scared anymore.
At first hearing the local ghost stories kept you up at night, but you haven’t seen the man walking around with an axe yet so you’re not scared. Plus, we’ve heard them so many times we can recite them. We use this ability to scare all our non-local friends.
For more information check out, Hearse Ghost Tours' website or call them at (912) 695-1578.
9. You call your gas station Fancy Parkers.
The only place in Savannah you wouldn’t think is a gas station is Parkers Market on Drayton Street. We like to call it fancy parkers because it has gourmet selections and a trendy boutique. It’s the first of its kind in Savannah and when you walk in its like you have entered Aladdin’s cave of wonders.
For more information, go to Parkers Gourmet Market's website or call them at (912) 233-1000.
