Safest Neighbourhoods in Savannah (and Areas to Avoid)
Areas — Historic District, Starland, Tybee
Recommended for visitors: Historic District (north of Forsyth Park) — the tourist core, the squares, walking-friendly. Starland District (south of Forsyth) — gentrified bohemian neighbourhood. Victorian District — between the two. Tybee Island (30 min east) — small beach community.
Stay aware: parts of West Savannah (higher crime stats; not on tourist itineraries). Some southside areas. Around Greyhound bus station at night.
Neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood breakdown
- Historic District — the core grid of 22 squares between River Street and Forsyth Park; cobbled streets, oaks dripping Spanish moss, the bulk of tourist accommodation. Comfortable any hour with standard urban awareness. Trip hazards from oak-root-lifted brick sidewalks are real — sturdy shoes.
- River Street — the cobbled riverfront strip between City Hall and the Marriott; bars, candy shops, the Plant Riverside District, the Georgia Queen riverboat. To-go cups in 16 oz plastic are legal (open-container — a Georgia rarity). Pickpocketing in dense weekend crowds and St Patrick's Day; pedicab pricing must be agreed upfront.
- Forsyth Park — the 30-acre southern anchor of the Historic District, the famous fountain, Saturday farmers' market, jogging loops, free concerts. Daytime safe; well-used by locals and tourists into the evening.
- Starland District — south of Forsyth, the gentrified bohemian quarter; Back in the Day Bakery, Two Tides Brewing, Starland Yard food trucks, SCAD's photography building. Safe with awareness; mostly walked by SCAD students and food-scene visitors.
- Victorian District — between Forsyth and Starland; restored Victorian homes, leafy. Quiet residential.
- City Market — between Ellis and Franklin squares; bar-cluster, horse-and-carriage tours start here, weekend crowds.
- SCAD campus footprint — distributed across the Historic District in 70+ buildings; the SCAD Museum of Art on West Boundary, the SCAD eMuseum on Henry. This is a working-art-school city, not a single campus.
- HBCU Savannah State University — Georgia's oldest public HBCU, in the south-east of the city; football games at Tiger Field are a separate cultural circuit from the Historic District tourism.
- Tybee Island — 30 min east via US-80; small beach community, the Tybee lighthouse, easy day trip. Parking $4/hour in season — book at the meter app. Watch for biting "no-see-um" gnats at dusk.
- Georgia open-container law — Savannah is one of very few US cities allowing public drinking; the carve-out is the Historic District boundary (Gwinnett to River Street, MLK to East Broad), 16 oz max in plastic, not glass. This is a real legal difference from the rest of the country and is policed at the boundary lines.
- Stay aware: West Savannah and parts of the south side have higher crime stats and no tourist relevance. Around the Greyhound bus station at night is the recurring asterisk.
FAQ
- What's the biggest scam to avoid in Savannah?
- There isn't a major scam culture. The recurring traps are unlicensed pedicab overcharging on River Street (agree the price before getting in), ghost-tour quality variation (Blue Orb, Ghost City, and Hearse Ghost Tours are consistently well-rated), parking-lot smash-and-grabs near Tybee Island and Bonaventure Cemetery (never leave valuables visible), and dynamic currency conversion at card terminals — always pay in USD.
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