COUNTRYWIDE
SCENIC AND SOUTHERN SAVANNAH CITY BECKONS WITH CUISINE, CULTURE AND HISTORY
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ust a short day’s drive from Florida lies the historic city of Savannah. Established by James Oglethorpe in 1733, Savannah was the first city in the new British colony of Georgia and was intended to serve as a military buffer between South Carolina and the Spanish colonists in Florida.
The area’s downtown, which includes the Savannah Historic District, the City Market and 22 park-like squares, is one of the largest National Historic Landmark districts in the U.S. Add in a robust nightlife and a famous Colonial estate to explore, and we knew it would be our kind of area to visit. We chose the boutique accommodations of The Present as our home base for our Savannah trip, and we couldn’t have been more pleased with what we experienced. The Present is the perfect blend of hotel and Airbnb, with contactless automated check-in and a director of guest experience who you can always reach. It is situated in the heart of Savannah on Crawford Square—walkable distance from the iconic
River Street area, Forsyth Park and the City Market. Before becoming The Present, the building was once a brothel, then an artist’s studio. Its 15 unique rooms focus on comfort and harken back to the studio days, with no two alike in design, layout or décor. There are options from small hotel rooms to apartments that sleep up to eight. Yet all rooms serve The Present’s goal of “relaxation, comfort and cozy peace of mind.” For our stay, we chose the 101 Studio Apartment, a six-person suite with a full kitchen and a private entrance overlooking Crawford Square. It is a mix of historic and edgy design that comes from the mind of HGTV designer Elizabeth Demos. There are also numerous nods to safety and cleanliness important in today’s environment, such as electrostatic cleaning by staff members and the use of high-tech products. We packed away our belongings in the bounty of space provided, changed into our walking shoes and headed out to discover the city.
RIVER STREET itself runs below the bluff and is lined with boutiques, hotels, restaurants, bars—and even a world-famous candy shop. Access to the River Street area comes via a dozen steep stone staircases on Bay Street that descend to Savannah’s famous cobblestone streets below.
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OPPOSITE PAGE: TOP RIGHT PHOTO BY KRISTINA RODRIGUEZ; ALL OTHER PHOTOS BESIDES MIDDLE LEFT PHOTO BY DAVE KELLY
Written by: Dave Kelly
