You can never really know a place until you have lived there.

If, like me, you are lucky enough to live in a place that receives millions of visitors each year, then you know what I'm talking about; there are the places that the visitors go, and then there are the places that the locals go. That's what I like to call "Savannah Unplugged".

Although Savannah, is Georgia's 4th largest city, they have done a great job of maintaining a small town feel. The first December that I lived here, I was drawn to the front door of my little suburban home in the early evening by the sound of a fire truck siren tweaking on and off. I opened the door to see Santa Claus standing on the back of the engine waving at the residents. The neighborhood children were all standing in their front yards, delighted and waving back. Now, as a Los Angeles transplant, I nearly melted at this un-promoted, unpublicized moment of sweetness. It was just the fine people in our local fire department spreading seasonal cheer.

Savannah is known for its southern charm and hospitality, and prides itself on being the "Hostess City of the South". Our little city of approximately 135,000 citizens welcomes millions of visitors a year from all over the world, and tourism is one of the city's main revenue streams. But we do have our big industry too. Savannah's port, one of the nations largest, is a big portion of the city's economy, and we're also home to Gulfstream Aerospace company, maker of private jets, as well as a number of other large industrial interests. And let's not forget to mention our military bases.

Our other nickname, the unplugged one, is "Slow-Vannah." Despite all of the activity, we remain a little (big) city with sleepy streets, and Spanish Moss draped from the tree canopy of the majestic old oaks that line our lovely old streets. Some of our streets are even still cobbled. It is not at all unusual to see our City Manager walking along picking up trash, or our Chief of Police, keeping a watchful eye out on the streets. Things move along here as they should, but at their own pace,

If nightlife is your thing, we've got an unplugged version of that too.

Of course we have River Street, home to a number of long-established bars and restaurants, and popular with our tourists because it is downtown and right on the Savannah river. But, in 1979, the Savannah College of Art and Design was founded, and it began to attract some of the world's best and brightest students. Along with the creativity and energy that these students bring, comes the 'spice' they add to the local coffee houses and nightclubs.

Our local nightclubs and piano bars (the ones off of the beaten path) are popular with the students and soldiers out on military furlough, as well the local residents. Some of the nightclubs offer hilarious musicals and stage shows, and you never know what kind of fun you will get when you fill a room full of some of the most artistic, creative minds in the world!

http://www.savannahtheatre.com

Savannah's architecture is an international attraction, as we have both the nation's most valuable collection of 18th and 19th century architecture and our downtown area is the largest National Historic Landmark District in the United States.

Salted among our famous park squares you will find the homes of such notables as Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts, and, of course the Mercer-Williams house, a centerpiece in John Berendt's book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (the unplugged name being just, "The Book").

Now, don't get me wrong, the tours of these homes are most certainly fascinating, and worth doing, but, architecturally, this city is, well, eye-candy. If you want to go unplugged, just park in one of the city's garages and hop onto one of our cityride vans, and jump off anywhere downtown, and have fun. At some stops you can just wander through residential neighborhoods with homes so beautiful they will take your breath away, at another stop you will be let out in the heart of downtown where you can wander amongst the old commercial buildings, City Hall, the Old Cotton Exchange. Be sure and watch for the tasteful plaques mounted on the buildings which provide a brief history of the building and its occupants.

The city's location offers visitors access to coastal islands, the Savannah Riverfront and the beach community of Tybee Island. Our little stretch of coast is also dotted with other picturesque little towns including the shrimping village of Thunderbolt. Savannah is the primary port on the Savannah River and is located along the U.S. InterCoastal waterway, and, we have miles and miles of breathtaking, marsh-lined inland waterways.

Savannahians do enjoy their water! We fish, crab, shrimp, sail, water-ski, jet-ski and swim. We have water and we are not afraid to use it!

Now, if you visit, you could climb aboard one of the big (Delta Queen-ish looking) tour boats, and you would enjoy that, I'm sure. But, if you want to go unplugged, try contacting one of our local captains, or renting a boat and having a picnic on one of the little islands. We have waterfront restaurants at which you can dock your boat and have a terrific, casual and reasonable lunch.

Our coastlines are beautiful, our waters are loaded with dolphin and sea cow, and you will see water front homes that you will never see in tours.

Of course, you haven't really experienced Savannah until you have indulged in the local fare at one of our award-winning downtown restaurants. Some, like Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room on Jones Street, offer traditional low country classics like fried chicken and collard greens, others mouth-watering fish prepared by nationally known chefs. Savannah is, of course, home to Paula Dean, and her sons, who, among other projects, has a regular show on Food Network TV.

But, it is nice to go off of the energy of the downtown grid once in awhile and try some of the other excellent places the area has to offer. Tybee Island, for example, is a pleasant drive out of the city through expanses of breathtaking marshland and over a drawbridge that spans the Inter-coastal waterway. It offers a number of excellent seaside restaurants, serving outstanding seafood with dockside seating and ocean views.

Yes, food is serious business here. With everyone. I have personally used an attorney who also writes articles for Bon Appetite magazine. So, in my best local vernacular, I will say, "I'm not playing with you". Get out there and explore. I think you'll be glad you did!

http://www.fanniesonthebeach.com

http://www.marlinmonroessurfsidegrill.com

I could go on and on. If I covered everything I had originally intended to cover, this hub would be about 17 million words long, maybe more. Perhaps subjects for another time. Hopefully I have encouraged you to come and see us, and really experience this beautiful city - unplugged.