SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – Few places on the planet match the beauty of Savannah, Georgia. Its picturesque, well-preserved and loaded with southern charm.
But what really gets the blood flowing for visitors is River Street. It’s a little old, a little new, and at first look, you can tell it’s something special.
“The River Street attitude is love — we don’t care whether you’re Black, whether you’re white, we’re just here for a good time,” said visitor Preston Gray. “We’re gonna eat good, we’re gonna drink good, we’re gonna love each other and party together.”
But River Street is more than a party. Its two-century-old buildings, cobblestone streets, and rows of distinctive monuments, shops, boutiques, and pubs make it a unique attraction for all ages.
“It’s breathtaking — all the history,” said visitor Joan Sweat. “You can tell just by the brick, it’s just so much history that’s being held by it. It’s amazing.”
During the day, it’s a mecca for people watching, and after the sun goes down, it’s a vibrant nightlife that often continues until 3 a.m.
“River Street at night is absolutely beautiful. You could spend the day at the park or the beach even, then come to River Street for dinner,” said art student Marlea Flinnick.
And dinner could be any number of places. Vic’s on the River, The River House, The Shrimp Factory, Rocks on the River and Spanky’s River Street are just a handful of favorites.
Opinions may differ but one thing is for sure — there’s something for every taste on the Savannah Waterfront.
Fiddlers Crab House boasts one of the area’s largest sections of locally caught Georgia oysters and shrimp. Olympia Café specializes in Greek cuisine. Tubby’s Seafood not only promises great food, but Bar Manager Earl Savage also says, “it’s the best view on River Street.”
That claim is hard to prove because there’s a lot to see.
Plan to stay and grab a room at the Cotton Sail Hotel, a renovated 1800’s cotton warehouse that’s an example style meeting history.
“These walls are original,” Cotton Sail Hotel Assistant General Manager Kwanisha Brown said. “The floors throughout the entire building are from the original ceilings.”
Homewood Suites is a new hotel with expansive rooms overlooking the east end of River Street. The luxurious Bohemian Hotel has a rooftop bar and restaurant with incredible views of the Talmadge Bridge and sunset. And in the middle of all the action, the Hyatt Regency has more than 350 rooms.
Grab some dessert at River Street Sweets, which hand-makes its world-famous pralines.
“Everyone loves them, we sell close to a couple million pralines a year out of this location alone,” said River Street Sweets Vice President of Marketing Kelly Kale.
And that’s just a taste of the more than 75 hotels, shops, and restaurants that make River Street in Savannah a wonderful place to visit.