Going South: A Brooklynite in Savannah

(Reprinted from the June 2009 issue of the First City Network News.)

Being new to town, people often ask, “Why in the world would you leave New York City for Savannah?”

I get it: New York is something of a big deal to a lot of people. It’s one of the top cities in the world--a hub of art, commerce, and culture that stands a symbol of class and sophistication. To me, though, it’s the place this late-thirtysomething gay black Brooklynite was born and raised. And for as much as I love it, I needed more than it could give me.

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

I moved to here because I wanted a slower pace, better quality of life, the great weather, and the comparatively lower cost of living. I was tired of packed subway cars, the relentless tempo of city life, the bone-chilling winters, and paying too much for a tiny apartment--none of which made my life any better.

When first I came here in January of 2007, I was mesmerized the town’s beauty, its urban sophistication and small-town intimacy (people actually say “hello” to you, as opposed to avoiding direct eye contact), the seemingly harmonic mix of class, culture, creativity, and tolerance. I was ready to move then, but injuries I sustained in a car accident resulted in spinal surgery. But Savannah never left my mind. During my recuperation, I kept up on it via the Savannah Morning News, Connect Savannah, and, of course, the First City Network Web site. Once I was healed and completed physical therapy, I made a beeline for Savannah.

River Street

Three months later, I’m more in love with the place than I was when I first visited. I enjoy the desegregated mix of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and straight people that populate places like Blaine’s, Chuck’s, and Club One. It’s also nice to see the LGBT community come together for things like movie viewings, Saturday Socials, family friendly oyster roasts, and other fundraisers.

Forsyth Park

That’s not to say it’s all been one big picnic. The term “fast food” is used very loosely down here. I’ve had the F-bomb hurled at me a few times on the street. More than a few fellow gay men have come on to me for being “chocolate stud” (their words) or spoken to me in Ebonics--something I think is not only condescending but downright insulting. (One guy even used the N-word!) I’m also not looking forward to the summer heat--which I hear is brutal--but I signed on for this the day I signed the lease for my apartment.

I’ve lived in a couple of major cities (San Francisco, Chicago, and Los Angeles) and I see now that in each of them I tried to recreate the small-town feeling I had growing up in Brooklyn. It may be premature, but I’m really looking forward to laying down roots here. With every day that passes, I grow more convinced that coming to Savannah was the best move I could have made.