Planner’s Travel Series 

About the series: Welcome to our ongoing travel series. These are all posts written by planning students and professionals about what to do in a given city when looking for Brunch, a Brew, or a good idea on a Budget. To cap it all off, we include a fun planning fact!   

About the visit: In mid-December, I spent a week in Savannah on vacation. It’s a great destination to get away from the cold and gorge on good food and good architecture. Here are some of the highlights:

Brunch 

The Fox Burger. Photo Credit: Fox & Fig Cafe

It’s a crime to have to choose a single destination in a city that’s home to some of the best restaurants on the East Coast, but the Fox & Fig Café stood out as a destination to experience quality Savannah cuisine as well as its coffee culture. They’ve mastered the art of turning veggie burgers into a something that even the most steadfast meat-lovers can enjoy. Topped with arugula, caramelized onion, avocado, and smashed between a pretzel bun, it was a meal to remember.

Brew 

Moon River Brewing Company. Photo Source: Haunted Savannah.

If you enjoy mixing your brews with boos, then you’ll love the Moon River Brewing Company. As the name suggests, the brewery sits on the Savannah River and occupies one of the city’s most famous haunted buildings. It used to be the home of the City Hotel in the early 19th century, and was later used as a makeshift hospital for Savannah’s many yellow fever outbreaks. One of the most famous ghosts is named ‘Toby’ and is often seen gliding through the basement. This is a great destination to try good beer and experience the city’s fascination with the other side.

Budget

Sandfly BBQ. Photo Source: Sandfly BBQ.

Sandfly, a no-fuss BBQ joint in a converted train car just south of the famous Forsyth Park, offers up some of the best food at the best price. Make sure to grab some a la carte sides to share!

Fun Planning Fact

A Savannah city plan from 1818 keeping with the original pattern of the Olgethorpe plan. Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons.

The city’s downtown historic district is broken up by small square parks and is the legacy of one of the oldest urban plans in the United States. The Olgethorpe plan (named after the city’s founder) originally designed Savannah around four squares in 1730. Olgethorpe originally intended for each square to be a gathering point for residents and house community gardens. Planners kept that pattern as the city grew and today, visitors can weave in and out of beautiful greenery throughout the city center.

Featured Image: Forsyth Park, Savanna. Photo Credit: Go South! Savannah

About the Author: Frank Muraca is a first-year master’s student in the UNC Department of City and Regional Planning. His interests include neighborhood change, displacement, and disaster housing. Prior to graduate school, he lived and worked in Jiangsu Province, China, writing about migrants and how changing city borders affect outlying farm communities. He’s originally from Charlottesville, Virginia, and earned his bachelor’s degree in economics at George Mason University.