What is the history of Savannah Georgia ?

According to a recent U.S. Census evaluation by the Martin Prosperity Institute, there are at least 5,000 more available women than men living in our small city. The Savannah College of Art and Design attracts roughly 7,000 more single ladies each year. Not bad for a city that’s smaller than Greenwich Village. If those odds aren’t the least bit enticing, there’s also a thriving, open gay community.

An alfresco alcohol policy enables you to take your drink “to-go” at any bar north of Jones Street. This allows your wine to truly breathe. It also makes for some entertaining, bourbon-infused little chats along the way from tavern to taproom

One hundred miles of undeveloped coastline stretch southward from Savannah, making this the last line of civilization on your way to pristine barrier islands and fantastic fishing. No boat? No problem.

Every March, the four-day Savannah Stopover music marathon brings the best bands to the city’s intimate venues on their way to Austin’s SXSW. This gives you 80-plus reasons to brag, “Actually, I liked them before they were famous.” Fall brings Revival Fest, an easygoing Americana extravaganza. Think of them both as throwbacks to the days when festivals were actually fun.

Dubbed America’s most paranormal city by every media outlet known to man, Savannah’s imagination is fueled by four centuries of twisted history. The city is literally built on the dead -- and if the haunted pub crawls and cemetery tours don’t convince you, try an early morning walk of shame through Spanish moss and fog.

As home to the legendary Mighty Eighth Air Force, the Army’s Third Infantry Division, and some pretty bizarre Revolutionary and Civil War lore, this small city has seen its share of scrap. It’s got the memorabilia and museums to prove it -- and don’t miss Fort Pulaski, birthplace of the rifled cannon and site of Savannah’s best hikes and views.

You haven’t seen Savannah until you’ve explored its namesake grasslands -- vast stretches of tall spartina bisected by tidal creeks and estuaries -- and they are best navigated with a paddle in hand. Load up the kayak and put in at Butterbean Beach or Skidaway Island State Park. You’ll spot dolphins, alligators, right whales and manatees.

Ever wonder why so many Savannahians have art collections that exceed their incomes and maturity levels? The city has a symbiotic relationship with the Savannah College of Art and Design, meaning it tells time by a rotating series of art marches, gallery hops, open studios and graduating student shows.

Savannahians run road races year-round, from the exuberant Rock ’N’ Roll Marathon to the panoramic Enmark Savannah River Bridge Run. Training for these races is a social activity, so some of the city’s most meaningful dialogues are a little breathless. At the end of a long run, women still put on designer heels and hit the town -- a resiliency any heterosexual male can appreciate.

Twenty-two lush, park-like greens grid this urban landscape, inspiring a Saturday tradition of shopping and schmoozing. A true Savannahian has two things in hand when making the rounds: a cocktail and a leash. The squares themselves are dog friendly, with elegant poop receptacles and the occasional canine water fountain.

Savannah’s got ’em all: sign-carrying doomsayers, makeshift military officers -- even a guy who asks for a pencil, then tells you he’s the son of Satan and does a little dance. And those are just the ones who advertise. Eccentricity is a point of pride in this small city, so your own quirks are more likely to win you an approving nod than a wide berth.

If you see what appears to be a city block moving before your eyes, you must be facing the Savannah River. This coastal city is home to the nation’s largest container port -- and it’s on the inland side of town. That means every brightly laden container vessel has to cut right through the Historic District on its way to and from foreign ports of call.

It served as a strategic port city in the American Revolution and during the American Civil War.

Savannah is today an industrial center and an important Atlantic seaport.

Several heavy metal music groups have emerged from Savannah, including the Baroness, Kylesa and Circle Takes the Square.

Savannah's architecture, history, and reputation for Southern charm and hospitality are internationally known.

The city's former promotional name was “Hostess City of the South”, a phrase still used by the city government.

Each year Savannah attracts millions of visitors, who enjoy the city's architecture and historic buildings: the birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low (founder of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America), the Georgia Historical Society (the oldest continually operating historical society in the South), the Telfair

Academy of Arts and Sciences (one of the South's first public museums), the First African Baptist Church (one of the oldest African-American Baptist congregations in the United States), Temple Mickve Israel (the third oldest synagogue in America), and the Central of Georgia Railway roundhouse complex (the oldest standing antebellum rail facility in America).

Savannah’s downtown area, which includes the Savannah Historic District, the Savannah Victorian Historic District and 22 parklike squares, is one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the United States (designated by the U.S. government in 1966).

Downtown Savannah largely retains the original town plan prescribed by founder James Oglethorpe (a design now known as The Oglethorpe Plan).

Savannah was the host city for the sailing competitions during the 1996 Summer Olympics held in Atlanta.

As the oldest city in the state of Georgia, Savannah has a long and colorful history chock-full of interesting characters and beautiful locales. From manicured parks and horse-drawn carriages to ornate antebellum architecture, it’s no wonder Savannah is one of the most visited cities in the South. So to help make your upcoming trip to Savannah just that much better, we’ve compiled a list of the top fun facts about this intriguing city on the river.

Savannah was named for the Savannah River, which probably derives from variant names for the Shawnee, a Native American people who migrated to the river in the 1680s.

Founded in 1733 by General James Edward Oglethorpe, a British philanthropist and Member of Parliament, Savannah was organized into grids and has been dubbed “America’s First Planned City.”