JANUARY GLOBETROTTERS WRITING PROMPT
Signs from the City of Savannah
Interesting signs enhanced my exploration of a cool city
I visited the amazing city of Savannah, Georgia twice in the mid to late 2010’s for three-day weekends. Hard to believe it has already been over five years since I last experienced its charms. The southern historic city has allure, mystery, and intrigue combined with ease and friendliness. And on an about-to-be-stormy late summer day, the spirits of this said-to-be haunted destination seem to linger in the air. I spotted the sign above on the perfect day to highlight the power of the view. Several other signs caught my eye on my journey around the city.
One of the places I had on my list to check out back in September 2018 was the restaurant The Grey. It has an interesting, unique ambiance, fantastic food— and a very cool sign to go along with it. This was the location of a 1938 Art Deco Greyhound Bus Terminal in an area that was booming again. I was very impressed with this place — sitting at the bar enjoying appetizers while listening to Wham on vinyl. And a sign that made it easy to notice, and also captured the aura and history of the place made it even more special.
I remember needing a strong coffee the morning after I arrived in the city — to give me some energy to get out and explore. Recalling the hot, sticky weather with storm clouds looming, I was happy to find Savannah Coffee Roasters less than a 5-minute walk from my hotel. Now the coffee was satisfying, as was the menu and vibe. But what also intrigued me was just how pretty the menu signs were. The romantic and bright calligraphy font highlighted the offerings.
Wouldn’t these signs encourage you to try more than you planned for at this bistro? Good design in a sign always catches my eye, and in this case, led me to try a delicious croissant.
Savannah, Georgia is well known for its historical city squares. After my coffee that day — and with the rain holding off I was able to wander around and explore quite a few of them. Most if not all have a statue of a historic figure along with a sign explaining briefly the background behind the name of the square. I always enjoy reading these plaques, or signs to find out more about a place.
Wright Square — laid out in 1733, is one of the oldest of the 22 city squares, named after James Wright, a royal governor of Georgia. The photo outlines more interesting details. The area right around this square (along with many other parts of the city) was a filming location of the classic set in Savannah 1994 movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
For my last night in Savannah, I had moved over to the Kimpton Bryce Hotel. Part of the area that surrounded it had more of a residential feel from what I could recall. It was nearing late afternoon, and close to my hotel, I happened to wander upon the most interesting tavern. This is probably one of the most odd but cool, laid-back, dive bars I have been to. There are many, many drawings of Abraham Lincoln posted all over the bar. Without the beckoning sign featuring Honest Abe outside on the building on that nondescript street corner, I probably would have walked right by and missed out on a refreshing beer in a very interesting environment.
The few signs above helped me tell just a few parts of chapters of my journey in Savannah, Georgia. There are so many other signs, physical and spiritual — that can draw you into the charms of the city.
A couple of other Globetrotters Signs Monthly Theme articles I enjoyed are:
A humorous collection of signs in this piece by Victoria Hydes
A variety of interesting, colorful, and zany signs are in the piece by Joe Guay - Dispatches From the Guay Life!
Thanks for reading :)
