Savannah's housing spans centuries of styles, and its market character follows that range. The downtown core is defined by restored historic homes — Greek Revival townhouses with raised basements and side halls, Federal and Italianate residences, and Victorian frame and brick houses — many inside the National Historic Landmark District, where exterior changes are guided by preservation review. Moving south, the Victorian District offers late-19th-century homes, while Ardsley Park presents an early-20th-century take on the Oglethorpe plan, with bungalows and larger period houses arranged around landscaped squares. Midtown and the islands to the east add midcentury and newer single-family subdivisions, and the marsh and waterfront areas include condominiums and elevated coastal construction. Because so much of the inventory is older, buyers often weigh renovation and flood considerations alongside the appeal of historic architecture and walkable squares.

Savannah's neighborhoods read as a timeline of the city's growth. The Historic District, around the original Oglethorpe squares, holds the oldest stock and is the center of tourism and walkable living. The Victorian District, running south from the historic core along Bull and Whitaker streets, is known for its rows of restored Victorian houses and the Starland arts enclave. Ardsley Park, developed in the early 20th century, is a landscaped midtown neighborhood whose gridded squares consciously echo Oglethorpe's original plan. Gordonston, on the east side, is often described as similar in feel to Ardsley Park but more laid-back. Beyond the city's core, the Lowcountry marsh and barrier islands to the east — anchored by Tybee Island — offer coastal living with beach access.

Savannah's lifestyle centers on its walkable historic core and its coastal setting. The squares scattered through downtown serve as shaded gathering places, and Forsyth Park — the city's largest and oldest, with its landmark fountain and bandshell — hosts concerts and festivals including SCAD's annual Sidewalk Arts Festival. River Street provides riverfront dining and nightlife in converted cotton warehouses, with rooftop bars and live music above the cobblestones. The presence of SCAD and Savannah State University keeps the city's arts, design, and music scenes active beyond the tourism corridor, and the Starland district functions as an artist-driven neighborhood with studios, galleries, and independent cafes. Foodways draw on the Lowcountry and the coast, from fresh seafood to Southern classics, and residents move easily between downtown culture and weekend trips to Tybee Island.

Public education in Savannah is provided by the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS), the 10th-largest district in Georgia, serving roughly 36,000 students across about 55 schools spanning elementary, K-8, middle, and high school grades. The district includes a mix of neighborhood schools, magnet programs, and specialized academies, and it operates the non-charter public schools across Chatham County, not just within the city limits. Higher education is a strong local presence: the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is a major arts university with facilities throughout the historic district, and Savannah State University, a public historically Black university, sits on the city's southside. This concentration gives families a range of public, magnet, and private options tied to neighborhood assignment and district choice programs.

Savannah sits at a transportation crossroads. Interstate 95 runs north-south along the coast, and Interstate 16 begins at the city and runs west to Macon and Atlanta, with the two interstates converging a few miles from the Port of Savannah. The Port of Savannah, one of the largest container ports on the U.S. East Coast, is a defining element of the local transportation and logistics landscape. Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport serves regional and connecting flights. Within the city, the historic district is highly walkable, with a compact grid built around the squares; across the wider metro, residents rely on cars, with the islands and Tybee Island reached by causeway.

Savannah's recreation is split between its urban parks and the surrounding Lowcountry coast. Forsyth Park, spanning more than 30 acres, is the city's largest and oldest public park, with a landmark fountain, a bandshell for concerts and festivals, and broad lawns shaded by live oaks. The downtown squares themselves function as a network of small parks, many with monuments and gardens. On the water, the Savannah, Ogeechee, and Vernon rivers offer paddling and wildlife viewing, and Tybee Island, just east of the city, provides Atlantic beaches, a south-end pier and pavilion popular with anglers, and the Fort Screven area on the island's north end. The mild coastal climate supports year-round outdoor activity, from walking the historic district to boating and fishing in the tidal marshes.