Thanks to Do for posting the list and link for the U.S. News and World Report’s travel section rankings of the top 18 (18?) cities for nightlife in the U.S.
Best Nightlife Scenes in the USA opens with this: “So, you feel the need to have a “lost weekend” somewhere, but you’re not really sure where. Or maybe you just want a few days to unwind in some mellow dive bar in a city you’ve never been to before. Here are our suggestions for the best spots to accomplish these missions in the States.”
Given those criteria, I think Savannah would actually fare pretty well, despite the decline in the local dive bar scene in the years of and after the real estate bubble.
But doesn’t “nightlife” mean a whole lot more than that?
Savannah ranks #15, just ahead of #16 Atlanta, and just behind #14 Atlanta Nashville. New Orleans is #8, which is relevant given the description of Savannah:
Why go: Sometimes referred to as a little New Orleans, Savannah surprises some visitors with its vibrant nightlife. The city boasts a strong live music scene, as well as a nice variety of bars and clubs. Plus you can drink in the streets, which is always a bonus.
A “strong” live music scene? Or maybe “an inconsistent but apparently improving with a great deal of unappreciated potential” live music scene?
U.S. News is letting users vote yea or nay on each city’s presence on the list, with the largest percentage share of thumbs ups vs. thumbs down going to New Orleans and Miami Beach (are there dive bars in Miami Beach?).
So far, Savannah has 40 yes votes and 102 no votes, for a worse ratio than every other entry except Portland, Oregon (#9).
With the exception of Key West (#17), all of the other entries are considerably more populous than Savannah.
Charleston is nowhere to be found.