I'm a New Yorker who visited Savannah, Georgia, for the first time. Here are 9 reasons I'm already planning my next trip back.

I flew from NYC to Charleston, South Carolina, where I started my trip. After three nights in Charleston, I headed down the coast to Savannah before driving up to Atlanta and flying home from there.

When I'm home, walking is always my first choice for getting from one place to another. I wasn't sure what to expect from Savannah in terms of being able to walk from one neighborhood to another, but once I started exploring, I was thrilled.

Walking from my hotel in the historic district to Victory Drive in the Starland neighborhood took around 45 minutes (not counting all the time I spent jumping in and out of shops along the way). While I wouldn't want to make that walk in a hurry, it was awesome to be able to see different neighborhoods without having to drive.

While on my walks downtown, I found myself constantly marveling at the buildings all around me.

Savannah is a city of many architectural vibes. From Federal to Georgian, Gothic Revival to Greek Revival, several modern-style buildings, and more, I thought every street offered a different stunning view of buildings for me to consume.

I loved appreciating the difference in home styles, the towering look of temples and churches, and the more industrial-looking coffee shops and restaurants. I wished I had more time to walk around and explore even more of it.

From picturesque fountains to random street corners, the Spanish moss that dripped off of trees and telephone wires added personality to every photo I took.

Yes, I can get a perfectly delicious coffee from the breakfast cart on my corner in New York City. But once the clock strikes 11 a.m. and those carts disappear, it's hard to find a quality cup of coffee for less than $3.50 these days — and that's just for drip.

Ordering an Americano, cappuccino, or even just a large iced coffee usually runs me at least $5. So when I walked into The Coffee Fox on my first morning in Savannah, and I looked at my receipt while I waited for my coffee, I thought there was a mistake.

But no, the barista assured me that my large, iced Americano only cost $2.50. I quickly learned that this wasn't a hard and fast rule for Savannah coffee, but it was worth it to go a few blocks out of my way for an inexpensive, super delicious Coffee Fox fix for the rest of my trip.

I love antique stores. When I passed three within two blocks while on my exploration walk, I got the feeling this was a big part of the retail business in the city.

There were way more shops than I was able to check out in my very short visit, so I can't wait to spend more time immersing myself in all the quirky stores I can find on my next visit.

I walked through Forsyth Park as I headed out on my day one adventure. It was a Saturday and there was a farmers market happening, which I love.

Between the playground, volleyball nets, tennis courts, ample green space, mix of shady spots and sunny spots, and a large chic cafe right in the center, I would love to schedule myself an entire afternoon to be carefree in the park.

From a storied history of prohibition and underground alcohol sales, emerged the bustling public drinking scene that now exists in Savannah.

When I first arrived, I noticed loads of people walking around with cocktails and beers in plastic cups. After popping into a restaurant and asking a bartender, I learned about the allowance of to-go drinks — something I got just a taste of in NYC in the summer of 2020, when they were temporarily allowed in efforts to aid struggling restaurants affected by the pandemic.

Since I was visiting the city for work, I wasn't able to fully take advantage of this glorious rule. Next time, I'll be cheers-ing in the streets for sure.

Aside from being able to take an architectural tour on foot, I was impressed at how easy it was to drive to other areas of the city that were farther out from downtown.

I ended up having a couple of extra hours to explore one day, so I got in my rental car and drove just 20 minutes to the more suburban-looking Isle of Hope. It could take me 20 minutes to get from my apartment in downtown Manhattan to midtown on the subway, so this was a nice, easy commute, in my opinion.

My excursion included self-guided neighborhood tours using google maps and my own sense of direction, and a pit stop at the Pin Point Heritage Museum, which was unfortunately closed by the time I arrived.

Isle of Hope was beautiful, and I look forward to driving around more of Savannah's periphery areas next time.

While there were a few key eateries I was sure to try during my time in Savannah, including The Grey and The Olde Pink House, I kept passing more and more on the streets.

Everywhere I went, there was somewhere else that looked or smelled amazing. So, I keep building up my restaurant wish list for next time.

Thinking about all the delicious foods still to be eaten and the tours, neighborhoods, and museums left to explore, I can't wait to head back to Savannah.