A cobblestone thoroughfare that offers a smorgasbord of Georgia’s best food, nightlife and shopping has won acclaim internationally.
Savannah's River Street, which has been a centerpiece of the tourist city since the 1970s, has been designated as one of Business Insider's "18 most beautiful public spaces in the world, according to urban designers."
BI gathered the unranked list of 18 parks, libraries, streets and plazas based on the perspective of world-renowned urban designers. Only 10 American locales made the worldwide list.
River Street, paved with 200-year-old cobblestone, not only features historic architecture and a bustling shopping and restaurant district, it also gives an up-close view of the Savannah River. Right along River Street, one can either take a leisure cruise or get a glimpse of one of America’s busiest ports, which fuels the city’s economy.
Kathryn J. Madden, of Madden Planning Group, highlighted historic River Street as unique due to its original cobblestone and its transformation from industrial warehouse row to a refined, celebrated entertainment district.
"I've always loved the working port, with the massive scale of the ships, the various industrial forms, and the intersection of the land and water in piers, bulkheads, and wharves," Madden said.
Savannah can add top international public space to a lofty list of accolades this year. TripAdvisor named the city one of the top 25 travel destinations in the U.S. for 2017. Two of its boutiques were also named as Southern Living's best places to shop in the South earlier this year.
For the entire list of the world's most beautiful public spaces, visit businessinsider.com.
