In This Guide
- 1.Start at the Starland Yard, but not at brunch
- 2.Back in the Day Bakery earns the line
- 3.Peach season at the Forsyth Farmers Market
- 4.Two Tides Brewing and the case for afternoon beer
- 5.Where to sleep if you want to stay in the neighborhood
- 6.The peach supper you have to assemble yourself
- 7.Shops worth ducking into (and one to skip)
- 8.How June weather actually works here
- 9.Getting there and getting around
The sun hits Bull Street around 7 a.m. in June, and by 7:15 the sidewalk outside Back in the Day Bakery is already warm enough to feel through your sandals. Starland District wakes up slower than the tourist-packed squares north of Forsyth Park — coffee first, ambition later. That's the whole appeal.
I spent four days here last June, mostly on foot, mostly sweating. The neighborhood runs roughly from 36th Street up to Victory Drive, bordered by Habersham and Bull, and it operates on a rhythm that rewards people who don't rush. Peach season was peaking. Fireflies started showing up in the courtyards behind Starland Yard around 8:45 p.m. I timed it because I'm that kind of person.
1. Start at the Starland Yard, but not at brunch
Everyone tells you to hit Starland Yard for weekend brunch. I'd push back on that. The open-air food hall at 2428 Habersham Street is better on a weekday evening, when the crowd thins out and you can actually sit at one of the picnic tables without hovering over somebody's plate.
Starland Cheese & Provisions has a rotating board — last time I went, they had Thomasville tomme with local honeycomb for $16. Pizzeria Vittoria Napoletana does a solid margherita for around $14. Get it, carry it to one of the metal chairs near the back courtyard, and wait for the fireflies.
Skip the Yard entirely on Saturday between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The wait times spike, the courtyard turns into a scene, and the food isn't any better for the inconvenience.
Pro tip: The back courtyard at Starland Yard has no overhead cover. If afternoon storms roll through — and in June, they will — duck into one of the covered vendor stalls near the entrance.
2. Back in the Day Bakery earns the line
People complain about the wait at Back in the Day Bakery, 2403 Bull Street. I get it — nobody wants to stand outside in Savannah humidity at 9 a.m. But the biscuits here are thick, crumbly, and made with actual butter, not whatever shortening substitution half the South has switched to. The coffeecake cinnamon muffin is $4.50 and worth every sweaty minute in line.
They open at 9 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Get there by 8:45 or accept your fate.
3. Peach season at the Forsyth Farmers Market
The Forsyth Farmers Market runs Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Forsyth Park, right at Starland's northern edge. In June, the Georgia peaches arrive and the whole market smells like it. Jaemor Farms usually has a stand — their freestone peaches run around $4 a pound, and they bruise if you look at them wrong, so eat them the same day.
Solid boiled peanut vendor near the fountain side. Cajun-spiced, $5 a bag. I've bought them three visits running.
A lot of Savannah food guides push you toward River Street for "authentic" Southern food. That's tourist pricing on mediocre shrimp. The farmers market and the restaurants in Starland will feed you better for less, and nobody's trying to sell you a praline sample while you eat.
Pro tip:Bring a reusable bag and cash. Several of the smaller farm vendors don't take cards, and the ATM on the park's west side charges a $3.50 fee.
4. Two Tides Brewing and the case for afternoon beer
Two Tides Brewing Company at 2302 Habersham Street brews sours and hazy IPAs that lean experimental. Their rotating taps change fast — I've never seen the same lineup twice. A pour runs $6–$8 depending on ABV.
The taproom is small and air-conditioned, which matters more than the beer list in June. By 2 p.m. the heat index in Savannah can hit 105°F, and walking the district without a cool-down stop is a bad idea. This is the cool-down stop.
Dog-friendly on the patio side. Hours shift seasonally, but in summer they've typically been open by noon on weekdays and 11 a.m. on weekends.
5. Where to sleep if you want to stay in the neighborhood
Starland doesn't have big hotels. That's a feature. The Local Savannah on 41st Street is a small inn with rates that hover around $180–$240 a night in June, and it puts you within walking distance of almost everything in this guide.
If you want more space, several of the residential streets between Bull and Habersham have vacation rentals in renovated shotgun houses. Look for places on 38th or 39th Street — they're quieter than anything closer to Victory Drive, where traffic noise picks up early.
Book air conditioning you trust. I made the mistake of renting a place with a window unit in June 2022, and I slept about four hours total. Central air is non-negotiable in a Savannah summer.
Pro tip:Ask your host or hotel about parking before you arrive. Street parking in Starland is free but competitive, especially on weekends. Some rentals include a dedicated spot; most don't.
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Expedia →6. The peach supper you have to assemble yourself
There's no single restaurant in Starland doing a prix fixe "peach supper" — that phrase is more of a local habit than a menu item. In June, peaches show up everywhere: in salads at Bull Street Taco, in cocktails at The Original, in desserts you can grab at the bakery. The move is to build your own evening around them.
Here's what worked for me: peach and burrata salad at Hatch (a short walk north on Habersham), then a peach sour at Two Tides, then a walk through the Starland Yard courtyard with a slice of whatever Pizzeria Vittoria has going. Total cost came to about $45 before tip.
That's a June supper in Starland. Loose, peach-adjacent.
7. Shops worth ducking into (and one to skip)
Starland has a handful of independent shops that survive on locals, not tourists, which tells you something about quality. Sulfur Studios at 2301 Bull Street doubles as a gallery and community art space — they host open studios some Friday evenings, and the work rotates monthly. Free to walk in.
Sapelo on Bull Street sells curated home goods and gifts. Prices run higher than you'd expect for the neighborhood — a candle might set you back $38 — but the selection doesn't feel algorithmic. Somebody actually chose these things.
Skip the vintage shops on the Habersham strip if you're on a budget. The markup on secondhand denim has gotten absurd. $85 for Levi's that Goodwill would price at $12.
Pro tip: Sulfur Studios posts their event calendar on Instagram. Check it the week of your trip — their figure drawing nights and print workshops are open to the public for $10–$15.
8. How June weather actually works here
I don't trust any Savannah guide that doesn't talk about the heat. June averages hover around 91°F during the day and barely drop below 75°F at night. Humidity runs 70–80%. You will sweat through your shirt by 10 a.m. — plan your wardrobe accordingly.
Afternoon thunderstorms hit almost daily between 3 and 5 p.m. Fast, loud, an inch of rain in twenty minutes. Then the sun comes back like nothing happened. Don't cancel plans over a forecast that says "rain" — just carry a light rain jacket or know which doorway to stand under.
Mornings before 10 and evenings after 7 are the windows. That's when walking the neighborhood actually feels good. The golden hour light on the old storefronts along Bull Street is the closest thing to a reward Savannah gives you for surviving the afternoon.
Pro tip:Drink more water than you think you need. I'm serious. Savannah heat sneaks up on people who spend most of their year in air conditioning. Carry a bottle.
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Expedia →9. Getting there and getting around
Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) sits about 20 minutes from Starland by car, assuming you're not arriving during the Friday afternoon crawl on I-16, which can stretch that to 40. Uber and Lyft both operate here; a ride from the airport to Starland runs $18–$25.
Once you're in the neighborhood, walk. The whole district covers maybe half a square mile. A bike works too — there are some rental options through CAT Bike — but the heat in June makes cycling after midmorning a cardiovascular event.
Driving from downtown Savannah's historic squares to Starland takes about five minutes, or fifteen on foot through Forsyth Park. That walk under the live oaks with Spanish moss overhead — the best free thing in the city.
Essential tips
June storms roll through almost every afternoon between 3–5 p.m. They pass fast. Carry a packable rain jacket and don't rearrange your day over them.
Several Forsyth Farmers Market vendors are cash-only. The nearest no-fee ATM is inside the Kroger on East Victory Drive, about a 10-minute walk from the park.
Hydrate aggressively. Savannah's June heat index regularly exceeds 100°F. Freeze a water bottle the night before and carry it — you'll thank yourself by noon.
Street parking in Starland is free but scarce on weekends. If you're driving in from outside the neighborhood, try the residential blocks along 38th Street — they tend to open up before the Habersham corridor.
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