Garden City, Georgia


Garden City is a city in Chatham County, Georgia, United States, located just northwest of Savannah. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 8,794. Part industrial and part residential, the city is home to much of the heavy industry in Chatham County and is adjacent to the Port of Savannah, the flagship operation of the Georgia Ports Authority.
Garden City is part of the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Garden City is located northwest of the center of Chatham County at . It is bordered to the southeast by the city of Savannah, to the west by the city of Pooler, and to the north by the city of Port Wentworth. To the northeast in unincorporated land is the Port of Savannah and the Savannah River.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Garden City has a total area of, of which is land and, or 4.35%, is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 8,778 people, 3,981 households, and 2,663 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 3,704 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 49.2% White, 37.4% African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 8.9% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.7% of the population.
There were 3,392 households, out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% were married couples living together, 20.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.2% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,264, and the median income for a family was $42,905. Males had a median income of $30,509 versus $30,509 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,380. About 15.5% of families and 22.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.6% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Agriculture

Located at 701 West U.S. Highway 80, the State Farmers Market is a farmers' market run by the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

Business

Commercial activities are traditionally concentrated near the junction of U.S. Highway 80, U.S. Highway 17 and State Highway 21, as well as along Augusta Road, where several long-term-stay hotels, franchise and independently owned fast food restaurants, financial institutions, pawn shops, strip shopping malls, gas stations, car repair shops and automotive retail stores are located. Strip shopping centers include:
MallLocationYear established
Dean Forest Village1550 Dean Forest Road
Fortune Plaza622 West U.S. Highway 80
Garden City Office Center4019 Augusta Road
Garden City Retail Building4831 Augusta Road1985
Garden City Shopping Center5216 Augusta Road1976
Garden Grove Shopping Center109 Minus Avenue
High Way 80 Plaza522 West U.S. Highway 80
Southbridge Commons1450 Dean Forest Road2009
Traffic Circle Shopping Center309 Main Street
Westside Business Complex3911 Old Louisville Road
West Side Shopping Center403 West U.S. Highway 80

Industry

Garden City's industry is located primarily on its waterfront, as is the case for surrounding communities. The Georgia Ports Authority operates a terminal, located at 2 Main Street. Garden City is also home to numerous trucking and railway companies. Other industries are:
FacilityLocationProduction
GAF Materials Corporation1 Brampton RoadResidential and commercial roofing
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation500 Gulfstream RoadJet aircraft
Herty Foundation110 Brampton RoadResearch and development, papermaking
National Gypsum2 Brampton RoadGypsum boards
SemMaterials14 Foundation DriveTransportation and storage of energy including crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids, asphalt and refined products

Industrial rental space is available at locations such as:
FacilityLocation
Chatham Commercial Condominiums1101 Chatham Parkway
Lynah Square1335 Lynah Avenue
Westport Business Park2509 Dean Forest Road

History

From the Reconstruction Era until the 1930s, the area was home to three major plantations: Brampton, Givens and Telfair. Garden City was incorporated on February 8, 1939, as "Industrial City Gardens". It received its current name on March 24, 1941.

Neighborhoods and housing

The oldest inhabited section of Garden City roughly corresponds to the triangle formed by Smith Avenue, State Highway 25 and State Highway 21 corridors. Throughout its history, Garden City has significantly expanded westward and southward. It has acquired several residential subdivisions, which include:
SubdivisionApproximate boundaries
Central JunctionDeLoach Avenue,
Garden City Elementary School,
Old Louisville Road,
U.S. Highway 80
Chatham VillaGroves High School,
State Highway 21,
Chatham City Apartments,
Dillard Yard
Rossignol HillMinus Avenue,
State Highway 21,
U.S. Highway 80,
Dillard Yard
Sharon ParkTalmadge Avenue,
Old Louisville Road,
Garden City Elementary School,
DeLoach Avenue,
U.S. Highway 80
The OaksBig Hill Road,
Leone Avenue,
Hawkinsville Road,
Dillard Yard
Wheat HillBig Hill Road,
State Highway 21,
Robert W. Groves High School,
Dillard Yard
Woodlawn TerraceState Road 307,
Old Louisville Road,
Talmadge Avenue,
U.S. Highway 80

Garden City is home to the following apartment complexes, rental housing units and mobile home parks:
ComplexLocationType of housing
Almar Inn & Mobile Home Park35 Main StreetMobile home park
Chatham City Apartments4309 Augusta RoadApartment / Rental units
Davis Mobile Home ParkDavis Mobile Home RoadMobile home park
Garden City Mobile Estates4309 Augusta RoadMobile home park
Garden Lake Townhomes4024 Kessler AvenueApartment / Rental units
Kessler Point901 Kessler CourtApartment / Rental units
Plantation Townhouses112 Denmark StreetApartment / Rental units
Southwynn Mobile Home Estates217 Main StreetMobile home park
Sunshine RV ParkSunshine AvenueMobile home park
The Arbors Apartment Homes4035 Kessler AvenueApartment / Rental units
Wyndmere Apartments1326 West U.S. Highway 80Apartment / Rental units

Politics

Municipal

Garden City operated under a mayor–council form of government until 2009. It has adopted a council-administrator style, and by 2011 it will replace its seven at-large council members by one at-large and five district-elected ones.
For a list of past and present mayors and council members of Garden City, see List of mayors of Garden City, Georgia.
As of 2010, Garden City has never collected property taxes.

Other levels of government

Garden City is represented by:
In the last three decades, the area's county commissioners have been:
Color code:

State representation

The Georgia Department of Corrections operates the Coastal State Prison near Garden City.

Public education

Three public schools can be found within Garden City limits. They are managed by the Savannah Chatham County Public School System.
SchoolLocationYear establishedNumber of students
Garden City Elementary School4037 Kessler Avenue1996575
George A. Mercer Middle School201 Rommel Avenue1962880
Robert W. Groves High School100 Priscilla D. Thomas Way19581,454

Groves High School - Long known as "the pride of the Westside", Groves High School has a rich community tradition that dates back to its founding in 1958. Established to serve the young people and families of West Chatham County, the school is named for Robert W. Groves, a prominent business and civic leader in the county. Besides his role in business and his many commercial and community activities, Groves took particular concern for the youth of the area and their educational needs.
Groves High School is home of the Fighting Scottish Rebels football and basketball teams. Campus points of interest include the Woodville-Tompkins Annex, where the automotive and construction programs are offered, and the Cumming Field, named to honor Second Lieutenant Britt C. Cumming, a World War II veteran who was killed in action.
Mercer Middle School serves grades six through eight and is a part of the Savannah Chatham County School System. Originally called Mercer Junior High School, Mercer Middle School first opened on September 4, 1962, and was the first climate-controlled school in Georgia. Mercer was named for George Anderson Mercer, an attorney who served as the president of the Board of Education from 1883 until his death in 1907.
Garden City Elementary School was built to serve the consolidated student population of the former Benjamin Sprague and Martin G. Haynes elementary schools.

Religion

45.08% of Garden City residents are affiliated with religious congregations. Southern Baptists account for 33% of the population that has a church affiliation, Catholics for 20%, and United Methodists for 15%. There is no Catholic church in Garden City. The nearest is Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, located at 501 South Coastal Highway in Port Wentworth. Local houses of prayer include:
NameReligious denominationCurrent locationYear established
Central Baptist ChurchBaptist4010 Old Louisville Road
Chapel-in-the-Gardens, Presbyterian Church in AmericaPresbyterian93 Main Street1935
Church of Christ of Garden CityNon-denominational Christian4506 Augusta Road2001
Clifton Baptist ChurchBaptist2 Big Hill Road2001
Dean Forest Baptist ChurchBaptist1524 Old Dean Forest Road
Fairlawn Baptist ChurchBaptist4719 Augusta Road1889
Fellowship Assembly of GodPentecostal5224 Augusta Road1968
First Baptist ChurchBaptist35 Nelson Avenue1940
First Garden City Seventh-Day Adventist ChurchSeventh-day Adventist4020 Second Street
Garden City Primitive Baptist ChurchPrimitive Baptist126 Smith Avenue1961
Garden City United Methodist ChurchUnited Methodist62 Varnedoe Avenue1942
Good Shepherd Lutheran ChurchLutheran41 Main Street
Jasper Springs Baptist ChurchBaptist62 Smith Avenue1942
Living Hope Community FellowshipNon-denominational Christian5008 Augusta Road2008
Mount Olive Holiness ChurchPentecostal37 Leone Avenue
Palm Grove Primitive Baptist ChurchPrimitive Baptist2207 Shaw Avenue
Silk Hope Baptist ChurchBaptist4929 Pineland Drive
Trinity Church of GodPentecostal2202 US Highway 80 West
United House of Prayer For All PeopleNon-denominational Christian4107 Sixth Street
Woodlawn Baptist ChurchBaptist407 Talmadge Avenue1965
Woodlawn United Methodist ChurchUnited Methodist2502 West U.S. Highway 80
Zion Fair Missionary Baptist ChurchBaptist4123 First Street

Services

Services to the citizens of Garden City include:
FacilityLocation
Garden City Branch of the Live Oak Public Libraries104 Sunshine Avenue
Port City Branch of the Live Oak Public Libraries3501 Houlihan Avenue
Garden City Community & Senior Citizens78 Varnedoe Avenue

Public parks and recreation

The Garden City Parks and Recreation Department has year-round programs available for citizens. Youth sports include baseball, girls' fast pitch softball, T-ball, football, cheerleading, soccer, gymnastics and basketball. The city also provides non-team activities such as a summer day camp, roller skating, after-school programs, and a center for senior citizens. Garden City is home to five public parks. All are managed by the municipal City Parks & Recreation Department, headquartered at 160B Priscilla D. Thomas Way.
ParkLocationPrimary useMonuments/facilities
Bazemore Park1 Bud Brown DriveRecreationalBaseball complex
Griffin Park500 Griffin RoadRecreationalPlayground
The Park at Sharon Park507 Sharon Park DriveRecreationalTwo playgrounds, gazebo, pond and hiking trail
Town Green100 Central AvenueEstheticFountain and benches
Volunteer Park5100 Augusta Road CommemorativeFountain and benches

Other landmarks

Other landmarks located in Garden City include: