Welcome to our annual College Issue, wherein we have a little fun exploring the diverse world of local higher education and hopefully introduce a new audience to our newspaper while we're at it.

Have fun clicking through the links, most of which you'll find in the News section of the website.

Savannah's interesting in that it's not really a "college town" in the usual sense of the phrase, but is certainly a surprising array of colleges and universities here, including Armstrong Atlantic State University, Savannah College of Art & Design, Savannah State University, Georgia Tech, Savannah Technical College, South College, St. Leo, Strayer University, Troy University, Embry-Riddle, University of Phoenix, the University of Georgia's Marine Extension Center on Skidaway Island, and Georgia Southern University in nearby Statesboro.

Here are a few under-the-radar tips to help you quickly assimilate here, regardless of which institution you're affiliated with:

• There is no all-ages scene to speak of, largely due to recent city ordinances. If you're underage you have little chance of seeing quality live music here. Sorry, we did what we could.

• However, if you're of legal drinking age, you can enjoy what remains the single most wonderful and civilizing characteristic that Savannah has to offer: The ability to legally walk the streets with an alcoholic beverage in your hand, i.e., the "to-go cup" of well-deserved legend.

• Technically, pedestrians have the right of way, and cars are always supposed to stop for pedestrians in marked crosswalks. But that information hasn't trickled down to the level of the ordinary driver here. If you've got good health insurance and a good lawyer, go for it and let me know how it works out.

• Habersham Street is pronounced "Haber-shum," not "Haber-SHAM."

• Houston Street is pronounced "House-ton," not like the city in Texas.

• Whitemarsh Island is pronounced "Wit Marsh."

• It's Montgomery Cross Road, not "crossroads."

And here are a few quick things about Connect Savannah, in case this is your first or one of your first times picking us up:

• We come out every Wednesday and have roughly 20,000 readers per week.

• We are not affiliated with the daily paper, The Savannah Morning News, in any way, shape or form.

• Are we really the local "liberal media?" It's all relative. By New York or L.A. standards, we're pretty tame. But let's put it this way: It doesn't take much to be called liberal in Savannah. This is still Georgia, after all. Frankly, in some quarters reading any newspaper at all will pretty much earn you the label, so you may as well live it up.

• If you have any event, concert, or exhibit going on, let us know at least two weeks in advance of the date, hopefully sooner, so that we can help publicize it. My e-mail is at the top of the page; you can also e-mail Community Editor Patrick Rodgers at patrick@connectsavannah.com and Arts & Entertainment Editor Bill DeYoung at bill@connectsavannah.com. Listen to Bill's "Connect Minute" 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and 10:30 a.m. Thursday on WRHQ FM 105.3.

• Of course we're on Facebook and Twitter.

• Special thanks this week to our cover photographer, Geoff L. Johnson, and our cover models Tia Batelli, Aaron Montford, Samantha Vicha, Meredith Moore, and Chike Cole.