Best Instagram Page & Best Social Media to Follow

Roughly six years ago, Samantha Long was ready to leave D.C. and was shopping around for her new hometown. It took only one digital glance at Savannah to decide this was the place for her.

“To be honest, I just looked online and saw Forsyth,” she said. “I knew Savannah was coastal and beachy, but I had no idea about the intense flora and fauna here and the walkability of the city. One of the reasons I love NYC so much is because of the walkability and the parks, and Savannah has all of that, too, but at a smaller, slower pace.”

Now you can follow Long — soon-to-be Culberson — her fiancé Keaton, and their three dogs on their Savannah adventures on Samantha’s Instagram account, @samanthainsavannah. The account began as a way to show friends and family what she was up to.

But then suddenly people Samantha didn’t know were hitting her up for advice too. Her account is now just over 7,000-followers strong — at the time of publishing — and growing.

“Everything I post is truly where we go on a regular basis,” she said. “I would never recommend or post about a business that I didn’t absolutely adore. We really follow our heart.”

She also follows her wallet and her furry companions. Long focuses on places that are affordable and dog-friendly whenever possible.

“The best thing about Instagram is that it’s for the people,” Long said. “It’s a cool way to highlight local businesses while still staying true to who I am.” She hopes that, by sharing the places she loves to hang with her followers, she can help support the local restaurateurs and retailers.

“Honestly, I’m just trying to pay it back to all of these businesses that are open and willing to serve the tourists that are coming back into town because it’s been a struggle for them,” she said.

Long also hopes to spread downtown Savannah love to locals on the outskirts. The historic district has so much to offer. Long hopes that locals in Pooler, the Islands, and beyond find value in her advice.

“The real reason I keep coming back to it and funneling so much time and energy into it is because I love to know that people are having a good time when they come downtown,” she said. “When people send me pictures of their meal or tell me about their special time they had because of something I recommended, that makes me smile so big.”