Right before entering a museum there’s a specific feeling: an anticipation of beauty, a preparation for quiet, a sense of the unknown and untouchable. It’s no mistake that standing at the entrance of Dr. Richard and Robin Greco’s house on Whitmarsh Island feels just the same. The manicured lawn and the languid sprawl of the house are immaculate and breathtaking—and a bit intimidating.

[Ed. Note] Print writer Holly Huitt gives us insight into the hidden world of Savannah’s beautiful and mysterious lanes (with the help of photographer Sebastian Pinzon). Let us know what your lane experiences have been in the comments! ]

When I first pulled into the lane outside my forest-green door a little more than two years ago, I was smitten. I took in the peaceful, quiet little stretch of concrete shadowed by the occasional tree, peeking over from a walled courtyard. I saw sleepy little carriage houses snuggled beside each other, vines papering the crumbling brick and stucco.

As a lane dweller, the little conveniences of having no sidewalk in front of my home absolutely thrilled me. The first time I went to the grocery store and pulled my car mere inches from the door—I clapped and squealed. Taking the trash out took nanoseconds and contributed (substantially) to the cleanliness of my kitchen. Sometimes, I’d walk around the block and watch people struggle up flights of stairs with shopping bags. Not me, I’d think smugly, purposefully walking down the center of my lane just because I could. Maybe it was karma, or maybe it was just inevitability, but I would soon be intimately acquainted with what life in the lane was really like.

The Hostess City welcomes the 74th annual Savannah Tour of Homes and Gardens with the exhibition of some of the city’s finest homes.

If ever there was a perfect time to amble under the canopy of the oak-lined streets and boulevards of Savannah, the sweet hours of spring would be it. A stroll through the city seems irresistible when the high sun finally banishes the long gray shadows of winter and the azaleas are coming into full, fragrant bloom. For many of the city’s denizens, spring is an expansive and gracious time, a time to sweep off the veranda and throw open the shutters. It’s the time for the 74th annual Savannah Tour of Homes and Gardens, when many of the architectural gems in town are on full display for curious locals and tourists alike.

To fan the flames of excitement for this historic Savannah happening, The South presents an inside look at the tour and two of its finest features. So put on your walking shoes and get out your map—an open door to the Hostess City’s hidden beauty is just a page turn away.