Daffin Park: How "Patchwork" Planning Cost Savannah a Masterpiece

Swimming Pool, Daffin Park, Savannah, Ga.--65
This colorized postcard depicts the swimming pool and pavilions at Daffin Park with swimmers and divers. Courtesy of City of Savannah Municipal Archives on behalf of V. & J. Duncan Antique Maps & Prints

As a real estate broker with 22 years in the Savannah market, I’ve seen neighborhoods transform, values skyrocket, and landmarks fade. But the question I keep hearing—from long-time locals to new buyers—is: “Daffin Park used to look amazing. What happened?”

After two decades of walking these blocks, I’ve realized that the "decline" isn't about one missing feature; it’s about a loss of vision. We’ve traded a historic masterpiece for a patchwork of reactive fixes.

The "Golden Era" and the Broker’s Lens

I remember shooting my first property video for an Ardsley Park listing 20 years ago. We shot near the Daffin Park lake and that small island gazebo. At the time, the park still felt like a dignified centerpiece of Midtown. My family and I were season ticket holders for the Savannah Sand Gnats; we loved hanging with Gnate the Gnat at Historic Grayson Stadium long before the Savannah Bananas became a global "circus".

In the early 2000s, the Parkside Savannah neighborhood was the "affordable Ardsley Park". If you wanted a prized Craftsman bungalow, this was the place. The "walk to the ballpark" pitch was a primary Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Today, while Parkside is still highly competitive with median prices around $425k-$528k, it faces a "value ceiling". Homes overlooking the park on Washington Avenue simply don't command the park-front premium they should compared to Ardsley Park’s $849k median.

The Original 1907 Master Plan for Daffin Park by John Nolen
John Nolen Papers, #2903. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.

Architectural Drift: The Nolen Vision vs. Reactive Planning

Daffin Park was originally a Beaux-Arts masterpiece designed in 1907 by John Nolen, a protégé of the Olmsted philosophy. It featured a grand, oak-lined "Mall" and perfect symmetry.

What happened? We started building whatever people complained about.

• The "Pool-to-Pond" Shift: The original municipal pool was a hub of activity. Closing it for a fishing pond marked a hard line between a park that was "active" and one that became passive.

• Patchwork Design: Over the years, we’ve added dog parks, volleyball courts, and playgrounds without regard for architectural aesthetics. The symmetry has been lost to a series of fenced-off boxes.

• The 2025 "Renaissance": A Step in the Right Direction, or a Missed Opportunity?

  The city has recently made headlines with its $1M+ "Signature Playground" and the broader "Recreation Re-Imagined" initiative. As a resident and a broker, I want to acknowledge and applaud the city’s effort to reinvest in our public spaces; it is heartening to see capital flowing back into Midtown’s largest green space.

  However, from a professional planning perspective, adding a high-end feature in one corner doesn't solve the deeper issue of architectural drift. While a new playground is a win for local families, it remains another "feature" added in isolation. Without a comprehensive master plan that addresses the entire 78-acre footprint—including the congestion around Grayson Stadium and the restoration of Nolen’s original symmetry—these projects act more like expensive band-aids than a true return to glory. To truly move the needle on property values in the Parkside Savannah neighborhood, we need to stop planning in pockets and start designing for the whole.

The "Banana" Factor

The Savannah Bananas are a massive success for tourism, but for the Parkside Savannah neighborhood, they’ve made game days a circus. The congestion and noise are no longer "neighborhood friendly." Every successful expansion of the stadium—including new $4M headquarters—encroaches further on what was meant to be public park space.

I had a dear friend in Parkside who couldn't wait to leave because her car was ransacked regularly. When a public space loses its cohesion and dignity, the surrounding security and property values eventually follow.

LAKE IN DAFFIN PARK, SAVANNAH. GA.--98
This colorized postcard depicts the lake and fountains in Daffin Park. Courtesy of City of Savannah Municipal Archives on behalf of V. & J. Duncan Antique Maps & Prints

My "Park Commissioner" Recommendation

If I were the Park Commissioner for a day, I would propose a "Grand Swap":

1. Relocate the Savannah Bananas: Give the team a proper, state-of-the-art stadium away from the residential heart of Midtown where they have the parking and infrastructure they deserve.

2. Restore the 1907 Grandeur: Use the original John Nolen plan to redevelop the park.

3. The New Anchor: Instead of a stadium, build a professional amphitheater as the centerpiece. It would anchor a grand park built for the community—integrating playgrounds, ball sports, and walk/run tracks into one cohesive, prestigious landscape.

We need to stop treating Daffin Park like a utility closet for amenities and start treating it like the crown jewel of Savannah real estate.