Tybee Folk ‘n Lore - North vs South
It’s amazing how on an island that is only just over 3 miles long, that there is such a massive and noticable difference between the cultures. It’s almost
like there are two different cities on one island. Both ends have their own pros and cons and one is not necessarily better or worse than the other - just
different. So let’s go ahead and delve into what makes them so unique.
The North End (the Tybee Yankees), is by far the ritzier end of the island. Big Houses, Big wallets, and an occasional nose in the air. It’s the type of
place you can tour the lighthouse, go to a play, eat some high-end food, and/or divorce your husband and take his mansion of a house ... trust me it
happens. In my humble opinion, the best thing the North End has to offer is Poos, but dirty Southies like me hardly ever venture that far across the
demilitarized zone to enjoy it, although we can be seen popping up every once in awhile
Speaking of dirty Southies, it’s time to bring it on home to the South End. Down here we’re a little dirtier, mostly poorer, and collectively a whole lot
drunker. The South End may not have all the glitz and glamour as the North End, but we do have an uncanny ability to party and party hard. We are
mostly bar people who live in a Cheers-esque drinking culture. Everyone knows everyone… I mean KNOWS. Everyone knows your name, where you
work, and more than likely remember that time or two when you got too drunk and fell down the stairs outside of a friend’s apartment and got the
matching Tybee Tattoo to go with it. The South End is by far the wild middle child of the island ... or maybe the drunk uncle, its still up for debate.
Now of course not everyone implictly falls into these categories. There are drifters that blur the lines, a Southie who ventures out of their realm, or
maybe a Northie out for a night to slum it up. But this is, on the whole, how the island operates. As I said before, both ends have their pros and cons
and one is not necessarily better than the other... I guess I will go ahead and say it – I am a dirty Southie and a bit biased, but South End rules.
36 TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | JAN 2019
By Andrew Galipeau
South
North