Factors Walk is the narrow, multilevel lane that runs between Bay Street and River Street along the bluff. It is lined by the backs of the old cotton warehouses and offices and crossed by iron bridges and steep stone stairs. It takes its name from the cotton factors, the brokers who set prices for cotton and Savannah's other exports in the 19th century, when Savannah was one of the world's great cotton ports. Decisions made in these offices moved markets far beyond Georgia.

The lane also carries a harder history. Ghost City Tours notes that during the 1700s and 1800s, enslaved people brought into Savannah by sea were unloaded from ships, marched into the buildings on River Street and led out the back into Factors Walk on their way to sale. Sealed arched openings in the walls are often described as tunnel entrances running under Bay Street into the basements of buildings such as the former City Hotel.

Today Factors Walk is public. It is lined with shops and restaurants, and it's worth visiting by day for the ironwork and the old ramps. The cobblestones and stairs are uneven, so wear good shoes and use the handrails.