What America thinks of Jacksonville Fl (Miami, Tampa: insurance, neighborhoods, public schools)

[JayMcFly]

I created a topic in the City VS City section of City Data, asking what poster thought of our city. Some of the replies are interesting.

[AliciaMaria]

You should link the thread here so we can click it and not have to go search for it!

[jsimms3]

It's a half half mixture of hate and defense/praise. I added some thoughts and some pictures because some people were saying compared to Tampa and Orlando the downtown sucked, etc, and how backwards Jax is. Well they obviously haven't been to Bay St right downtown unlike Channelside or Ybor (and Church St Station is done). They obviously haven't been to SJTC. They obviously haven't been to Riverside, San Marco, Springfield, or Avondale. Some of the people think Jax is some poor trashy city. They obviously haven't been to PVB or Ortega or Atlantic Beach for that matter. Some people think there isn't a future. Well obviously they don't know about our mayoral race, our ever expanding airport, our rapidly expanding port, our growing healthcare industry, our rebounding finance and insurance sectors, our growing highway system, John Mica helping us establish streetcars and commuter rail, etc. TPC, Beaches, St. Augustine, Amelia Island, downtown, etc. We have more here than people can wrap their minds around. Our zoo is off the chain, the Cummer is good, and we have natural beauty and 3 seasons (a record for FL). Our history is also very cool, up there with Miami, Atlanta, and several other key cities.

[Northside904]

I really don't care what people think of Jacksonville. I like my city

[ipoetry]

I can't speak for America but I love JAX. We've done numerous drives up from Vero Beach for excitement. jsimms says it best. There are so many beautiful neighborhoods. I love that there area deciduous trees and not the usual half browned out palm trees, the beaches are superb, the restaurants are the best!

[LoveBoating]

As of the last few days, neither of us like the temperatures that Jax has been having. Other than those cold, cold temps, we do like Jax. But, if I was single, Jax would NOT be a place I'd chose to live......NO WAY!!

[JayMcFly]

The replies & opinions on there are not surprising. Most people think Jacksonville is boring & nothing fun or exciting to do there. Like me, most people base the personilty of a city by it downtown districts mainly Northbank. Hopefully people do not take the replies personally.

[JayMcFly]

Originally Posted by NorthsideJacksonville

I really don't care what people think of Jacksonville. I like my city

I like Jacksonville also, but sometimes its important to know the general feeling people have when Jacksonville is mentioned. I did ask for honesty. I have respect for the answers, even the silly ones to a degree. What people think both matter economically & socially.

[Northside904]

Originally Posted by JayMcFly

I like Jacksonville also, but sometimes its important to know the general feeling people have when Jacksonville is mentioned. I did ask for honesty. I have respect for the answers, even the silly ones to a degree. What people think both matter economically & socially.

Again, I could care less about people's general feeling towards Jacksonville because the people commenting about how Jacksonville is a bunk city are from elsewhere so I automatically dismiss their $.02. Unless you live here, what you say about Jax holds no weight. Let any of us trash another city and it would be WW3, yet folk always have something to say about Jax. I like that Jacksonville isn't an overgrown, trashy place like Miami, Tampa and to a degree Orlando.

[luvingme23]

Originally Posted by NorthsideJacksonville

Again, I could care less about people's general feeling towards Jacksonville because the people commenting about how Jacksonville is a bunk city are from elsewhere so I automatically dismiss their $.02. Unless you live here, what you say about Jax holds no weight. Let any of us trash another city and it would be WW3, yet folk always have something to say about Jax. I like that Jacksonville isn't an overgrown, trashy place like Miami, Tampa and to a degree Orlando.

close minded attitudes like this are what holds people and places back. there is nothing worst than blind devotion to keep cultures from overcoming their flaws. USA #1, I love Jacksonville no matter what, We're the greatest, RA RA RA!. Cheerleading should be reserved for sporting events. I live here too. i think there are some good things about the city. however, i read the POST What is your honest opinion of Jacksonville Florida? JAX vs USA and i've found most of the stuff to be dead on in both the positive and negative category. I wish everyone, especially the leaders of the city had this type of open dialogue. Especially when talking about attracting businesses and stuff. they would realize that's not the lack of sports franchises that keep jacksonville from behind the rest of the country (even though it's fast growing) it's the backwards thought and shortsighted gains. we gladly destroy our most precious resources for more strip malls and roads. we freely pollute our waters (read about the current lawsuits against the EPA) so that rich people can make a profit. we gladly cut funding of public schools and increase funding of prisons. then spend monetary funds trying to praise confederates and native american murders (see latest downtown monuments). it's a mediocre city by choice when it could be one of the greatest cities in the entire USA. all thanks to the above attitudes. all anyone that isn't old, racist, neocon or all the above will ever say about jville is that it has potential. best day in most major cities is saturday. in jacksonville it's sunday CHURCH AND FOOTBALL.