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This has been a fun thread to read ... I have a question ... does it make anyone feel better to have the world reknown Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville? I utilize their services - and found the health care received so superior to any I've experienced (even as a nurse coast to coast over 25 years)... that I personally moved to be near them.... not the Florida location - but one of their other two... my sis moved to FL last year for a job - so I was going to read about Jacksonville as a locale option to be closer to family.... this was quite eye opening! Minimally I'm glad I'm not the only one who even after checking an area out for 3 weeks - finds things a bit challenging... Part of it might be that moving and adjusting simply may have been 'easier' when I was younger in years...so while making dramatic moves 'feels' still easy - it's actually admittedly harder. Additionally some of my locations lived are what people might call a veritable nirvana of perfection.... Leave the cradle of that and you do 'notice' a lot more what's wrong with a location. Yet after reading this - I think it'll be wise to stay for awhile and adjust... no one invited me here - I chose to be here ... the place did just fine before my attendance with our without my approval. But actually living in the trenches you perhaps learn more about yourself than the area. There's good everywhere and there's less than desirable everywhere - do you flex and bend - wall yourself up behind a heavy door or move? It's up to you - but it's all 'living life' - and simply amazing!
This has been a fun thread to read ... I have a question ... does it make anyone feel better to have the world reknown Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville? I utilize their services - and found the health care received so superior to any I've experienced (even as a nurse coast to coast over 25 years)... that I personally moved to be near them.... not the Florida location - but one of their other two... my sis moved to FL last year for a job - so I was going to read about Jacksonville as a locale option to be closer to family.... this was quite eye opening! Minimally I'm glad I'm not the only one who even after checking an area out for 3 weeks - finds things a bit challenging... Part of it might be that moving and adjusting simply may have been 'easier' when I was younger in years...so while making dramatic moves 'feels' still easy - it's actually admittedly harder. Additionally some of my locations lived are what people might call a veritable nirvana of perfection.... Leave the cradle of that and you do 'notice' a lot more what's wrong with a location. Yet after reading this - I think it'll be wise to stay for awhile and adjust... no one invited me here - I chose to be here ... the place did just fine before my attendance with our without my approval. But actually living in the trenches you perhaps learn more about yourself than the area. There's good everywhere and there's less than desirable everywhere - do you flex and bend - wall yourself up behind a heavy door or move? It's up to you - but it's all 'living life' - and simply amazing!
This is one of my favorite response/post. It acknowledges that it is hard to move somewhere when you are already used to places you already liked, and that relocating and adjusting is hard. And that this is a great learning experience, because as for me, it sure has been and still is!
The man's right. Jacksonville isn't for everyone and the sometimes lame drivers bit is right on. When the light turns green, GO FOR GOODNESS SAKE I've honked at many people that sit there and lollygag when the light turns green, then they want to book it after they get that horn to them.
I'm not from Jacksonville, but where I am from people routinely run red lights. So a pause at a green may just save someone from being t-boned.
You've led a sheltered life. Hang around Flyertalk:
Anyway - to the OP - what do you like to do that you didn't find here?
Sorry Robyn I had not replied appropriately to your post earlier, I've been in and out today and responded to someone elses post w/your quote on it. Anyhow to answer your question:
You know what I miss, the quaint feeling of uniqueness in a place. For example, you mentioned Manhattan. Manhattan is a pretty amazing place, not for all though, and it wasen't meant to be for all to enjoy, as neither is Jacksonville, but I'm digressing here..anyhow there is something special about walking in Central Park, getting a hot dog, and work your way towards the MET.
That unique set of attributes that NYC has that makes it special. Or when you are in San Francisco and you hit the Fisherman's Wharf and you know you have an awesome selection of seafood at your hands, it doesn't even matter that its cold, or windy, or both, just meandering around, these are visually, and sensorially stunning places, and that goes beyond the weather of the place.
Yes, no one likes shoveling snow, but when you are holding a hot cup of coffee from your local coffee shop, (That is not a Starbucks) as it is snowing outside and some stores are playing Christmas jingles, it's almost magical. Or like when in Cleveland, I remember one summer I went from a Palestinean restaurant to the Museum of Art (free), to visiting friends to stumbling against a free, live performance on a side walk by an awesome local Latin Jazz artist to checking out the Cleveland Orchestra's free outdoor concert just 15 minutes away, in one day. There was a sense of artistry and creativity wherever I went that day.
Here in Jax, I don't get the sense of "magic" of "uniqueness." I find it generic. And maybe it's here and I'm not seeing it, but I've been here a year, and in San Francisco just a week, and it stood out in SF, not here. Also, as a young professional with no kids, when you add that lack of moxie in the area, to the somewhat sprawled availability of quality night and daytime activities, it becomes challenging to be fully accepting of the place.
There are small things here that are nice, such as the beach, I personally like it better than Southern California's. But for some reason there was more to do around the beach in SC than here. But a man can't survive on beach water and sunsets alone. (At least unless you are surfer, or involved in aquatic activities, then maybe yes. At least not me.) Another example would be agriculture, FL is considered the 2nd most important food producer in the nation, after CA; and yet the sense of local/organic lifestyle/consumption is almost anemic.
There is a great agriculture industry out there, that ought to connect nature with people here, just as people connect to the beach and other aquatic activities. Restaurants and this big piece of land mass could be more proactive in tapping into "NATURE" or "ORGANIC" to help create a "greener" "younger" "hip" environment, but outsiders used to this type of lifestyle and visiting the area, will not see this in a significant way, aside from the Riverside Market on Saturday's because it's not as part of the local culture as religion or churches are. It's so nice to go up north and see a restaurant posting where they get their ingredients from and connecting people to their local farms. It adds a sense of stewardship of uniqueness that helps shed light on how boring generic is. These are the things I gravitate towards.
Last edited by GreatUndercoverBrother; 06-25-2011 at 09:54 PM..
NEWS FLASH as stated on other threads I am not from here, but am here investigating on whether this would be a good place to settle down in for awhile.. Yeah checking a place out before I move there. Novel idea isn't it? I am originally from St Louis, Mo. but have not been back there for any serious length of time, other than short leave periods, since the day that I left to go to Annapolis. As for being in front of he computer all day, digging through threads, seeing as I am legally blind and a disabled vet, I was at my friends (my ex gunnery sergeant) place waiting for him to get home from work. So he could lead me around this evening as we went and explored some new places to eat drink and meet the locals and make friends with some very nice young ladies(unfortunatly too young and goth for my taste, but very nice) in fact I think you even mentioned this place in an earlier post, Kickbacks only a short 3 mile hike from Gunnies place. Yes I walk everywhere its the best way to get to recon an area, (boots on the ground you know, sorry maybe you don't)plus me behind the wheel of a car isnt going to work anytime in the near future. He was going to lead me to another local place Intuition Aleworks, but it was getting late and I have a date for in the morning (bagels with the teller from the credit union I started an account with) I guess its my winning smile and cane, (works every time) lol Jacksonvilles a very friendly town if you take the time to make friends, but I guess that's true wherever you go.
NEWS FLASH as stated on other threads I am not from here, but am here investigating on whether this would be a good place to settle down in for awhile.. Yeah checking a place out before I move there. Novel idea isn't it? I am originally from St Louis, Mo. but have not been back there for any serious length of time, other than short leave periods, since the day that I left to go to Annapolis. As for being in front of he computer all day, digging through threads, seeing as I am legally blind and a disabled vet, I was at my friends (my ex gunnery sergeant) place waiting for him to get home from work. So he could lead me around this evening as we went and explored some new places to eat drink and meet the locals and make friends with some very nice young ladies(unfortunatly too young and goth for my taste, but very nice) in fact I think you even mentioned this place in an earlier post, Kickbacks only a short 3 mile hike from Gunnies place. Yes I walk everywhere its the best way to get to recon an area, (boots on the ground you know, sorry maybe you don't)plus me behind the wheel of a car isnt going to work anytime in the near future. He was going to lead me to another local place Intuition Aleworks, but it was getting late and I have a date for in the morning (bagels with the teller from the credit union I started an account with) I guess its my winning smile and cane, (works every time) lol Jacksonvilles a very friendly town if you take the time to make friends, but I guess that's true wherever you go.
notSilverman, dude, really? I'd love to see you unemployed or in need of a job, and someone offering you a job in a place you haven't researched, making more than you were before and you telling them "yeah, you know, I need to research the place, I need time to check it out before I can commit to you on this one."
On the other hand, Have you thought of Amelia Island? It's part of the Jax MSA woohooo! But the beach is pretty much a 5 minute drive, or a good walk from downtown Amelia, shops, a port to dock your boat, and all the other stores someone may need. Plus last I checked there were a lot of nice, older ladies in the area, hanging out at a blues club. My parents actually like Amelia Island a lot. They are nearing their 70s. If I was retired, I think I'd even dock a boat there myself.
You are quite an enigma, undercoverbrother. I feel like you're two different people posting under the same name. At times very thoughtful and meticulous in your posts, and sometimes not at all. Well-traveled and full of perspective at times and then narrow-minded in another post. Anyway, I'm sorry that you didn't have time to appropriately vet your decision to move here...at least you got a job, right? Good luck, man. Hope you can land on your feet somewhere else thats cool. I know I wouldn't be in Jax or care for it much if it wasn't hometown for me.
I spent a couple days in Cleveland once, but I didn't have time to do much. I just stayed by the Case Western and Cleveland Institute of Music area. Seemed very nice.
Thanks, no problem! I guess the response depends on the tone of the conversation at that time, how busy I am, and level of patience. Ha!
As for me, I'm managing. If you are ever back in C-town, I can help point out places of interest for you. Lots of great little spots up there.
notSilverman, dude, really? I'd love to see you unemployed or in need of a job, and someone offering you a job in a place you haven't researched, making more than you were before and you telling them "yeah, you know, I need to research the place, I need time to check it out before I can commit to you on this one."
On the other hand, Have you thought of Amelia Island? It's part of the Jax MSA woohooo! But the beach is pretty much a 5 minute drive, or a good walk from downtown Amelia, shops, a port to dock your boat, and all the other stores someone may need. Plus last I checked there were a lot of nice, older ladies in the area, hanging out at a blues club. My parents actually like Amelia Island a lot. They are nearing their 70s. If I was retired, I think I'd even dock a boat there myself.
Dude? You will never see me unemployed, or for that matter employed either I am not sure about what part of legally blind disabled vet you do not comprehend. I get a rather good 100% disability check from Uncle Sugar every month. You will also never see me driving a car/boat/plane/helicopter/scooter/segway/bicycle (all of which I could operate before) either as that option went out the window when the IED went off next to me and took 80% of my vision, 60% of my hearing and most of my balance (inner ear) and my left leg knee down. I do like the beach so I just may check out Amelia Island But I will leave the geriatrics to your capable hands, I am sure there are plenty of younger women in service industries that the great older ladies depend on for things. What I (and most people in her evidently)just can't understand, what exactly is your job and why did you have to take it with no proper warning. Are you like the best hemorrhoid cream salesman in the world and this company just could not survive another 3 days without your services. I too also spent some time in Cleveland one day (it was the longest year of my life) visiting my great uncle who lived in Shaker Heights ohh wait is that in the Cleveland MSA? It was like visiting a mausoleum, Biggest, oldest, coldest, deadest, house I had ever been in till that time. Oh my its like 1:20 and the beer goggles are getting blurry its bed time.
Sorry Robyn I had not replied appropriately to your post earlier, I've been in and out today and responded to someone elses post w/your quote on it. Anyhow to answer your question:
You know what I miss, the quaint feeling of uniqueness in a place. For example, you mentioned Manhattan. Manhattan is a pretty amazing place, not for all though, and it wasen't meant to be for all to enjoy, as neither is Jacksonville, but I'm digressing here..anyhow there is something special about walking in Central Park, getting a hot dog, and work your way towards the MET.
That unique set of attributes that NYC has that makes it special. Or when you are in San Francisco and you hit the Fisherman's Wharf and you know you have an awesome selection of seafood at your hands, it doesn't even matter that its cold, or windy, or both, just meandering around, these are visually, and sensorially stunning places, and that goes beyond the weather of the place.
Yes, no one likes shoveling snow, but when you are holding a hot cup of coffee from your local coffee shop, (That is not a Starbucks) as it is snowing outside and some stores are playing Christmas jingles, it's almost magical. Or like when in Cleveland, I remember one summer I went from a Palestinean restaurant to the Museum of Art (free), to visiting friends to stumbling against a free, live performance on a side walk by an awesome local Latin Jazz artist to checking out the Cleveland Orchestra's free outdoor concert just 15 minutes away, in one day. There was a sense of artistry and creativity wherever I went that day.
Here in Jax, I don't get the sense of "magic" of "uniqueness." I find it generic. And maybe it's here and I'm not seeing it, but I've been here a year, and in San Francisco just a week, and it stood out in SF, not here. Also, as a young professional with no kids, when you add that lack of moxie in the area, to the somewhat sprawled availability of quality night and daytime activities, it becomes challenging to be fully accepting of the place.
There are small things here that are nice, such as the beach, I personally like it better than Southern California's. But for some reason there was more to do around the beach in SC than here. But a man can't survive on beach water and sunsets alone. (At least unless you are surfer, or involved in aquatic activities, then maybe yes. At least not me.) Another example would be agriculture, FL is considered the 2nd most important food producer in the nation, after CA; and yet the sense of local/organic lifestyle/consumption is almost anemic.
There is a great agriculture industry out there, that ought to connect nature with people here, just as people connect to the beach and other aquatic activities. Restaurants and this big piece of land mass could be more proactive in tapping into "NATURE" or "ORGANIC" to help create a "greener" "younger" "hip" environment, but outsiders used to this type of lifestyle and visiting the area, will not see this in a significant way, aside from the Riverside Market on Saturday's because it's not as part of the local culture as religion or churches are. It's so nice to go up north and see a restaurant posting where they get their ingredients from and connecting people to their local farms. It adds a sense of stewardship of uniqueness that helps shed light on how boring generic is. These are the things I gravitate towards.
Sounds to me like you want to live in a traditional city. Jacksonville is not (by any means) a traditional city. It was a bunch of smaller towns/cities (at one point) which were all combined to be included in Jacksonville. That is why Jacksonville is like one big suburb rather than a city like an NYC or a Cleveland or any other large city in America.
This is something which is hard to comprehend for people from other large cities. I moved down from Northern NJ (10 miles from NYC) and you are absolutely correct in the feeling of walking through NYC vs. walking around Jacksonville. Just not the same.
This is also something which you can't really know or comprehend unless you've spent time visiting the area or living here. So it makes total sense you didn't realize this before moving here.
Some people like living in the city (I do not). People who like living in the city don't like the suburbs. I get that. And this post you wrote is the most intelligent post you've made and makes the most sense.
What many of us were pointing out was you were bashing many things which, quite honestly, you should have had an idea about (e.g. being religious, hot and humid, etc.). I understand how you might know about something but not quite comprehend what it means but then you shouldn't be so surprised about these things. You also wrote your OP in such a way as to, well, to get a rise out of people. Had you come here, written the way you did in the post I'm replying about in this post, you'd have gotten a much better reception.
The only rule about how to post about these sorts of things is common sense.
notSilverman, dude, really? I'd love to see you unemployed or in need of a job, and someone offering you a job in a place you haven't researched, making more than you were before and you telling them "yeah, you know, I need to research the place, I need time to check it out before I can commit to you on this one."
And you wonder why people have jumped all over you?
You wish he'd experience unemployment??? Are you serious? I don't wish that on anyone (well, maybe one or two people who've wronged me and my family over the years but...) and certainly not a disabled vet! You ever serve your country? I have and, even if I didn't, I'm still respectful of those who have/do serve our country. If it wasn't for them you wouldn't have the choice of living in Jacksonville, or Cleveland or anywhere!
Also, I still don't buy you had to make a decision about a job that day. What job, exactly, would make you decide whether to pick up and move across the country without thinking about it??? I've worked for many companies and have NEVER had someone tell me, "You have to tell me if you want the job right NOW." If they offered you a job today, they're not taking it away tomorrow. I don't buy that BS. I see that as your way of making an excuse for yourself making a decision which you didn't like. That's just not how corporate America works...PERIOD.
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I've honked at many people that sit there and lollygag when the light turns green, then they want to book it after they get that horn to them.
