What sides of town are the good sides and what sides are the bad side? (Jacksonville: apartment complex)

[cliffdive]

What sides of town are the good (lower crime) sides and what sides are the bad (higher crime) side?

Almost every city has a higher crime side(s) and a lower crime side. What areas are safer to live and which should be avoided due to higher crime? I can be on the outskirts of the city. I don't prefer to live downtown because it feels like a concrete jungle with not as many trees and not as many normal houses in normal neighborhoods with single family homes. I prefer neighborhoods or parts of town with single family, detached homes, that are lower in crime. As a newcomer, I don't know which sides of town would be safe or unsafe.

[WileyCoyote]

I have read on here that the north west side of Jacksonville has the worst reputation for crime. But I have no personal knowledge if that's true or not. I have only been here about 7 months myself.

[fsu813]

It's not really a matter of "sides" of town.

Speaking very generally, if cut into 4 quadrants, the NW quadrant would be the "side" that is more unioformally associated with crime. The SE quadrant is the area least associated with crime, again generally speaking. Everywhere else, generally x 3, it's sort of a mixed bag depending on the neighborhood. That being said, crime can and does occur everywhere, and there are no areas of town where you'd be comfortable leaving your ipad on the dshboard, fron doors unclocked, etc.

Also, just for reference, Downtown Jacksonville proper (ie, the concrete jungle) isn't large. Maybe a few square miles. It's not much of a jungle either compared to your stereotypical big city downtown image. Since Jacksonville is ultra suburban, many consider the neighborhoods around the actual Downtown to be "downtown" as well, which do happen to have a mature tree canopies, lots of parks, mostly single family homes etc.

What's your budget?
What much house do you want?
What do you want to be close to?
Other preferences?

Those the things that need to be answered so you can be given better direction.

[runswithscissors]

Jacksonville - even metro - has a ton of neighborhoods with beautiful old trees and single homes. Several neighborhoods even have the old school southern moss hanging from the limbs.

As a dog walker I know the metro area - Avondale and San Marco specifically South-ish San Marco through the area called Mirimar (south of San Marco on the river side of Hendricks Ave).

I would say singles start at 150,000 and more like, average in the 200's depending...

Google Miramar and you'll see Colonial Manor Park aka "duck pond". That area has SO MANY huge beautiful trees I lose my cell service inside the houses. My clients all have land-lines because of it. That's a beautiful area that I would consider sort of metro because it's only 15 minutes from downtown or so. And at the end of Miramar on University are stores, a huge new Publix and a good Wynn Dixie and other things you need day to day. That's where the neighborhood turns into "Lakewood". There is a decent apartment complex there on Hendricks called Lakewood Village. Actually I think Hendricks turns into San Jose around there somewhere.

The houses are nice, not cookie cutter, and the people are too. They are not all right up against each other like a newer development/subdivision would be but not huge acreage either. It is not all seniors lots of families. I know nothing about schools but there are schools right there. People are always out jogging, biking, walking their kids and dogs there even in the dark. It seems to me the elementary school on Hendricks is very community oriented always having stuff like pumpkin patches for the families for fall, etc. A church across the street -ish has a pet blessing day And my FAVORITE VET in the town is there - Hendricks Ave Animal Hosp at Emerson.

You have to look INSIDE the houses because many have been renovated while still appearing possibly "older" outside. Like 70's and 80's. I'm thinking of one client I had who floored me when I saw the inside. Looked like it was from Architectural Digest magazine but on the outside - no - just sort of normal updating like the rest of the neighborhood. It was because of their job they didn't want to draw attention to themselves. Let's just say they're in a field that deals with criminals so they feel very safe there.

Miramar also has a great basic purpose park across-ish from the duck pond down a block or so for dogs and several of the streets end on the river but you can't tell from Hendricks. I like that neighborhood alot. Some of the streets have a small shallow creek in the back because of the river, too. And some wild life. Some people LOVE that. People with allergies need to watch because of the water table, IMO, you might react to all of that river-ness (Over in Avondale there are several parks some big and at least one with tennis courts. Riverside, too but not as "suburban" feeling or large.)

The opposite side of Hendricks is not at all that ambiance, IME, but still wooded and more affordable. I actually forgot all about Miramar lately until you said "trees" LOL If you drive down Hendricks for the next few miles/minutes are all the normal big box stores and shopping centers with familiar things and a Whole Foods and other specialty stores. I spent my whole life in Jax driving up and down Hendricks when I lived on the South bank. For a mall I took 95 to The Avenues.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=hendr...ed=0CCoQ8gEwAA

Other neighborhoods I've noticed but never really worked in or paid much attention to are Ortega (below Avondale) and Julington Creek which is where I ended up driving down San Jose about 30 minutes and it seems pretty nice, too.

[abvavgjoe]

Originally Posted by cliffdive

What sides of town are the good (lower crime) sides and what sides are the bad (higher crime) side?

Very generally speaking, North and West inside I-295 are the worst areas for crime.