Fernandina Beach/Yulee (Jacksonville, St. Augustine: 2011, crime, Home Depot)

[sc2jax]

Thanks to those of you who answered my questions below about my move from SC to Jacksonville. As mentioned in my other post, my husband is working on the northside - kind of near the airport, I think. He wants us to look into the Fernandina Beach/Yulee areas now as well. Can you give me any info on these areas in regards to housing, community involvement/activities, shopping (is there a Target, etc) and schools? Thanks again!

[apvbguy]

Originally Posted by sc2jax

Thanks to those of you who answered my questions below about my move from SC to Jacksonville. As mentioned in my other post, my husband is working on the northside - kind of near the airport, I think. He wants us to look into the Fernandina Beach/Yulee areas now as well. Can you give me any info on these areas in regards to housing, community involvement/activities, shopping (is there a Target, etc) and schools? Thanks again!

the area is nice, I would prefer fernandina over yulee. it would be a simple commute to the north side, no freeway access, all local roads from I 95.
shopping and amenities are limited. if you like the big dept stores and malls, movies and other things found in a typical suburban area you'll need to travel a bit to the southside of JAX, and that is the big downside to living up there but if that isn't an issue for you then the area is fine

[daedalo]

Better schools. Less traffic. Historic. Prettier. Less crime. Places to meet people and walk around town. Friendly. Great natural areas: Ft George and Talbot Islands to the south, Okefenokee Swamp to the west and Cumberland Island National Wilderness Seashore to the north. Fort Clinch on the north end of Amelia. Completely restored downtown with numerous pubs, coffeeshops, and restaurants. Marina at the end of Centre Street (Main St). Yulee is a short drive to the northside and 1/2 hr drive to all the shopping areas of Atlantic Boulevard/Regency. Add 15 minutes to this if you are on the island. Living on or off the island can be very good. I live right on the border between Yulee and Fernandina on a navigable tidal waterway Lanceford Creek. For a view of Lanceford Creek from my studio under construction, go here:

Lanceford Creek on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

For great images of Amelia Island and the Yulee area from local photographers go here:

Flickr: Amelia Island Visions

This area trumps anything on the coast south of Jekyll-St. Simons Island-Sea Island, Georgia and north of the old quaint restored section of downtown St. Augustine. Our family has lived in this area since 1906. This is as good as it gets. In general, Jacksonville has nuisance value only.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by daedalo

Better schools. Less traffic. Historic. Prettier. Less crime. Places to meet people and walk around town. Friendly. Great natural areas: Ft George and Talbot Islands to the south, Okefenokee Swamp to the west and Cumberland Island National Wilderness Seashore to the north. Fort Clinch on the north end of Amelia. Completely restored downtown with numerous pubs, coffeeshops, and restaurants. Marina at the end of Centre Street (Main St). Yulee is a short drive to the northside and 1/2 hr drive to all the shopping areas of Atlantic Boulevard/Regency. Add 15 minutes to this if you are on the island. Living on or off the island can be very good. I live right on the border between Yulee and Fernandina on a navigable tidal waterway Lanceford Creek. For a view of Lanceford Creek from my studio under construction, go here:

Lanceford Creek on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

For great images of Amelia Island and the Yulee area from local photographers go here:

Flickr: Amelia Island Visions

This area trumps anything on the coast south of Jekyll-St. Simons Island-Sea Island, Georgia and north of the old quaint restored section of downtown St. Augustine. Our family has lived in this area since 1906. This is as good as it gets. In general, Jacksonville has nuisance value only.

Better schools? Yulee has awful schools and Fernandina's are okay. Right now, with the latest FCAT ratings, only Duval has any A-rated high schools at all - not St. John's, not Clay, not Nassau.

I'm not saying Duval's schools are great, but just like the other counties, elementary and middle school is really not the problem - it's the high schools level that is sufferring the most, and this seems to be the case to at least some degree across all the counties.

"Jacksonville has nuisance value only"? I get that you hate Jacksonville, Daedalo - I've read some of your other posts - but a statement like that is so unbalanced and so ridiculous. Nearly a million people have chosen to live in Jacksonville (yes, I'm including the unincorporated parts like the Beaches), there must be something to it .

[Mylu]

Riveree- Generally, I agree with you. Not on this post, though. Please check out www.nassau.k12.fl.us Yulee Elementary is an "A" school and made AYP. The Middle school is also an "A" school.

Yulee is a fabulous community that is growing rapidly. Yes, there is a new Target; 2 Starbucks (one inside of Target, one "stand alone with a drive-through), Super Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes....

There are new and existing developments going up both west of I-95 and on Amelia Concourse, as well as other areas of Yulee that would well be worth looking into.

Yulee is a very warm, welcoming community that has alot to offer. I would not overlook this location!

Amelia Island is also a great place and just a few minutes over the Shave Bridge to Yulee and I-95.

With the growing population and your husband working near the airport, I'd check out Yulee. due to the growth and traffic, traffic lights, etc. his commute might be a bit of a "bear"!

For those in Jax reading this, if you haven't been to or through Yulee in a while, take a drive up! You'll be surprised!

[Erin1264]

I also would not overlook Yulee. I used to live there and enjoyed it very much. Your husband can hop on Route 17 South and not even deal with 95 to get near the airport. No traffic.

We used to do a lot of our grocery shopping on Amelia Island because they have a Publix and Harris Teeter that were nicer than the Winn Dixie in Yulee. But if I were running out to get something quick, the Winn Dixie was quite convenient.

For mall shopping, we liked The Avenues along Southside Blvd.

I left before the big development was started at A1A & Chester Road. I heard it's really something!

[BlueWillowPlate]

A girl I work with says that the Fernandina Beach High School kids look down on the Yulee High School kids, which I thought was interesting, especially because it seems to me, no matter whether there is or isn't an On Island/Off Island mystique, these two communities need each other.
ETA:
What I mean is:
There are people who live in Fernandina work in Yulee and vice versa. There is a lot of interaction between we two towns.
I love living here but I go to Yulee fairly often--after all, that's where the Target is.
I have been working at the YMCA after school program for a month or so now, and have spent time in the elementary schools. The teachers seem quite devoted and organized.
The beaches and state parks are beautiful, the downtown is quaint, the restaurants are good.

[Mylu]

As far as the "on island"/"off island"... what is always amusing is the fact that there are many, many developments that are waaaayyyy "off island", but have a Fern address.

sc2jax- both places are great "on island" and "off island" if you are looking for new/newer construction, square-footage wise, you'll get more for your $ in Yulee. There are people moving in from all over the place now. Both the primary and elementary schools are having to build additions and there is another new school in the works!

[daedalo]

You said: "Nearly a million people have chosen to live in Jacksonville (yes, I'm including the unincorporated parts like the Beaches), there must be something to it."

Yes, so then Mexico City, by that reasoning being the most populous city on the planet must be the best? I beg to differ. In nearly all levels of quality except football venues and mega libraries, Fernandina is not just a little better, it is vastly better than Jax on quality of life. Yes the stores are bigger in Jax. Fernandina's school system, across the board has a higher average school rating than the schools in Duval. Yes they skimmed all the top kids in Duval and created a few excellent schools, but on average, Jax is below average and well below Fernandina/Yulee. Walk down the street in Fernandina and there are more college grads per capita than in Jax. There is less crime per capita. There is higher income per capita. There are more boats per capita. There is more available waterfront/beach per capita. There are more parks and nice sidewalks per capita.

[daedalo]

Originally Posted by Mylu

As far as the "on island"/"off island"... what is always amusing is the fact that there are many, many developments that are waaaayyyy "off island", but have a Fern address.

sc2jax- both places are great "on island" and "off island" if you are looking for new/newer construction, square-footage wise, you'll get more for your $ in Yulee. There are people moving in from all over the place now. Both the primary and elementary schools are having to build additions and there is another new school in the works!

These are big challenges. The east county is going through a visioning plan now to hopefully address the future, which is NOW.