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33, male, single, no kids. From North Carolina, but live elsewhere now.
Income will be comfortable and secure/stable(290-320k) but I have a lot of loans from school I'm paying off aggressively so it's somewhat less than this in reality. not looking to buy initially as I'm not sure how I long I will be here(maybe 20 years, maybe 1 year).
Ideally would like to rent a small(1200 sq ft) house with some character in a neat area. Safety and being able to feel comfortable there is a *BIG* deal. Would like a high aesthetic appeal as well. I'd like to be in something of an upper middle class area. Things to do in the area(restaurants, bars, the usual) are preferable, but it's not like I need to be able to walk to them.
My budget isn't real strict, but since I'm renting and have no skin in it I'd like to keep it reasonable. 15-1600/month would be about what I'd like to spend. I realize that doesn't get a lot of house, but again I am looking for small and cute. 2 bedrooms is fine.
So far in browsing this forum and really more the web I've come across the following:
Riverside/Avondale- everyone seems to be mentioning this, but when I see the smaller houses in this area the street view(on sites like trulia) don't make the neighborhoods look all that nice. Looks a little sketchy actually. A lot of unkempt looking yards and houses.
Jacksonville beach- I'm hearing it's younger and more of a party scene than I would probably like. Are there any neighborhoods here who meet my criteria? I realize my commute would be a little longer(mapquest says 13-14 miles from the beach to where I'll be working).
Ortega- seems upscale which I like, but are there small unique houses in my rental price range here?
Also, if I wanted to spend more....do any areas have small cute houses in good neighborhoods for sale/rent with good direct river views/access?
Riverside and Avondale aren't sketchy at all. Don't believe everything you see on Google Street View. Actually, Riverside and Avondale are middle class or better. I used to live there, so I know. Try buying a house there. lol They're not cheap. You could definitely find something in your price range there.
I rather doubt you could find a small house to rent in Ortega. Most of the homes are quite large there. Many are mini-mansions or true mansions. This is where Jax's "old money" WASP-ish type people reside. But you're right, Ortega is a beautiful community.
Have you tried San Marco? San Marco is a great community. Most of the homes are quite large, but you might be able to find something small and affordable to rent. Also, San Marco isn't at all sketchy; it's quite nice, actually.
OP - although I am much older than you are - I agree with you on almost all counts (including your use of the word "sketchy" in certain messages). If I were in your position - unless I absolutely wanted to be out at the Beaches (like if I surfed or something like that) - I'd probably rent for a year at a place like 5 Thousand Town in the Town Center:
Yup - it's an apartment building at a mall with a view of a mall - in particular the new Nordstrom that is under construction (or perhaps Butler Blvd.). But it is brand new - and probably ok now (I watched the place go up and the construction techniques didn't impress me - but we're talking renting - not buying).
The other people there will probably be about your age - although few will earn anywhere near what you'll be earning (your salary is pretty high for metro JAX). Drives to Baptist downtown and Memorial won't be that bad. And perhaps you might wind up with some work at St. Luke's hospital - which is just a couple of miles away.
Also - I don't know what kind of medical stuff you do. But - if you'll be working hard/working long hours - it will be easy to stop by the Publix at the Town Center on your way home - or Costco if you're having a big party .
Or walk to restaurants/bars for dinner. The newest indie restaurant in Jacksonville just opened next store to the building:
You should realize from this that JAX is kind of an odd place - what with indie restaurants choosing to open in malls as opposed to elsewhere.
Also - if you want a good exercise/pool facility - the Brooks Y is very close (I honestly think it would be within walking distance if you had a pedestrian crossing on Butler Blvd. - not likely on a 6 lane limited access highway ):
Riverside and Avondale aren't sketchy at all. Don't believe everything you see on Google Street View. Actually, Riverside and Avondale are middle class or better. I used to live there, so I know. Try buying a house there. lol They're not cheap. You could definitely find something in your price range there.
I rather doubt you could find a small house to rent in Ortega. Most of the homes are quite large there. Many are mini-mansions or true mansions. This is where Jax's "old money" WASP-ish type people reside. But you're right, Ortega is a beautiful community.
Have you tried San Marco? San Marco is a great community. Most of the homes are quite large, but you might be able to find something small and affordable to rent. Also, San Marco isn't at all sketchy; it's quite nice, actually.
I don't go on the basis of Google Street view. I live here and drive around places.
We were last in Riverside/Avondale/Ortega in early November. We do the "great circle route" on the back streets when we go there. Increasingly - there is less reason to go there. I mean I like biscottis - but it hasn't changed its menu for perhaps a decade. Black Sheep is good - but certainly not worth a 30+ minute drive just for a meal (or even a 5 minute drive if you're drinking - DUI checkpoints all over Duval County are BAD).
Riverside/Avondale haven't gone anywhere in the last 5-10 years IMO. In Riverside/Avondale - you go 10 blocks in from the River - and it still looks crummy (or - as the OP would say - sketchy). Much more than that inland - and the area sucks (although perhaps you're not in Riverside/Avondale then).
The simple fact of the matter is that RAP discourages any home maintenance/improvements for all but the most expensive houses/more affluent homeowners. Because - if you're in the RAP district - and you want to do anything - you have to do it by a rule book that only relatively wealthy people can afford.
Ortega - even some homes on waterfront streets - looked *really* down at the heels.
And the businesses in those areas that we went to that day had seen better days.
FWIW - my favorite business there is the one run by the guy who sharpens our knives once a year (he does tons of restaurant work too - but we own a lot of knives). Anyway - he picks up and delivers now - so we don't have to go there with our knives anymore.
I think our trip before that was in September or so. Where we interviewed a new estate planning lawyer (our old estate planning lawyer - who does other things - gave up his estate planning practice). The new lawyer's firm has an office in Ponte Vedra Beach - but we thought it would be fun to meet him there - have lunch - and see the house his firm had restored for its offices. I was right on both counts. But - again - not many people or businesses can afford to do the kind of restoration that his law firm did.
Anyway - I guess our next trip will be in January/February to see a new exhibit at the Cummer (forget the name of the exhibit - I have it on my calendar) - so I'll have a chance to re-evaluate again. Robyn
Riverside and Avondale aren't sketchy at all. Don't believe everything you see on Google Street View. Actually, Riverside and Avondale are middle class or better.
I guess everyone has a different definition of 'middle class or better'. My impression from researching it was that there are *certain pockets* of what is defined as Avondale that I would consider middle class or above. And then other areas of Avondale that are more working class.
I don't go on the basis of Google Street view. I live here and drive around places.
We were last in Riverside/Avondale/Ortega in early November. We do the "great circle route" on the back streets when we go there. Increasingly - there is less reason to go there. I mean I like biscottis - but it hasn't changed its menu for perhaps a decade. Black Sheep is good - but certainly not worth a 30+ minute drive just for a meal (or even a 5 minute drive if you're drinking - DUI checkpoints all over Duval County are BAD).
Riverside/Avondale haven't gone anywhere in the last 5-10 years IMO. In Riverside/Avondale - you go 10 blocks in from the River - and it still looks crummy (or - as the OP would say - sketchy). Much more than that inland - and the area sucks (although perhaps you're not in Riverside/Avondale then).
Robyn
I think part of the problem with these areas is sort of what you allude to- there just doesn't appear to be a lot to do. Maybe others have brought this up, but I don't see what is particularly 'urban'(or urban core or whatever phrase is trendy these days) about it In many ways they are more boring than Mandarin(to pick one) would appear to be. At least in Jacksonville beach there is a beach.
There was one place there that at least started out as condos. Perhaps it's the one on the east side of the Town Center (I pay more attention to the restaurants than the residential places).
I try to think back to when I was 20-something (about 40 years ago ). With my second (post-marriage) rental in Miami (my first was a "dump for singles"). It was a nice place off Brickell Avenue on Biscayne Bay - about 5 miles from where I worked. But there was zero within walking distance. I can think of many worse places to live here than the Town Center in terms of "walkability" if I were young - especially when it comes to bars and restaurants. Although the residential places at the Town Center aren't "scenic" in terms of location.
FWIW - we went to Moxie for the first time on 12/31 for lunch. We really liked it. We've know Chef Gray for almost as long as we've lived here (first spent "quality time" with him at a Ritz Carlton Amelia Island food event perhaps 12-13 years ago). He's done a bang-up job on this place IMO in terms of everything from the quality of the building to the quality of the food. And the food is priced accordingly. I've read some negative reviews from people who don't care for the less than Golden Corral size all you can eat portions - and the food that isn't overly salted. Just hope he can make it in this market. He's one of the few bright lights in the culinary scene here IMO. Robyn
There was one place there that at least started out as condos. Perhaps it's the one on the east side of the Town Center (I pay more attention to the restaurants than the residential places).
I try to think back to when I was 20-something (about 40 years ago ). With my second (post-marriage) rental in Miami (my first was a "dump for singles"). It was a nice place off Brickell Avenue on Biscayne Bay - about 5 miles from where I worked. But there was zero within walking distance. I can think of many worse places to live here than the Town Center in terms of "walkability" if I were young - especially when it comes to bars and restaurants. Although the residential places at the Town Center aren't "scenic" in terms of location.
FWIW - we went to Moxie for the first time on 12/31 for lunch. We really liked it. We've know Chef Gray for almost as long as we've lived here (first spent "quality time" with him at a Ritz Carlton Amelia Island food event perhaps 12-13 years ago). He's done a bang-up job on this place IMO in terms of everything from the quality of the building to the quality of the food. And the food is priced accordingly. I've read some negative reviews from people who don't care for the less than Golden Corral size all you can eat portions - and the food that isn't overly salted. Just hope he can make it in this market. He's one of the few bright lights in the culinary scene here IMO. Robyn
the restaurant scene(which looks abysmal here) also has kind of got me down. I'm a foodie, and about once a week at least I like to try a good independent restaurant. Not usually fine dining, but at least upscale. And let's just say the choices in Jacksonville look.....disturbing. The shoppes at Avondale complex had some eateries, but didn't look like it had anything that I would give more than a C+/B-. I love great steaks as well....I'm sure Jville has a couple of the usual chain steakhouses(Ruths chris, Mortons, Flemings, etc), but those are everywhere, they get boring, and the sides aren't up to par.
I went to the website of what you mention above, however, and it looks promising so I may have to check it out.
I think the resturant scene here is great...............although you need to be Sherlock Holmes in the largest city (land wise) to find them............they are not in close proximity to one another and they are not heavily advertised.
While not elegant coat and tie resturants.....TRays and Chowder Teds are two places that are not really well known but are off the charts......I just picked those two as I know many people that have been in this area (Amelia) for awhile that don't know of their existence.
I maybe going out on a limb here (my opinion) but I think most people tend to flock to the franchise type resturants over the mom and pop types here in Jacksonville. I could be wrong but it sure seems that way.
Coming from the smallest state in the US (Rhode Island) my wife and I could visit a great mom and pop resturant every Saturday for a year and still not visit a place twice.....plenty of ethnic diversity also among all the resturants.
I look at all the franchises that have sprung up at River City Marketplace and maybe that is the way things are going..........not for us though win or lose we will continue to try those local mom and pops wherever we travel to
On another note.....are there any real Chinese resturants left that are not buffet types or are operating out of a retail plaza? I miss the old school types where the decor of the resturants and the food was a great representation of the food I was eating!
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(or perhaps Butler Blvd.). But it is brand new - and probably ok now (I watched the place go up and the construction techniques didn't impress me - but we're talking renting - not buying).
.
). With my second (post-marriage) rental in Miami (my first was a "dump for singles"). It was a nice place off Brickell Avenue on Biscayne Bay - about 5 miles from where I worked. But there was zero within walking distance. I can think of many worse places to live here than the Town Center in terms of "walkability" if I were young - especially when it comes to bars and restaurants. Although the residential places at the Town Center aren't "scenic" in terms of location.
