Charleston or Jacksonville (income, homes, crime)

[redsynner]

OK... the statistics say that the crime is the same, the racial make up is the same, the homes, the salaries... ALL OF IT are the same...

SOOO...... what is the difference? We are an eclectic couple with dogs looking for an area where we can meet some people who like dining and not clubbing, intellectual individuals who are not all about shopping and just want a way of life where you don't have to kill yourself to pay 10K in taxes.

Can anyone provide a bit of advice of selecting Charleston over Jacksonville or vice versa>>??

THANKS!

[sinjap]

never lived in charleston but have visited and loved it...lived in jax most of my life...of course, it's hard to say what's great about a place when that same thing may be loathsome to someone else...like the weather..jax has had an annoyingly long and hot summer...but normally it's about the only city in florida (maybe tallahassee also) that actually has four seasons(just barely)

no state income tax in FL is also a plus...don't know how bad SC's is though...

jax is a lot of urban sprawl...the highways seem to go on forever and the countryside is quickly turning into one big strip center....but there are "pockets of cool" as i call them...quaint little neighborhoods with charm and/or history that make you forgot for a little while that you live in a concrete jungle...riverside/avondale, ortega, springfield (up & coming), san marco, old atlantic beach, old orange park...and in the 'burbs-st. augustine & fernandina beach...hope this helps!

[Nancy Lynne]

I have not lived in either place, but my neighbor from NJ just moved to Charleston and we visited them for Thanksgiving. They actually moved to Mt. Pleasant which is just 10 minutes outside of SC and a growing and thriving community. That area is absolutely beautiful. The schools are good. The only thing that my friend shared with me (and she is an artist - so perhaps much like the kind of person you described) --- and it is VERY southern in mentality. I didn't see alot of diversity...and the "unspoken culture and protocol" seemed to be VERY conservative.

Just my short experience.

[BlueWillowPlate]

The husband looked at Charleston and found it charming, but bigger than he expected. We are leaning towards Amelia Island ourselves, the small town aspect appeals, along with the benefits of having a larger city (Jax) nearby.

[ellie]

Having lived near both cities I would say that once you are in Charleston you actually are someplace. I can't say the same thing about Jax.

I think my motto is going to become, "what do you really want?"

[ellie]

Maybe I should state that better. Jacksonville rarely gives one that wow I really want to live here feeling, except for those few pockets of potential.