Avondale/Riverside vs Mandarin (crime, house prices, neighborhoods)

[gisellems]

So we have visited JAX, and I have to say I do like it a lot!!! VERY different vibe from South Florida, which made me VERY happy! I completely dislike South Florida...and this was the reason I never ever considered moving to Florida in the past, and was very hesitant about moving to JAX as well. I love how diverse the area is...you can feel like you are in a completely different area when you drive from the beach, to downtown to the historical neighborhoods! Saint Augustine is AMAZING!!!! I am SO looking forward to going on weekend getaways with my husband there! JAX is truly an awesome location!

We didn't have a ton of time to drive around much, we'll be doing a second longer visit to look closer at different neighborhoods as potential living spots. We did drive by San Marco, and I am completely IN LOVE with that area! Unfortunately it looks like it would be above our price range, and I was a little concerned about some pockets of bad areas around there. And of course, the affordable home all seem to be closer to those "bad pockets"!

I didn't get a chance to visit Riverside/Avondale area, but from my online research it seems to be a similar vibe to San Marco, but more affordable. And Mandarin also seems to offer some of those nice, bigger lot homes, with a bit more character to them, and seems to have more of a flexible price range. And not super far from Downtown like Saint Johns area.

My question is, how is Riverside/Avondale in comparison to Mandarin as far as crime, safety, family-friendliness and quietness??? I've read that areas north & west of the Saint Johns are to be avoided except Avondale, Riverside & Ortega. But are they too close to bad areas that ends up reaching parts of it? Are there pockets of bad areas there like I saw in San Marco that one should watch for?

If anyone can give me a comparison of the vibe and culture in both areas, that would be very helpful!

Thanks a ton! Looking forward to our move this coming Summer!!!

[thatguydownsouth]

It depends on what your lifestyle/wants are. In Riverside/Avondale youll have a lot more culture, that's where the arts market is and the younger more creative crowd lives. Crime does exist in that area because of its proximity to some lower income regions. If San Marco was out of your price range then Avondale proper will probably be as well. The houses just outside of the shopping/dining district are >$1 Mill.

Mandarin has historically been more of your middle class suburb. The lots are bigger because the area developed decades ago before developers realized they could sell people a .17 acre lot. The house prices are reasonable and range from 100k to over a million on the river. There are a few "less than desirable" areas in Mandarin but no actual ghettos where you would fear for your life. However the economic downturn certainly affected pockets of it as with everywhere else. But........the traffic on San Jose is god awful as you approach 295. You aren't exactly going to find much nightlife in Mandarin.

What are you into?

[Florida2014]

Originally Posted by thatguydownsouth

But........the traffic on San Jose is god awful as you approach 295.

You said it. And the other end is actually a bit thinner on traffic, but has far more lunatics on the road who think the speed limit is 75mph. God forbid you actually have to make a left turn and stay in the left lane. I had two knuckleheads almost rear end me this morning (6am) because I apparently wasn't going fast enough for their small penis....err.....sports cars. For the record I was going between 45 and 50 in a 45mph zone.

I only go as far as from Race Track to Bailey's Powerhouse Fitness every morning and that's well before rush hour but I would have a hard time dealing with that nonsense on a daily basis if I lived there. Mandarin is very large though so you might get lucky and get tucked away in a small pocket away from that mess of traffic on SJ.

[projectmaximus]

Welcome!!

Riverside is gonna have those same pockets although it really depends on your tolerance level just how acceptable it is. Aside from those pockets, the other thing about Riverside is there are a few nightlife hubs that are pretty busy and crowded and may bother you with the noise and partiers. So be aware to stay at least 3-4 blocks away from those areas.

[gisellems]

Originally Posted by thatguydownsouth

It depends on what your lifestyle/wants are. In Riverside/Avondale youll have a lot more culture, that's where the arts market is and the younger more creative crowd lives. Crime does exist in that area because of its proximity to some lower income regions. If San Marco was out of your price range then Avondale proper will probably be as well. The houses just outside of the shopping/dining district are >$1 Mill.

Mandarin has historically been more of your middle class suburb. The lots are bigger because the area developed decades ago before developers realized they could sell people a .17 acre lot. The house prices are reasonable and range from 100k to over a million on the river. There are a few "less than desirable" areas in Mandarin but no actual ghettos where you would fear for your life. However the economic downturn certainly affected pockets of it as with everywhere else. But........the traffic on San Jose is god awful as you approach 295. You aren't exactly going to find much nightlife in Mandarin.

What are you into?

We're looking between the 200-400K and on Trulia it seems like Riverside (more so than Avondale...not sure the boundary btwn the two) you can find more homes in that price range. Mandarin also seems to have some nice homes in that range.

Would Julington Creek also require this same SJ drive to downtown? That would probably be a pain for my husband on a daily basis! I think he hates traffic more than a longer commute.

I'm 'into' quiet, safe, family-friendly areas with nice homes! hehe...I guess like most families are! Not into the night life at all with three young kids. More into nice parks and playgrounds at this point in life! Being close to a GREAT library is also very important since we homeschool! But I wouldn't mind being a close driving distance to some nice restaurants and shops. I am a bit of a foodie, with an ethnic taste! Favorite foods are Japanese, Thai, Indian, Lebanese, Pakistani...so I'll have to find out where those good restaurants are in the JAX area! Culture is definitely important for us, and an important part of our education curriculum to the kids, but not more than safety at this point.

Safety is definitely number one on the list...would like to live in a place I can walk at night with my kids and feel safe! Not sure if I can get that in those neighborhoods or if I would need to stick to the Saint Johns planned, cookie cutter communities in order to get that!

[thatguydownsouth]

There are a lot of ethnic restaurants on the Southside along Baymeadows. It sounds to me like Mandarin might be good for you or possibly the neighborhoods around Deerwood if youre willing to go up to 350k-400k. There are plenty of people that drive from Julington Creek to downtown, but the commute will suck. Theres a library in Mandarin but Im not sure how great it is, I think its just your run of the mill Public Lib branch. You can definitely walk at night in Mandarin and feel safe. Also check out the neighborhoods off of Scott Mill road, there are ALWAYS runners, bikers, pedestrians on those roads at all hours.