Please share "10 Things to Know About Moving to JAX!" (Jacksonville: how much, home)

[midnightrose227]

Hi! We're moving to Jax from Jersey in three weeks and I'm anxious and excited! Please tell me 10 things every knew person should know about moving to Jax/Florida. I'm familiar with the summer heat, palmetto bugs & afternoon thunderstorms, but how about sharing some other things? Maybe some obscure things, great things, things you wish someone had told you before you moved? Please try to keep mostly positive, or at least objective...
Thanks for sharing!

[vdecapio]

South Jersey huh?, I think APVBGUY should chime in on this one. I really don't know much about south Jersey, but let me tell you that coming from North Jersey to Jax has been a big transition.

Ten Things To Know About Jax:
1. Fall lasts from November to.....well it still feels like fall now in mid February. Winters don't really happen.
2. The north and southbank riverwalks are awesome weekend afternoon exercise. They are connected by the Main St. Bridge.
3. If you thought Jersey had strip malls, just wait until you see this place.
4. Driving is much slower here. I have been on two "expressways" where the speed limit is 50 and people actually obey it. Geez....lets get moving this is an expressway.
5.The views of the St. Johns River from Memorial Park in Riverside and Riverfront Park in San Marco are more relaxing/beautiful than anything in North Jersey.
6. Lots of egrets, herons, white ibis, etc. flying around.
7. Get ready for the Wood Stork and Brown Pelican....two elegant bird species not seen much in Jersey.
8. Surfers in the waters at Hugenot Park and at the pier in Jax Beach even in January/February. I assume this is unheard of in NJ in the winter.
9. Warm water in the ocean in the summer. Makes the cold waters of Jersey seem like a distant memory. Also, the beaches, like they should be, are free. But, not much of a boardwalkish scene.
10. Food and nightlife will be lower quality. Also, get used to hearing about 20-30% southern accents.

[vdecapio]

11. Small town, laid back attitude is fairly predominant among non-transplanted locals. They seem to like preserving this part of "their" "city."

[vdecapio]

12. Oh yeah and great seafood. Try to get some of the local caught stuff on a Saturday afternoon. Best seafood I have ever had. Also, the BBQ scene here is pretty big I like Mojo.

[midnightrose227]

Thanks for the responses so far! I'm looking forward to throwing out my boxes of tissues and the twenty tubes of lip balms and lotions I keep stashed in my desk, car, bathroom, purse, etc. here in NJ. From October to April, my hands and feet are always cold (doctor says my circulation is fine), my lips, face and hands are chapped and my nose drips, drips, drips! I can't wait to leave this all behind and cultivate coleus instead of colds!

[Kingfysh]

It ain't NJ and it sure isn't New York and we like it that way. Welcome to Jax. Check out Singletons at Mayport for the best and freshest seafood in Florida, prices are also very reasonable. I am not sure what an earlier poster is talking about when she says everyone drives slow. I just moved to Savannah and I promise they drive much slower here. In Jacksonville the average is 10 over the speed limit and 10-15 on the interstate.....Also, don't judge people by their southern accents, some of the nicest people you will meet will say ain't and yall; and it sure doesn't mean they are slow. The weather in the middle of the summer is a little warm though, bring lots of shorts and get some sandals....Oh, and sell your snow shovel, unless you want to use it to scoop up leaf piles into the trash.

[Ryde41]

Those little green lizards are harmless and the dogs can play with them when they're bored.

[titaniummd]

Originally Posted by midnightrose227

Hi! We're moving to Jax from Jersey in three weeks and I'm anxious and excited! Please tell me 10 things every knew person should know about moving to Jax/Florida. I'm familiar with the summer heat, palmetto bugs & afternoon thunderstorms, but how about sharing some other things? Maybe some obscure things, great things, things you wish someone had told you before you moved? Please try to keep mostly positive, or at least objective...
Thanks for sharing!

1. People can snoop around the internet and figure out how much you spent on your house:

Property Appraiser - Basic Search

CCPAO: Disclaimer

2. When you submit information to a Florida website your email address becomes knowledge for public domain. I recommend creating an email specifically for this purpose.

3. People are very friendly here and seem to want to help. Every time I am at a golf driving range, there is always someone offering their range balls or advice on improving. I personally don't mind.

4. You can almost bet on getting rid of your heavy winter coats. You won't need them.

5. When hiring someone to do appraisals for work in your home or for 'servicing' something, there is a decent chance (I would estimate 33%) that they will not show up. However, as a corollary, there are people (about 33%) that will call you if they are going to be even 15 minutes late.

6. No matter how hard you try, you cannot get rid of "Love Bugs". Not even an exterminator guarantees getting rid of them.

7. This is the first place in the South that I lived where I saw a Scorpion (it prompted me to get an exterminator service).

8. I saw an Armadillo in my yard ONCE. A few weeks later, it was dead in a gutter 2 streets over.

9. Almost my entire neighborhood has a dog. Only a small fraction are greater than 30 lbs.

10. You have to get used to being called 'Sir' or 'maam', if you're a man or woman, respectively.

BONUS: You need to be driving a truck or SUV to see someone's face in the vehicle next to you on the road or stoplight.

[Christa LaFarlette]

Hmmmm....what can I add? My kids had to get used to calling people Mr. (insert first name) and Ms (insert first name). We still are working on sir & ma'am. The people here can deliver an insult that seems like a praise! (As you learn that it's kind of fun!) This is part of the Bible Belt. Everyone drives like nuts--yellow means green--no joke. LA has nothing on JAX!! Those love bugs will apparently ruin your car paint. Remember, the I295 is pretty much a circle--once your on it, you can keep going and still end up where you want (the I10 is at the north end and St Augustine exits toward the south). The dirt is really sand after the dirt...and the grass it totally different than anything I've seen, if you garden buy a book.
You will LOVE it here, even in the heat it's GREAT!!
Christa

[titaniummd]

I have to add: RUNNING RED LIGHTS (just as the light turns from yellow to red) is an art form here. Timing is essential.

No red light cameras here.