Which communities?

[riveree]

Originally Posted by lindquist22

I would have loved to go to Julington Creek and that area but we didn't make it. Is there comparable shopping within 5 minutes as there is near Eagle Harbor?

Thanks so much!

From Julington Creek Plantation, you'd drive north into Mandarin. In Mandarin, you'd find everything you'd need, but it's mostly chains (which I suppose is the same at Eagle Harbor).

[mawipafl]

Riveree is correct about Julington Creek and its proximity to Mandarin's shopping. As well, the JCP area is growing retail-wise.

Regarding kunacavegirl's comment about staying away from Orange Park because of its Jacksonville "influence", I'm not sure what she means. I happen to like Jacksonville, but if she's referring to Jax's shadier parts (which are no different than any other city's) and saying that Orange Park is "shady", that's not true. It's older, it has its problems, but I've never felt the need for a bullet-proof vest nor pepperspray in hand when going to the mall.

Regarding CDD fees, yes, they are something to consider, but I pay them and I do not find them cost-prohibitive at all. For me it's an expense I'm willing to pay for where I live. And I am not snooty nor do I live the country club life.

I can only speak for Eagle Harbor, and Fleming Island Plantation may be the same, but we do not have HOA fees. Instead, our maintenance and operation fees are included in our tax bill. For last year it was about $450. It can change on an annual basis, but not without a HOA vote. As for the CDD fee, it varies slightly per property depending on the age of the neighborhood and the curb-length of the property. The CDD fee is a debt-pay-down for the district and it cannot change willynilly. The CDD committee may vote, with resident input, to renegotiate the bonds. Most of the bonds are 30 year, and yes, they may extend them. However, our Eagle Harbor infrastructure is sound and well-maintained. We have residents and committees dedicated to ensuring quality of life as we choose it to be. No, this is not for everyone nor should it be. Choice is a wonderful thing.

[agreatlife]

Originally Posted by mawipafl

... No, this is not for everyone nor should it be. Choice is a wonderful thing.

Well said!

[LRNHILL]

Hello all! I was reading your comments about those specific communites, as I am also planning on moving to Florida,but I wanted to know how far from the airport these communities are, and if there were any other nice neighborhoods that weren't too far from the airport?

[riveree]

Originally Posted by LRNHILL

Hello all! I was reading your comments about those specific communites, as I am also planning on moving to Florida,but I wanted to know how far from the airport these communities are, and if there were any other nice neighborhoods that weren't too far from the airport?

We have 4 airports, but the main airport is JIA - Jacksonville International Airport - and it is north of downtown/located on the Northside of the city.

If you lived in Orange Park/Fleming Island (Clay county), you could use I295 to get to the airport. If you lived on the Southside/Intracoastal West part of Jacksonville (Duval county) you could use 9A (which is the same loop - 9A/I295). The closer to the 9A/I295 loop, the shorter your commute to the airport. Another option is to live close to I95 which is a straight shot to the airport (some nice neighborhoods up and down I95 as well).

Time-wise, it really depends on exactly where you choose to live in Clay or Duval. You might be 20 minutes to the airport or 45 minutes - it all depends on how far south you choose to live.

You could also live on the Northside of Jacksonville, there is a lot of new construction there. It's still one of our least populated parts of Jacksonville, so shopping and such is limited, but some people like the prices of the homes enough that I guess it makes up for what might be lacking commercially .

[LRNHILL]

Thanks riveree! Yeah, I did mean Jacksonville International. How would I research homes on the Northside of Jacksonville? Does that area/town have a specific name?

I was contemplating the JCP area, but it seems really far south in proximity to JIA..

[riveree]

Originally Posted by LRNHILL

Thanks riveree! Yeah, I did mean Jacksonville International. How would I research homes on the Northside of Jacksonville? Does that area/town have a specific name?

I was contemplating the JCP area, but it seems really far south in proximity to JIA..

The Northside has zips 32226 & 32218, you can plug those into realtor.com and see what the homes/prices are like.

The Northern end of the Southside/Intracoastal West area makes a very easy commute to the airport, I highly recommend at least considering it. I've been living in 32246 and 9A is a straight shot up to airport (25 minutes door-to-door - a very easy ride), it's also less than 15 minutes to the beach, less than 10 minutes to the Saint Johns Town Center, and you can take Wonderwood Expressway to Fernandina to see your family (or backroad it for a more scenic drive).

So I'd add to your zip searches the IW area: 32246, 32225, 32224.

Here's a map to show you where the zips are:

Duval County Zip Code (Zipcode) Map

[LRNHILL]

Thanks so much riveree! this really helped!!