Relocating to Jacksonville (to rent, house, job transfer)

[reelfish823]

We are moving to Jacksonville in June. Just curious if anyone has any advice on which parts of Jacksonville are nice to live in.

[riveree]

We're going to need to pull a bit more info out of you, Reelfish !

What kind of a "nice" area are you looking for?

Do you like urban? Suburban? Rural?

Are you planning to buy or rent? What's the budget?

Do you like new communities? Older established areas? Do you want to live near something - the beach, the river? How about work - do you need to commute to somewhere?

Give us some detailed info on what you're looking for and I'm sure we can help you target in on some areas .

[reelfish823]

Originally Posted by riveree

We're going to need to pull a bit more info out of you, Reelfish !

What kind of a "nice" area are you looking for?

Do you like urban? Suburban? Rural?

Are you planning to buy or rent? What's the budget?

Do you like new communities? Older established areas? Do you want to live near something - the beach, the river? How about work - do you need to commute to somewhere?

Give us some detailed info on what you're looking for and I'm sure we can help you target in on some areas .

Sorry about that. We would like to live in a suburban area with lots of shopping near by. My soon to be husband (as of May 25th) got a job transfer, so we are probably going to rent for six months and hopefully buy a house soon after that. My big thing is that I would like to live somewhere that if I have to take my dogs out at night by myself I can do that and feel safe. Sounds Silly but I am not really sure how to find out this type of information on the internet

[riveree]

Originally Posted by reelfish823

Sorry about that. We would like to live in a suburban area with lots of shopping near by. My soon to be husband (as of May 25th) got a job transfer, so we are probably going to rent for six months and hopefully buy a house soon after that. My big thing is that I would like to live somewhere that if I have to take my dogs out at night by myself I can do that and feel safe. Sounds Silly but I am not really sure how to find out this type of information on the internet

In Jacksonville, the city is divided into 3 main regions - Northside, Westside and Southside. For shopping, Southside has the most shopping. The stores are spread throughout the region, but some of the popular areas for shopping are:

Southside/Intracoastal West: These 2 areas border the new Saint Johns Town Center, Jacksonville's most upscale shopping center (an outdoor "town center" style mall....search our numerous threads about it ). The Southside also has The Avenues Mall, which is still quite nice, and the Regency Mall which is decent. We also have boutique shopping in San Marco, a true 1920's era "town center". Check zips 32246, 32225, 32224, 32256.

San Jose/Mandarin: Plenty of shopping here too, some independently owned, but mostly chains and mostly configured in a strip mall setting. These are nice, established areas though. Check zips 32217 & 32257.

This Wikipedia link is by no means complete or even 100% correct, but it will give you a feel for what some neighborhoods are like:

Neighborhoods of Jacksonville, Florida - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


I get you with the walking the dogs at night thing - that's when we walk our dogs as well. In all my years here (appx 10), I have never had a problem with people walking my dog at night and we walk faithfully just about every single night (anywhere from 9pm to 11pm or so).

I have had a problem with loose dogs from time to time though. In fact, we had an incident in the daytime last week when someone's dog charged out their open front door. It was a bad scene, their 100lb boxer charged at my leashed 40lb pit bull (who was leashed and in the middle of the street ). My pit went up one side of that dog and down the other and then held off their second dog who got in the mix. My husband had to break up all 3 of them while I held our other 2 dogs back and out of the fray....the owners of the other 2 dogs stood there doing nothing (too stunned I guess) . Thankfully, the only one hurt was my husband when his hand got in the way (accidental bite)....he's okay and already healing .

Idiots who don't secure their dogs are everywhere - stupidity and law-breaking knows no economic boundary - so you'll find these fools in every neighborhood at some time or another . The best you can do is carry something with you "just in case" (pepper spray or whatever deterrent/weapon of your choice) and be sure to have your cell phone with you as well.

Most of our evening walks are uneventful though and you'd be suprised, there are a lot of nighttime dog walkers out there, you'll come across other walkers .

[agreatlife]

Originally Posted by riveree

I have had a problem with loose dogs from time to time though. In fact, we had an incident in the daytime last week when someone's dog charged out their open front door. It was a bad scene, their 100lb boxer charged at my leashed 40lb pit bull (who was leashed and in the middle of the street ). My pit went up one side of that dog and down the other and then held off their second dog who got in the mix. My husband had to break up all 3 of them while I held our other 2 dogs back and out of the fray....the owners of the other 2 dogs stood there doing nothing (too stunned I guess) . Thankfully, the only one hurt was my husband when his hand got in the way (accidental bite)....he's okay and already healing ..

That's a terrible story. I'm glad you & your dogs did not get hurt! And glad your husband is healing!

Dont forget zip 32223 and 32257 for Mandarin area.

[technobarbie]

I just moved here and the advice was to move to the Southside. Riverside and San Macro were also recommended. I wanted to be close to the beach, so I choose ICW, which is on the west side of the beaches on the Southside.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by agreatlife

That's a terrible story. I'm glad you & your dogs did not get hurt! And glad your husband is healing!

Dont forget zip 32223 and 32257 for Mandarin area.

Thanks , yeah, it's ridiculous to even have to deal with, I just wanted a nice peaceful walk !

On the zips, I was taking into account the OP's request for "lots of shopping nearby", so I tried to think of the biggest shopping areas/most dense, I didn't think 32223 had that much shopping?

Originally Posted by reelfish823

Sorry about that. We would like to live in a suburban area with lots of shopping near by....

[HIF]

I have addressed this with Riveree in the past. Riveree is a 32223 snob- she always excludes us. Sissy-girl that she is, she thinks the San Jose traffic is too bad to recommend us.....

You know I love ya, Rivere"E"....... and you love Picasso's, so I don't know why you dis 32223~

32223 Shopping- Steinmart, TJ Max, Marshall's, World Market, Fresh Market, Native Sun, two Publix, Winn Dixie, Three Sisters Chocolate, boutiques....

C'mon you Mavens of Mandarin- what am I leaving out?!


Sorry to hear about the run-in with the uncontrolled dogs. Hope your husb. is healing.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by HIF

I have addressed this with Riveree in the past. Riveree is a 32223 snob- she always excludes us. Sissy-girl that she is, she thinks the San Jose traffic is too bad to recommend us.....

There are a ton of zip codes I don't recommend for a variety of reasons, that's what the forum is about, it's our personal opinions.

You asked me once, privately, why I don't usually recommend it, and I tried to tactfully give you a reason. I don't speak ill of the zip here on the forum, I just recommend other parts of Mandarin, that I, personally, prefer and offer as my personal recommendation. Call it snobby if you wish, but really, it's a discussion better left to DM.

[HIF]

Originally Posted by riveree

There are a ton of zip codes I don't recommend for a variety of reasons, that's what the forum is about, it's our personal opinions.

You asked me once, privately, why I don't usually recommend it, and I tried to tactfully give you a reason. I don't speak ill of the zip here on the forum, I just recommend other parts of Mandarin, that I, personally, prefer and offer as my personal recommendation. Call it snobby if you wish, but really, it's a discussion better left to DM.

Riveree-

I apologize. I wrote that to be entirely tongue-in-cheek. I guess all that I accomplished was foot-in-mouth. I'm sorry.

PS- From getting to know you both on here and in the times that I have met you in RL, "snob" would be the last thing I would call you