Relocating to Jacksonville (Orange Park: renting, home, buying)

[Elnonna]

We are moving from South Florida, my husband's office will be in Orange Park but on visiting the area, admittedly very briefly, I preferred Mandarin, Ortega and Avondale (all I really got to see other than Orange Park) we are thinking of renting first to get a sense of the commute for him before committing to buying. Would any of these areas be a horrible drive for him? (he currently has a 20 - 30 min drive to the office). I usually work from home but also want to be able to join a gym, take classes, volunteer work etc. Our children are grown. Any other locations, any other ideas all greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your input.

[riveree]

No, none of them would be a horrible commute.

You'd be going against the flow of traffic with any of your choices. There's a big flow of traffic out of Orange Park and into Jacksonville for work each day, and your husband would be doing the opposite - driving in to OP.

All three are nice areas. Avondale and Ortega are beautiful and are on the same side if the river from your husband's job (so he's not dealing with I295 at all). Mandarin is a lot "newer" (more circa 1980's) and has the advantage of being in/near the Southside which tends to be a popular choice for shopping, entertainment, etc.

[cellson]

If you choose Avondale or Ortega you'll be close to the Yates YMCA on Riverside Avenue for exercise, FCCJ if you'd like to take some classes and many, many opportunities for volunteering!! Good luck!

[Elnonna]

Wow, thanks for the quick responses. I've spent the last hour reading through the site and think it's fabulous - what great information for anyone moving to, or even already living in Jacksonville. I believe we'll settle in really quickly.