Moving to JAX...advice on neighborhoods? (Jacksonville, Atlantic Beach: fit in, apartments, for rent)

[snomint3]

Originally Posted by Karla with a K

I am a former PA'er growing up in Phila I also spent a few years in the Poconos area.
With 3 kids you may not have much time for gardening, but if it is something you enjoy wait till you see our "growing season" !!!!

I am a huge gardener & cannot wait to try out my green thumb in FL. I was amazed when I checked into the CSA at that organic farm in Switzerland (can't remember the name), that the season was like from November-June. Here it is only June-October!

[snomint3]

Originally Posted by DanceWithMe407

I've read a lot of these forums and heard lots of good things about PVB.

We currently live in Celebration (the planned community about 10 min from Disney). Any chance that there is something like that in JAX?

I'm not (yet!) from Jacksonville, but I have been to Celebration before. If I'm not mistaken, it seems like Nocatee will be similar. I'm pretty sure it's still in a heavy stage of development, but I could be wrong. There seems to be lots of community type neighborhoods w/unique ammenities/etc in the Jax area.

[Karla with a K]

Originally Posted by snomint3

I am a huge gardener & cannot wait to try out my green thumb in FL. I was amazed when I checked into the CSA at that organic farm in Switzerland (can't remember the name), that the season was like from November-June. Here it is only June-October!

I have green pretty much all year long we may get 2 or 3 freezes which will turn the grass brown.

oh did I mention there are quite a few us us "plant junkies" here on the forum

riv and mawipafl looks like we may have to show her the nurseries !!!!!

lol how do you feel about pizza !!! another of a few of the forum regulars favorites

[mawipafl]

Originally Posted by Karla with a K

I have green pretty much all year long we may get 2 or 3 freezes which will turn the grass brown.

oh did I mention there are quite a few us us "plant junkies" here on the forum

riv and mawipafl looks like we may have to show her the nurseries !!!!!

lol how do you feel about pizza !!! another of a few of the forum regulars favorites

Another former PA'er here -- and compared to living up north, I think of NEFL as a 12-month "growing season". I'm still not used to green plants and grass throughout the entire year (yes, some are hit by the occasional freeze and either die (rarely with maintenance), turn brown, or just go dormant), but it was just plain neat to have a poinsettia on my outdoor patio at Christmas time.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by Karla with a K

lol snomint
there is also another one about 15 mins west on San Jose

I sent you the info in a Dm

p.s. where are you moving from

.......and the one on Beach Blvd & Hodges - that's the SuperTarget. The one at the Saint Johns Town Center is just a regular Target, but a nice one .

We only have 1 SuperTarget on the Southside of the city, but it would be close to you if you end up in Atlantic Beach or PVB, Snomint:

Jacksonville East SuperTarget
13740 Beach Blvd
Jacksonville, FL 32224

[ljfam]

I am so excited. I looove gardening and pizza!!! I am also originally from Pa then to Ohio to DC back to Ohio and now to nefl. Looking forward to an extended growing season. Someone mentioned a csa in Switzerland? I would love more info on that. I have been reading posts for a while and feel like I am getting to know the area although we won't be there until December. I have 3 boys ages 13,9 and 6. We were given a few apartment options by our relo company in the Deerwood area until we find a house. We would like to eventually be in N St. Johns county eventually. I am conflicted about the duval schools. I loved the Mandarin are but my DH has been told by people who are already there that we would have to do private schools from middle school on. Yet, they are a and b rated schools??? We have always been fortunate to have good public schools. Any info or first hand experience would be greatly apprciated. Also, the Deerwood area is a good area temporarily? So many ??? Thanks.

[snomint3]

Originally Posted by ljfam

I am so excited. I looove gardening and pizza!!! I am also originally from Pa then to Ohio to DC back to Ohio and now to nefl. Looking forward to an extended growing season. Someone mentioned a csa in Switzerland? I would love more info on that. I have been reading posts for a while and feel like I am getting to know the area although we won't be there until December. I have 3 boys ages 13,9 and 6. We were given a few apartment options by our relo company in the Deerwood area until we find a house. We would like to eventually be in N St. Johns county eventually. I am conflicted about the duval schools. I loved the Mandarin are but my DH has been told by people who are already there that we would have to do private schools from middle school on. Yet, they are a and b rated schools??? We have always been fortunate to have good public schools. Any info or first hand experience would be greatly apprciated. Also, the Deerwood area is a good area temporarily? So many ??? Thanks.

Sounds like we are on the same time frame to move! I am also originally from NE Ohio, but have lived in PA for 10 years now. The closest CSA in the Jax area I found is in Switzerland, so if you ended up in St. Johns it wouldn't be too far. Their website says their membership is full, but they sell to the public on Saturdays.
Here is the website http://www.localharvest.org/csa/M22309

We are extremely involved in our local organic farming community here & we really depend on our fresh goods from our CSA! Since we may be a bit aways from Switzerland, I'm going to be hunting for some good farmers market & hope to plant some of my own produce as well!

snomint

[snomint3]

Originally Posted by riveree

.......and the one on Beach Blvd & Hodges - that's the SuperTarget. The one at the Saint Johns Town Center is just a regular Target, but a nice one .

We only have 1 SuperTarget on the Southside of the city, but it would be close to you if you end up in Atlantic Beach or PVB, Snomint:

Jacksonville East SuperTarget
13740 Beach Blvd
Jacksonville, FL 32224

Riveree-

Great! Thanks! As it is now (I feel like it changes daily!) we are leaning towards Atlantic Beach. I did look up Selva Tierra & it is just a few streets east of Selva Marina you mentioned. Can you tell me the things you like about that area?

snomint

[riveree]

Originally Posted by snomint3

Riveree-

Great! Thanks! As it is now (I feel like it changes daily!) we are leaning towards Atlantic Beach. I did look up Selva Tierra & it is just a few streets east of Selva Marina you mentioned. Can you tell me the things you like about that area?

snomint

Just nice, quiet, nice homes. A friend of mine has an unusual house there and he has a small creek running through the backyard and some great neighborhood greenspace nearby...it's just very peaceful .

[riveree]

Originally Posted by ljfam

I am so excited. I looove gardening and pizza!!! I am also originally from Pa then to Ohio to DC back to Ohio and now to nefl. Looking forward to an extended growing season. Someone mentioned a csa in Switzerland? I would love more info on that. I have been reading posts for a while and feel like I am getting to know the area although we won't be there until December. I have 3 boys ages 13,9 and 6. We were given a few apartment options by our relo company in the Deerwood area until we find a house. We would like to eventually be in N St. Johns county eventually. I am conflicted about the duval schools. I loved the Mandarin are but my DH has been told by people who are already there that we would have to do private schools from middle school on. Yet, they are a and b rated schools??? We have always been fortunate to have good public schools. Any info or first hand experience would be greatly apprciated. Also, the Deerwood area is a good area temporarily? So many ??? Thanks.

I don't know why someone would say that about Mandarin?? Mandarin is one of the places in Jax where you can have great public schools K-12. I would have no qualms about the public schools in the Mandarin neighborhoods (check them out for yourself first, of course).

Deerwood would be a very good choice as your first temporary stop, it's a nice area. It won't put you in the Mandarin schools though, if that's what you were looking for.