relocating biracial family (Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando: transplants, real estate, 2010)

[nobleman4]

We are looking to relocate to jacksonville. I am AA and my spouse is not. We have 4 small children. I am uneasy..not sure that the city fortifies a progressive ethnic environment. We currently live in the Midwest and want to plant our children in an environment that they can grow comfortably.

We are in Real Estate and have been adviced to consider this town.

I am nervous about the south.

is the city open to outsiders?
are biracial families still hung by the locals?

It sounds crazy but the history appears to be anti -inclusion on both sides.

Please share your thoughts

[jsimms3]

well Jacksonville is not as southern as most of the south and is itself quite ethnically diverse. We are not Montgomery, AL but we are also not New York City. I think you wil be fine here, I have some half and half friends, so there are others out there. Will you see a confederate flag front tag or car sticker, yes, if ytou drive over to the far westside. I dont think that they (rednecks) will cause much harm and do not make up near the majority of society here. Remember, half our populaiton comes from northern transplants.

[riveree]

Hi nobleman4,

Just like any city, the closer you get to the city center, the higher the tolerance level and Jax is no exception. As jsimms3 pointed out, the far westside has their own ideas about what is appropriate (flying confederate flags and such...still amazes me).

As long as you're not heading out to the boonies of Jax or beyond, I think you'll feel quite comfortable. if you live near the river (either side), near the beach or anywhere in between you'll find plenty of biracial couples/families, muslim families, middle eastern families, asian families, etc., etc., etc., (my own neighborhood reflects all these ethnicities any beyond).

Move here! You'll love it! Did I happen to mention we have an Ocean?!

[GotPuggle]

Pretty much you'll be OK if you are in any kind of developed area. I find that the area I live in has a lot of Bi-racial couples. It doesn't bother me and i doesnt seem to bother any of my neighbors. I would definatly stay out of South Middleburg and St Augustine though. Other than that you should be good.

[jsimms3]

Gotpuggle, i can see your point about middleburg, most people overlook that place anyway, I would. About St. Augustine tho, the place has changed a lot for the better, and was never really bad to begin with. There are plenty of new developments in and around St. Augustine that people of all backgrounds are moving to, and St. Augustine is a well known place with an energy all of its own, so people from all over know about it and move there. It is not a town where the same people since the 1860s have been living. On another note, the intown neighborhoods of Jax are more diverse than most suburban or bedroom communities, so that would be the first place I would look.

[misdee]

I am Puerto Rican, My husband is a Miami raised Jewish man and our kids are African American!!!
When I told my hubby that someone mentioned a town in the Panhandle he hit the roof! It was called Whalton (?)
Perhaps he cannot get over the old florida rep... As we look into the possibility of moving back some day. We met in Miami aver 10 years ago. The glitz of Miami just does not appeal to us although the diversity sure does.
So I fully understand your concerns. Our families must absolutely consider these details.
None of the above replies make me feel anymore comfortable or secure-but I appreciate the honesty and the kind effort!
There is a section on this site about towns outside of Orlando that sound pretty cool. Widermere, Iverness etc.
Good Luck with your research

[jsimms3]

Obviously they should be concerns, but Miami is one of the most diverse cities in the country (or at least from a non-hispanic's observation), so there of course are probably not going to be many problems there fitting in. However, Jacksonville is in a different league from the Panhandle. I went to the Panhandle for the first time (PCB) last September, and witnessed for the first and only time the KKK walking down the road. That signaled, along with the place overall, that the Panhandle or at least PCB because I have heard Destin is nicer, that they have a long way to go over there. In Jax, we are more diverse than the average city with about 30% black, probably 10% or more by 2010 census Hispanic, and about 5-10%Asian.