Moving to Jacksonville- Pros & Cons- Please share with me (St. Augustine: apartments, rentals)

[psouth]

Originally Posted by Jahservant

I would have stayed in Colorado Springs If I wanted to shop at those stores. I never went to those places, too expensive. Shopped at Dillards sometimes but mostly JCpenny. To be honest with you me and my ex both bought a lot of our clothes at Goodwill. But these were really nice Goodwill stores, set up like mini department stores. A lot wealthy people in town.

psouth you obviously don't like Jacksonville but I think you would like Colorado Springs, CO. Plenty of culture (nothing like the South) and shopping, not sure about night life. There's a lot young people there because of the many colleges. Only 45 minutes from Denver. It's been named best city in america to live in more than once in Money magazine or maybe it was forbes not sure. I loved it and would still be there but after my divorce I was kind of bummed out so moved back to alabama to be close to family and I missed the Florida beaches.
Don't want to live in Atlanta. My dad lived in Norcross for years and I thought it was just to big, too many people and too much traffic but I have friends there who love it. That's why i thought Jacksonville would be just the right size and it has beaches. Don't want to move too far from my hometown. Mobile, AL is an option also though its much smaller.

Alas some one who understands where psouth is coming from. I have been to Denver but not Colorado Springs. I hear it is very young and vibrant and nice there. I found Denver to be very nice and progressive. You're right about Hotlanta. It is big and busy but full of young and educated and the connected. There is almost too much to do there. It is a true city especially for being in the South.

To be honest I would never consider Jacksonville to be a big city. It is more like a big sprawl and very generic at that. They incorporated the entire Duval County into the City of Jacksonville which makes it seem like some huge metropolis. It is actually a very small downtown city surrounded by something like 800 square miles of suburbs and land. There is absolutely no big city life and very little culture. Jacksonville just has no real feel to it like other cities do. YOu know when you are in other cities but Jacksonville could be anytown, USA. Just no flavor or sizzle. There is still a lot of racism and flying of the Confederate Flag. The population figures and statistics really apply to Duval County and have nothing to do with the actual city itself. Psouth took what he saw at face value when visiting thinking it was a real big city but the letdown was of monumental proportions. The job market was also the same story. The salaries are unbelievably low and most companies do not take much stock in their employees since they figure they could always hire transients coming into Florida on the even cheaper. I know people at many of the major employers such as Merrill Lynch, Blue Cross, BOA, Wachovia, PHH Mortgage, Countrywide, Zurich, Allstate, and others so I am not exactly in the dark here. I met even more people fresh out of college at Bourbon Street Station and I can't even say how they feel. I forgot to add that my company pays 25% less just for being in Jacksonville. The same job with my company pays much higher in AL, TN, VA, MS where the cost of living is much lower and in all other locations. Many others do the same.

If you understand these things about Jacksonville then by all means check it out. I think it would be a grave injustice not to check out some other cities in Florida that are also close to AL like maybe Tampa or the panhandle. Jacksonville is just way overrated to me and has very little to offer. It is a very conservative stifled Bible Belt kinda place. Oh by the way some friends of mine are gay and lesbian and that is definitely frowned upon in Jacksonville. No one is supposed to be gay. It is very hard for them.

[KerryB]

^I dont understand why you're still here? I mean, you're certainly welcome to your opinion & lord knows I share a lot of the same feelings you do, but if you're so unhappy why not just find another town that suits your needs a little better instead of combing the boards waiting to unleash the negativity?? (thats considered trolling BTW)

Jax works for a lot of people, but a lot it doesnt. No need in trying to turn it into something its not. Life's too short for that. Just find the place that works for you.

[runswithscissors]

Originally Posted by psouth

The rest of Florida has had Whole Foods for years. Jacksonville just got one now and it is the talk of the town. Big deal. Get a Publix Greenwise Market, Macy's, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Sax, Lord & Taylor, Neiman Marcus then maybe talk then. Maybe some day the Hard Rock will actually make it to town. Wait there is a Hooters at Jacksonville Landing. Sorry I forgot.

Why are you jumping back and forth on threads about Jacksonville arguing about stupid stores?

The Hard Rock? LOL ok...that's nothing more than a burger joint. A franchise at that. I'll take the symphony hall, thanks. THE ONLY ONE IN FLORIDA.

Publix only has three Greenwise markets in the whole state and they do not compare to WF BTW.

I don't see a single L&T anywhere in Florida.
I see about 6 Neiman's in the whole state.
I'm from Philly and we don't even have them THERE. Nor do we have Nordstrom and we have one Bloomies and 1 Sax in a city of millions of people and they are not even in the city radius they are in the suburbs with a few of the larger dept stores.

I already answered your allegations that there's only low end shopping in Jacksonville on the other thread with this answer.

THe question was WHY do you insist there is no decent and just low end shopping in Jacksonville?

QUOTE:

What non "low end shopping" are you talking about that magically exists in these other towns ? LOL....

the Palm Beach Gardens mall and Wellington Green are normal everyday malls and any "shopping" a person needs can be done online anyway since Florida's stores of name are SMALLER OVERALL and not as stocked as up north.

Nordstrom is only 4 stores in the whole state, Bloomingdales only has about 2 stores in the whole state.

Or are you suggesting that normal everyday people posting on city data want to shop on Worth Ave? We can, it'll just take a bit of a road trip.

Jax has America's staples of tons of Targets and Walmarts AND your other normal everyday shopping like Starbucks, Cheesecake Factory Dave and Busters and other chains as well as upscale stores.

There's even an Anthropologie in Jax which even though I'm so over that store, there are only about 8 in the entire state.

Jax also has SEVERAL Barnes and Nobles whereas here in the beautiful Vero Beach we have none for over an hour. Nor do we have one single other store that I've listed here and there is ALOT OF WEALTH in Vero Beach.

How 'bout ....Louis Vuitton, Kate Spade, J Crew, Tommy Bahama, Brooks Brother, Lilly, True Religion $$$, Johnson & Murphy, Ruth's Chris, Betsey Johnson, Banana Republic, Pottery Barn....

I won't keep going and I didn't even get to the unique boutique stores ......Are THESE your Jax LOW END shopping stores?

Shopping has almost nothing to do with it for me except food but it's disingenuous to say there is only low end shopping in Jax AND obviously untrue.

Maybe you have Florida confused with New York City?

[runswithscissors]

Originally Posted by psouth

Alas some one who understands where psouth is coming from. I have been to Denver but not Colorado Springs. I hear it is very young and vibrant and nice there. I found Denver to be very nice and progressive.

Watch that low end shopping state of Colorado.

In the whole state there's only:

ONE Neimans,
ONE SAX
NO Lord and Taylor
NO Bloomingdales
3 Nordstroms

<gasp> only 2 Hard Rock franchises

I guess Florida in general is SO ADVANCED judging by the shopping criteria outlined, and JAX in particular is not so UNUSUAL at all.

And the Cherry Creek Mall there with those stores is miles outside of downtown Denver, BTW.

[psouth]

Originally Posted by runswithscissors

Watch that low end shopping state of Colorado.

In the whole state there's only:

ONE Neimans,
ONE SAX
NO Lord and Taylor
NO Bloomingdales
3 Nordstroms

<gasp> only 2 Hard Rock franchises

I guess Florida in general is SO ADVANCED judging by the shopping criteria outlined, and JAX in particular is not so UNUSUAL at all.

And the Cherry Creek Mall there with those stores is miles outside of downtown Denver, BTW.

Yes but these other cities have much more to offer to begin with. Much more culture and diversity and activities. They also have specialty stores not found in Jacksonville. Ever been to Aspen? Shopping is a big thing in Florida compared to most places. You can tell a lot by a Florida city and the population just by the stores. People expect great shopping in Florida. I just found it to be substandard in Jacksonville compared to other Florida cities. Big box stores get old fast. At least start with a Macy's. Even Gainesville and Ocala and Daytona have them. Why?

Kudos on the Whole Foods though. It's about time.

As I said before coming from Vero Beach Jacksonville is like a warm weather New York City. But that is coming from a small town like Vero Beach.

[cricketfan]

Originally Posted by KerryB

^I dont understand why you're still here? I mean, you're certainly welcome to your opinion & lord knows I share a lot of the same feelings you do, but if you're so unhappy why not just find another town that suits your needs a little better instead of combing the boards waiting to unleash the negativity?? (thats considered trolling BTW)

I agree. These boards are about people giving opinions and when someone's opinions are always 100% negative about everything you just gotta know they have zero credibility. That's one reason we got this reaction from someone earlier.

PS: We would prefer NOT to hear from psouth who seems to have an anti-Florida agenda of his own but all other recommendations would be welcome

He must be a very unhappy dude to be hating not just Jacksonville but all of Fl, as you can see from his other posts on other forums. There are legitimate things to dislike about any city and there are legitimate things to like and people need to know both. That goes for any town including south Florida where he lives.

I don't mind reading his posts though, it's like reading the funnies.

[riveree]

Anyone moving to Florida needs to consider the history of the state too.

Year-round living as we know it, didn't really get going until the 1950's for much of the state. Florida was a playground for the rich and famous for many decades (check out Flagler history), a jumping off point to Havana, and later became a Snowbird escape for the middle class. The cliche of the little pink stucco house with the carport and the pink flamingo stuck into the lawn is a cliche for a reason - this was the style of home when the first big wave of residential development hit Florida.

So much of this state was developed during eras of suburban sprawl. People moving to Florida didn't want the dense urban cities of the North and the Midwest - they wanted the suburbs. They wanted strip malls. They wanted to burn cheap gas taking Sunday drives with the family.

So enough about the sprawl, we get it . So sorry the state wasn't developed earlier .

As for chain restaurants and big box stores, they are hardly exclusive to Jax. There is a blanding of America as these corporations gobble up culture city by city. Support them as little as possible and try to shop and buy local instead. Let your dollars do the talking, there's not much else we can do.

Maybe it's me, but I just don't have that much free time to fill with entertainment or shopping. When I want to go shopping or take in some entertainment, there's always somewhere to go. Maybe if I was going out 7 nights a week I'd become bored with my options, but who goes out 6 or 7 nights a week? That's something you might do in your 20's for a few years, but it's usually short-lived. A city needs to be more than just bars and nightclubs, it needs a balance. I think Jax has a good balance. The city may not have everything I want and feel I "need", but what city is perfect??

[psouth]

My posts are not all negative. I am merely pointing out all aspects to be fair. I am not one of the Chamber Of Commerce everything is always great in Florida types of people. People need a fair and honest assessment which includes the cons as well as the pros. I just feel that Jacksonville has many more cons or else it wouldn't be in such bad shape financial wise and crime wise. The problem with many of the posters is they have nothing else to compare it to. If you have been to other progressive places with strong economies and job markets you would know the difference. Otherwise be happy with a dead end retail or call center job in Jacksonville. This is not the bold city it thinks it is.

If you check the Florida posts in general you will find most are negative and hateful with constant bantering. There are a lot of unhappy people and unmet expectations in Florida. It is a very polarizing state. Not my fault.

I like to think of myself as a "they" by the way. It's the beauty of internet forums.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by psouth

I just feel that Jacksonville has many more cons or else it wouldn't be in such bad shape financial wise and crime wise. The problem with many of the posters is they have nothing else to compare it to. If you have been to other progressive places with strong economies and job markets you would know the difference...

Feeling that Jacksonville has more cons than pros for you personally is your perspective so no one can argue the accuracy of it. You're either happy here or you're not. If you like to spend your time skiiing in the mountains, well Jacksonville will be ill-fitting for you, you can certainly make better choices on where to live.

The assumption that the other posters "have nothing else to compare it to" is myopic, to say the least. I have lived out West and up North prior to living in Florida. The city I lived in last was NYC/Manhattan. Metropolitan enough for you?

Safe to say, I "know the difference" between cities of different sizes, cultures, and so on. I also make an effort to educate myself on what's going on outside of my own backyard. The grass is not always greener and it's important to view economy on a national and international scale to really have a grasp on what's going on. There are parts of our nation in far worse shape than Jacksonville from an economic standpoint. No city is immune to what is going on right now - this is a Depression.

As for crime, Jacksonville's situation is not good. Compared to some of our surrounding counties, we look worse in comparison. Oh but wait, we also have 4 times the population. And then there's the matter of crime reporting. If you don't report the crimes, they "didn't happen"...keeps your stats looking real good and I can assure you non-reporting regularly happens in at least one of our surrounding counties . But we would not be fooling anyone if we said "Move to Jacksonville! It's crime-free!" and I'm pretty sure that hasn't happened on the forum. And this is purely annecdotal, but I've lived in Jax for about the same number of years I lived in NYC and I was the victim of 2 crimes in NYC and have not been a victim of crime in Jax (and I live in one of the more urban parts of Jax). Crime is part of society and you're lucky if it doesn't collide with your life, but it truly can happen anywhere.

There's nothing wrong with stating that you don't like Jax and you're leaving it for someplace that you feel is better, but I'm sure there's a way to fit something constructive into your posts. If every minute of your day in Jacksonville is misery, I'm afraid that's more personal in nature and has little to do with the actual environs.

[psouth]

Well said riveree, well said. Bravo! By the way many people born and raised in Florida or who came when they were very young and never left would not know the differences somewhere else. I'll bet there are plenty on this forum although they would probably not admit it. I know many people in Jacksonville who moved from very small towns in upstate New York or MA, VT, etc. They wouldn't know the difference. Also the folks who moved from small town Georgia close-by for at least some kind of a job maybe. There are plenty of them and they wouldn't realize.

New York is not for every one either. It can be a tough town. But believe it or not I think it is actually much safer than Jacksonville these days especially if you factor in the size difference. At least it is a place with great and endless opportunity. As Frank said many times, "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere." "It's up to you....." New York is not for the faint of heart but your dreams can certainly come true in a city such as that. Just look at all the Wall St. people that cashed in on the housing bubble. Nearly instant billionaires at the age of 30.

I tend to feel Jacksonville is a sacrifice. Most people sacrifice money and their careers for a simpler city and for warmer weather. This can be said throughout Florida. It takes a lot of skill and courage to relocate to a major metropolis like NYC or Chicago or LA for the big bucks. A lot of people just aren't up for that kind of change and stress. It is much easier to stay in a place like Jacksonville in a lower end and less stressful job and sacrifice so to speak. Whatever works for you. The important thing to know is that there is much more out there if you choose to partake. This is my point.