From Portland, Hello Jacksonville! (Springfield: hardwood floor, short sales, real estate market)

[raf215]

Samantha, I used to live in Portland so can tell you that St. John's TC will remind you a little of Bridgeport Village but like everything else here in FL, much more spread out . . . and one does get used to the heat . . . eventually. Have a safe move.

[fsu813]

Originally Posted by kazinfl

Great pics! I never have a reason to go to Springfield, but Three Layers looks like a good excuse to wander that way.

Uptown Market (http://uptownmarket.tumblr.com/) & Fusion (FUSION*art*wine*jazz* - FUSION) are other relatively new venues that also draw people in from other parts of the city.

Uptown is a contemporary diner/deli, very popular for lunch, there is often a wait, and Fusion is an upscale wine, jazz, and art bar. Live jazz music on Fridays, a jazz dj other days of the week.

Here are some articles about them:

Springfield's Fusion has the winning combination(s) | jacksonville.com

Fusion - Art Wine & Jazz - Jacksonville | The Jacksonville Wine Guide

Going Uptown - The Daily Record - Jacksonville, Florida

Urban Jacksonville » Blog Archive » Uptown Market in Springfield Now Open

Uptown Market & Deli provides tasty lunch for downtown workers

[fsu813]

welcome to jacksonville samantha!! i used to live in seattle a lo o o o ng time ago but here i am now. we just moved here and yes its different from the NW for sure

[jsimms3]

While the Southside is a great area, very new, very clean, VERY spread out, nightlife, shopping, etc. you are coming from Portland. You write and you enjoy local coffee shops. Because of this, I think you will not enjoy the Gate Parkway area as much as you would enjoy Riverside, San Marco, Avondale, or Springfield. These areas are the most walkable areas in town, with older houses, infrastructure, public transportation (not like Portland's light rail though), independent retailers and dining establishments, diverse populations, diverse housing and renting prices, etc. You will not have to battle as many traffic lights while walking, biking, or jogging as you will in Gate Parkway. The creative class is alive and thriving in Riverside and Springfield.

You did pick the right FL city for art/culture though. No matter where you are in Jax, you will encounter strangely unbearable heat for 8 months, palm trees, and water. It's just that you can add your coffee shops (we arent walking Borders Books chain here) and nice parks if you were to live closer into the city. The other advantage is not needing to jump on a highway or major through road to get to where you need to go for the most part in the inner neighborhoods. Gate Parkway will have you on a heavily congested through road or highway just about no matter where you go, and that would drive me crazy if I was not used to that. The inner neighborhoods just have more character, more grit (but at least 2 of these neighborhoods are also the nicest neighborhoods in the city...most expensive houses, but also some cheaper ones, too).

Check out Metro Jacksonville | Covering Downtown Jacksonville FL, Northeast Florida, Jacksonville Transit, History, Neighborhoods, Photos for a much more complete picture with pictures, articles, a forum, etc.

[IndigoLight]

jsimms3,
while I agree with you (for the most part ), the OP also stated that she worked from home, but her husband has a job off Gate Parkway. Would you recommened he commutes from Riverside or Avondale?
So I guess they will have to decide what's more important: her walks or husband's commute.
BTW, I drive Gate Parkway every day on my way to and from work and I always see many walkers and joggers. So it can be done

[peanutman4501]

Originally Posted by samantha123abc

Hi everybody.

I'm moving to the Sunshine State over the summer with my husband and baby. I've heard horror stories about Florida, but nothing mentionable about Jacksonville though. My fingers are crossed.

I haven't lived outside of great Northwest since I was just a child, so i'm very nervous about the move. I'm new to this forum too so take it easy on me. I know each has it's own code of conduct written and unwritten.

Things i'd like to know about Jacksonville, let's see

1. How far is the beach from downtown?
2. We'll be renting for a while first. Are there any family friendly spaces to rent in interesting parts of the city?
3. Recommendations for walking or cycling trails?
4. I'm 28 and my husband is 31. What are good parts for young couples?

Well Jacksonville is the reciprocal of Portland. I am actually moving back to Oregon in the next year but I did grow up in Jacksonville for the most part.

The beach is about 30 minutes from downtown. But there is nothing to do downtown so you should not live there, it is an extremely dissapointing downtown with the only real attractions being baseball, football and hockey games. There are areas near downtown like Avondale adn Riverside that are quirky and fun, but in my honest opinion I'd rather live out at the beach.

If you are renting you might want to check out San Marco which is near downtown and pretty family friendly.

I'm not a cycler, but I do run in Guana Park alot which has some nice trails.

Places for young couples in Jacksonville....depends...nothing like Portland but the Jax Beach bars are always fun, San Marco is very "couply" feeling as well. I hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions

[fsu813]

Here we are in the land of humidity! Although I may not share them, thank you for all of your opinions.

[fsu813]

Holy Moley.

This has been quite a chnage of pace. But i'm beginning to like it.

We picked up two new bicycles at Bikes Direct near gate parkway in the St. John Towncenter: both Huffy, the only brand to get, and both reasonabley priced, I thought. A 'hybrid' and an 'easy rider'. I don't do curbs well, so the easy rider suits my needs just fine, thank you. Then I drug my not-so-better-half hafl away across Mars to get to the Anthroplogie store that I love so much, though. That's a long walk, but worth every sweaty step. I like the look, and smell, no, not the smell, of freshly paved asphalt for some reason. Very smooth. We're considering a townhouse in this neck of the woods. Maybe a traditional house close by.

Had the pleasure of visiting 3 Layers yesterday evening, at dusk. What a beautiful pink and yellow sunset, the hue reflecting off the windows of surronding homes. It's a beautiful cafe as well. Jordan, a petite high schooler working the counter, said that she refers to it as the "secret treasure" of Jacksonville.

I haven't visited even half of the city yet, but I tend to agree thus far. Kudos to Jeff and Shawn, the owners, for being to engaing with me.

Swept by Fusion Jazz bar on a recommendation and whim afterwards. 4 stars. Primo.

I have heard mixed stories about this neighborhood, but found it to be quiet and charming, for the most part. There's no shortage of boarded up dumpy houses, but there's also no shortage of pristinely restored, story-book houses. We're considering the area.

I also had a good experience at 13 Gypsies in Riverside. What a little treasure it is, unto itself! Does Jacksonville have such small wonders everywhere? It seems like it does. The freshly baked bread beat down my will power and I was forced, forced I tell you, to enjoy a fresh half loaf. I can still smell it. We're considering this area too.

Turns out the beaches aren't my thing. I don't see the point of paying XXX more to be close to the ocean, which i'll only swim in occasionly. And once i've seen 50 sandy sunsets, and have walked 50 times up and down the long stretch of forever beach, and have looked at 50 below par houses retailing at $250,000. . . I developed an ill taste for the area. Plus I don't enjoy cleaning sand out of my ears.

Still thinking about Baymeadows Rd, San Marco Boulevard, Kernan Boulevard, and other areas too, but time is running out. Like sands through the hourglass.


Near the end of Augusto, we are gonzo!

[projectmaximus]

Welcome! Hope you continue to enjoy exploring.

[Robyn55]

Samantha - One thing to consider about the beaches. It's a bit warmer here in the winter - and a bit cooler here in the summer. Also - I think our recreation facilities tend to be better than those in some parts of town. Note that I never go to the beach (I've lived on/near the ocean for 30+ years - and really dislike swimming in the ocean). Robyn