jax visit: from an orlando'ans perspective (Jacksonville: motels, law school, living in)

[backtofla]

just a couple things i noticed:


traffic seemed better up there... less running of red lights and honking. more nascar bumperstickers on vehicles. friendlier environment, but i dont know if it was THAT much friendlier, but this was based on a very short weekend trip. nobody came up to me and just assumed i spoke spanish which was nice. ponte vedra was really nice and overall, i think it is a step up from orlando. just my opinion.

[Rhett_Butler]

I always got the same impression.... Liked the J'Ville area more than Orlando, but from the same perspective (living in Orlando and visiting Jax area).

[backtofla]

i have friends up there, and they confirmed my thoughts. they are also ex-orlando'ans. i was trying not to tick anyone off by my comments, so i kept them mild. but overall, friendlier, more sense of community, better drivers, etc... based on my short visit though.

[Stupid Flanders]

Originally Posted by backtofla

i have friends up there, and they confirmed my thoughts. they are also ex-orlando'ans. i was trying not to tick anyone off by my comments, so i kept them mild. but overall, friendlier, more sense of community, better drivers, etc... based on my short visit though.

It's more of the "South" up there. Not always a bad thing!

[Prichard]

I have to admit, I like the southern feel of Jacksonville - it's the only place in the state I'd consider moving to. But, if you stay there long enough, you will see that it has some substantial trashy areas. Still, overall, I do like Jacksonville.

[backtofla]

what areas are trashy? do you mean the ghetto areas, or places that are safe are still trashy, even if they are in a good area? i wasnt super-crazy about jax bch., but it seemed decent. i like going to the beach, but i dont know about living in jax bch b/c of all the motels and gas stations... similar to cocoa bch and daytona. maybe more inland is better cosmetically.

[Prichard]

Ya, Jax has some pretty big ghetto areas north of the city. Also, I remember Jax beach being sort of trashy, but that's a long time ago. I haven't been to Jax beach in years to be fair, and I do know that the beaches north and south of there are pretty nice. But, like I said, overall, I like Jacksonville.

[silvio]

I almost went to law school at Florida Coastal in Jax, so I was up there a few times and kinda liked it. Everything seemed newer, nicer, cleaner...at least in Southside and Baymeadows. However, if you go to west or north Jax, that's not the case. Traffic was much better than in Orlando. However, if you're a liberal Democrat like me, you'll feel like a fish outta water as downtown Jax is run by the Southern Baptists and the suburbs are pro-Bush, pro-Republican, and pro-conservative. Folks seemed nice overall but depending on your political ideology, it may be a perfect fit or an awkward one.

I always found Jacksonville to be Orlando...minus the theme parks, and Atlanta...minus the culture. Take it as you read it.

[backtofla]

imo, jax>orlando