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Which city do you prefer to live based on the following criteria?
- Cost of living
- Quality of life
- Crime/safety
- Traffic/transportation
- Nightlife
- Activities
- Weather
- Culture
- Economy
JAX is nice and all, but after 4 years I'm ready to move back to Atlanta. I just prefer the busy city atmosphere. I'm not really a big fan of the beach, and I prefer to be able to go hiking in the mountains and back in one day as the drive is only an hour and some change each way. The traffic on I-295 in JAX seems to be just as bad as 285 in Atlanta, and there's less lanes on the freeway, plus public transit is not an option (nothing like the MARTA rail). The cost of living is lower in JAX, but the jobs pay better in ATL and there's more oppurtunities. The crime rate is about the same, but lately it seems like JAX is getting worse while ATL is getting safer. I like how Atlanta has seasons as opposed to Jacksonville's 11 months of summer and only 3 days of winter.
Crime is just shifted to the inner suburbs in Atlanta, no way Jacksonville is as rough as metro Atlanta. It’s just that most of the people who cause crime actually stay in the huge city limits of Jacksonville. But this is misleading, because college park and east Point are some of the most dangerous areas in the nation, and have an Atlanta brand being directly south of it, but their crime is counted separately.
Besides that, Jacksonville is good for older people or people who love slower-paced coastal living.
COL: Jacksonville
QOL: jacksonville
Crime/Safety: Atlanta
Traffic: jacksonville
Nightlife: Atlanta
Activities: Jacksonville
Weather: Jacksonville
Culture: Atlanta
Economy: Atlanta
I scored this 5-4 in favor of Jacksonville even though I like Atlanta a lot. The coastal beach weather and proximity to the beach tips the scale. If you aren't a beach/water person then Atlanta would win.
COL: Jacksonville
QOL: jacksonville
Crime/Safety: Atlanta
Traffic: jacksonville
Nightlife: Atlanta
Activities: Jacksonville
Weather: Jacksonville
Culture: Atlanta
Economy: Atlanta
I scored this 5-4 in favor of Jacksonville even though I like Atlanta a lot. The coastal beach weather and proximity to the beach tips the scale. If you aren't a beach/water person then Atlanta would win.
Does Jacksonville win the activities category to you simply because of the beach?
As much as I love Jax and as much as it is improving in many ways, there's absolutely no way it can compete if you like city living. Most metrics would have to favor ATL...by A LOT. Jax is simply much much smaller, end of story.
Among the relatively few advantages that Jax holds, I would add all of the waterways not just the beach. The St Johns River, particularly in the urban core, offers spectacular views that ATL lacks. There is significant fishing, boating and other water activities all throughout the city not just at the beach.
Of course ATL wins in...forget it, no need to list. Basically all categories that favor larger cities goes to ATL.
As much as I love Jax and as much as it is improving in many ways, there's absolutely no way it can compete if you like city living. Most metrics would have to favor ATL...by A LOT. Jax is simply much much smaller, end of story.
Among the relatively few advantages that Jax holds, I would add all of the waterways not just the beach. The St Johns River, particularly in the urban core, offers spectacular views that ATL lacks. There is significant fishing, boating and other water activities all throughout the city not just at the beach.
Of course ATL wins in...forget it, no need to list. Basically all categories that favor larger cities goes to ATL.
As an Atlantan that's also a former Floridian, I have to give Jacksonville some props.
It's the most underrated of Florida's large metro's, but it doesn't deserve to be. There are some beautiful close-in streetcar neighborhoods on both sides of the St. Johns River in Riverside-Avondale and San Marco. It was the largest City in Florida for years and has the best historic urban bones in the State by far, and a renaissance is finally underway in the core. The beaches are nice, as are the various towns that line them. The cost of living is lower, it has several solid business sectors that are growing, the traffic is better and the people are friendly. There are wonderful places like Fernandina Beach/Amelia Island and St. Augustine 45 minutes away.
If I'm going to live in a hot and humid climate it might was well come with a beach. I vote Jacksonville.
Being 1,000 feet above sea level, Atlanta isn't nearly as humid as Jacksonville - and we get wonderful breaks from fronts occasionally between June & Sept.
But yeah, the beach is always nice when it's hot. And the St. John's is huge in places, and has cool creeks and tributaries. Jacksonville beats Atlanta in the nearby water department, hands down.
If Jacksonville is as boring as everyone on City Data says, I don't know never been to the city I will go for Atlanta in this poll.
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