Virginia Beach vs. Jacksonville (largest, places, life, people)

[canalcity63]

Scenery/outdoor recreation:Virginia Beach
Culture:Virginia Beach
Education:Virginia Beach
Economy:Virginia Beach
Food:Virginia Beach
Cost of living:Tie
Crime:Virginia Beach
Infrastructure/transportation:Tie
Urbanity:Virginia Beach
Desirable suburbs:Tie
Climate:Virginia Beach
Other: Virginia Beach and Jacksonville are very similar cities heavily influenced by the Navy, but the Virginia Beach area is overall more interesting. Virginia Beach shares a region with seven other distinct cities that realy allows it to be a more dynamic region. From the cultural and amusement amenities of the historic triangle to the urban districts found in Norfolk ,and the miles of beaches in Virginia Beach the area simply has more character than Jacksonville.

[BobHoward]

Scenery/outdoor recreation: Virginia Beach - beaches, bay, state parks, colonial Williamsburg, outer banks
Culture: Virginia Beach
Education: Virginia Beach
Economy: Jacksonville. Both are Navy dependent. Jax probably less so.
Food: Tie. Virginia Beach has great seafood. Jax probably does as well.
Cost of living: Same
Crime: Virginia Beach
Infrastructure/transportation: Tie
Urbanity: Virginia Beach because of neighboring Norfolk.
Desirable suburbs: Tie. Both have very nice areas to live.
Climate: Virginia Beach - 4 mild seasons. Jax has a short, chilly, humid winter, and a long, hot, breezeless, humid summer.
Other: see "other" comments from canalcity63 (the previous post). He is spot-on.

[boreatwork]

Originally Posted by Arcenal813

Scenery/outdoor recreation: VA Beach — more variety.
Culture: Jacksonville — Proximity to Saint-Augustine and Savannah is underrated.
Education: Leaning VA Beach
Economy: VA Beach
Food: Jacksonville
Cost of living: Jacksonville
Crime: Tie? Not sure. Neither are “good”
Infrastructure/transportation: Eh… tie also I guess…
Urbanity: Jacksonville. Neither are urban overall, but Jacksonville’s core areas aren’t terrible.
Desirable suburbs: Jacksonville. Ponte Vedra and surroundings is beautiful.
Climate: Jacksonville by far. The 6 months or so between Sept/March are amazing. I’m VA beach, it’s freezing. Both are extremely hot in the summer.
Other: Jacksonville overall, by quite a margin for me, even though I am not a fan of it in particular. Just compared to VA Beach (that whole area including Norfolk) it walks away quite easily…

Isn't Va beach one of the safest metros?

[canalcity63]

Scenery/outdoor recreation: VA Beach — more variety.
Culture: Jacksonville — Proximity to Saint-Augustine and Savannah is underrated.
Education: Leaning VA Beach
Economy: VA Beach
Food: Jacksonville
Cost of living: Jacksonville
Crime: Tie? Not sure. Neither are “good”
Infrastructure/transportation: Eh… tie also I guess…
Urbanity: Jacksonville. Neither are urban overall, but Jacksonville’s core areas aren’t terrible.
Desirable suburbs: Jacksonville. Ponte Vedra and surroundings is beautiful.
Climate: Jacksonville by far. The 6 months or so between Sept/March are amazing. I’m VA beach, it’s freezing. Both are extremely hot in the summer.
Other: Jacksonville overall, by quite a margin for me, even though I am not a fan of it in particular. Just compared to VA Beach (that whole area including Norfolk) it walks away quite easily…

I surprised that you believe that Jacksonville has more culture than the Virginia Beach area. Savannah and St. Augustine are definitely nice historical assets to Jacksonville, but they are no better than the Virginia Beach area proximity to the historic triangle (Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown) and Richmond. Not to mention the Virginia Beach area is an older metro area that has historically always had a higher population than the Jacksonville metro as well as cultural influences from both the mid atlantic region and the south.

[MarcBetrus]

I chose Jacksonville. Another huge plus in my book for JV is that its close to St. Augustine, which I absolutely love...

[citydweller]

Originally Posted by boreatwork

Isn't Va beach one of the safest metros?

Yes. It’s one of the safest cities in the nation for it’s size.

[mjlo]

Originally Posted by citydweller

Yes. It’s one of the safest cities in the nation for it’s size.

VA Beach is a suburb, like most other suburbs it should be one of the safest cities of its size.

[mjlo]

I am impressed with how well VA Beach’s leaders and planners have been able to successfully brand it as the core for Hampton Roads over the years. I don’t think any other suburb that came to prominence out of decentralization has been able to over take the actual core city in name recognition. The lack of cohesion in that metro really shows with it having such a weak identity. It’s growth has slowed to a trickle and I think it will continue to struggle as it’s many large suburbs continue to cannibalizes investments and tax dollars from each other.

I think JAX is just better positioned because of that, it will continue to separate itself in terms of name recognition, population, and economic clout. It’s just a more attractive region to live in overall, and it helps that it has a singular identity without regional governments competing with each other.

I chose Jacksonville, better infrastructure, better amenities, better location, better future IMO.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by mjlo

I am impressed with how well VA Beach’s leaders and planners have been able to successfully brand it as the core for Hampton Roads over the years. I don’t think any other suburb that came to prominence out of decentralization has been able to over take the actual core city in name recognition. The lack of cohesion in that metro really shows with it having such a weak identity. It’s growth has slowed to a trickle and I think it will continue to struggle as it’s many large suburbs continue to cannibalizes investments and tax dollars from each other.

I think JAX is just better positioned because of that, it will continue to separate itself in terms of name recognition, population, and economic clout. It’s just a more attractive region to live in overall, and it helps that it has a singular identity without regional governments competing with each other.

I chose Jacksonville, better infrastructure, better amenities, better location, better future IMO.

I think it actually has a fairly strong identity (it's just a regional and not city-specific one) that's stronger than Jacksonville's due to its strong military presence and the beach.

[Taggerung]

Virginia Beach is unbearably bland and characterless. It's designed like a giant suburb, is extremely car-centric, and has no real CBD. But Jacksonville is in Florida... damn you OP, you've really put me in quite the bind.

If you waterboarded me and made me choose one.... I'd probably flip a coin.