[fernweh]

I’m moving to Florida in the next couple months and thought for sure I’d want to live in Jacksonville. However, after reading some threads, people are making it seem it’s not that great of a place. What would be better for a 33yo SWF? I work remote, so I don’t have to worry about a commute and have the freedom to choose either city. It’s important to be near shopping, restaurants, nightlife, etc. I will say I’m not into the party scene anymore. Access to the water (kayaking, boating, etc) is a little important too. I’d like to keep rent under $1600/month, so I’m unsure which city will give me more for my money. Any advice or information will be appreciated!

[kyle19125]

Unfortunately Jacksonville gets a lot of negative reviews from people who know little about it and parrot what they've heard, or are operating on 20 to 30-year-old information from when they visited last. Jacksonville offers some pluses in having a healthier diversified economy than much of Florida where tourism dictates a lot. If you were comparing to St Petersburg versus Tampa I would change my answer, but quite frankly there just isn't enough there to compensate for Jacksonville's lower cost of living and comparative amenities. Jacksonville's southside around Deerwood and Baymeadows puts you near all of the great shopping/restaurants in/around St Johns Town Center. Unlike Tampa under $1600 will be an easy find for something nice. https://www.simon.com/mall/st-johns-town-center

[Monello]

I own 2 homes in Jacksonville. Depending on what roads I take, those homes are 30 miles apart. But I never left the city.

Jacksonville encompasses an enormous area of land. In that area you will find all sorts of neighborhoods. No doubt several of those places would suit your needs.

My time spent in Tampa was as a tourist, so I don't have any experience living there to compare the 2 places. At first appearance, Tampa would appear to be the costlier of the 2 areas.

[FLSailfish]

For under $1600 a month I would definitely say Jax.

The winters here are too cold for my liking, but it’s great other than that.

[Arcenal813]

The only advantage I can think of with being in Jax vs Tampa Bay (Hillsborough and Pinellas) is cost of rent/mortgage.
The two regions are night and day in terms of city life and amenities.
Jacksonville feels more like Lakeland than anything, despite its larger size, and even then, Lakeland has a more inviting city core.

Not a knock on Jacksonville. Ponte Vedra, for instance, is beautiful. But as a single person in your 30s with options? I can’t see how this is even an regiment. The TB region BLOWS Jacksonville out of the water in this case. I’d like to hear the counter to this, and laugh at it.

[fernweh]

Originally Posted by Arcenal813

The only advantage I can think of with being in Jax vs Tampa Bay (Hillsborough and Pinellas) is cost of rent/mortgage.

If that’s truly the only thing Jacksonville has going for it, then I may need to look into Tampa. I still would love to hear feedback from others

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by fernweh

I’m moving to Florida in the next couple months and thought for sure I’d want to live in Jacksonville. However, after reading some threads, people are making it seem it’s not that great of a place. What would be better for a 33yo SWF? I work remote, so I don’t have to worry about a commute and have the freedom to choose either city. It’s important to be near shopping, restaurants, nightlife, etc. I will say I’m not into the party scene anymore. Access to the water (kayaking, boating, etc) is a little important too. I’d like to keep rent under $1600/month, so I’m unsure which city will give me more for my money. Any advice or information will be appreciated!

Stick with Tampa... Jacksonville is the definition of bland.

[germanoricua]

Originally Posted by Arcenal813

The only advantage I can think of with being in Jax vs Tampa Bay (Hillsborough and Pinellas) is cost of rent/mortgage.
The two regions are night and day in terms of city life and amenities.
Jacksonville feels more like Lakeland than anything, despite its larger size, and even then, Lakeland has a more inviting city core.

Not a knock on Jacksonville. Ponte Vedra, for instance, is beautiful. But as a single person in your 30s with options? I can’t see how this is even an regiment. The TB region BLOWS Jacksonville out of the water in this case. I’d like to hear the counter to this, and laugh at it.

Yes, housing (rent/mortgage) is certainly less expensive in Jax than in Tampa. And the weather in Jax is great!

I lived in Jax for over 10 years, I am married and older than you but love to go out with my hubby.
I agree 100% with Arcenal!

I never lived in Tampa but we went out dancing in Tampa (Latin concerts) a couple of times. We live in Orlando now and I would always take Orlando over Tampa for my personal taste. But if we had had a Latin scene in Jax as what we saw in Tampa, we would have jumped for joy! Just for comparison purposes! We always felt that there was literally nothing for us in Jax. Yes, there are bars and restaurants spread all over Jax and these different places are many miles apart. But I always felt sorry for single females because I would not have dared going to many of these places as a single female all by myself at night. That might be just me. As a single female you often have no choice. But Jax has a lot of crime (murder capital of Florida) and you might have to drive far at night to get to these places. Nothing is close from almost anywhere in Jax unless you live in Jax Beach and go out there to the few bars and restaurants. Or San Marco where you also have bars and restaurants.

Yes, Jax is very bland. People say it feels more like south Georgia than Florida.

Without knowing Tampa, I would always take Tampa over Jax!

[OptimusPrime69]

Jacksonville is utterly boring and soulless. It's honestly one of the most boring and uninspiring american cities I've ever been to. Might as well live in Ohio.

[FL_Expert]

Tampa Bay is the better option, most specifically St. Petersburg. You can rent something there for <$1,600 but it’s just going to be smaller than what you could get in Jax for the same price.