i visited jax and surrounding areas (Miami, Orlando: crime, construction, school)

[Jax]

Igig1021, there's a previous post on Oakleaf Plantation on the Jacksonville forum that you should check out to get some opinions on the place. Regarding Confederate flags (scary, I know!), I don't think I've seen one single one here in Julington Creek....maybe more prevalent in the rural parts of Orange Park, west of there, etc.?

[backtofla]

in my short stay, i only saw a little bit of the rebel/nascar stickers... didnt mean to scare anyone. it's not that bad, honestly. more than here in orlando, but it's still not much. that stuff doesnt bother me though. what bothers me is when ppl in all the stores around here in east orlando play spanish music in a walmart or gas station, and speak spanish all the time and i feel left out of conversation b/c i am the only one who doesnt understand. better yet when they talk to you in spanish and assume i know spanish. i guess b/c i live here in orlando, they just assume. i dont know. but i most definitely saw a lot less hispanics (didnt hear it at all), and had much less ppl cutting me off in traffic and honking at me which was nice.

as soon as i got back to orlando, i started to tense up, automatically it seems. almost as if i thought someone was going to cut in front of me, or honk at me for coming to a complete stop at a stop sign. i bet it happens to other ppl too.

[Samierra]

Originally Posted by backtofla

in my short stay, i only saw a little bit of the rebel/nascar stickers... didnt mean to scare anyone. it's not that bad, honestly. more than here in orlando, but it's still not much. that stuff doesnt bother me though. what bothers me is when ppl in all the stores around here in east orlando play spanish music in a walmart or gas station, and speak spanish all the time and i feel left out of conversation b/c i am the only one who doesnt understand. better yet when they talk to you in spanish and assume i know spanish. i guess b/c i live here in orlando, they just assume. i dont know. but i most definitely saw a lot less hispanics (didnt hear it at all), and had much less ppl cutting me off in traffic and honking at me which was nice.

as soon as i got back to orlando, i started to tense up, automatically it seems. almost as if i thought someone was going to cut in front of me, or honk at me for coming to a complete stop at a stop sign. i bet it happens to other ppl too.

What you have just described is the same thing we are experiencing in Miami, only magnified tenfold. We have chosen Jax to move to because of the great experiences that we have had when visiting - the people appear to be much more welcoming and generally nicer.

While being in an ethnically/racially diverse community is extremely important to my family - my husband is Hispanic, my daughters are Black and Bi-racial, and I'm caucasian - we find that living here in So. FL has become extremely oppressive - we have the same feeling when we visited Orlando.

It is not one thing - I can tolerate the Spanish (I encourage my inlaws to speak Spanish with my kids) - even the music, but the outrageous behavior of those in this city is appalling. There is so much reverse descrimination that it is suffocating.

I have lived all over the country, and have travelled extensively. So FL is worse than any place I have ever been. I hope that Jacsonville is as terrific as it has shown us on the few visits that we have made.

[he's so hott]

Originally Posted by Samierra

It is not one thing - I can tolerate the Spanish (I encourage my inlaws to speak Spanish with my kids) - even the music, but the outrageous behavior of those in this city is appalling. There is so much reverse descrimination that it is suffocating.

Miami was like that when I was living there 6 years ago. I wonder if it has gotten worse b/c if you read the Miami board it seems that way. When I was down there people were running out of the state trying to get to NC and I guess that it's still currently the case with so mant Floridans moving up here. Anywho, Jax is a nice area and while the spanish presence isn't as large as Miami, but not many places are, it's still a diverse area and if you go to the right areas of town, you'll hear it spanish aplenty, trust me. Compared to people in Miami, the people in Jax may appear to be nice and for the most part they can be, but with me now living here in NC and having had lived in AZ, the ppl in Jax aren't necessarily the nicest you'll find but they aren't harsh either. Most of them are just a little more self-focused than your average bear. And that's okay b/c there is nothing wrong with being self-focused. Personally, my feeling aren't hurt if no one says HI to me as I walk down the street or if someone was blowing there horn at me when I sit at the red light a bit too long after it turns green. I'm from that lovely city so I'm used to ppl not looking me in my eye and saying hi or flashing their headlights b/c they want me to get out of the far left lane on the xpressway so that they can pass me but most people wouldn't be cool with that. That's just the way things are. I'm not trying to make anyone moving there feel like the ppl are rude, but I wouldn't base my view of any city based on a couple of days visit to the area. Just trying to keep it real for you.

[kort677]

Originally Posted by backtofla

in my short stay, i only saw a little bit of the rebel/nascar stickers... didnt mean to scare anyone. it's not that bad, honestly. more than here in orlando, but it's still not much. that stuff doesnt bother me though. what bothers me is when ppl in all the stores around here in east orlando play spanish music in a walmart or gas station, and speak spanish all the time and i feel left out of conversation b/c i am the only one who doesnt understand. better yet when they talk to you in spanish and assume i know spanish. i guess b/c i live here in orlando, they just assume. i dont know. but i most definitely saw a lot less hispanics (didnt hear it at all), and had much less ppl cutting me off in traffic and honking at me which was nice.

as soon as i got back to orlando, i started to tense up, automatically it seems. almost as if i thought someone was going to cut in front of me, or honk at me for coming to a complete stop at a stop sign. i bet it happens to other ppl too.

I don't understand what the big deal is about flags, nascar, whatever, all the complainers are doing is voicing another form of intolerance!
if it were gay pride flags, black power flags, or defaced American flags would you be so bothered as you appear to be bothered by a rebel battle flag?

If someone is showing his rebel pride or love of some race car driver, so what?
how does a decal affect you?

I have more trouble with people who fly mexican, puerto rican, irish flags, that is my issue but I don't go around peeing and moaning over it.

Just live and let live!

[kort677]

Originally Posted by he's so hott

Miami was like that when I was living there 6 years ago. I wonder if it has gotten worse b/c if you read the Miami board it seems that way. When I was down there people were running out of the state trying to get to NC and I guess that it's still currently the case with so mant Floridans moving up here. Anywho, Jax is a nice area and while the spanish presence isn't as large as Miami, but not many places are, it's still a diverse area and if you go to the right areas of town, you'll hear it spanish aplenty, trust me. Compared to people in Miami, the people in Jax may appear to be nice and for the most part they can be, but with me now living here in NC and in AZ, the ppl in Jax aren't necessarily the nicest you'll find but they aren't harsh either. Most of them are just a little more self-focused than your average bear.

quite frankly if I don't hear another word of spanish spoken, that would be ok by me.

[he's so hott]

Originally Posted by kort677

I don't understand what the big deal is about flags, nascar, whatever, all the complainers are doing is voicing another form of intolerance!
if it were gay pride flags, black power flags, or defaced American flags would you be so bothered as you appear to be bothered by a rebel battle flag?

If someone is showing his rebel pride or love of some race car driver, so what?
how does a decal affect you?

I have more trouble with people who fly mexican, puerto rican, irish flags, that is my issue but I don't go around peeing and moaning over it.

Just live and let live!

I think you read him wrong. I think he likes the fact that he sees slightly more rebel flags than he does in O-town. From reading his prior posts, I believe this leads him to believe that he, by moving to JAX will somehow magically be taken back to the "old Florida" and it will keep his mind at peace to know that there is one spot of Florida that hasn't changed. I don't buy it myself but it's clear from reading his/her other posts that is what he/she is angling for but disappointment can be a hard pill to swallow. As I said before, don't base your view of a city based on a couple of three day trips to said city. It can only lead to more disappointment once you discover the "real" city. It's evidenced everyday by people on this website that get all excited about the "hot" city and once they settle in said "hot" city, it's nothing like the 3 day vacation they experienced on a prior trip.

[kort677]

Originally Posted by he's so hott

I think you read him wrong. I think he likes the fact that he sees slightly more rebel flags than he does in O-town. From reading his prior posts, I believe this leads him to believe that he, by moving to JAX will somehow magically be taken back to the "old Florida" and it will keep his mind at peace to know that there is one spot of Florida that hasn't changed. I don't buy it myself but it's clear from reading his/her other posts that is what he/she is angling for but disappointment can be a hard pill to swallow. As I said before, don't base your view of a city based on a couple of three day trips to said city. It can only lead to more disappointment once you discover the "real" city. It's evidenced everyday by people on this website that get all excited about the "hot" city and once they settle in said "hot" city, it's nothing like the 3 day vacation they experienced on a prior trip.

go back and read the post from smashxxx

[riveree]

Originally Posted by he's so hott

I think you read him wrong. I think he likes the fact that he sees slightly more rebel flags than he does in O-town. From reading his prior posts, I believe this leads him to believe that he, by moving to JAX will somehow magically be taken back to the "old Florida" and it will keep his mind at peace to know that there is one spot of Florida that hasn't changed. I don't buy it myself but it's clear from reading his/her other posts that is what he/she is angling for but disappointment can be a hard pill to swallow. As I said before, don't base your view of a city based on a couple of three day trips to said city. It can only lead to more disappointment once you discover the "real" city. It's evidenced everyday by people on this website that get all excited about the "hot" city and once they settle in said "hot" city, it's nothing like the 3 day vacation they experienced on a prior trip.

I couldn't have said it better myself .

I'll add that if you drive slow in Jax and impede in the flow of traffic, you WILL get horns honking at you and finger gestures thrown your way - big time.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by kort677

If someone is showing his rebel pride or love of some race car driver, so what?
how does a decal affect you?

I have more trouble with people who fly mexican, puerto rican, irish flags, that is my issue but I don't go around peeing and moaning over it.

Just live and let live!

No matter what the driver's intent, flying the Confederate/Rebel/Dixie flag on a vehicle in public for all to see is going to be hurtful to many of the people who view it, as would displaying a swastika in public.

Displaying a Puerto Rican flag shows the driver's love for his/her homeland, displaying the Confedrate flag has a dual meaning and the drivers know that.

The original intent of the Swastika and Confederate flag symbolism has been forever changed and that bell can't be unrung.