Is Jacksonville really this affluent now? (Miami, Tampa: middle-class, sale, leasing)

[Robyn55]

Originally Posted by LoveBoating

There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with owning a Mercedes, Jag, Lexus or BMW! Later wife and I will be looking at buying a nice Sebring Convertible.........and as stated before, we sure aren't rich, but do like (ok, love) nice things!

I know this for a FACT! Being involved with pro-rodeo for a number of years and seeing expensive "dully" trucks pulling expensive horse trailers that are hauling pretty expensive horses.

Even a cheap horse is expensive! (My brother's family is into horses.).

BTW - if you'd like to see some rodeo here - and have some fun (like chat with people) - go to the Clay County Fair on High School Rodeo Day (in April). Robyn

[Robyn55]

Originally Posted by Ryde41

I was wearing green and gold during the game. Now USF just needs to beat UF (we had a great first half, fell apart second half) for all the doubters. We already roughed up FSU in their own stadium. (fun..lol)
Side note; the picture of Jason Pierre-Paul on the front page of this mornings insert, the one of him taking down Garrard, he's from USF. I was happy for him doing a good job but sad he was taking down a Jaguar. ouch.
The mention of my beloved Bulls made me go off topic...

Football is never OT in Florida . It's not my favorite thing - but I learned to follow it - necessary skill if one ever goes to cocktail parties . FWIW - we are "academic friends" of UF - but have been invited to and gone to several football games (including one Florida/Georgia game). I think the tension one sees in the "upper echelons" during these games is more than exists in an operating room during life-threatening surgery. And I can't begrudge football programs at Florida universities because they make a profit that spills over into other things. That said - Florida is having a tough time this year. Tebow's an almost impossible act to follow.

And to bring this thing back a little on topic. When we've gone to football games in Gainesville - we've been in the President's box. Which is basically like a 4000 sf condo living room. Lots of guests. You want to see some money from JAX (and elsewhere) - you'll see it there. Nice food - no alcohol . Robyn

[Robyn55]

Originally Posted by FlyiMetro

Last I checked PVB was apart of Jax Metro....when did this change?

Was listening to the football game on 690 this weekend - it said WOKV (?) - the voice of Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra Beach. So I reckon we're in the metro area.

BTW - your stuff about a McCondo - and "all your women". Don't know how old you are (pushing 30 or older I'd guess) - but I suspect it's time for you to find that "one woman" and get married and settle down. You know - the older you get - the harder it is to find someone to live with - bond with. (It's the start of Chanukah tomorrow - and I'm in full Jewish mother mode - bet you never had a Jewish mother to nag you ). Take care, Robyn

[jsimms3]

I just feel like spouting a name or two and some history, so here goes it for all of those who are interested (and if you want to know more about goings on in Jacksonville and power players, get involved! and you should probably move to Ortega, San Marco, or Ponte Vedra since that's where everyone resides )

OK, speaking of private planes...I first checked to make sure it was impossible to look up their address, and it is, but I sold Cutco to them a long time ago and their kids went to a rival school of mine, so I know they live here on the First Coast:

Martin Siegel - the movie Wall Street and the book Den of Thieves is loosely based off of him and some of his trading buddies, and he still commutes (as does his wife) via plane (I'm pretty sure private) to NYC. I think their house might be for sale soon, so maybe they're leaving. (Robyn, there are other Siegels in your neighborhood unrelated FYI...big Jewish family, perhaps you know who I'm talking about?)

And without mentioning names, one guy who lives in town and is very active here has this resume: former Chairman of Disney Development, former Chairman of Disney Imagineering, former CEO and Chairman of St. Joe, former CEO of Jack Nicklaus Companies, Vice Chairman of Rockefeller Management in NYC, and a director of about 4 large companies. He's a pretty frequent name in the WSJ.

And a locally prominent heir of J&J, Jennifer Johnson, is very active in the community and has opened 2 very successful galleries. She used to live in Avondale and moved out to the beach, and as soon as that happened her old house was definitely used as a party spot

And the heir to both Winn Dixie and Piggly Wiggly (and a host of other companies) lives in town. She is a socialite both here and in New York where her brother in law is a big wig. Pick up Jacksonville Magazine and you will see her in at least 6 out of 12 annual issues, mainly hosting fundraising parties and talking about life here in town. I think her late husband at one point was making the Forbes 400 list every year.

She appears in articles all the time both here and in NYC, but this is an interesting one.

There are a ton of undercover names, not to the level of S FL, but there are a lot of really big names in town. If anyone reads the newspaper or is active in any community organizations like the Garden Club or Wolfson's Children's Hospital board or the Symphony board or any number of organizations, you get to meet a lot of cool people. They don't hide here in Jax, but they aren't trying to get their name out in front of everyone like all of the celebrities and wealthy people of S FL. They do, however, get involved with philanthropy. And actually quite a few are big supporters of UNF (even if they went to school up north). If you get involved with just one organization or institution in town, not only will you get to meet some really cool people with very cool histories, you will be doing good and will feel more a part of something (this town needs more people to get involved).

And don't forget the names that started and built up Jacksonville in the first place:

William Astor (started the Florida Yacht Club and lived here)
Alfred Dupont (started Nemours, Florida National Bank, St. Joe, built Epping Forest as a private home)
Andrew Carnegie (summered nearby on Cumberland Island...our fireplace comes from his Cumberland Island home)
Henry Flagler (Standard Oil with the Rockefellers, built a rail empire and tourism empire from right here in Jax...then St. Augustine)
J. Pierpont Morgan (personally financed the development of such neighborhoods as Ortega)
The Vanderbilts (lots of connections here, almost built a huge hotel here)

And besides these big names there are tons of famous people who called Jacksonville home. We had Florida's only plantation here (run by a white man and his Senegalese wife...both owned slaves but everyone was largely equal...they had to flee to the islands when the U.S. took over Florida and enacted strict racially discriminatory laws). We were a center of the women's suffrage movement. Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings lived here and wrote her books here. There were other famous authors, too. Henry Bacon lived here. And really the list goes on. Remember, there was no Palm Beach or Miami until really the 20s, so before that time everyone came to the First Coast to vacation or winter. As soon as there was a place further south for people to go, Jax declined into a more backward, slowly growing place (this started the time when all of our high schools were named for Confederate generals, but before the 1930s Jax was hopping and was probably one of the most progressive cities in the country). Jax is really picking back up, though.

And just like a lot of Nascar drivers live around Charlotte, we have a TON of professional golfers in the area. When I was younger I lived in David Duval's childhood home (in his bedroom I might add...I followed his exact path from grammar school to HS to college, minus the golf). The list of professional golfers and retired athletes in Ponte Vedra alone is astounding.

And Robyn, John Travolta is here literally all the time because his attorney is here in Jax. He has rented homes from people we know. At one point Connie Nielsen lived here in a beautiful home on the river which has since been torn down (it was a famous Mediterranean designed by I think Marion Sims Wyeth). She lived here for only a year, though, and her son attended Episcopal. John McCain's sons attended Episcopal for the record.

[CanesFan81]

Originally Posted by Robyn55

You're "CanesFan" up here and you're dissing me <LOL>. Better get yourself another name - and another team. Welcome to NE Florida. Robyn

P.S.. UM losing to USF .

Win or lose I'm a UM alumni. No shame in that to me.

[CanesFan81]

Originally Posted by ComSense

Just came through Jax yesterday. Looked like the same Jax to me. Perhaps you were in PVB where the wealthy retirees roam? Jax is still- and probably always will be- a blue collar town. Some have BMW's and such, but I dont see that outnumbering pick-up trucks anytime soon, lol.

Believe me, I agree that the pickups will always outnumber any car or truck here!! I was just saying that I see alot more upscale amenities(i.e. St. John's Town Center), cars, and vibe since I last visited Jacksonville. Jacksonville just looks lioke a more progressive city these days.

[Robyn55]

Originally Posted by CanesFan81

Win or lose I'm a UM alumni. No shame in that to me.

I appreciate a sense of loyalty. To a spouse - to family - to friends - even to a college football team. Can we shake hands and be friends? Robyn

[fsu813]

Originally Posted by jsimms3

Alfred Dupont (started Nemours, Florida National Bank, St. Joe, built

A DuPont recently moved into my neighborhood, as a matter of fact.

Originally Posted by CanesFan81

Believe me, I agree that the pickups will always outnumber any car or truck here!! I was just saying that I see alot more upscale amenities(i.e. St. John's Town Center), cars, and vibe since I last visited Jacksonville. Jacksonville just looks lioke a more progressive city these days.

I wouldn't associate wealth with being "progressive".

[abvavgjoe]

Originally Posted by fsu813

I wouldn't associate wealth with being "progressive".

I understand exactly what he means. In other words, it's a little less backwoods and a little more cosmopolitan. A change I welcome.

[projectmaximus]

Thanks for the nice overview, jsimms! I always love your enthusiasm. As a born-and-raised, recently returned local and regular cheerleader for the city I very much relate.

My primary curiosity was over which "national" celebrities withOUT ties to Jax might be here. Not necessarily wealthy but at least well-known. Bill Cowher is a great example. Would be cool to know who else like him has chosen to reside, vacation, or invest locally. I'd have to think for awhile and maybe look up some of my old notes, but im pretty sure there are a handful of other names we haven't mentioned

Speaking of private planes, my best friends live next door to a house with a hangar in their yard. The guy's last name would be familiar to many Gator fans. (They were extremely lucky last year and found a foreclosure amongst some very expensive properties...)