Anyone moved from CT to Jacksonville? (Springfield: homes, neighborhoods, schools)

[birdsandbeaches]

We live in Stratford, CT and I am wondering if there is anyone else from this area that has made the move to Jacksonville. Tell me about your experiences and where you ended up.

I think job-wise, Jacksonville would be a good place for us compared to other areas of Florida but there are so many places to look at when trying to figure out exactly where in Jacksonville to move to.

I am especially tired of the cold and snow that we have been having. I definitely don't mind driving but would love it if the neighborhood we pick is walkable and as close to the water as monetarily possible. I also want to have restaurants and shops to go and parks to take my kids (toddlers). My husband would love to golf year round.

We have lived many places (AK, IN, WA, RI, NYC) but have kind of settled down in CT. I am worried about uprooting the family for a decision that was emotionally based (sure the cold is bad now but can I really handle the heat and humdity of Florida summers??). I will say that the no income tax and lower property prices (in comparison to CT) is certainly a good/non-emotional reason to move.

[jsimms3]

Move to Avondale, no questions asked. I know plenty of people from CT in Avondale, including a few from the Darien/Stamford area and they enjoy it a lot.

It's older/historic, but nice with middle to upper class areas. It's also along the riverfront and there are public riverfront areas scattered about (or you can shelve out 7+ figures for a riverfront home). The Shoppes of Avondale is a 3-4 block stretch of shops and restaurants and there are plenty of other restaurants and shops scattered throughout. It's an old grid neighborhood with sidewalks, if you can picture that in Florida (and it has old tree coverage).

The only complaints I hear of Avondale are from people who moved from an expansively nice area (like Western St. Louis or lower Fairfield County or northern Atlanta, etc) who are used to miles upon miles of clean, nice, upscale neighborhood appearances. Jacksonville (and most of Florida) are more spotty. You might have to put up with small seedy spots mixed in with nice spots. If you want an expanse of consistent 500,000-10,000,000+ homes with no ghetto areas, then move to Ponte Vedra. PVB is beautiful and nice, but far away, older demographics, and not urban walkable in the sense that you walk to shops and parks (you will walk to the golf course or the beach club...car for everything else).

Other neighborhoods to look at are San Marco and Ortega. Both are middle to upper class and walkable to an extent (among the most walkable neighborhoods in Jacksonville).

Some people might toss Riverside and Springfield at you. Coming from Stratford, I'm not sure those will float your boat for living, but both will be great neighborhoods to frequent for dinner or coffee. Riverside does have quite a few parks, including a beautiful riverfront park laid out by the Olmsted Brothers firm, and it does have the most vibrant atmosphere in Jacksonville (the most "urban" neighborhood), but you'll have to make the determination if it's right for your family by visiting.

I rank: Avondale first, San Marco second, Ortega close third, Ponte Vedra fourth

[birdsandbeaches]

Originally Posted by jsimms3

It's older/historic, but nice with middle to upper class areas. It's also along the riverfront and there are public riverfront areas scattered about (or you can shelve out 7+ figures for a riverfront home). The Shoppes of Avondale is a 3-4 block stretch of shops and restaurants and there are plenty of other restaurants and shops scattered throughout. It's an old grid neighborhood with sidewalks, if you can picture that in Florida (and it has old tree coverage).

The lived in look of our neighborhoods in CT is what I thought I would have to sacrifice in Florida - thanks for showing me I wouldn't have too! I am not a huge fan of new developments with no mature shrubs/trees/etc so Avondale is a very nice place.

Do this beach still feel easily accessible when you live that far from it (I know that is subjective)? Also, do you get breezes off the ocean?

[jsimms3]

You get breezes even inland relative to the lack of breezes/still air on the Gulf side, but it's not a steady afternoon breeze like it is almost every day at the beach. Even so, unless you live within a couple blocks of the beach, you won't notice the breeze as much there either, though the overall temps will be cooler in the summer (and warmer in the winter).

The riverfront acts in much the same way as the beach front, but due to the tree coverage in NE FL and the buildings, there are diminishing breezy returns the further you are from the beach or the river.

As far as accessibility, a river runs through it. Meaning, you can't go straight from Avondale to the Southside or to the beach; you must drive up through town to get on 95, and then back down to JTB to get to Ponte Vedra. This is not as much of a hastle as it sounds (the beach is around 30 minutes away or less without traffic, and 45-60 minutes away in rush hour).

I have tons of pictures of mostly all of the intown neighborhoods in the photoboard, so take some time to scroll through the roughly 1100-1200 pics to get a feel for the areas.

[Jdog6600]

I am from Stamford, Connecticut and don't miss it a bit. Jacksonville was the right city in Florida, lower risk of hurricanes (knock on wood), neighborhoods that have a lived-in, classic villagey / light urban Northeast feel, such as Avondale, Riverside, and San Marco. Check those out and you will be very, very impressed. I travel a lot to the rest of Florida and can say that we have a six month period or so where the humidity is low (and the southern half of the state doesn't have). I've often been in the southern half of the state in the dead of winter, where say the temperature is in the 70's, and it still somehow feels "yucky" because there's a damp kind of humidity in the air. North Florida is the place to be, trust me. The worst day I've had with a bunch of rude New Yorkers was in South Florida - seriously. The prior posts were pretty good, by the way, in my humble opinion.

[birdsandbeaches]

Thank you JDogg6600 and jsimms3 - both very helpful!

[rtt]

There's a poster here called islandtimect, i think, who just posted about her experiences with moving, schools, etc. You might pm her, too as she came down from Ct. in the last few months.