Think twice before moving here!!! (Jacksonville, Miami: apartment, lease, homes)

[GreatUndercoverBrother]

If you are thinking about moving to Jacksonville, FL, make sure you visit the place, and you stay here a week before making a decision, if I would've, I wouldn't have moved here, needless to say I'm looking for out of state jobs, and will be leaving ASAP!!!

1. People here will tell you this is one of US biggest cities, yada yada yada, yes, and no. It's only one of the biggest ones because the county is the city. Duval County = Jacksonville. That being the case, the county is divided into several different suburbs. Money being stretched out thin, every suburb pretty much has a ghetto section. One street can take you from the 'burbs to the 'hood, don't go apartment hunting until you see the area. The apartment guides will show you nice pictures of Spanish moss covered trees and everglades, hellloooo that's FL, don't count on the area being a golf course. It might just be the parking lot of a ghetto-ish street.

2. So imagine that this money is spread out thin, throughout the county/city, so no one neighborhood is 100% safe. Now only 1 place has a big mall in the county, the one everyone goes to. The one with all the stores you may find in other malls throughout America. Imagine this mall on the weekends. It's a parking lot.

3. If you are familiarized with: Robecks, Trader Joes, Bally's Total Fitness, write them off, they are not here. Also, if you are used to funky coffee shops that offer great healthy meals, where you can just chill, use wi-fi and maybe listen to a live local band, you wont find that here. As of 2011 the best Wi-Fi coffee shop is Starbucks. The fact that a franchise is the best hang out coffee shop just tells you the lack of character this place has. Another WiFi winner: Panera Bread.

4. Lack of character: Open a JC Penny ad and the people you see there, are the people here. Very vanilla place. Nothing really stands out. People aren't the brightest either. If you are used to an intellectual, environment full of funky options, this is not it. If you just want to go to the gym, tan, look good and do nothing really, this is it.

5. Also, there are churches everywhere. Social events occur in churches or are coordinated/administered by churches!! So, imagine the societal filter here! Also, you'd think that with so many churches you'd have less poor people in the area, you know, feed the hungry, clothe the poor. Not here. Churches are like social clubs, if you are not a church goer, and you do not have friends or family members here, it will be very hard for you to meet friends, unless you are here for colleges, which FYI UNF is probably the most incompetent university here, (paperwork loss, system down, etc.) and it is considered "the better one." You're better off giving your money to some other school in another state.

6. If you think of urban sprawl, this is it. This is as sprawled as it gets. The better neighborhoods are Riverside, Avondale, San Marco and the Beaches. Nonetheless, from Jacksonville Beach to 95N/S it's a good 15 minute drive or more dpeending on traffic. That just tells you how buried the place is. Riverside, again, from ghetto to hood in 1 block.

7.Suburbia. If the devil where to vomit suburbia, it would be Southside and Orange Park. It's a hellish suburbia nest off of 95N/S. 9N/S. If cookie cuttered homes in a flat piece of land with everglades as a backdrop your thing, this is your place.

7. Summers are hot and humid. Beach water is nice but there are no palm trees/shade at the beach, so prepare to bake under the sun. Also, prepare yourselves for plenty of knats and biiig cockroaches.

8.Drivers are crazy here. You have senior citizens texting or on the phone while driving, slow drivers on the fast lane, fast drivers tailgaiting you when you are already 10mph above speed limit, people who change lanes w/o signal light, or the crazy ones that prefer to reduce speed to almost 20 or 30 in the hwy so they wont miss an exit. Rule of thumb: You have to be a defensive driver and leave plenty of space between you and others because you don't know what these people may end up doing.

** Also, for some reason people here make a proverbial pause after the light turns green. I've been to other cities/states where people book it at the green light, not here. They just sit there for 5-sometimes 10 seconds, doing God knows what.**

Plates: If you've never lived here before, prepare to pay 500 dollars to get your FL plates. Also if you drive 10mph over speed limit, you are likely to get a ticket if stopped. its over 200 dollars ticket.

This place is for:
Conservative religious people, people who already have family and friends here, People who prefer hot humid summers as opposed to cold/snowy winters, mainstream people who only care about shopping, dining, surfing, fishing, hunting, dirt back riding, People who do not care about cultural events, and can live without them. People who have no interest in furthering their education through a better school system.

[fsquid]

Thanks for the info

[projectmaximus]

Hmm, well I do agree that you should think twice before making any move and make sure you visit first. So...great post!! Hope you heed your own advice with your next move.

[madcapmagishion]

Anyone who moves to a place without checking it thoroughly out before hand is either certifiable or just plain stupid. And that's not just checking it out by asking questions on a public forum but by actually visiting and spending a little time there first. I know being ex-military that when I got orders to a place, I had to go, but at least I could go and stay at the BOQ for a while before I had to make a decision on where to rent or even buy a place if I wanted to. Plus usually I was replacing another officer and a couple of times I even took over his old lease if I liked the place. Helped us both out, he got out of the lease and I saved money by taking over.

[td1026]

People that won't enjoy Jacksonville probably won't enjoy a vast majority of southern cities.

[dalmain]

I'm thinking of moving to Jacksonville. Reasons I will be alone for the first year and need to save money. The cost of living seems to be a lot lower than where I'm now (Miami). If I can survive in Miami..I'm sure I can survive in Jacksonville. Miami has horrible drivers..rude people, everything is over priced, real ghettos, and you really have to look after yourself..people try to take advantage of you all the time. Of course I will make a visit to Jax before moving. I just want a change of pace..something slower and be around nicer people. Also the finances..need to save money.

[ferret111]

Wow, so I should do more than a cursory amount of research before I move to a new place? Fascinating.

[Northside904]

The man's right. Jacksonville isn't for everyone and the sometimes lame drivers bit is right on. When the light turns green, GO FOR GOODNESS SAKE I've honked at many people that sit there and lollygag when the light turns green, then they want to book it after they get that horn to them.

[GadgetRick]

Wow! I wonder where they moved from. Most of that (churches, slow drivers, etc.) will be a proper description of many Southern cities. The other parts (urban sprawl, a bad part in every area) describe every city.

Summers are hot and humid? In FL!!?? Really!!?? Wish I'd have known that before moving here...

Not sure, exactly what they thought they were getting when they moved to a city with a population of over 1 million people....

[joninclay]

Don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you, pal.

Like everyone else said, only a b00b would move somewhere without doing research on the destination. "Hey, I decided to move to Antarctica. Once I got there, I realized that it was friggin' cold with no night life to speak of!"