Is Jacksonville a nice place to live? (Vero Beach, Fernandina Beach: best neighborhoods, homes)

[Cynthia0921]

Okay, so my husband has been offered a job near Jacksonville, Florida. He would actually be working on King's Bay Naval Base. We were thinking if living in Jacksonville or in St. Mary's, Georgia. I was just wondering if Jacksonville is a nice, affordable place to live. And does anyone have any ideas of specific areas that would be nice to live in? We are planning on starting a family soon, so we would like a nice neighborhood for kids. I am not sure where the best schools are though. We also have a dog, so nice walking trails for her are a plus. Any suggestions??

[madcapmagishion]

IMO ... Jacksonville is a great place to live and work in. Unfortunately your husband will be working at Kings Bay in Georgia and with gas pushing $4.00/gal. now and predicted to go to $5.00/gal by
mid-summer, St Mary's makes more sense, and cents.

[SlickP]

You could look in Yulee/Fernandina Beach. Check out North Hampton Subdivision.

[fsu813]

Okay, so my husband has been offered a job near Jacksonville, Florida. He would actually be working on King's Bay Naval Base. We were thinking if living in Jacksonville or in St. Mary's, Georgia.

St. Mary's, GA would be much closer. But it's a little town compared to a full city. Very different.

I was just wondering if Jacksonville is a nice, affordable place to live.

Some parts are nice, some parts are not. It's very affordable - one of the most affordbale "big" cities in the US.

And does anyone have any ideas of specific areas that would be nice to live in?

Sure.

Riverside & Avondale historic district was named a Top 10 neighborhood in the US last year, and has had much local, national, and even international press in recent years.

www.riverside-avondale.com
Perfectly preserved - FT.com
Great Places in America: Neighborhoods
Residents already know how great Jacksonville's Riverside-Avondale area is | jacksonville.com


Springfield historic district was named the #1 up & coming neighborhood in the South a couple years ago, and has had much local, state, and national press in recent years.

www.myspringfield.org
The South's Best Neighborhoods - Southern Living
A Nod to the Past | jacksonville.com
floridatrend.com - Printer Friendly Version


San Marco is a great neighborhood, as is Ortega. Murray Hill is pretty decent too.

www.mysanmarco.com
www.smpsjax.com
http://murrayhillneighbors.com/wp/


These are all older, unqiue, eclectic neighborhoods with lots of parks, walkable/bikeable, culture, many local shops & cafes, few big box stores, artsy, creative, and generally more progressive and vibrant than most of Jax. They're all pretty close to one another too.


We are planning on starting a family soon, so we would like a nice neighborhood for kids.

Lots of kids in all these areas. Here's a local group that is all about kids & family activites:
- Home



I am not sure where the best schools are though.

There's good schools all over, especially for elementary. Duval County is a "B" district overall. As you climb in grade (middle, highschool) there are far less choices. 112 schools out of 131 schools got grades that were excellent, good or satisfactory. 19 schools got a D or F. Here's a story about it:
FCATs Released; Duval Schools Remains a 'B' District | firstcoastnews.com



We also have a dog, so nice walking trails for her are a plus. Any suggestions??

Riverside & Avondale historic district and the Springfield historic district are probably the most dog-friendly neighborhoods in the city. Tons of parks, actual sidewalks (many neighborhoods in Jax don't have sidewalks as crazy at that sounds), and dog friendly eateries/botiques. They also have dog festivals too. The Springfield historuc district has it's own dog park, R&A historic district will be getting one (hopefully) this year.

Related info:

» dog park GoLO Jacksonville
Self Sustaining Dog Park Headed To Riverside | Metro Jacksonville
Confederate Point Dog Park is pet friendly - Jacksonville pet-friendly places | Examiner.com
Riverside Arts Market celebrates National Dog Day | jacksonville.com
James Lehosit's The Dogs of Riverside and Avondale
//www.city-data.com/forum/jacks...rk-2010-a.html

[JBtwinz]

Originally Posted by Cynthia0921

Okay, so my husband has been offered a job near Jacksonville, Florida. He would actually be working on King's Bay Naval Base. We were thinking if living in Jacksonville or in St. Mary's, Georgia. I was just wondering if Jacksonville is a nice, affordable place to live. And does anyone have any ideas of specific areas that would be nice to live in? We are planning on starting a family soon, so we would like a nice neighborhood for kids. I am not sure where the best schools are though. We also have a dog, so nice walking trails for her are a plus. Any suggestions??

My two cents:

I would check out Fernandina Beach, both on Amelia Island and off. The commute from on the island is about 30 minutes each way. If he is with one of the tenant commands he will be eligible to get into the van pool program they have available.

Saint Mary's is a great little town but it lacks a lot and it continues to suffer as it seems every business tends to gravitate towards exit 3 at the interstate.
Home values have plummeted in Camden County so it is an extreme buyers market.

Schools in Camden and Fernandina Beach are rated pretty well.

I have been at KB since 1989, lived in Saint Mary's until 1999 and since then on Amelia Island. Good luck and welcome.

PS. There a few communities near the airport and close to the somewhat new River City Market Place.

[Dr Spock]

Originally Posted by Cynthia0921

Okay, so my husband has been offered a job near Jacksonville, Florida. He would actually be working on King's Bay Naval Base. We were thinking if living in Jacksonville or in St. Mary's, Georgia. I was just wondering if Jacksonville is a nice, affordable place to live. And does anyone have any ideas of specific areas that would be nice to live in? We are planning on starting a family soon, so we would like a nice neighborhood for kids. I am not sure where the best schools are though. We also have a dog, so nice walking trails for her are a plus. Any suggestions??

Yes there are some beautiful places as long as you stay very north of Jacksonvile or very south, Jax metro, not so much. St Marys is a pretty little town, I'd advise you try to find a place around that area

[jacksonvilleisadump]

I feel bad for you if you have to move to jacksonville. My family and i lived there 10 years and are grateful we finally left! It is filled with backward thinking religious extremist rednecks. The food is terrible. There are gangs and thugs everywhere. The water is the tenth most toxic in the nation. The politicians are corrupt. The police kill someone almost everyday and are also corrupt. It has the highest murder rate in the state. There are no good jobs except for fast food. The traffic is terrible. The roads are the worst laid out of any city I've ever lived in. The schools are terrible. I could go on and on. My best advice is if your thinking about moving there, DON'T!!! You will regret it therest of your life.

[seeriously]

@jacksonvilleisadump... This is funny because we've lived in Florida for six years, Vero Beach specifically though we've traveled throughout the state, and we have two fond memories, the Keys and the many times we visited Jacksonville. As a matter of fact, if we're ever tempted to snowbird, Ponte Vedra will be the place.

[fsquid]

Originally Posted by jacksonvilleisadump

I feel bad for you if you have to move to jacksonville. My family and i lived there 10 years and are grateful we finally left! It is filled with backward thinking religious extremist rednecks. The food is terrible. There are gangs and thugs everywhere. The water is the tenth most toxic in the nation. The politicians are corrupt. The police kill someone almost everyday and are also corrupt. It has the highest murder rate in the state. There are no good jobs except for fast food. The traffic is terrible. The roads are the worst laid out of any city I've ever lived in. The schools are terrible. I could go on and on. My best advice is if your thinking about moving there, DON'T!!! You will regret it therest of your life.

so you signed up today of all days to bump a 7 month thread?

[Parkerclassof72]

Originally Posted by fsquid

so you signed up today of all days to bump a 7 month thread?

He/she must be crazynip under a new name