One thing that would make Jax better (Jacksonville, Miami: houses, luxury)

[fsu813]

Originally Posted by JBtwinz

Yes we do indeed spend time downtown. Things are getting better but still have so much farther to go to even reach a level where you could consider downtown a viable alternative for most people to live and play. Unfortunately there a very few of us out of the 1M plus residents of Jacksonville who truly want to experience an urban environment. As much it is enjoyed by myself and my family to have cultural, sporting, restaurants and retail establishments in a closely connected urban environment I believe most of Jacksonville could care less.

As far as EverBank moving downtown, in the big picture was it really worth 2M plus to lure them less than 20 minutes from their current location just to bring people downtown?

I point out San Diego, as anyone who has spent time there in the early 80's and has seen the progression since then would now see a urban core that has been transformed from an urban core that was in worst crisis than Jacksonville ever was.

I applaud your vision and faith in Jacksonvilles future, but I am a realist, my faith in the political powers that be to move ahead and apply themselves to making things better are not there.

You have a strong desire for your Springfield to succeed, but it is criminal for the residents and business's of Springfield to have to pay the police for the added protection and patrols that have been reported in the Time's Union. Is this the way Jacksonville expects revitalization to take place.

The link below is old, but much of what is reported is still true. When the wife worked downtown in the early 90's it was indeed more vibrant than it was now.

Downtown groups say Jacksonville's core is in crisis, needs a new strategy | jacksonville.com

Interesting out-of-touch opinion.

Much of what you stated is factually incorrect.

If you feel like learning about what's current, let me know.

I do know, and would be happy to talk about it.

If not, continue on.

Turns out the Earth revolves around the Sun too, fyi.

[JaxBlueMan]

Originally Posted by fsu813

Interesting out-of-touch opinion.

Much of what you stated is factually incorrect.

If you feel like learning about what's current, let me know.

I do know, and would be happy to talk about it.

If not, continue on.

Turns out the Earth revolves around the Sun too, fyi.

Turns out the Earth revolves around the Sun too, fyi.

I don't know enough about downtown Jax in the early 90's, to side with either one of you, but that is pretty funny.

[fsquid]

A wise woman once said "I believe that children are the future. Teach them well & let them kead the way".

and then proceeded to kill herself with drug cocktails.

[JBtwinz]

Originally Posted by JaxBlueMan

Turns out the Earth revolves around the Sun too, fyi.

I don't know enough about downtown Jax in the early 90's, to side with either one of you, but that is pretty funny.

No need to side with anyone, everyone is entitled to his or her opinion.

I was TDY here when the Landing opened and saw the excitement. My fiancee who is now the wife started working downtown in 90 for Barnett Bank. I have seen so many trends shifting in Jacksonville since I moved here in 89 that I feel I can offer an opinion based on experience.

We all have different perspectives and all choose for the most part to live, work and play where we feel it is the best.

I will admit spending as much time as I have in major US cities and seeing first hand their transportation and vibrancy in block after block of their urban cores has slightly jaded me in respect downtown Jacksonville.

We did agree improving the schools in Duval would be a positive step in the right direction

[fafaaa]

Complete gentrification of ghettos, increased cost of living, and better schools, more employment opportunities.

[JaxBlueMan]

Originally Posted by fafaaa

Complete gentrification of ghettos, increased cost of living, and better schools, more employment opportunities.

Complete the gentrification of the ghetto's? By 'complete', do you mean that it's already under way?

[JaxBlueMan]

Originally Posted by JBtwinz

No need to side with anyone, everyone is entitled to his or her opinion.

I was TDY here when the Landing opened and saw the excitement. My fiancee who is now the wife started working downtown in 90 for Barnett Bank. I have seen so many trends shifting in Jacksonville since I moved here in 89 that I feel I can offer an opinion based on experience.

We all have different perspectives and all choose for the most part to live, work and play where we feel it is the best.

I will admit spending as much time as I have in major US cities and seeing first hand their transportation and vibrancy in block after block of their urban cores has slightly jaded me in respect downtown Jacksonville.

We did agree improving the schools in Duval would be a positive step in the right direction

As I mentioned, I'm not really qualified to compare today's downtown with that of the downtown of the early 90's.

I agree with fsu813 that there does seem to be some new and exciting things going on downtown, in the past few years. I just can't put those things in context with what may have been happening 20 years ago.

If I can read a little bit between your lines, I also share your fear that there currently aren't enough Yuppies, Dinks, and 'forward thinkers' in the total metro area to be able to maintain whatever momentum we may currently have in the downtown area. To some extent, I think that fsu813 shares those fears, which is why he's doing such a good job trying to educate all of us about what the downtown has to offer. He sees the potential.

Overall, we aren't a very affluent city, and many of the households that are, are fleeing to the suburbs, in search of better schools. The result is that many of the remaining households are lower income, and living paycheck to paycheck. These households simply can't afford to take a long term outlook about anything. So, it makes it very hard to get them to ever vote for any tax increase of any kind, regardless of its merit.

That brings me back to education again. Without better schools, we will never be able to attract these higher income households back into Duval County.

It all has to start with a 100% commitment to education. But, we just don't have that right now.

[jbillnlaura123]

Originally Posted by fafaaa

Complete gentrification of ghettos, increased cost of living, and better schools, more employment opportunities.

Where do you propose all of the people who currently live in the ghetto will go?

[madcapmagishion]

Evidently after watching the news today the #1 thing that needs to be done to make Jacksonville better ... Fix the drainage problem that appears to be city-wide.
Arlington underwater
San Marco underwater
Riverside underwater
Century Parkway underwater
McCoys Creek area underwater
St Nicholas underwater

[Robyn55]

I am not a taxpayer in Duval County (I live in St. Johns County). I don't know what I'd be willing to spend more tax dollars on - but I agree with others here that school improvement in Duval County is imperative - job #1. Whether it consists of dealing with crummy teachers - crummy unions that protect crummy teachers - lack of school integration (yup - JAX still has largely integrated schools) - lack of money - whatever. I don't know enough about the Duval county school system to know what the answers to the problems are - but I know the problems are huge - and need to be addressed. Otherwise - Duval County will never attract middle class people with kids (most of whom are voting with their feet and moving to St. Johns - and other surrounding counties - these days).

I am perhaps one of the few people left who subscribes to print newspapers these days. And there are numerous articles in the FTU - which always say SJC schools - and Duval County schools . In terms of test scores and similar. I don't care whether Everbank employees work on the Southside - downtown - or at the Riverside building. Unless they can afford private schools - they will live in SJC.

And I agree 100% with JBtwinz about downtown. We have lived here for about 16 years now. Downtown JAX was kind of pathetic but promising when we first moved here. We used to go downtown a fair amount - and tried to support it. Now it is grim. And since I read the recent articles in the FTU about TB and the homeless in JAX - well I"m not stepping foot in Hemming Plaza again after a trip to MOCA. That's all I need at my age - being exposed to TB.

We went to the Riverside Arts Market for the first time last Saturday (had to be in Riverside because the fellow who sharpens our knives lives in Riverside) - and we had a few hours to kill while he was sharpening our knives. It is certainly not a major attraction. And the food vendors at the Neptune Beach green market are better (not that they're anything to write home about either). OTOH - I am glad to report that the desserts at Biscotti's are still to die for . FWIW - the fellow who sharpens our knives - who is an interesting guy about 15 years younger than I am - specializing in an almost lost art - has never been to RAM before. Because he said it sounded like a bunch of junk. Think his thoughts were on target. Anyway - it's hard to put lipstick on a pig - and I think that's where a lot of JAX - especially downtown - is today. Robyn