Specific Streets/Aparments (Jacksonville, Bell: appointed, real estate, 2013)

[upstateofmind]

So I'll be moving to Jax in about a month and I've read quite a bit on the different neighborhoods. I'm a 27 y/o single male so it seems that Riverside would be the best spot for me to live. My questions are:

1 - Are there specific streets in Riverside that has a concentration of young professionals? It seems like I should target the 5 Points area around Lomax/Margaret/Park but are there any other streets? The more specific the better!

2 - Are there an apartment complexes that cater to the younger crowd? I've looked at Bell Riverside but when I called and ask about demographics they wouldn't answer.(Other apartments have given me this information) It's a bit pricey compared to other rentals in the area so it makes me think its more of an elderly group. I would like to have access to a pool though so if there are any complexes that you know of please share.

3- How long is the commute from Riverside to the Deer Lake Drive area? Google tells me 19 minutes but I'm wondering what its like during rush hour traffic.

4 - Like I said earlier I would really like having a pool so the apartment complexes near St Johns Town Center are attractive to me but from reading here there isn't as many young people there as its more suburban. But are there any apartments that young people(maybe from UNF) flock to in the area?


I realize many of these questions have been answered(more or less) in other threads but I want the most current/accurate information as possible.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Ryde41]

Anything around Memorial Park...like this one...
Gorgeous 2 Bedroom Apartment

You will be happy near your work also (near Town Center), you'll just have to drive to where you want to go, no walking areas. I wouldn't live near UNF students, they will be noisy neighbors. I think UNF students live off Kernan Blvd, Hodges Blvd and probably Georgetown apartments at Town Center.

[Ryde41]

I thought you were someone that posted here before. What's at Deer Lake Drive? (The street off Marsh Landing Parkway?) Your work? I would definitely not live in Riverside if that's somewhere you are heading on a regular basis. In the morning it would be awful.

[williamwebb49]

If you can get from Deer Lake Drive (Marsh Landing) in 19 minutes then NASCAR teams are looking for you. Anything less than 25-30 minutes is speeding. At rush hour it takes me 45-60 minutes to get from my home in OakBridge at the Players Club to my office in Riverside, depending on accidents, weather and construction. Non-rush hour it takes me about 30 minutes to get to my office. That's driving at the posted speed limit.

[upstateofmind]

Thanks for the replies.

Yes my work is located on Deer Lake drive. I'm pretty disappointed hearing about how long it would take to travel there from Riverside. Everything I've read points to the being 'the' place to live for young singles.

With that said, what are some of the apartments near SJTC that aren't so family oriented? I know there is the Esplanade Condos but it seems like a b*tch to deal with all that traffic just to get to your apartment.

[Robyn55]

I think the OP is talking about E/W Deer Lake Drive off of Gate Parkway - not Deer Lake Drive in Marsh Landing (which is a residential neighborhood).

And the OP should take a look at the planned construction projects on roads like I-95 and perhaps JTB (could be wrong - but I recall a couple of big ones will be starting on I-95 in 2013 - I don't remember where). Robyn

[abvavgjoe]

Yes, Riverside is nice, but the commute from Ponte Vedra Beach would be kinda bad.

I'm no expert on apt. complexes in the area, but why aren't you looking for something around the beaches? There are lots of single young people there.

[abvavgjoe]

Originally Posted by Robyn55

I think the OP is talking about E/W Deer Lake Drive off of Gate Parkway - not Deer Lake Drive in Marsh Landing (which is a residential neighborhood).

Oh, St. John's Town Center to Riverside shouldn't be that bad. Probaby 15 - 20 minutes on the weekend or off hours. I-95 can be a parking lot through there around 5 pm, though. And as Robyn stated, it's supposed to get worse before it gets better. Figure 30 - 40 minutes at rush hour.

I don't know about young professional complexes, but Riverside,
and 5 Points in particular, are very nice. It's one of the best overall and most popular residential areas in Jacksonville. You should like it there. Where you're working the beaches could be another option, though. Just a thought.

[upstateofmind]

Yes, I'm indeed talking about E/W Lake Wood Drive near SJTC.

I guess the beaches are an option but from what I've gathered it's probably more boisterous than what I'm looking for. I should probably look into the beach area a bit more...

I'm glad to hear SJTC to Riverside would be doable commute wise. Can anyone comment on the Bell Riverside apartments there? I'm wondering why they are so much more expensive then all the other rentals in the area. Does anyone know if many of the residential units there have pools? As stated earlier, I'd really like access to a pool. It seems by only options in Riverside with that in mind are Bell Riverside and the apartment building on the opposite side of Memorial Park.

Thanks for the quick feedback.

[abvavgjoe]

Originally Posted by upstateofmind

Can anyone comment on the Bell Riverside apartments there? I'm wondering why they are so much more expensive then all the other rentals in the area. Does anyone know if many of the residential units there have pools? As stated earlier, I'd really like access to a pool. It seems by only options in Riverside with that in mind are Bell Riverside and the apartment building on the opposite side of Memorial Park.

Thanks for the quick feedback.

First of all, the Riverside area was annexed by the city of Jacksonville in 1887. It's a neighborhood of mostly single family homes and smaller multi unit buildings of maybe 2 - 10 units. There just aren't many complexes with pools. That's part of the charm of the whole thing actually.

The Bell Riverside Apartments appear to be very nice and are sitting on one of the most valuable pieces of real estate in that area. The apartments are located directly on the St. John's River, next to Memorial Park, directly across the street from a very nice Publix grocery store, Starbucks, Eistein Brothers Bagels, etc.and right in the middle of everything that area of 5 points has to offer. You've got banks, parks, restaurants, a movie theater, pubs, shops, etc, all within several blocks of your front door. The location is great. On the other hand, it appears a one bedroom apartment there starts at more than we pay for our mortgage on a 4 bedroom house. I guess it's location, location, location.