Relocating from broward to jax..any advice? (Jacksonville, Miami: appointed, apartment)

[hellokitty12904]

Hello All,

I'm looking into moving but ill be doing so with my two kids and grandmother. I feel the kids would have a better education and the cost of living wouldn't kill me. I'm still in school aiming for my masters but dont want to be overqualified for the job market..and how are the jobs in the healthfield beacause my grandma is a CNA..where do I start and what areas are already established for me to just movin and start my new life. How far (hrs) will i be from ATL? NC? NYC? in driving distance?
Moving on my own for the first time where do I start?
Is there an Airforce base in jax?

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by hellokitty12904

Hello All,

I'm looking into moving but ill be doing so with my two kids and grandmother. I feel the kids would have a better education and the cost of living wouldn't kill me. I'm still in school aiming for my masters but dont want to be overqualified for the job market..and how are the jobs in the healthfield beacause my grandma is a CNA..where do I start and what areas are already established for me to just movin and start my new life. How far (hrs) will i be from ATL? NC? NYC? in driving distance?
Moving on my own for the first time where do I start?
Is there an Airforce base in jax?

I wouldn't recommend moving to Jacksonville for "better education". It's actually signifigantly worse from what I have heard, and the test scores and stats seem to support this.

Don't live in JAX for that, but if you actually want to upgrade your kids education, you might want to consider St. Johns County, in areas like Ponte Verda Beach. I would say that the bests schools in Duval are probably about average in Broward, and well, that's saying a lot considering how bad the school situation is down here. Go on GreatSchools.net and just look up schools in the district of Duval and I think you would be greatly disappointed, although it depends on what area you live in down here. In general, tests score in Duval County run signifigantly below state averages, scores in Broward run a tad above average (and you know that isn't saying much). If you look up high schools,the situation is really bad, you can clearly see that the best non-magnet school is Mandarin High, and the test scores at J.P Taravella or Western put that school to shame, let alone some of the better high schools in the county.

However, look up St.Johns county, and these are some of the best schools in the state. I recommend looking into that area.

[Samierra]

Jax has several elementary and middle schools that are ranked as "A"s. Also, it has 2 nationally ranked high schools. For the current school year, neither St. John's County nor Clay county have any "A" ranked high schools. There are also several excellent private schools for all grade levels.

As to your other questions: Healthcare/Hospitals are big business in Jax - Mayo Clinic is opening a new facility soon. Baptist Hospital - and many others are there as well. I'm in the healthcare field also - I work nationally (as a consultant) but chose Jax for relocation due to the abundance of healthcare opportunities. The following is the link for "hospitals - Jacksonville, FL" on Google:
jacksonville fl hospitals - Google Search

Travel time to ATL is approx. 6 hours. Wilmington, NC (on the coast) is 6-7 hrs. NYC - catch a flight - you'll be there in a couple of hrs - I wouldn't drive...Jax is 5-6 hours north of Broward county, so if you typically travel to those destinations, just take off the extra distance when estimating your trip.

You don't indicate what field you are in, but I would suggest job searching prior to your move. And if possible, get a local address (po box, etc) - the local employers seem to like to hire locally. You could always work with a headhunter - my husband has been successful with this since we are moving without him having a position in Jax. Also, if you belong to any professional associations, I would try to network amongst your peers. I've always found the best jobs this way.

We chose the Ft. Caroline area of Jax - but I also loved other parts of the Southside and Intracoastal West (ICW). The beaches are terrific. It all depends on your budget and lifestyle. If you are going to buy, start your search before you move - there are several ways to access the MLS - you can search the following zip codes: 32224, 32225, 32246. 32256, 32250.
If you want an older, established area with great charm, try the San Marco, St. Vincent areas - 32207 & 32217... I'm sure the terrific regulars on this forum will chime in with more suggestions if you specify what you are looking for.

Prior to your move, try to visit at least several times. We started our research in March - and are now just finalizing everything - we should complete our move some time in November. I've visited several times - each time I learn more about our new city.

Lastly - good luck - I made my first big move many years ago - travelled 3500 miles across country (New England to Seattle) - it was a great adventure. I think I can tell that you're nervous. Be smart - do your research, make sure that this place is for you and your family - then just do it.

I look forward to having another So.FL transplant here in Jax (We're from Miami). Just remember to be nice to the locals.... All the best.

[riveree]

Samierra's advice is spot on !

It's hard to believe you just moved here, Samierra !

As for the Airforce base, no, but we do have Navy . There is Mayport (at the beach) and NAS Jax (west of the river), Also, Kings Bay is right over the line in Georgia (St. Mary's)......I think King's Bay is closing??

Also, Hellokitty, you said 'what areas are already established for me to just move in and stat my new life?'. I'm not quite sure what this question means?

Do you mean you like older, established parts of town (as Samierra pointed out, San Marco/San Jose in zips 32207 & 32217 are really nice)? Or was there a different meaning to that question?

[Magnolia Bloom]

Former Broward resident here!

What price range are you looking for? My son has friend whose parents are selling- they have a home with a MIL apartment in Ramsgate. All A-rated schools. And a great family neighborhood.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by Samierra

Jax has several elementary and middle schools that are ranked as "A"s. Also, it has 2 nationally ranked high schools. For the current school year, neither St. John's County nor Clay county have any "A" ranked high schools.

The "A" rating system is just about the greatest injustice to Florida's children today. Look at the test scores of this "B" school in St. Johns County.

Scale: % scoring at or above grade level

Grade 9
Reading
70% (2007)
72% (2006)
64% (2005)
61% (2004)
The state average for Reading was 41% in 2007.

Math
86% (2007)
84% (2006)
82% (2005)
75% (2004)
The state average for Math was 60% in 2007.
Allen D Nease Senior High School Test Scores - Ponte Vedra, Florida - FL
Source: FL Dept. of Education, 2006-2007

Grade 10
Reading
58% (2007)
57% (2006)
56% (2005)
62% (2004)
The state average for Reading was 34% in 2007.

Writing+
73% (2007)
The state average for Writing+ was 49% in 2007.

Math
86% (2007)
88% (2006)
84% (2005)
88% (2004)
The state average for Math was 65% in 2007.

Source: FL Dept. of Education, 2006-2007

Grade 11
Science
65% (2007)
62% (2006)
The state average for Science was 37% in 2007.

Yet take a look at this "A" school in Palm Beach County.
FCAT Results

Scale: % scoring at or above grade level

Grade 9
Reading
43% (2007)
38% (2006)
35% (2005)
31% (2004)
The state average for Reading was 41% in 2007.

Math
71% (2007)
57% (2006)
58% (2005)
58% (2004)
The state average for Math was 60% in 2007.

Source: FL Dept. of Education, 2006-2007

Grade 10
Reading
35% (2007)
33% (2006)
33% (2005)
40% (2004)
The state average for Reading was 34% in 2007.

Writing+
49% (2007)
The state average for Writing+ was 49% in 2007.

Math
67% (2007)
68% (2006)
70% (2005)
74% (2004)
The state average for Math was 65% in 2007.

Source: FL Dept. of Education, 2006-2007

Grade 11
Science
50% (2007)
33% (2006)
The state average for Science was 37% in 2007.
William T. Dwyer High School Test Scores - Palm Beach Gardens, Florida - FL
It makes no sense at all. I'm not quite sure what they are factoring in that rating. The graduation rate at the latter school is terrible too. Look at the statistics. Aside from the "A" rating, which would you rather have your kids in? The school grading system is truly useless. A surprisingly good tool is actually the "Greatschools" rating. It gave the latter school an 8 out of 10, and the former a 10 out of 10. The best non-magnet high school in Duval County has a "9" out of 10. Even that pile of crap known as Broward has a few "10" out of "10" non magnet high schools. Factors such as teacher demographics (are they qualified for the job? do they have advanced degrees?) and turnover rates are terrible as well.

Point being, an "upgrade" in education is only percieved unless you look into St. Johns or Clay county.

[hellokitty12904]

I'm pursing to become an Occupational Therapist.

[aspiesmom]

Kings Bay/St. Mary's mercury/other toxins contamination
I was pregnant as a young Navy bride in St. Mary's Georgia in 1980 near Gilman Paper Mill next to Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base . My son was born with Asperger's Syndrome and is now 27 years old. Gilman paper co. was one of the most mercury toxic factories in Georgia according to EPA records. Gilman sold to Durango when the Gilman heir died, and Durango soon went bankrupt. I found out years later that the US Navy was aware of the mercury problem in Cumberland Sound according to a Georgia Tech study which referenced U.S. Navy's Draft '76-'77 Environmental Impact Statement of Kings Bay (Navy 1975) even BEFORE Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base was commissioned in 1978. Also, I found a NATO study online which shows that Kings Bay was built on top of a toxic dump called Old Camden County Landfill. The St. Mary's waterbasin and Kings Bay area were both declared as two seperate Superfund Sites:

http://www.cqs.com/super_ga.htm


Later on after my little family left Kings Bay area , we spent years of mystery about our son. Marriage fell apart in 2000 which broke my heart , and I finally got my son correctly diagnosed in 2003. Social Security Administration officially recognizes his disability of Asperger's Syndrome ( an autism spectrum disorder) as from birth. However, I say he was disabled since the womb due to the toxicity of the St. Mary's/Kings Bay area .

Needless to say if you are pregnant, have infants or small developing children, you do not want to live in the St. Mary's/Kings Bay GA area at all , which is directly north of Jacksonville, FL. To be safe , just don't live in Camden County, Georgia at all if you are pregnant or have children. Mercury is one of the most toxic substances on the face of the earth and causes autism spectrum disorders. You should not eat the mercury contaminated fish/rock shrimp in the area while pregnant. You may not want to live there even if you do not have children due to the disorders you could develop from the high content of mercury and other toxins in the St. Mary's/Kings Bay area.

If you lived in the Kings Bay/St. Mary's/Kingsland GA area while you were pregnant and your child is autistic/Asperger's, please respond to this thread!

[gradco2004]

How did you like living in Seattle? I have always been curious to visit there and do a semester as a guest student. Any opinion on Portland?

[Return2CD]

"Travel time to ATL is approx. 6 hours. Wilmington, NC (on the coast) is 6-7 hrs."


It takes about 7 hrs to get from Jax to Western NC, so I would hope it'd take less than 6 to get to Atlanta. (??