In love with jax (Jacksonville, Christmas: car rental, transplants, 2013)

[UNITYinternational]

Thanks all for your time, commitment and honesty in sharing.

I've been a lurker on this forum for about two months and finally made my way to JAX for a visit. We stayed on Ameila Island at a hotel literally across the street from the beach. We drove around JAX everyday during our 4.5 day visit, stopping off at about 6-7 different open houses over the weekend ($99K-$325K). Visited a different beach area daily as well as the Riverside Farmer's Market, St. John's Town Center, a Library, Publix, Walmart and a few restaurants in between.

Talked to a few "transplants" and several knowledgable locals.

WE ABSOLUTELY LOVED OUR VISIT and plan to relocate in JUNE 2013!!!

Thanks local folks of JAX and surrounding areas for you hospitality and friendliness.
We look forward to contributing to what appears to be a potentially vibrant community.

I think we will start by renting a house in or around 32256 then decide within the year if we want to buy in a historic revitalizing area or a contemporary suburban community.

Thanks again!!!

[jetsfan2012]

Thats awesome to hear! As someone who will be making the move to Jacksonville this spring, I hope to feel the same way upon my first visit.

[Keith-n-Jax]

Glad you enjoyed your visit and your relocation goes as planned.

[jetsfan2012]

How did you like the St Johns Town Center area? I didnt get a chance to see that area but since I have been searching for more places online to live, I have noticed a few very nice places that are within a mile or 2 of that area.

[UNITYinternational]

Originally Posted by jetsfan2012

How did you like the St Johns Town Center area? I didnt get a chance to see that area but since I have been searching for more places online to live, I have noticed a few very nice places that are within a mile or 2 of that area.

So the SJTC area came across as a typical upscale suburban walking mall. Very nicely designed and easy to get around. With bargain shopping (TJ Maxx) to boutiques (Coach) and decent chain restaurants (PF Changs and Cheesecake Factory). A bit congested in terms of parking so after a few spins around we used the valet service. Can't imagine what it's like at Christmas but I will just steer clear of the area like I do now.

I like the aesthetics of suburbia but often miss the community and diversity that I experience in small inner city communities were you can walk about and dine in unique and authentic single locations restaurants, shop antique or thrift stores, visit the library and really get to know your dry cleaner personally. Becauase Jacksonville is so huge you really have to drive a bit to experience both types of neighborhoods in the same day.

I really enjoyed the Farmer's Market in the Riverside area under the bridge. More my vibe in terms of connecting with people and the pulse of a cimmunity and the museum was right down the street. This seems to be an area of town that is going througn a bit of revitalization...wish I had made time to take a trolley ride around the area to get a better feel but it'd definitely on my to do list when i return.

[UNITYinternational]

oh and as I revise my plans for our next visit here is a glimpse of the strategy I used for getting a feel for the city... some deliberate some accidental

find and shop in Whole Foods...I've done this in like 10 cities over the years and it is very telling IMO. Where I live now there are two within @ 25 miles of my home and the vibe differs big time among the patrons and even a little among the staff too. I think in JAX we went to the Whole Foods in an area called Meridian, at least this is where I think we were. Probably the only WF in the city so... liked and really appreciated how different the local produce options were from where I live.

visit a library and check out the offerings in the kid section and the community bulletin board, there happened to be a UFO meeting going on at the location I visited which I thought was cool

check the area around a megchurch, mosque and a synagogue... didn't find a synagogue, surprising but I might not have looked hard enough

find a farmesr market- heard about 3 went to one and thoroughly enjoyed the crab bisque

visit the mall(s)- drove by a few but only stopped in at SJTC

drive by a mission and see what the area is like midday, surprised that during my entire visit I didn't notice a foodbank or vendors selling the 'Contributor" (newspaper sold by the homeless)

eat at an authentic Mexican restaurant, loved it but forgot the name

visit website for "top schools", charter and magnet schools...UNIMPRESSED by most - always amazed when top performing schools do not have upto date and vibrant websites. To me it reflects that lack of child centered education that goes on because if the teachers are too busy to keep it up let the student take over. They are usually really good at design, coding and even running informative blogs etc...

review and compared city data demographics with current location and the the cities in two others states that I considered

visit the beaches- loved the serenity at Ferdinando beach and the energy near Neptune...wondered about parking during peak season though. Also pouted because I couldn't find an access point at Pointe Vedra but maybe I was suppose to just park in the vacant lot I saw and cut thru someone's yard.

Check out the WalMartians...think we did this in a community outside of Ameila Island, also telling and thoroughly appreciated the good customer service!

Ate at a Ruby Tuesday or Chilis...forgot which one but it was the same mistake it would've been back home but we were desperate it was late and we had just got in to town land checked into to hotel

Stoping by the open houses was very deliberate both in terms of price range and locations, though I wish I had planned to visit open houses closer to SJTC or the Beaches area. Funny how some realtors talk up the house and ignore questions about the community and others brag on the community and aren't knowledgeable about builder issues. Given all that we have read on here and what we found out in person I think we will just rent a year and take our time with really researching an area before we purchase.

Had I not looked at the pics on city data I would have been terribly surprised by the number of vacant buildings in and around downtown JAX but I was glad to see they were properly boarded up and maintained considering, lots were clean too. Locals may think the revitalization is moving to slow but I could feel it coming and I think in 5-8 years downtown JAX will be hot and happening and I will be glad that I got in and settled before the influx of more transplants

There were also some generalizations/ stereotypes I had read about on here that I had wanted to dismiss but in reality were true. The main one is that people really do run around in camo gear all day like it is hunting season...like we saw enough of that sort of attire that we started counting each day
and just laughing

What I wish I had found (and it may all be there but the city is huge so we missed it)

Cultural arts center
Independently owned health food store(s)
Bike or zip car rental
Urban gardening
saw pics of street performers downtown but nothing happening when I got to town, must be seasonal
more side walks
kids outside playing
Ethiopian and Indian restaurants
Alligators
An aquarium
Wish I had made time to stroll San Marco square
the Modern Art Museum is on my lsit for next time

[jetsfan2012]

How was the military presence there?

[UNITYinternational]

Originally Posted by jetsfan2012

How was the military presence there?

didn't even notice
but I don't think I was anywhere near the side of town where the naval base is located

[williamwebb49]

Originally Posted by UnityJAX

but I don't think I was anywhere near the side of town where the naval base is located

If you were on the southside of Jacksonville, you were almost exactly between the two remaining naval bases located here NAS Jax and NS Mayport. And considering that NAS Cecil Field (on the far west side of Jacksonville) was decommissioned as an active naval installation in 1999, Jacksonville has lost approx 1/3 of its military presence in the last 15 years or so.

[UNITYinternational]

Originally Posted by williamwebb49

If you were on the southside of Jacksonville, you were almost exactly between the two remaining naval bases located here NAS Jax and NS Mayport. And considering that NAS Cecil Field (on the far west side of Jacksonville) was decommissioned as an active naval installation in 1999, Jacksonville has lost approx 1/3 of its military presence in the last 15 years or so.

Hmmm in that case ...
I didn't notice but a lot of my sight seeing was from the car and the places where I got out I didn't notice folks that were dressed as sailors. But who folks are in civilian clothes who knows.

We covered a lot of highway and beach area but when I look at the map I realize I still missed so much more.