Considering a move from DC to Jacksonville (Plantation, Daytona Beach: cheap house, job market)

[Off4Fun]

We desperately want to move away from the hustle and bustle and competition of DC life. We're looking for a town with a lot of family friendly things to do, a community where people will take the time to talk to you, lower cost of living (which is almost anywhere), and if we could find a place with more small businesses than chain restaurants/stores that would be great.

We don't have any specific place in mind, but we've added Jacksonville to our short list after having visited just for a few days. Can anyone tell me where may be a specific good place (or two) to go back and explore to get a feel for the community? I'd like to know generally about Jacksonville...what are the best parts of living there and maybe a few not so good points to consider as well.

My husband and I are both instructional designers with the Government, so training jobs are preferred though we know we'll be leaving Government jobs in DC and that's fine. But where do most people work - in the city? business parks outside the city?

Any recommendations for a few communities/neighborhoods to check out - Looking for a location in a nice community where neighbors take the time to get to know one another, preferably a community with lots of families with young children, good schools (involved parents), single family homes less than $600K (we don't want a huge home, but 4 bedrooms is a must, and would prefer newer homes with built ins and fireplace over an older home), prefer to near water but doesn't have to be on the beach. A walkable community would be awesome.

Thanks in advance!

[newnewsmama]

Hi. I'm also in NOVA and thinking of moving to St Johns county. Not sure whether my post will be of much help to you. But from what I researched, St Johns county has better schools than Jacksonville (Duval county). And a lot of people living in St Johns commute to Jacksonville to work.

The few communities I am considering are Julington Creek Plantation (JCP), Nocatee, and Durbin Crossing (DC). I'd also like to visit a few communities closer to the water such as Marsh Landing. But they are more expensive.

JCP and DC (Durbin Crossing) are pretty much built out. But Nocatee has many years to go because it eventually will have 13,000 or so homes. Nocatee has better pools, lazy river, etc but the CDD fee (this is a fee being added to your tax bill and is related to the bond developers took out) is higher. JCP and DC's amenities are still very good by NOVA standard.

You'll need a car to drive to the beach in all three communities, but Nocatee is about 10 minutes closer. JCP is a little further from the beach but closer to a place called Mandarine where lot of shops and restaurants are located.

[Fredesch]

We live in Fairfax and plan on moving to the Ormond Beach/Daytona Beach area this year. But we are in a different situation than you, our youngest son graduates high school this spring and his dad lives in NOVA so he doesn't need to worry about in state/out of state tution issues. And I work from home.

Houses are much less expensive in OB/DB but you will not be able to find equivalent schools in Florida. And the job market is totally different and much lower paying. Fine for a person like me that is not tied to the local economy but my wife is looking at a $20k a year pay cut. We plan on living beachside, but we figure this will be our retirement home and we are getting a 15 year jump on relocating. But again the majority of our income is not tied to a Florida wage scale and we won't have any kids younger than college.

[Fl1150]

Springfield, Riverside, Mandarin, Arlington and San Marco are suburbs to consider when looking at specifically what your asking for which for the most part have good schools but you might to look at magnets. As far as the job market Jax is one of the better places in Florida for that so your in luck. The issue people seem to have is that companies a lot of don't consider them since their out of state so if you have money saved up come move here first then put out applications. However I would still start sending out applications before you leave as well.

[treek73]

This is very exciting! Our family of three is moving from Tysons Corner to Jacksonville Beach in one month! I can not wait!
This forum has been a indispensable resource and has helped us to decide where we are making our next home. Good luck!

[Guamanians]

I moved from Alexandria to jacksonville 4 years ago. It is slower here, but thats not necessarily a bad thing. Jacksonville is soooo spread out! It sounds as though the beach (i.e. east or SE side) areas are going to be your best bet. I live on the westside, and will admit that the east side is generally nicer. I would look into areas east of I-95 near Butler Blvd. Or, if you like trendy neighborhoods with a city feel to it then San Marco is just south of downtown. And, Riverside is a nice option on the westside near downtown. Since you've lived near DC then I know that you care about traffic! Orange Park is (relatively) bad for traffic. Also, Mandarin (south across the Buckman bridge) is pretty bad because they have too many walmarts and restaurants. But there is PLENTY of space to find a cheap house that fits your lifestyle. and, winters are less severe too

[Off4Fun]

Thank you for all your help. I wasn't expecting to hear of anyone who had moved (or is moving) from DC to Jacksonville area. But that's awesome, and it is likely that your advice is exactly what I need! And treek73, you sound very excited for your move - so best wishes to you

Thank you again, you've given me someplace to start my research! We're taking the kids and going to visit again for a few days soon, and I'm thankful for a few specific places to go check out.

[SaintCabbage]

We moved from NoVA almost 5 years ago. You want to be in Saint Johns county without a doubt, it's the Ashburn of Jacksonville if you will, at half the cost Julington Creek, Durbin Crossing, Nocatee, Palencia, all fine choices with great schools.

[projectmaximus]

An early welcome to FL! My wife used to live in DC and we just transitioned to Jax full-time less than a year ago.

Jax is generally a "chain" city, but if you search you will find plenty of local businesses. It usually ranks at or near the top of small business-friendly markets, so you should see that number continue to grow. For walkability, non-chains, and community-mindedness you'll first look at the urban core neighborhoods (Riverside, San Marco, to name a couple)

But for good schools and lots of families you may end up looking all over the endless suburbs and planned communities. JCP, Oakleaf, Nocatee, etc are among the plethora of popular ones.

At $600k you'll be able to find a desirable 4-bedroom in any part of town, including the beaches.

There are two main employment areas in Jax, that together probably comprise about (just a guess) one-third of the total workforce. One is the downtown area, which includes the actual downtown plus the "southbank" (southside of the river) and "Brooklyn" (small area southwest of downtown). Then there is the JTB-Gate Parkway-Baymeadows-Southside area which is a stretch of suburban office parks (Jax was supposedly the birthplace of the office park) as far as the eyes can see with dozens of major corporate campuses. This area is about 10-12 miles southeast of downtown.

[JacksonvilleNative]

If you are looking for suburban setting then you should look into the Southside, East Arlington or the Beaches.

If you want more of an urban setting you should look at San Marco, Riverside/Avondale, or Springfield.

While those neighborhoods are not walkable in the classic sense, they are for Jacksonville. Remember that you are looking at the largest city in area in the lower 48 and it takes a car to get around it. However those areas have a lot of the amenities you would expect in a walkable neighborhood.

Springfield is in a transition (on the upswing) and has a very diverse population in almost every way. There are numerous activities every month and people get to know each other. You can find a historic home, restored and ready to move in, or a new home, or a vacant lot and have one built. And I feel you will come in considerably less than your $600k range. Of course that holds true for almost any place in Jacksonville.

If I sound biased in favor of Springfield, I am. I live there.

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