Please help with apartment choice (Jacksonville: apartment complex, rent, neighborhoods)

[rawkustk]

Hi. I will be moving to Jacksonville and working near the airport. I looked at many aparments and narrowed choice between the two apartments which are 220 riverside (located on brooklyn) and mirador aparments (located in rivercity marketplace) Can you help me choose which apartment is best for me? I dont know much about Jacksonville so i wrote down what i think pros/cons for each apartment.

Lil bit about myself: i am in early 30s, Latino, and have no kids.

My preferences: i dont really care about walkability or city like atmosphere. I actually like cookie cutter aparments as long as they are safe, easy commute and close to many shops i go every week such as walmart.

Reason why i chose 220 riverside: This is nicest apartment complex that i could find that is closest to airport. That said how long is the commute from brooklyn to airport? Is traffic bad on rush hour on northbound i 95? (My work starts at 8) I really do like the apartment building and planned amenities ( they are still finishing construction). But commute time is a key for me. I hate commuting. I dont want to depreciate my car (brand new bmw suv), spend more money on gas, and last but not the least waste my time.

Reason why i chose mirador: its very close to work and everything i need in rivercity marketplace which is main reason why i chose this complex. Rent is cheaper but the apartment complex dont look as nice as 220 riverside which was newly built. Amenities dont come close to 220 riverside. Also, i am bit concerned about the safety of the complex. Why have fences at all if they can easily be climbed over? And it looks like gates are opened majority of the time based on apartment review that i ve read. Its little cheaper than 220 riverside which is a plus but honestly id rather pay more to stay in way more beautifully built building through inside and outside.

So key thing that is holding me back is commutability from brooklyn to airport. How bad is it? Can i get to airport area in 20 minutes in rushhour traffic? I appreciate your feedback in advance. You guys has been huge help in finding right aparment!

[rs1n]

I used to live in Riverside, and normally would sell the idea of living in Riverside to anyone interested. But from a practical standpoint, and given what you have posted, it seems that being closer to the airport may be the better choice.

Riverside is a beautiful area with lots of parks, lots of diversity, and lots of unique charm. The night life for single or young couples is certainly not lacking, and there is always downtown within 5 minutes if you want to do something in the city (though for as long as I have been here, downtown Jacksonville just is not your typical metropolitan downtown and many choose to visit elsewhere). I think traffic is not too bad once you get past Martin Luther King. What Riverside lacks, however, is a lot of the typical "chain" restaurants and Walmarts (or any similar store -- Target, K-mart, etc.). I do not know if this is going to change -- though I doubt it -- once the construction right around where you looked at gets completed. (They are re-building the YMCA there and the bottom floor of the two high-rises are for commercial use.)

NW Jacksonville near Rivercity Marketplace has much more to offer in terms of shopping. It is also much closer to the airport, as you already know. You are also more likely to find "cookie cutter" neighborhoods.

As far as your concern for your car and security, if you are in Riverside proper, then there is little to worry about. But its surrounding areas to the north and northwest are where you may feel a little less secure. The same can be said about various areas toward the NW area of town out closer to the airport. I cannot speak specifically about Mirador, but the 220 Riverside apartments are in a good spot (not sure once you "cross the tracks" -- aka I-95).

[Mabest]

Are you paying 855 for 1 bed? What kinda job do you have?