Best areas to scout out... (Jacksonville, Davie: rentals, condos, homes)

[nytofl2016]

Hi Everyone,
I am going to be in the Jacksonville/St. Augustine area soon. I am checking it out as an option to relocate.
My husband and I are in our late 20's, no kids, and are working professionals. We are looking for an area that is safe and walkable. When I say walkable, I mean we would like to be able to so some light grocery shopping and enjoy some restaurant/bars. Can anyone recommend some areas/neighborhoods we should check out?
Thanks!

[JacksonvilleNative]

I can't speak to St Augustine but the closest thing to walk-ability you will find in Jacksonville will be the Urban Core. You might consider the neighborhoods of San Marco, Avondale/Riverside, Springfield, Murray Hill.

You could probably find some areas that fit at the beaches

It would help if you cold give some ideas of your budget, and type of housing you may be looking for. If you are thinking of buying, you may want to consider renting first until you get a better feel for the area.

[nytofl2016]

Thank you!

Yes, we eventually want to own a home. Budget would be up to $300,000.

[hornsch]

Beach is best.

[projectmaximus]

I've made many posts about this. Young professionals seeking walkable areas.

You can search through the forums, but basically what Jaxnative said is what you want to know.

Without question your best bet would be Riverside and Brooklyn. You have a Publix in Riverside and a Fresh Market in Brooklyn, both with plenty of housing options and restaurants/shops/nightlife within walking distance. Brooklyn at the moment only has apt rentals though, and they are pricey for our market. Riverside has more options including homes to purchase under 300k. And in both cases you are 2 miles or less to downtown (in fact Brooklyn is often thought of as part of downtown)

The beaches are a great alternative as well. Fairly walkable and definitely bike able and self-sustaining. Lots of young people and very fun, laid-back atmosphere. The big issue is where you work, as if you're commuting to downtown it is not fun. There are comparatively few office jobs at the beaches so even if you work out closer to the beach you're still going to have to drive to work. Still, it is the beach after all so it's attractive to many people. There you'd probably want to look at Jax Beach, Neptune Beach, and the southern parts of Atlantic Beach. Northern Ponte Vedra is ok too but less and less walkable and more and more pricey.

The wildcard option is St Johns Town Center area (SJTC). Between SJTC (major destination outdoor shopping complex), Tinseltown (another large retail area anchored by a megaplex theater), Tapestry Park (small mixed-use development) and Deerwood Lake (quasi-mixed use area), this 2 mile stretch of suburban Jax is fairly walkable and very close proximity to tens of thousands of office jobs (I think this area employs as many workers as downtown). If you ended up working in this area, living here would give you a very short commute and there are a handful of condos/apts that would allow you to walk to retail/grocery/nightlife/restaurants.

[Peter the Brit]

The downtown area of St Augustine in particular Lincolnville or Davies Shores

[projectmaximus]

Originally Posted by Peter the Brit

The downtown area of St Augustine in particular Lincolnville or Davies Shores

I forgot you asked about St Aug. Yes, downtown is an option as well!! I would definitely suggest a visit...it's probably the best tourist spot in the entire region.

[nytofl2016]

Thank you! I do read through old posts, so sorry if I made you repeat yourself

[projectmaximus]

No worries! I obviously like sharing my thoughts and they do change slightly every few months as I learn about new business relocations or possible new developments.