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I’m new to the forum and have some questions about Amelia Island and the Fernandina Beach area. I apologize in advance for the length of the post and hope you feel that the more information I provide the better. So, please bear with me.
I’ve already read numerous threads, which have been very informative. I’ve also looked at housing on-line, used Google maps to zoom around in street view, and done a lot of reading on-line, which is ultimately how I found this forum. So basically I have a fair amount of information that is neither first hand, nor has come from anyone I know. I take that back, I have a good friend who lived in northeast Florida for many years, who said I’d love Amelia Island because of its small town feel. I have another friend who suggested it because I love the outdoors, water, nature and wildlife. Both of these friends suggested Amelia Island, without prompting, when I told them I was looking for a place to move to soon, and eventually retire in. It’s primarily because of those two friends that I’m considering the area. I have never been to Amelia Island, but plan to spend a couple of weeks there so I can get a good feel for the area, and am trying to do some serious prep work.
I am a single woman in my late 50’s and currently live in Alabama. I work from home, but travel about once a month so want to be within about an hour proximity to an airport. I like to spend as much time outdoors as possible. That can be as simple as sitting on my porch enjoying a glass of wine and a sunset, taking my dog for a walk to the park, sitting on the beach or riverfront with a good book, or walking to a local restaurant and sitting outside for lunch. If I can walk to a restaurant, sit outside, have a glass of wine, watch the sunset, and take my dog with me, well, that would be ideal! I’ve lived in a TND where all of this was possible, and I really liked it, so a planned community is not out of the question. The reason I liked the TND is that it had a small town/local feel, where people were always outside either in one of the parks or on their front porch. I could also be very happy with a couple of acres in the country if I were within about a 30 minute drive of the beach, a river where I can kayak, and a casual small town where there are shops and restaurants where I could roam around on the weekends. But, I’ve leave the country question for another time, since this is supposed to be about Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach.
From what I’ve read I think I would really enjoy being on-island within walking distance of the historic district. It also seems like there are enough beach parks that it might be possible to find a neighborhood where I can walk to the beach, even if I had to drive to the historic district for that lunch outside. I’ve also read that the beaches are dog friendly. And of course I will leash my dog and always pick up after him. I am also drawn to the marshy areas like Piney Island and Oyster Bay. What I’m having trouble with is all of the different areas/neighborhoods, the areas of gorgeous (read expensive) homes with pockets of run-down homes in between, the contrast between small town feel and high rises, and which areas are safe and which are not. When I look at photos of homes for sale on-line I’m drawn to listings in Amelia Park on-island and Oyster Bay off-island, but I know nothing about the neighborhoods, and I can’t afford them anyway. When I look at properties in my price range, most of what I’m seeing is off-island in the Amelia Concourse area, in subdivisions. Don’t get me wrong, I’d be fine in a subdivision if there is enough green space, the houses aren’t all cookie-cutter, the neighborhood is walkable, and it isn’t all young couples with children. I love kids, and I do not want to live in a neighborhood where everyone is my age. I just don’t want to feel out of place and want to be able to meet some folks my own age.
So, what I’m looking for is a 2-3 bedroom, 2 bath home, around 2,000 square feet. I’d like room for a garden and a fenced area for a dog. I love homes with front porches in neighborhoods with sidewalks. I don’t really care about neighborhood amenities like a pool, clubhouse or fitness center. My price range is $300-$350K. I don’t mind an older home I’d have to renovate, but the $350K would need to be the all-in price. What neighborhoods, areas or subdivisions should I be considering? I plan to spend at least two weeks, maybe a month, exploring in December or January. I want to make sure before I arrive I have done as much homework as possible.
For those of you I didn’t put to sleep, thank you for reading this lengthy post. I welcome all feedback.
Last edited by GreatDaneKisses; 10-15-2015 at 09:08 PM..
Reason: tried to cut and paste from Word and looked like gibberish
GreatDaneKisses I'm still awake! :-) You put forth exactly what you're looking for, and I easily got the idea of your lifestyle.
I wasn't aware of any TNDs in that area, on nor off island, so naturally I had to google. Amelia Park looks fabulous. Of course with fabulous does come higher prices. I also like that kind of neighborhood and had tried to buy into one in North Carolina a few years ago (unfortunately the size home I wanted was outside my price range).
Addressing one of your concerns: the contrasts in "architecture" and "lifestyle" ("the areas of gorgeous (read expensive) homes with pockets of run-down homes in between, the contrast between small town feel and high rises"). It's my opinion that in general if a contrast exists it doesn't have a changing effect on home values because it's very common in northeast Florida. Contrasts can mean not boring and not mind-numbing nor an assault to the senses (referring to long stretches of roadways that are one master-planned cookie-cutter neighborhood after another or strip mall upon strip mall upon strip mall ... bleck).
I live in a relatively new master-planned community located in an area that was once very rural, and to a degree it still is. (Northern Duval County, just south of Nassau County.) The stretch of roadway from a main drag to my neighborhood is full of contrasts (old homesteads and farms to single and double wides to houses built within the past 3 decades, etc., some with large pieces of property and some without). I've found that there's actually a charm to the contrast and I'm quite used to it now. There's an older gent who lives in a single-wide that is close to and perpendicular to the road. Invariably he is sitting on the front stoop in an old-style folding lawn chair, and at his feet are his little dogs. To pass the time he watches the traffic go by. Many wave to him, and sometimes he waves back.
Nassau County can have similar contrasts, but the closer you get to Amelia Island, the more different the types of contrasts. I like the drive from Hwy 17 through Yulee toward the island (well, not exactly at the moment because of the roadway construction, but it will eventually be done and things will be back to normal). Much of The Buccaneer Trail (A1A/200) is commercial with everything from a farm stand to big-box stores with a mix of everything else. There are houses and/or neighborhoods of all ages and types behind. There are stretches of undisturbed marshes and wetlands. Once you go over The Ditch (the intracoastal waterway), the flavor begins to change. It's a bit of a mishmash between the bridge and Sadler Road, but once beyond that intersection and Walmart I find it charming -- charm doesn't necessarily mean quaint, but it can mean interesting and not boring.
Every main roadway on the island is different, has a different flavor with pockets of all kinds of things, and rather than me blabber on here, it's best to see and feel them all for yourself when you come for a visit.
I could make suggestions for other places further west, south, or north of Amelia Island, but then you'd be much further away from the historic downtown Fernandina, and based on what you wrote I really think you want to be near there. I love it. My dog loves it. It's people-friendly and dog-friendly, and full of energy (sometimes more so when the tourists are about especially in summertime). There's a wide variety of shops and restaurants. There's a vibrant bookstore I enjoy, the Book Loft. The entire district area is very walkable with tons of places to sit down and relax, read, people-watch. I like to sit at an outside table at Amelia Island Coffee. Some restaurants with outdoor seating might allow dogs (you'd have to check), but I believe you just might find something close to that ideal of "If I can walk to a restaurant, sit outside, have a glass of wine, watch the sunset, and take my dog with me, well, that would be ideal!" Even if you don't live within walking distance of downtown, a short drive is worth it.
However, be aware that the world descends upon Fernandina and Amelia Island during the Spring Shrimp Festival (next year, April 29-May 1 with a Pirate Parade on April 28).
For a person who does not need to consider a commute to work to Jacksonville, Amelia Island is ideal. Hiking, kayaking, beaches, parks - all of that can be found on Amelia or very close by. The airport is about 30-35 minutes. If you like cultural events such as Broadway tours or the symphony or other such things, downtown Jax is 45-50 minutes. Safety-wise, over all the crime stats are low (look at Neighborhood Scout and SpotCrime, and to put the stats in terms of averages compared to Florida and the country, Amelia Island is lower than the state and national averages Moderator cut: link removed, competitor site
Spending time on the island and all around its vicinity is THE best way to get a feel and to find that particular area that fits all your needs, gives you the warm-fuzzies, says home-sweet-home. Be prepared to do a lot of driving! On-island may feel perfect or might be claustrophic, absolutely peaceful or too busy. Off-island could perhaps feel right or be too far/remote from communing with people, perhaps ideally quiet or just too quiet. It's all about personal preference, and it does seem like you've done a ton of homework already!
Hopefully I didn't put YOU to sleep GreatDaneKisses!
kokonutty,
Sorry for the acronyms, thanks for point that out. TND = traditional neighborhood development. Most if not all TNDs include a variety of housing types and land uses. The ones I have seen, and the one I lived in, definitely embraced the word "traditional" in that the architectural styles were a throw back in time. Think Mayberry. Houses close to one another, front porches, a lot of common green space and parks. As mawipafl mentioned above, Amelia Park is a TND.
mawipafl,
Thank you for the well thought out response, and yes I am still awake. Hah! I am not really concerned about the contrasts, but more confused by them. It makes it difficult to pin-point areas. I do actually prefer some contrast because as you mentioned, without it the landscape can become a jarring assault to the senses. It just seemed like the contrasts on island are more prevalent than one would normally see. Your statement that "every main roadway on the island is different, has a different flavor" actually helps me a lot. It doesn't help me narrow down a particular neighborhood, but does tell me my instincts are correct.
So, if you think I'm on target with my desire to live on-island near the historical district, the question is whether or not I can afford it. I guess I'll find out. In the interim, I would love a few suggestions for areas further out. The reason I'm planning to stay several weeks, or even a month, is so I make sure I do a "first pass" at as many areas as I possibly can.
kokonutty,
Sorry for the acronyms, thanks for point that out. TND = traditional neighborhood development. Most if not all TNDs include a variety of housing types and land uses. The ones I have seen, and the one I lived in, definitely embraced the word "traditional" in that the architectural styles were a throw back in time. Think Mayberry. Houses close to one another, front porches, a lot of common green space and parks. As mawipafl mentioned above, Amelia Park is a TND.
mawipafl,
Thank you for the well thought out response, and yes I am still awake. Hah! I am not really concerned about the contrasts, but more confused by them. It makes it difficult to pin-point areas. I do actually prefer some contrast because as you mentioned, without it the landscape can become a jarring assault to the senses. It just seemed like the contrasts on island are more prevalent than one would normally see. Your statement that "every main roadway on the island is different, has a different flavor" actually helps me a lot. It doesn't help me narrow down a particular neighborhood, but does tell me my instincts are correct.
So, if you think I'm on target with my desire to live on-island near the historical district, the question is whether or not I can afford it. I guess I'll find out. In the interim, I would love a few suggestions for areas further out. The reason I'm planning to stay several weeks, or even a month, is so I make sure I do a "first pass" at as many areas as I possibly can.
Thank you!
Zoning and urban and suburban planning can't seem to keep up with growth sometimes which is why you might find a small neighborhood like Isle of Palms tucked in between a police station and a small shopping area with a variety of housing types around it. It can be confusing and so very hard to describe in full what one particular area is like. In long-time established communities like Fernandina it's not possible to say "this is where the rich folks live and this is where the regular folks live and this is district where you do all your shopping". If it were that simple!
Other areas, well, I am a bit bias because I do like Fernandina and Amelia Island (commute is too far to Southside Jacksonville, otherwise I'd be there).
Once you've exhausted exploration of Amelia Island from top to bottom and side to side, and to help decide whether or not downtown Fernandina is where you want to call your center, you can visit these places while you're here:
St. Marys GA - quaint downtown, but it may be too small and quiet. It doesn't have a nearby beach, but there are great water views and access to the St. Marys River and its tributaries. Cumberland Island's ferry is right there at the waterfront.
Traveling south from Yulee on Hwy 17 you'll go through Hedges (blink and you'll miss it), but if you take Harts Road to the east, there's a few interesting neighborhoods there. Miners Road would take you back to Buccaneer Trail in Yulee. But the area is a bit remote.
Continuing south and crossing over into northern Duval County is an area called Tisonia with a brand new, very large community being built. Yellow Bluff Landing. It's probably not your cup of tea, but worth a drive-through to know if it is or isn't. If you take Yellow Bluff Road you can visit Eagle Bend. However both these areas are probably more remote than you'd want.
Northern Duval has some great neighborhoods (some old, some new, some very cookie-cutter, some semi-cookie-cutter, some unique), but it lacks a central community gathering place, doesn't have easy access to a beach, has fewer accesses to water for kayaking, and in many cases to get anywhere coastal means going all the way around your elbow to get to your thumb. For example, Black Hammock Island is so very close to Amelia Island, but you can't get to Amelia unless you have a boat - there's no road that cuts over to A1A.
Another journey to make is along the coast of Amelia on A1A and take the Mayport Ferry across the St. Johns. Continue south on A1A and visit all the beach communities: Atlantic, Neptune, Jacksonville Beach, and Ponte Vedra.
On another day trip you might want to visit St. Augustine. Old St. Augustine isn't like Fernandina, but it does have walkability, energy, shops, restaurants, art galleries, places to sit and relax, dog-friendly (dogs can even take a scenic cruise with you), etc. It usually has more tourists. Anastasia Island and St. Augustine Beach are close.
To get a taste of urban Jacksonville, and if you're visiting on the first Wednesday of the month, take in the Art Walk downtown. St. Augustine has theirs on the first Friday. Neptune/Atlantic Beaches is on the third Thursday.
Areas near the urban core of Jacksonville are San Marco, Riverside, and Avondale. All are walkable, friendly, and have things to do. Riverside and Avondale have a bit more green space than San Marco.
The First Coast is gigantic, but honestly there is something here for everyone. It might take a lot of exploring, but I think you'll find what you're looking for.
If you are bringing your dog when you visit, each community and beach seem to have its own rules. I think dogs on leashes are allowed at any time on Atlantic Beach, but only before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m. on Neptune and Jacksonville Beaches. I believe they're allowed at any time on Anastasia and St. Augustine Beaches, but not in Anastasia State Park. Dogs are allowed on Amelia Island beaches, but not in any of the state parks.
Thank you mawipafl for all of the wonderful information. It is extremely helpful. I can almost see myself driving around some of the areas you describe.
Am I the only one who has a problem with the word "neighborhood" being usurped to describe a development or subdivision? A neighborhood used to refer to an area that was created and grew or retracted organically by people with relatively common interests and lifestyles. Kind of like the difference between a house and a home that real estate agents have strived to make synonymous.
kokonutty I understand. In my (very lengthy) posts I used the word "neighborhood" in two ways - to describe smaller development/subdivisions AND to describe small clusters within larger locales of houses/homes in which residents appear to be like-minded. I don't necessarily use the proper definition of "neighbor" when labeling an area. None of us do. Neighborhoods, regardless of newly built or existing for a long time, vary greatly in size. Houses/homes do not necessarily have to be near by to be considered neighbors.
Take a look at an old mill town. What would be the definition of "neighborhood"? Edifices for living (a house to me, a home to the ones living in it) cropped up around the mill. There were the millworkers' small bungalows or multi-families, the lower managements' modest houses, upper management's clusters of big dwellings. For simplicity I'll call them districts for now. Within each district those living there would define their neighborhood, and in each individual's mind his neighborhood had a border. A person living at the end of a dead-end street might consider just the street as his neighborhood. The person living on the same street, but at the beginning of it, might consider the dead-end street as well as the connecting street as his neighborhood. Speaking to an outsider a person might expand the borders of his neighborhood to include a number of streets just to better define to the outsider where he lives. In the same way a person might describe his entire district as his neighborhood to more fully describe his part of town.
Since most of these mill towns no longer have mills, the demographics of families living in neighborhoods have changed and there is less like-mindedness than there was, but the neighborhood still exists. It's really hard to say that neighborhoods "[grow] and [retract] organically by people with relatively common interests and lifestyles". If that was true, then the neighborhood where I grew up would no longer be called a neighborhood. In my time in every house on that dead-end street had lower-middle-class families with kids. Today that street is home to long-timer elderly couples, short-timer young-no-kids-yet couples, families with kids, those on fixed incomes and those with money to burn. The commonalities of yesteryear are gone, but it's still a neighborhood.
I wrote, "Northern Duval has some great neighborhoods (some old, some new, some very cookie-cutter, some semi-cookie-cutter, some unique)". In this the word "neighborhoods" helps to give areas a border. Newly built subdivisions can be considered a neighborhood because they are developed and "created [to attract] people with relatively common interests and lifestyles". I consider the entirety of my subdivision as my neighborhood. When I meet someone else who lives here, we don't ask "what neighborhood do you live in?" We ask what street do you live on because we all consider ourselves as living in the same neighborhood. When I lived in a larger master-planned community that had specifically defined and named neighborhoods, when meeting others, yes, then we asked "what neighborhood?"
For the OP who is viewing the First Coast from above by seeing it on a map, my use of "neighborhoods" simply helps to describe certain clusters of streets seen on that map. Perhaps those living in Yellow Bluff Landing consider all of that development as their neighborhood or maybe they define neighborhood as just the street they live on. At this point it doesn't really matter. By calling Yellow Bluff Landing a neighborhood says that the development attracts a certain group of like-minded residents, and a drive-through would give the sense of that like-mindedness and whether it was a good fit for the OP.
I think what is more missing today is neighborly-ness. Today it's possible to live right next door to someone and never have a conversation with them nor to know much about them. Perhaps that's why the word "neighborhood" may seem to have taken on a different meaning.
I know - house/home - it's the psychological game realtors have to play to help a buyer see a house as their future home or to convince sellers to emotionally let go of their home and sell their house.
kokonutty I understand. In my (very lengthy) posts I used the word "neighborhood" in two ways - to describe smaller development/subdivisions AND to describe small clusters within larger locales of houses/homes in which residents appear to be like-minded. I don't necessarily use the proper definition of "neighbor" when labeling an area. None of us do. Neighborhoods, regardless of newly built or existing for a long time, vary greatly in size. Houses/homes do not necessarily have to be near by to be considered neighbors.
Take a look at an old mill town. What would be the definition of "neighborhood"? Edifices for living (a house to me, a home to the ones living in it) cropped up around the mill. There were the millworkers' small bungalows or multi-families, the lower managements' modest houses, upper management's clusters of big dwellings. For simplicity I'll call them districts for now. Within each district those living there would define their neighborhood, and in each individual's mind his neighborhood had a border. A person living at the end of a dead-end street might consider just the street as his neighborhood. The person living on the same street, but at the beginning of it, might consider the dead-end street as well as the connecting street as his neighborhood. Speaking to an outsider a person might expand the borders of his neighborhood to include a number of streets just to better define to the outsider where he lives. In the same way a person might describe his entire district as his neighborhood to more fully describe his part of town.
Since most of these mill towns no longer have mills, the demographics of families living in neighborhoods have changed and there is less like-mindedness than there was, but the neighborhood still exists. It's really hard to say that neighborhoods "[grow] and [retract] organically by people with relatively common interests and lifestyles". If that was true, then the neighborhood where I grew up would no longer be called a neighborhood. In my time in every house on that dead-end street had lower-middle-class families with kids. Today that street is home to long-timer elderly couples, short-timer young-no-kids-yet couples, families with kids, those on fixed incomes and those with money to burn. The commonalities of yesteryear are gone, but it's still a neighborhood.
I wrote, "Northern Duval has some great neighborhoods (some old, some new, some very cookie-cutter, some semi-cookie-cutter, some unique)". In this the word "neighborhoods" helps to give areas a border. Newly built subdivisions can be considered a neighborhood because they are developed and "created [to attract] people with relatively common interests and lifestyles". I consider the entirety of my subdivision as my neighborhood. When I meet someone else who lives here, we don't ask "what neighborhood do you live in?" We ask what street do you live on because we all consider ourselves as living in the same neighborhood. When I lived in a larger master-planned community that had specifically defined and named neighborhoods, when meeting others, yes, then we asked "what neighborhood?"
For the OP who is viewing the First Coast from above by seeing it on a map, my use of "neighborhoods" simply helps to describe certain clusters of streets seen on that map. Perhaps those living in Yellow Bluff Landing consider all of that development as their neighborhood or maybe they define neighborhood as just the street they live on. At this point it doesn't really matter. By calling Yellow Bluff Landing a neighborhood says that the development attracts a certain group of like-minded residents, and a drive-through would give the sense of that like-mindedness and whether it was a good fit for the OP.
I think what is more missing today is neighborly-ness. Today it's possible to live right next door to someone and never have a conversation with them nor to know much about them. Perhaps that's why the word "neighborhood" may seem to have taken on a different meaning.
I know - house/home - it's the psychological game realtors have to play to help a buyer see a house as their future home or to convince sellers to emotionally let go of their home and sell their house.
Mostly agree, and my comment was a generic one, not directed specifically to you. Your mill town example is good because there would be different neighborhoods on each side of the river and different neighborhoods where the workers lived as compared to the owners and managers. This would be true regardless of who built any or all of the houses.
Your citing the dearth of "neighborliness" is a perfect example of why developers are wrong to use "neighborhood" as a marketing ploy. Neighbor denotes a lot more than proximity, it can't be created by bulldozers, hammers and lumber.
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