Crime in Jacksonville, Florida (Palm Beach, Harlem: transporting, homes, magnet school)

[FLPL75]

kort
the southside is not a bad area I don't know why you lumped it in with the westside and arlington
baymeadows gate and the intercoastal are all part of the southside.
the name intercostal west is a new name that has popped up recently in the past year or so when folks there didn't want it to be said they were living in east arlington.
I would rather live in some of the southside neighborhoods than one or 3 in PV or the beaches.

[kort677]

Originally Posted by myfask

kort
the southside is not a bad area I don't know why you lumped it in with the westside and arlington
baymeadows gate and the intercoastal are all part of the southside.
the name intercostal west is a new name that has popped up recently in the past year or so when folks there didn't want it to be said they were living in east arlington.
I would rather live in some of the southside neighborhoods than one or 3 in PV or the beaches.

it was not my intention to include the southside, if it seems if I implyed that it is an error on my part.
I shouldn't have been so lazy and spelled it out that the north, the west even arlington are not the places to move to if safety is a main concern

[riveree]

Originally Posted by myfask

the name intercostal west is a new name that has popped up recently in the past year or so when folks there didn't want it to be said they were living in east arlington.

Other names, that haven't seemed to stick as much as IW are:

Southside Corridor (running from the river to the beach...along JTB mainly)

South Fort Caroline (much of IW is due south of Fort Caroline)

I've been seeing the name "Intracoastal West" since around 2001 or so, when the new construction really starting going on Kernan/Hodges/San Pablo. The name might have been around even longer, but that's when I first heard it.

Arlington gets a bad rap on this forum quite a bit. There are some parts of Arlington that are not nice, no question about that, but there are some very nice parts of it too. If you look at it's location on a map, it's in a pretty good spot - nestled in next to Downtown, along the river and close to the beach - it's a valuable location, really.

Fort Caroline could be lumped in under the general "Arlington" name. I've been told at one time it had the highest concentration of wealth in all of Jacksonville. It's a beautiful area with well kept, tree-lined neighborhoods and it's to the east of what most people call "Arlington" (Regency mall area, etc.).

[littletownblues]

We lived in South FL, moved out of state a year ago due to the hurricanes and now want to come back home to FL. We're thinking of Jacksonville. I hear it is big, traffic nightmares, crime, etc. is it really all that different from Miami-Broward-PBeach area? All of that can also be said of those counties and we lived there for over 30 years and no one bothered us. Please provide any advice you can about where to look for houses, etc. will really appreciate it.

[kort677]

Originally Posted by littletownblues

We lived in South FL, moved out of state a year ago due to the hurricanes and now want to come back home to FL. We're thinking of Jacksonville. I hear it is big, traffic nightmares, crime, etc. is it really all that different from Miami-Broward-PBeach area? All of that can also be said of those counties and we lived there for over 30 years and no one bothered us. Please provide any advice you can about where to look for houses, etc. will really appreciate it.

there is a lot of crime in JAX but it is concentrated to the north and west sides and is easily avoided. JAX is very large geographically and it is easy to seperate yourself from the bad areas. Random petty crime happens everywhere, but common sense would be an asset, I always chuckle of reports of car break ins where people said they left their wallet or cell phone in plain view, duh! what do you think would happen?

Some parts of the JAX area have bad traffic but compared to many big cities it isn't bad, Miami/Dade/Broward can be a lot worse.

Housing depends on if you want to be close to work, or the beaches or malls and stores, suburban or city style and of course how much you care to spend.
I prefer the beaches and there are homes here at every price point.

[LivininJax]

Crime is a major problem in Jacksonville and not just confined to the Northside and Westside. We hear about new incidents of violent crime on the once safe Southside every day. Anyone who tells you that you safe just because of living on the Southside is simply not being honest or aware of what is happening.

I moved to Jacksonville from South Florida six years ago. Like any city, Jacksonville has good and bad points. Folks are generally more polite and likely to speak English than in South Florida. Real estate prices are not as high in Jax as in other urban areas of Florida - although still too high in my opinion. Jacksonville is more of a church and family town than most places in South and North Florida which is a big plus in my view.

The root cause of Jacksonville's problem is that we are very much a city of haves and have nots. Racism and indifference led to a lot of neighborhoods being neglected and allowing conditions to worsen to war zone level. We have a lot of kids growing up in poverty in our city without any hope of a better existence and they are turning to a life of drugs and crime.

Our city government, business leaders, civic organizations and churches need to do far more to work for living wages (we have mostly minimum and slightly higher wage jobs being created here) and better conditions in our inner city areas and other pockets of poverty. We need more police officers and prevention programs for at risk youth like after school programs, athletic activities, etc. And we need tougher sentencing for violent criminals and drug pushers.

I hate to sound negative but the Chamber of Commerce types have talked about the good side of Jacksonville for too long and need to face up to the serious problems. Attracting a Super Bowl was more important to our "good ole boy" civic and political leaders than trying to improve conditions in impoverished neighborhoods. Trying to sweep a problem under the rug doesn't help anything. We need less corporate welfare, mindless civic boosterism and silly talk about how the Jaguars made Jax into such a wonderful city and more action to help lift people out of poverty. We need more funding for alcohol and drug treatment.

Right now, I could not recommend that anyone move to Jacksonville unless it is necessary for job reasons. We are the murder capital of Florida and I expect the problem to get worse. Moving to Nassau, Clay or St. Johns County will not solve the problem if you have to work in Jacksonville - all could be nice places to live if you are retired or work nearby. Let's make Jacksonville and the First Coast better before we can make it bigger.

[Lawstudent]

I like your take on the whole thing. You pointed out many problems that are not particular to Jacksonville they apply to all cities in the US. While you are on your soapbox please do tell us what you are doing to better the situation?

It all depends on what antenna you are flying for what you are receptive to. Look for the good an you will find it, it also goes the other way. tune in or tune out.

[kort677]

Originally Posted by LivininJax

Crime is a major problem in Jacksonville and not just confined to the Northside and Westside. We hear about new incidents of violent crime on the once safe Southside every day. Anyone who tells you that you safe just because of living on the Southside is simply not being honest or aware of what is happening.

your odds of getting caught in a shootout is many times lower if you avoid the west and northside. If you stick to ICW, Baymeadows, San Marco, san jose Mandarin and other areas the chances of violent crime is almost nil.

Originally Posted by LivininJax

Our city government, business leaders, civic organizations and churches need to do far more to work for living wages (we have mostly minimum and slightly higher wage jobs being created here)

In my opinion this is pure liberal drivel, nobody is entitled to anything! Government doesn't establish wage scales and churches can counsel but do little else.
This living wage nonsense is just more recitation from the me first mantra of I deserve everything but don't want to do any work to get it.
if you want to be able to make a living wage, you need to get educated or trained to acquire the skills so you have value to an employer.

If you want to take the easy path of handouts, drugs and crime then you get what you deserve, a spot on the low rungs of societies ladder.

[LivininJax]

The crime wave is rapidly spilling over the Southside. I agree that the Southside is still generally sager but just taking the attitude of "I've got mine and the heck with everbody else" isn't going to make Jacksonville a better place to live.

San Marco is a great neighborhood but very close to some dangerous areas like around Phillips Highway. There are a lot more social problems in San Jose. Mandarin and the Beaches than you might realize. By the way, there is no shortage of hard work in the poor neighborhoods of North Jacksonville. It is difficult to get ahead in a low wage environment. I agree that education is important and the low quality of our schools is a big concern.

As for the question about what I am doing to make life better here. I support and volunteer at a local rescue mission. I try to set a good example for others as a Christian and personally abstain from alcohol and drugs. I encourage folks with a drug or alcohol problem to get help. And I try to vote for candidates who are working for a better Jacksonville and not to just representing the developers.

[kort677]

Originally Posted by LivininJax

The crime wave is rapidly spilling over the Southside. I agree that the Southside is still generally sager but just taking the attitude of "I've got mine and the heck with everbody else" isn't going to make Jacksonville a better place to live.

San Marco is a great neighborhood but very close to some dangerous areas like around Phillips Highway. There are a lot more social problems in San Jose. Mandarin and the Beaches than you might realize. By the way, there is no shortage of hard work in the poor neighborhoods of North Jacksonville. It is difficult to get ahead in a low wage environment. I agree that education is important and the low quality of our schools is a big concern.

As for the question about what I am doing to make life better here. I support and volunteer at a local rescue mission. I try to set a good example for others as a Christian and personally abstain from alcohol and drugs. I encourage folks with a drug or alcohol problem to get help. And I try to vote for candidates who are working for a better Jacksonville and not to just representing the developers.

that's nice!
in my short time here around JAX I have yet to see one politician who is decent, come to think of it in all my years of being deeply involved in NJ politics I think I've seen less than a handful that were any good and those good ones get stomped down by the system. The old saying has much truth, good guys do usually finish last.
I know that's not what an optimist like you cares to hear but thems da facts of life!