Anyone regret moving to Jax? (Christmas: 2014, home, good schools)

[ShakenStirred]

Originally Posted by FreddieFo

A few recent threads and comments have gotten me thinking and nodding along. Every city has its issues, and while I appreciate the lower taxes that Jax and Florida offer, there are also many downsides to living here. I don’t want this thread to get political, but to explain, I’m more of a purple mindset, e.g., I don’t want to be taxed to death, but at the same time, I appreciate nice parks, libraries, etc., and these things come at a cost. Tax seems to be a four letter word in Jax, and oftentimes, there is no balance. That’s a big gripe for me. So, has anyone who has moved to Jax (if retired, please state so as that is a different mindset and different priorities) regret the decision? Why/why not?

No. I love my city. A city is not made good or bad by politicians, but rather by the people who reside in it and determine how they are going to live their lives.

I've lived in Ohio, Minnesota, California and Georgia, and there is no where I'd rather call home right now than Jacksonville, Florida.

SS

[PVB814]

[quote=FreddieFo;54606859 (...) We miss the museums, public transit, and community investment (I’m using this broadly to include festivals, concerts, etc. Maybe these exist in Jax, and maybe what appeals here just isn’t our cup of tea).

Overall, I think our biggest deterrent to staying is the lack of upward mobility in jobs. That’s a big deterrent.[/QUOTE]

Jax is not a cultural mecca compared with other big cities where you may have lived before.
But it is not a desert. Check the Cummer Museum (its collections and seasonal exhibits), the Jacksonville Symphony, the Florida Theater, the Abet in Neptune Beach and so many others venues. So many opportunities.
Have you ever been to the Main Library on Laura Street?

This area has a lot to offer, from beautiful natural resources (ocean) to first-class amenities (healthcare, schools, etc)

Lack of upward mobility in jobs? Sorry, I don't know what you mean... with so many opportunities available as long as you are willing to work hard and take some risks, the sky the limit. I understand you or your spouse are lawyers, I know many of your peers who have done quite well here

Be proud, happy and engaged where you live; with the right attitude, you will enjoy life, here or elsewhere.

[Florida2014]

Originally Posted by tatertoodles

Some people love Florida and this area. I have found that this place just isn't for me and my family. I prefer a quiet life to having to deal with traffic and noise all of the time. Wish me luck that we are able to get out of here soon! Thanks for posting this topic. It's good to know that I'm not the only one that feels this way.

Boy this sounds SO familiar! And from a newly created account. Are you moving to CO?

[FreddieFo]

Originally Posted by tatertoodles

Heck yeah, I regret moving to Jax! I've only lived here about 1.5 years and we are looking to move ASAP. We currently live in the Girvin area and I am not at all impressed by this place. In fact, I downright hate it! We moved here from Washington and I don't know what we were expecting by moving here. Definitely not this chaotic, heat-filled, crime ridden environment.

As I have read on this forum, I really believe that since there are so many places to live in the area, it really depends on where you have chosen to move and your happiness level. It also depends on whether you are a retiree, family oriented, single, etc. I have a young family and I find this place not at all conducive to raising a family. My family and I live 4 miles from any major shopping area but still have to fight traffic on a daily basis. I have never seen such poor infrastructure where there are so few through roads and so many cars that pile up at a red light. The schools are just plain awful. I have to drive my child 20 minutes one way just so that she can go to a sub-par school. It is beyond frustrating. While it is a fairly reasonable cost to live, I would gladly move back to Washington in a heartbeat. I thought that living close to the beach and having amenities close by (was I ever wrong about this) would be a great living situation for our family. Ha! I never want to see another beach again and don't get me started on Disney.

Some people love Florida and this area. I have found that this place just isn't for me and my family. I prefer a quiet life to having to deal with traffic and noise all of the time. Wish me luck that we are able to get out of here soon! Thanks for posting this topic. It's good to know that I'm not the only one that feels this way.

Thank you for your honest reply. I’m generally an optimistic person, and there are things I do like about Jax, but we’re getting to a point in our lives where we’re going to have to move on or commit. We’ve held off on buying a house because some things about Jax (a lot of what you’ve mentioned so I won’t repeat) have had us seriously question whether to commit any length of time here. It’s a back and forth battle at this point. Some of the major perks about Jax and Florida (low taxes, beach, etc.), we have found that we, at this point, can’t fully take advantage of. We don’t own a house, but live in a safe neighborhood, I.e., high rent, which in turn precludes us from buying. A lot of people who live/move to Florida enjoy and live at the beach. We are pretty frugal, and hope to retire early, so again, those homes price us out.

We don’t have kids yet, but plan to, and that is a main driver of our back and forth. Schools here, sorry, even in the Promised Land of St John’s County, fall short of the education standards we had growing up. Part of this, I believe, is the large amount of retirees in Florida who don’t want to pay taxes for better education because it doesn’t affect them. They live here just enough of the year to vote. This is all just my opinion.

Multiple cross-country moves in a decade are not decisions to be made overnight. We’re planning ahead, but are just looking for some other opinions to see if our thinking is on the right track. At the end of the day, Jax and Florida has a lot to offer, but also a lot of shortcomings. I know there’s no perfect place.

[FreddieFo]

Originally Posted by ShakenStirred

No. I love my city. A city is not made good or bad by politicians, but rather by the people who reside in it and determine how they are going to live their lives.

I've lived in Ohio, Minnesota, California and Georgia, and there is no where I'd rather call home right now than Jacksonville, Florida.

SS

Thank you- May I ask if you are still in the work force?

[FreddieFo]

Originally Posted by PVB814

Jax is not a cultural mecca compared with other big cities where you may have lived before.
But it is not a desert. Check the Cummer Museum (its collections and seasonal exhibits), the Jacksonville Symphony, the Florida Theater, the Abet in Neptune Beach and so many others venues. So many opportunities.
Have you ever been to the Main Library on Laura Street?

This area has a lot to offer, from beautiful natural resources (ocean) to first-class amenities (healthcare, schools, etc)

Lack of upward mobility in jobs? Sorry, I don't know what you mean... with so many opportunities available as long as you are willing to work hard and take some risks, the sky the limit. I understand you or your spouse are lawyers, I know many of your peers who have done quite well here

Be proud, happy and engaged where you live; with the right attitude, you will enjoy life, here or elsewhere.

Thank you- yes, we go to shows both at Times Union and the Florida Theatre (love it). Cummer is on our list, as is the Symphony. I have been to the Main Library several times, and I do think that the library system in Jax is great. I didn’t mean to say it wasn’t. The library e-content has probably saved our household $100s a year alone.

To explain lack of upward mobility- it APPEARS that many of the “business x created y amount of jobs” articles seem to pull many of those people from the other office locations. So in Jax, yes, business is booming, but those kind are often filled by additional transplants. I’m not faulting them, I’m just saying that I think the job market isn’t as strong as it is reflected. For the record, we don’t practice, and are making more than our practicing peers.

[PVB814]

Originally Posted by FreddieFo

Thank you- yes, we go to shows both at Times Union and the Florida Theatre (love it). Cummer is on our list, as is the Symphony. I have been to the Main Library several times, and I do think that the library system in Jax is great. I didn’t mean to say it wasn’t. The library e-content has probably saved our household $100s a year alone.

To explain lack of upward mobility- it APPEARS that many of the “business x created y amount of jobs” articles seem to pull many of those people from the other office locations. So in Jax, yes, business is booming, but those kind are often filled by additional transplants. I’m not faulting them, I’m just saying that I think the job market isn’t as strong as it is reflected. For the record, we don’t practice, and are making more than our practicing peers.

Thank you for a very positive reply. Agree on all counts. Hope you stick around.

[Northside904]

I was born and raised in Jacksonville, and I don't regret still living here. To me, you get the best of both worlds, areas that have a suburban feel and areas that are happening.

[nep321]

For me, I have lived in multiple places in my life and have realized that no matter where I live, there will be things to complain about and things to like. So, might as well stay here in Jax. My job is likable and going pretty well and I'm living comfortably and stable. So why rock the boat?

[sithlord72]

Originally Posted by FreddieFo

A few recent threads and comments have gotten me thinking and nodding along. Every city has its issues, and while I appreciate the lower taxes that Jax and Florida offer, there are also many downsides to living here. I don’t want this thread to get political, but to explain, I’m more of a purple mindset, e.g., I don’t want to be taxed to death, but at the same time, I appreciate nice parks, libraries, etc., and these things come at a cost. Tax seems to be a four letter word in Jax, and oftentimes, there is no balance. That’s a big gripe for me. So, has anyone who has moved to Jax (if retired, please state so as that is a different mindset and different priorities) regret the decision? Why/why not?

May i ask ...do you still work or are you retired ? Do you have any children? If yes, old or young ?