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Thread summary:

Jacksonville: transplant adjustment, grocery stores, crime rates, top-notch colleges, job location

 
Old 04-26-2008, 01:33 AM
 
Location: At last.......Jacksonville, FL
367 posts, read 693,028 times
Reputation: 184

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Well, maybe not likely, but the possibility has gone up quite a bit. With this, I have a few questions about the area:

1) Is Jacksonville really as big as it seems?

2) I have heard some from the area say the schools are not quite up to par with the rest of the country. Would you all consider this an accurate statement?

3) What areas are the safest as far as crime rates go?

4) How long did it take for you transplants to adjust to Jacksonville? Along the same lines, for you Northerners; (Well, I am a mutt but moving from the north) how big of an adjustment has it been moving from north to south?

It looks like I will have a job down there (PLEASE let the sale of a certain professional basketball team in the area go through) so thankfully I won't have to look for a job, and my wife's job is the reason we would be moving there.

Oh yeah, grocery stores. (I know, random but I am a writer and broadcaster) Are they decent down there?

Thanks in advance,
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Old 04-26-2008, 08:04 AM
 
Location: Black Hammock Island
4,620 posts, read 14,933,480 times
Reputation: 4620
Answering you questions within ...

Quote:
Originally Posted by radioclown View Post
Well, maybe not likely, but the possibility has gone up quite a bit. With this, I have a few questions about the area:

1) Is Jacksonville really as big as it seems?
Land-wise, yes it's as big as it seems.

2) I have heard some from the area say the schools are not quite up to par with the rest of the country. Would you all consider this an accurate statement?
There are some good schools here - public and private. Perhaps some of the public schools may not be as up-to-snuff as say Wisconsin public schools, but kids do excell and go on to top-notch colleges.

3) What areas are the safest as far as crime rates go?
Like all cities, there are spots where crime is more prevalent than in other areas. Certain pockets northside and westside will be more crime-ridden than other areas of Jacksonville. Since Jacksonville is so big, it's best to figure out 1) job location and commute, then 2) preferred school districts, then 3) housing locations within the areas. Within that smaller "circle", it's easier to say "stay away from this or that zip code" or "this or that area is safe and family-friendly".

4) How long did it take for you transplants to adjust to Jacksonville? Along the same lines, for you Northerners; (Well, I am a mutt but moving from the north) how big of an adjustment has it been moving from north to south?
Adjusting is a personal thing. We are a family of three transplants from the north: I adjusted immediately; for another in our family it took just a little bit longer; for the third, she's a northern city girl (read that as adores NYC and snow and ice) and although she's finding fun here, she prefers up north. I find it quite different here -- pace is slower (except on the highways!) and people are much friendlier. I don't miss the distinct change of seasons (there are seasonal changes - just not as obvious as snow/bonechilling temps, profuse color of autumn leaves, etc.) and thoroughly enjoyed putting up Christmas lights while wearing shorts and a t-shirt.

It looks like I will have a job down there (PLEASE let the sale of a certain professional basketball team in the area go through) so thankfully I won't have to look for a job, and my wife's job is the reason we would be moving there.

Oh yeah, grocery stores. (I know, random but I am a writer and broadcaster) Are they decent down there?
Many choices for grocery shopping from WalMart Super Stores to Fresh Market with lots of Winn Dixies and Publixs.

Thanks in advance,
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Old 04-26-2008, 08:11 AM
 
12 posts, read 17,816 times
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the sale of a certain professional basketball team? In Jacksonville? Huh?
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Old 04-26-2008, 08:25 AM
 
541 posts, read 2,280,430 times
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1) Jacksonville by land size within the city limits is much too large for itself. By population, it is not too big....maybe the 40th largest metro area in the country. 4th largest metro here in Florida behind Miami, Tampa, and Orlando.

2)I think this may be because of the weather. It may decrease students drive towards learning and focus it more towards the fun and sun. I too have found myself making less time for books, learning, my career since moving here from the northeast. I was much more career minded and goal oriented there especially in the winter when I came home from work and it was dark. I would spend a few nights a week reading something that would help me in my career. That has slowly phased out for me here in Florida.

3) Safety can be found in most places on the Southside. And if you don't watch the local news, listen to the local radio, or buy the local paper....you may think there is no crime here. Crime I think is heavily concentrated to the Westside and the Northside.

4)There is a definite adjustment to the south. Honestly, I still don't like the culture here probably never will. It would take me hundreds of years to adjust. But, as I think about it, all of the friends/contacts I have made here have been transplants like myself from places like Jersey, Chicago, LA, Pittsburgh, and places in South Florida like Miami and West Palm. So, I have been fortunate to find other people to hang out with who are not southern and can share the shock with me. I do meet people from the south, but I don't think they like my accent (and vice versa) so we go our separate ways without exchanging numbers

5) Grocery stores are nice...I have seen better though. Are you familiar with Wegmans? Publix is the best they have here....it is good. That's where all the young ladies shop so that's where I go too.....come on how can you blame me?? The only complaint I have with groceries here is the homemade fresh stuff is of a crappy selection and it is hard to find ethnic food and imported cheeses....basically anything imported or out of the ordinary is hard as hell to find here. Like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Last edited by vdecapio; 04-26-2008 at 09:06 AM..
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Old 04-27-2008, 09:38 PM
 
Location: Jax
8,200 posts, read 35,368,279 times
Reputation: 3441
My ramblings are inside your quote ....

Quote:
Originally Posted by radioclown View Post
Well, maybe not likely, but the possibility has gone up quite a bit. With this, I have a few questions about the area:

1) Is Jacksonville really as big as it seems?

There are so many different ways to slice it, but yes, it's pretty big here. By sheer square miles, we are the biggest city in the US at 840 square miles. By population, we are the 12th largest. But some parts are dense with population, while other parts are anything but. This is why you often hear us say you can live urban, suburban or rural and still be inside the city limits.

All that aside, I find it to be a very manageable city. It's easy to live even in the more dense areas and still have plenty of breathing room. It's also a city that retains a "small town feel"....which can sometimes be a good thing, sometimes a bad thing


2) I have heard some from the area say the schools are not quite up to par with the rest of the country. Would you all consider this an accurate statement?

I always say that nobody moves to Florida for our great schools . I think it's safe to say that Florida schools are still behind schools in the NorthEast and the Midwest, but you can find decent and sometimes very good schools in Florida. In Jacksonville specifically, the school system struggles. There is a Florida school rating system called "FCAT", and the Jacksonville schools tend to perform fairly well on the elementary and middle school levels (plenty of A-rated to choose from), but we only have a handful of good-performing high schools. Luckily, high school is only 4 years, so some parents will opt to go private for the last 4 years if they are zoned for a poorly performing high school. We also have a Magnet school system which is another public option:

Duval County Public Schools Magnet Programs


3) What areas are the safest as far as crime rates go?

Like any city, economics play a role. Our hardest hit area for crime is the NorthWest region of the city.

4) How long did it take for you transplants to adjust to Jacksonville? Along the same lines, for you Northerners; (Well, I am a mutt but moving from the north) how big of an adjustment has it been moving from north to south?

I moved here from up North and I would say it is a huge change on a lot of levels. You need to be prepared for a total change. If you're ready for that, then you should acclimate fairly easily. For me, by 6 months in, I was fine. I would say give it a full year to decide if you like it here or not.

It looks like I will have a job down there (PLEASE let the sale of a certain professional basketball team in the area go through) so thankfully I won't have to look for a job, and my wife's job is the reason we would be moving there.

Oh yeah, grocery stores. (I know, random but I am a writer and broadcaster) Are they decent down there?

I think they're average. They're big and many of them are well-kept. What they stock is pretty average. There is a huge lack of health food stores in NorthEast Florida, we have one decent store (2 locations) in all of Jacksonville, IMO, and none in St. Augustine (yes, I am aware of Diane's). Whole Foods is set to open later this year and hopefully that will spur on more competition. We do have a good selection of ethnic food marts scattered throughout the city, you just have to seek them out.

Thanks in advance,
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Old 04-29-2008, 07:23 PM
 
Location: At last.......Jacksonville, FL
367 posts, read 693,028 times
Reputation: 184
I have heard the knock on Jacksonville that it doesn't have much character. Is this the case?
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Old 04-29-2008, 09:04 PM
 
Location: Jax
8,200 posts, read 35,368,279 times
Reputation: 3441
Quote:
Originally Posted by radioclown View Post
I have heard the knock on Jacksonville that it doesn't have much character. Is this the case?
Compared to what? NYC? Boston? Chicago? No. What city does have "character" compared to those? Not many .

Does Jax have its' own culture, its' own character? Yes. Some people like and appreciate it, others don't. You'll have to see for yourself what you think .
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