Visiting Jacksonville Burbs Tuesday. Here's my game plan. Thoughts appreciated. Thanks (Country Club: condo, houses)

[ATLBound]

My wife and I are seriously considering relocating to the area. We currently live in Valley Forge PA and are looking for a suburban area within 45 minutes to Jacksonville. After reading all the threads here are the areas we targeted and are checking out. Let me know your thoughts on traffic patterns Tuesday or other areas I may have missed that may be worth checking out. We're leaving Hilton Head Island around 9:15 AM coming down from I-95. Here's our plan Take 95 to 200 and visit :
Yulee
Fernandina Beach
Amelia Island

Take 1A1 - 105 to
Take 9A to I-95S to 210 to 13
and visit
Sub Divisions off of 210
Switzerland
Fruit Cove
Then back on 95S to visit historic St Augustine. Too far to look for a place to live in St Augustine and commute to Jacksonville but looking forward to the visit. Then back home to our condo in Hilton Head.

Thanks again for all the good information

[riveree]

Hi AtLBound,

The driving plan sounds fine - taking A1A will be a very pretty drive coming through and south of Fernandina & Amelia - keep an eye out for some of Jax's city parks/preservations that you'll drive through: Big Talbot Island, Little Talbot Island & Hugenot.....you'll probably want to check these out in the future - even from the road, Hugenot is camera-worthy.

You're right, living in historic St. Augustine and commuting to a job in Jax is a haul......but so is commuting from the other spots you mentioned - Yulee, Fernandina & Amelia are far. 210 is a bit better, but still quite a commute (and the area is growing...more and more people will be on the roads there).

I actually was down on 13 last weekend and drove through some of the new communities in Switzerland and Fruit Cove. The houses and neighborhoods are very pretty, but no different than what you'll find elsewhere (in Duval or Clay county) - the same builders build all over.

Much of Jax is suburban and looks today how these areas will look tomorrow once they are all built up. You can save on commute time, gas and have more convenience in Jax and find the same style neighborhoods, so you might want to consider looking in Jax too. It is of course, more dense with more people, and I know that can be a reason why some people don't want to live in the city limits.

If you are interested in looking into neighborhoods in Jax, let us know what you're looking for (sq footage, price, style of home/neighborhood, etc.) and I'm sure we can recommed some spots for you to check out.

[backtofla]

what is fruit cove like? anyone?

[ATLBound]

Riveree, Thanks a million. I never realized most of Jacksonville was like one big suburb. This is sorta what we're looking for :


Newer Home 0 - 7 years
Private Lot 1/4 to 1 acre. We have two dogs.
Sq footage Anywhere from 2,500 and up.
Price range anywhere from $300,000 - $550,000

I've been on realtor and saved 100 homes I really liked in the area. I'm really into those homes with the lanai and covered pools. I'm 42, wife is 35 so we don't need an adult 55 community.

Definelty open to your suggestions. Thanks again.

[FLPL75]

hmm I didn't see a pizza visit in the schedule ATL bound
riveree and I are meeting on wed for pizza but we could change it to Tues if you want to meet up with us
I sent you a PM
drive safe

karla

[ATLBound]

Thanks Karla. That's a possibility. Where were you all thinking of going for Pizza ? My favorite Pizza spot in Philly is Tulips in the great NE part of Philly. It would be cool to compare the two.

[FLPL75]

renna in the towne center it is the closet I have found to pizza up north
I sent you a PM with my cell phone and a list of neighborhood to look at

riveree want to switch pizza to Tues I really want to change the meeting i have scheduled and this would be a great reason
lol Atlbound we may take you on a tour

karla

[riveree]

Originally Posted by myfask

riveree want to switch pizza to Tues I really want to change the meeting i have scheduled and this would be a great reason
lol Atlbound we may take you on a tour

karla

Sure, pencil me in .

I'll think more about neighborhoods and get back to this thread a little later.

[riveree]

Okay, thought about the neighborhoods a bit more considering that parameters you mentioned, and here are a few ideas for neighborhoods you might want to check out:

Since MyFask has probably already sent you some neighborhood names for locations on the "Southside" of "The Southside", I'll give you a few names for neighborhoods in "Intracoastal West" of "The Southside". Maybe some of these neighborhood names will match your list of 100 houses.

Intracoastal West:

Highland Glen
Jacksonville Golf & Country Club
Queens Harbour Yacht & Country Club
Pablo Bay
Waterleaf
The Woods (older, but people love it)

These all in some way connect to the general Kernan Blvd/Atlantic Blvd/Beach Blvd area (except Pablo Bay...it's a bit further east on San Pablo Road).

I live in this area and I can tell you that's it's convenient, can get to the beach in a flash, easy to get downtown, shopping and restaurants galore (including the new St. Johns Town Center), easy access to 9A.....the area has a lot going for it.

There are 2 new developments coming in as well. One is called "Temaya", I think? It's being done by ICI, so it will be very upscale (they are the ones doing Highland Glen and Temaya is going in right across from Highland Glen). There is also a new master planned community going in on the NorthEast corner of Beach Blvd & Kernan Blvd that will have it's own shopping district, etc. - it's going to be a big one - I believe it's going to be called "Meditierra" (various builders). So, if you like the general area, and you have some time before you move here, these will be future options as well.

[FLPL75]

I DJ'd a party put on by the "women of the woods" at the woods subdivision pool last fall
they were a fun bunch of folks

we both listed jax golf lol thats in the middle of both areas

ATLbound we are both up for meeting you guys for pizza on Tues around 2pm
give me a call on my cell if this works for you

karla

karla