Single Female (older, over 45, no kids) seeking opinions/feedback about moving to JAX (Riverside or JAX Beach areas) (Jacksonville: cul-de-sac, apartment complexes)

[newbie09]

Considering relocating to the Jacksonville area from Charlotte NC (originally from Buffalo NY) and have already done a posting here seeking perspectives from former Western New Yorkers who have spent time living in the JAX area. But in this posting, I'm seeking feedback about my concerns as a single older active female, semi-retired, who'd be moving here on her own and probably living alone eventually (although sharing a place as a roommate with another mature female would be fine for a while to start with.) What's different about me is that I'm not concerned about many of the big issues that concern most people when they relocate, my concerns/needs/requirements are not as typical:
-- NOT concerned about school systems (no kids)
-- NOT concerned about employment or commuting times (I'm financially secure as long as expenses kept reasonably low, OK w/ part-time work, retail jobs OK)
-- NOT that concerned about buying property (have always been a renter, fine with renting only, though might consider buying a small house or condo at some point.)

Looking for an area that's relatively inexpensive, safe, walkable, pedestrian-friendly, bike-friendly, convenient to basic shopping, with inexpensive access to tennis courts (I play a lot of tennis, singles tennis at least 4 days a week!) & MOST important: would allow me to live WITHOUT a car. (Don't like driving, have never owned a car, would like to continue living without a car as I do now. And yes, I know that's something that 98% of people cannot relate to at all!)

As a down-to-earth person looking to live casually, don't require the most "upscale" living, don't mind living in a tourist-oriented area but don't need super-exciting nightlife, not afraid to live in cities, don't want to live in an isolated suburban-type area, don't need to reside in a gated community, not afraid to take public transportation, even buses after dark-- I'm used to doing that but always reasonably cautious & always stay alert to my surroundings.

I'd love to live very close to the beach (walking distance would be great), so I'm considering moving to the Neptune Beach/Jacksonville Beach area. Seems like that's a place which would meet most of my wants & needs (for example, there's 3 bus routes there, although most of the time I'd use a bicycle for basic transportation, did that in Buffalo, doing that here in Charlotte.) My second choice for where to live in JAX would be in Riverside near Downtown JAX (I like what I've heard/seen online so far about the historic architecture, more "artsy" vibe and the riverfront views!)

Would like to get some feedback about whether my plans seem reasonable and workable. Especially hoping to hear from any other single females who are a little older like me (over 40) & have moved to the JAX area on their own, without kids: What areas of JAX did you explore as places to live? Tips for places to avoid? Pros and Cons of living in the JAX area as an older single female? Concerns about crime/safety? (keep in mind that I'm very used city-living & know that crimes occur everywhere, there's no absolutely safe place, you have to stay reasonably alert no matter where you are.) Feel free to DM me if that works better for you!

Since I would never move somewhere without spending time in that area first, I have plans to be in JAX very soon (for 6 days, from March 10th) to explore the area firsthand. But even so, I'd appreciate some feedback/opinions ahead of time about my plans. Hey, I know I'm a nontraditional person, and not typical of most women who look to relocating in Jacksonville but hope that someone here will relate to what I'm talking about & offer some helpful opinions. Thanks!

[michaeldee]

I think Jacksonville/Neptune Beach would be a good fit for you. Tennis courts available, bicycle friendly, good bus service to downtown, and fairly walkable. When you mention reasonable I wonder what price range you are talking about. You could probably find a one bedroom for about $600 or higher. Many of the rentals at the beaches are small older apartment complexes or houses converted into apartments. For part-time employment you could find something there. You'll do just fine because you seem to be flexible.

[fsu813]

The only areas of town that fits your description and where you can comfortbabley live without a car are:

Riverside & Avondale and a specific part of the Beaches.

It's dobale in other parts of the Beaches as well, and San Macro & Springfield. But not as convenient.

The rest of Jax is car-centered.

[newbie09]

Hoping for more replies, especially if you're a single older female (over 40) who relocated to the JAX area totally on your own (and also especially if you reside in the Neptune Bch/JAX Bch area.)

[TeachrGirl17]

I don't exactly fit your description of who you are hoping to receive replies from, but I believe my Mom does. She is 48 and single, and recently moved here about 7 months ago (without kids, I am 20 and live on my own). She moved onto the Southside of town about 6 miles from the beach, and was paying about $825 for a one bedroom apartment with a loft. I know you can probably find a one bedroom for a little cheaper than this if you are willing to compromise on some things, such as not having pets, etc. Neptune Beach area would be the best bet for not having a car. There is no way she could have worked it out to be carless where she was at. Neptune beach area is really nice and quaint though. Some cute little shops and restuarants, etc. Having said all this however, she just moved back to (would you believe it?!) Charlotte, NC, which is where she originally moved here from. She lasted here about 6-7 months and it just wasn't a good fit for her. She tells me the beach was the best part about Jacksonville but the cost of living and rent etc was higher than where she is at now (outskirts of Charlotte - Mooresville, NC), and just couldnt afford it on her own anymore. She is recently divorced and did meet a couple of friends through her work, but not any long-lasting friendships. Every person is different though of course, so it could be a perfect fit for you, especially if you choose to stay down near the beach, but wasn't a good fit for her at all :/.

[newbie09]

Teachrgirl17, thanks for your reply. Sorry it didn't work out for your Mom in Jacksonville. I think you're right about Neptune Beach for living car-free. When I looked online at the Southside area, could see it's too "spread out" for me to consider, need things closer together since won't have a car. And since I don't have any pets, think I can keep my rent on the low side.

Hope your Mom is doing well back in Mooresville NC (now that's a place where you definitely need a car!)

[Robyn55]

Originally Posted by newbie09

Teachrgirl17, thanks for your reply. Sorry it didn't work out for your Mom in Jacksonville. I think you're right about Neptune Beach for living car-free. When I looked online at the Southside area, could see it's too "spread out" for me to consider, need things closer together since won't have a car. And since I don't have any pets, think I can keep my rent on the low side.

Hope your Mom is doing well back in Mooresville NC (now that's a place where you definitely need a car!)

I don't think you can live without a car here unless you're in a senior facility that provides transportation (not exactly appropriate for someone your age). Period. Even my 91 year old father still drives here (but he will be ok when we are forced to take the keys away because his senior facility will provide all of his transportation).

FWIW - there are very active tennis teams/leagues in this area - but you really can't do league play without a car unless you always find someone to give you a lift to wherever you choose to play - or matches (geographical area of league play ranges from St. Augustine and Eagle Harbor in the south to Amelia Island at the north - Riverside and Ortega to the west - Beaches to the east - take a look at a map - it's a huge area). If you like tennis - you'll love it here (I played league tennis here for 10 years until my knee and shoulder got screwed up - now I'm a golfer). But you can't do it without a car. Public transportation here stinks (about once a year there's a front page article in the local paper about how it takes 2 hours to get to a place that would otherwise be a 25 minute drive). If you insist on living without a car - I would look at states other than Florida (we are almost 100% car-dependent). Robyn

[Robyn55]

P.S. I know that Boone Park (think that's the name) in Avondale/Riverside was a nice public complex that always fielded great teams (and had a lot of them). Artificial clay courts. Probably the best public facility I played at (most teams are from private clubs). Best bet for finding people to play singles with (I was captain of a singles team - most play here is doubles). There is a public court complex at the beaches maybe about 15th Ave. south or so in JAX beach. Some teams. Nowhere as good. Hard courts. Old info - haven't played league tennis for 5 years. I do think you want to stay on artificial clay as much as possible as you get older to preserve your tennis life. Note that when I moved here 15 years ago - I investigated the tennis situation - and it played a major factor in terms of where I decided to move.

[newbie09]

Robyn55, didn't see your responses until now-- the day you posted, I was actually busy traveling to Jacksonville from Charlotte. I stayed at a hotel in Neptune Beach for almost a week, spent days exploring the Beach area plus spent one day in Riverside near downtown JAX (loved the architecture, the river views & the bridges!) and thoroughly enjoyed my visit! I'm now seriously considering moving and living (without a car!) in Jacksonville Beach or Neptune Beach. I know you were trying to be helpful with your advice discouraging me away from Florida and the JAX area since you think it would be impossible to survive here without a car. But in my opinion, that's not correct, especially since I had a chance to spend a week here getting around without a car (you've never lived a day without a car in your life, right?) For example, you stated:

I don't think you can live without a car here unless you're in a senior facility that provides transportation

Huh??
Actually, what I discovered during my stay in Jacksonville Beach/Neptune Beach is that living in this community would be VERY easy and workable without a car! There's plenty of bus service, 3 major bus routes and these buses run extensively 7 days a week from early morning till later in the evenings. Within Neptune Beach or Jacksonville Beach I could get around fine by bus to all kinds of destinations, shopping and entertainment, seemed very easy to me. Yes, to get from the Beach areas to the downtown JAX area takes a long time by bus -- at least 90 minutes-- but I'd hardly ever have to go there! Actually, taking buses in the Beach area would be much easier for me than taking buses in Buffalo NY where I lived without a car for over 20 yrs. There I dealt with taking buses all winter long (about 5 months of the year, cold, snowy weather, waiting for buses on icy snowdrifts & during blizzards, etc.) Don't think I'd find taking buses in JAX Bch all that bad compared to my years of taking buses during wintertime in Buffalo!
But I wouldn't even have to use buses most of the time because for most of my transportation needs I ride a bicycle-- that's what I do 90% of the time for getting around and it would be even easier to do here in the Beach area than in other places I've lived. I love that it's such a biking community here, loved seeing all the bike racks and people bicycling everwhere! It's definitely much better here for biking with the flat land & straight, connecting roads compared to Charlotte NC where I've lived the past 2 years. In Charlotte, there's hardly any biking community and lots of limitations/obstacles to biking-- namely the hills (hardly any flat land), the curvy roads (hardly any straight, connecting roads, it's the land of cul-de-sacs!) hostile drivers and dangerous traffic conditions!


About playing tennis, you stated:

there are very active tennis teams/leagues in this area - but you really can't do league play without a car unless you always find someone to give you a lift to wherever you choose to play

Again, huh??
First of all, why would I even need to join a team or league in order to play tennis? I've never been dependent on that, I've always found other tennis players on my own and played singles tennis (not doubles, not enough of a workout!) on free tennis courts at public parks or schools, have never needed to join a private tennis club in order to play tennis. And I've always ridden a bicycle to get to tennis courts and don't see any problem doing that in the Beach area-- there's some free public tennis courts in a small neighborhood park in Neptune Beach & there's also the JAX Bch Tennis Center in Hugenot Park at 16th Ave South. Both places are also right on the bus route that runs 7 days a week from early morning thru late evening. So why would getting to tennis courts be a problem for me? (I could bike it there OR walk OR take a bus.)
Even though it's not necessary, I'd consider joining the JAX Bch Tennis Center just to meet other tennis players more quickly & get involved in a tennis community (And I find nothing wrong with playing on hard courts-- I prefer hard courts instead of the clay courts you recommended, clay courts aren't for me, can never get my footing on them, they always feels too slippery!) In contrast to your description of how difficult it would be for me to join tennis leagues & teams without a car here, the JAX Bch Tennis Center would be extemely easy for me to get to on my own without a car. Especially compared to other places I've lived--Buffalo NY and Charlotte NC-- where the private tennis centers were not only mostly inaccessible without a car but also VERY expensive (the prices seem quite reasonable at the JAX Bch Tennis Center.)

Don't understand at all these statements about playing tennis:

(geographical area of league play ranges from St. Augustine and Eagle Harbor in the south to Amelia Island at the north - Riverside and Ortega to the west - Beaches to the east - take a look at a map - it's a huge area)

-- So? Why exactly would it be necessary for me to go to all these other places just to play tennis??

Robyn55, I appreciate your taking the time to respond to my posting, but more and more I realize how much car-dependent people just don't get it! They can't imagine going a day without having a car, without driving! And they mistakenly conclude that people like me-- a female non-driver without a car-- must never go anywhere, that I just stay at home unless I can get a ride from someone. There's this misconception that someone like me must always be begging other people for rides or begging/paying other people to drive me places, that I can't get around on my own. Nothing could be further from the truth! Between biking and taking buses and walking places, I hardly ever need rides from other people and it's very seldom that I ever have to call a cab (mostly just to get to the airport.) I take care of my own basic transportation needs just fine, I'm not dependent on other people who have cars and I don't wait around for people to ask me to go places, I just go on my own! I guess that people who have never been car-free and/or have always lived in car-dependent areas just don't get it-- they can't imagine a day without a car! But I'm used to it and very self-sufficient transportation-wise-- I'm just careful to reside in an area that makes sense for me & don't live in an area where I would absolutely need a car.

(Hey, I realize that Robyn55 might not even be reading this but maybe my writing here will help inform others that yes, it's possible to live without a car & yes, there are places to live where this can work!)

[michaeldee]

Newbie, I've been a non-car, mass transit proponent for years and I agree with you about the car only, mindset in Jacksonville as well as other cities. It can be done in Jacksonville. Of course, maybe a certain degree of patience is required for mass transit, but I feel much more connected to the world while out and about taking a bus. Go for it, you will do just fine in Jax and I know you will love it. Your survival skills are great.