Are you really in love with Jacksonville? (Miami, Gainesville: apartments, lawyers)

[Robyn55]

Originally Posted by michaeldee

I think this is an interesting thought: say that you were offered a comparable job to what you have now, and you would earn a wage that was adjusted to the cost of living for a different city, and you could select any city of your choice, How many of you would choose Jacksonville?

I know, many Jacksonville haters would say "sign me up" in a heartbeat, but how many of you who love Jacksonville would be tempted to leave? In my own case, it would be difficult. Although I don't live in Jacksonville anymore, if I were still there, I would be torn. Jacksonville has always been very dear to my heart. It's unexplainable. I think Jax is probably a better place to live than most cities.

So under your hypothetical COLA - if you're earning $40k in Jax - you'd be earning $400k in NYC ? Seriously - I think I'd have to spend about 10 times what I spend here to get a comparable life-style in a place like Manhattan. Robyn

[Robyn55]

Originally Posted by LoveBoating

Well, we have been here for a year now and in January we signed another 1 year Lease. Do we like it here, compared to the snow and cold/icy weather of Denver, CO metro and the somewhat wintery/snowy weather in the Charlotte, NC area........YES! Jax is the only area of Florida that a person doesn't get gray from worrying about a hurricane hitting. There is plenty of water here for boating/fishing.......now we LOVE that!! After the cold winter we just went thru here, we are VERY MUCH looking forward to the heat/humidity of summer this year!!
Bring it on, we are totally ready

Your total lack of apprehension about hurricanes isn't warranted IMO. All of Florida (as well as coastal Georgia - SC - NC and places to the north) has a risk of hurricanes. I mean I don't worry myself silly during hurricane season - but I do what's reasonable to prepare for the possibility. Robyn

[FlyiMetro]

Originally Posted by michaeldee

Flyimetro, the fun thing about Jacksonville is that it's always progressing and moving forward to play catch up with many other cities. I often heard it said in the past that you can open up almost any kind of a business and it will be a hit. I agree, look at all the improvements that have taken place in Springfield, Bay Street, and San Marco.

Good places by the way.

[AliciaMaria]

Here's what I just posted in another thread..

We just moved here a month ago, (lived in NC for the last year, and South Florida before that..) granted we're just over the ICW in Ponte Vedra Beach, but I absolutely LOOOOOVE it here. I love my commute to Beach Blvd and 9A every day, I love the highways, the streets, the sky, the weather, the sunsets over the marsh, the stars at night, the beaches, the shopping, the stores, the intl airport!!! I LOVE IT!

What dont I like??? Erm.. the 35-40mph speed limit on A1A? I dunno.. there's not much I dont like right now.. this place is amazing, and we're thrilled to be here.

I wouldnt leave this place. We've rooted our business here, and this is truly where we want to be. After years of living in South Florida, this is a little bit of heaven up here.

[michaeldee]

Alicia Maria, I'm glad it's working out for you. I was wondering how you fared with your move, etc. Do you have a favorite restaurant yet?

[FlyiMetro]

Originally Posted by AliciaMaria

Here's what I just posted in another thread..

We just moved here a month ago, (lived in NC for the last year, and South Florida before that..) granted we're just over the ICW in Ponte Vedra Beach, but I absolutely LOOOOOVE it here. I love my commute to Beach Blvd and 9A every day, I love the highways, the streets, the sky, the weather, the sunsets over the marsh, the stars at night, the beaches, the shopping, the stores, the intl airport!!! I LOVE IT!

What dont I like??? Erm.. the 35-40mph speed limit on A1A? I dunno.. there's not much I dont like right now.. this place is amazing, and we're thrilled to be here.

I wouldnt leave this place. We've rooted our business here, and this is truly where we want to be. After years of living in South Florida, this is a little bit of heaven up here.

Give it some time....You wont love everything.

[TyroneParker]

Originally Posted by Robyn55

Your total lack of apprehension about hurricanes isn't warranted IMO. All of Florida (as well as coastal Georgia - SC - NC and places to the north) has a risk of hurricanes. I mean I don't worry myself silly during hurricane season - but I do what's reasonable to prepare for the possibility. Robyn

You're right, a hurricane can hit anywhere up and down the coasts but by
analyzing the tracks of tropical storms for the past 100 years, meteorological experts have ranked which areas are most likely
to be hit next by a major hurricane in this order:

1.Southeast Florida (Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach)
2.Key West and the Florida keys
3.Southwest Florida (Fort Myers-Naples)
4.West Florida (Tampa-St. Petersburg-Sarasota-Clearwater)
5.Outer Banks islands, NC (Cape Hatteras)
6.Central Texas Gulf coast (Galveston)
7.Central Florida Atlantic coast (Melbourne-Cocoa Beach)
8.Florida Panhandle (Pensacola-Panama City)
9.Central Gulf coast (New Orleans, LA-Biloxi, MS-Mobile, AL)
10.South Texas Gulf coast (Corpus Christi-Brownsville)

[AliciaMaria]

Originally Posted by michaeldee

Alicia Maria, I'm glad it's working out for you. I was wondering how you fared with your move, etc. Do you have a favorite restaurant yet?

ahaha not yet.. we've been checking everything out. Happy to have a Chipotle nearby again. (they didnt have any in Asheville, but they did in South Florida..) Stonewood Tavern on JTB and A1A is really good, and I always love me some Cheesecake Factory salads! Theyre so good. Any recommendations? Thanks for thinking of me!

Originally Posted by FlyiMetro

Give it some time....You wont love everything.

We're from Fort Lauderdale and we've lived in NC for the past year. This is heaven compared to Asheville, and the climate and vegetation up here just cant be compared to what it is down south. I just finished a quick 4 mile bike ride through my neighborhood and I think I was smiling the entire time. We're really happy here.

[FlyiMetro]

Since you into food Alicia...go downtown to Pearl Street...locate a joint called Jenkins BBQ and get your face dirty in the sauce......I know im a jax hater, but trust me.

[Robyn55]

Originally Posted by TyroneParker

You're right, a hurricane can hit anywhere up and down the coasts but by
analyzing the tracks of tropical storms for the past 100 years, meteorological experts have ranked which areas are most likely
to be hit next by a major hurricane in this order:

1.Southeast Florida (Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach)
2.Key West and the Florida keys
3.Southwest Florida (Fort Myers-Naples)
4.West Florida (Tampa-St. Petersburg-Sarasota-Clearwater)
5.Outer Banks islands, NC (Cape Hatteras)
6.Central Texas Gulf coast (Galveston)
7.Central Florida Atlantic coast (Melbourne-Cocoa Beach)
8.Florida Panhandle (Pensacola-Panama City)
9.Central Gulf coast (New Orleans, LA-Biloxi, MS-Mobile, AL)
10.South Texas Gulf coast (Corpus Christi-Brownsville)

100 years is pissing in the ocean when it comes to things like hurricanes - earthquakes - etc. And don't forget - Jacksonville has had a hurricane more recently than a lot of Florida (Dora in 1964). Didn't cause a lot of damage because almost nothing was at the beaches then. Would cause a lot of damage today - because a lot of recent construction at the beaches is very poor.

Another thing about hurricanes. The area of great damage - even in a category 4 or higher - is usually very small (and the stronger the hurricane - the more tight the area of maximum wind usually is). Like with Andrew in 1992 - which I lived through - south Dade was hit bad - extreme south Dade was decimated - but people in north Dade perhaps lost power for 12 hours). That's about it. It's simply the luck of the draw IMO along the coastal south. And everyone who lives in these areas needs to be prepared and to have a plan. Robyn