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hi jon
I am on the southside near baymeadows & 9A.
I think you see a lot of that once the homeowners get control of the association.
I told the new PM guy( who thinks I am a trip) "look it only took one meeting to "oust" the old company you better stay on your toes"
This was after he said "well my other properties...." i don't care about your other properties I don't live there
I have a feeling he is not going to be "loving me" to much after last nights meeting when I suggested that he needs to do the property inspection by walking not driving around. It is less than 1 mile around our sub-division heck I think a board member needs to go on these inspections with him. hmm I am not on the board but I would have no problem going with him on these walks.
A couple of us that walk every day know where the houses with "issues" are.
we dont have any members from the neighborhood yet. it is who the builder has hired. i think they are trying, but we have some ppl here that are just................ i dont even wanna begin...
from Karla:
great post fastninja500
oooo can I come car shopping with you
call me crazy but it is one of my all time fun things to do
I can say i am pretty good at it my friends and family drag me along every time they need to go car shopping lol
I 'll trade you poppy seed bagels for helping you get a great deal
karla
Hey, Karla!
Welcome back from the great state of Alaska! Sure glad you're back, ... (dare I say it?)..... Babe!
Slow day at work yesterday and now. Had some free time to login and peruse some of the posts in the forum.
With regards to car shopping, I'm the opposite. I've grown to dislike the whole buying-from-a-dealer-process. Specially the whole "back-and-forth-to-the-manager" that salesmen do to try to distract you. That's why I would rather research and buy a car off the Web now. Also, Costco seems to have a nice Auto Buying Program. I'll look into that as well.
On the other hand, I do know that you are "connected". Maybe I will take you up on your offer?! Just as long as you don't give me an "offer you can't refuse".
Bad news: I've had to put off my trip to NJ this weekend. You'll have to wait a bit on those poppy seed bagels. But I promise to
bring you back some the next time I make a "bagel run".
Quote:
from Riveree:
One last thing...........please rethink hanging a rebel flag, especially if you're going to be living out my way ! In actuality, with the neighborhoods you're looking into, you won't be allowed to hang one, so problem solved .
Nah, I wasn't serious about flying the Confederate flag. Just wanted to point out that I don't have a problem when other folks do that. After all, freedom of speech is guaranteed in our Bill of Rights. But there is no such thing as a right "Not to be offended".
The Southerners have a lot to be proud of. Some of our greatest citizens and soldiers in the history of our Armed Forces are Southern folks. Sure, there were some bad periods when there was still slavery. But I hope we all learned from that and have moved on.
In any case, I'm not about to open that can of worms in this forum.
fastninja500
I sent you a dm before I read your post about not going to NJ
lol it is no problem I still have 4 poppy seed bagels that my sister brought back on her last trip.
since my hubby thinks there is no difference he isn't allowed to eat them, he eats the ones from here.
hey I have some more info for you I will send another DM
Hello! I have already read enough negative posts about Jacksonville, so I'm just seeking some positive info about the place. I am just really wanting to read some encouraging things about what people LIKE about living there. We're probably moving there by early next year for a job transfer and leaving Southern CA because of the high cost of living, to be closer to family, etc. We have already visited JAX and know that we like the Southside and surrounding areas. For those of you living south of the city (we already know not to even consider the north or west sides...high crime rate there, etc.), what do you enjoy most about the place you call home? Thanks so much!
I have lived in southside of Jacksonville for 25 years now. The best part of southside (particularly the brand new St Johns Town Center Area) is the Central location and variety of Homes , Apartments , and Condominiums. The beach is only about 9 miles to the East and downtown is also about 9 miles to the West.
In Jacksonville You will love the variety and number of restaurants we have ! We have many new Upscale restaurants such as Cheesecake Factory , Maggiano's Little Italy , Ted's Montana Grille , and Capital Grille !
When You visit Jacksonville Beach , be sure to see our New Pier. It cost 1 dollar to get Your hand stamped for the day , so you can leave and re-enter the pier all day. It is a wide pier with many picnic tables and covered benches . The view of the beach from the far end of the pier is very nice. Its almost like being out on a boat !!
I know a lot about this city. If You have any other questions , feel free to ask me ! Welcome to Jacksonville , in advance !! I think Y'all will Love it here.
O.K. in our experience, it has been a decent place to live.
We moved here from New York State (Capital District) and were able to climb out of debt, start saving money and start a family and have two wonderful kids. With NYS property/school taxes that rival the mortgage payment alone, NYS state income taxes, a NYS fee levied every time you bend over to wipe your behind, perpetual NYS DOT “45 MPH Construction Zone” signs that NEVER come down, where there is not a worker in sight (but PLENTY of 5-0 fishing for “speeders”), not to mention a cop with a radar gun behind every tree, we were glad to move to Florida. Now that we have kids, however, with no family whatsoever down here, we are giving serious consideration to moving back.
Below are the pros and cons we could think of for Jacksonville, Fl:
Pros:
-Property/School taxes much cheaper
-Gas (which is expensive all over) is usually cheaper than in the northeast – currently around $2.75 (possibly$2.65 at BJ’s) vs. $3+ in NY
-NO STATE INCOME TAX!
-People (in our experience) tend to be a bit more laid back
-We like the people in our community, at work, at church, etc. better (ESPECIALLY at work) than back home
-It’s usually sunny and never snows
-Speed limits on many main roads are 45 mph or more
-No mandatory state motor vehicle inspections
-We have an NFL team
-U-turns are considered legal practically everywhere
Cons:
Not much to do unless your hobbies are:
1.) Playing golf
2.) Fishing
3.) Sweating
-Heat - Seriously, though, it is VERY hot (for someone from up in the northeast). Everyone I met told me my blood would thin out within the first two years. It has not. I always loved the outdoors back in the northeast. I HATE the outdoors here. This is the kind of place where you take a shower, get dressed and step outside, say, to get the mail, and you start perspiring SO HEAVILY, that you want to immediately go back inside and take another shower. It is not uncommon to get up in the 80’s in February and March (at the very least it will get up in the 70’s). From April to May on, it will generally not drop much below 80 (except after the sun goes down, then it goes into the mid-to-upper 70’s) until October or November. And don’t forget it is humid, humid, humid. Expect it to spike into the 90’s at any time between late April and the end of September – with occasional heat indexes over 100. December and January are really the only months it where it cools off here – 50’s or 60’s, with an occasionally drop into the 40’s (and rarely 30’s and even rarer yet below freezing). The windbreakers start coming out under 75. You will see people putting on sweaters, sweatshirts, and leather jackets when it drops below 70. Go to Jax Beach when it drops below 60 in December and January and count how many people you see in overcoats and mittens and pea coats. It’s ridiculous! This is swampass country. You will NOT have four seasons here. Remember the pros listed above and why you moved here to begin with.
-Traffic (oddball habits) – Overall, traffic is not bad when compared to other cities I’ve driven - NYC, Chicago, Philly, Baltimore/DC, Albany NY, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis. In Jacksonville (more so than the other places), here are some minor annoyances:
You could be on a three lane road (i.e. JTB or 95 or 10 or 9A) where the speed limit is 60 or 65 and people will match speeds in all three lanes, doddering at 55-60 mph. The usual suspects will likely be driving an SUV the size of the short bus – (there seem to be MORE 4WD SUV’s in Jacksonville than in ALL of upstate NY and New England) - with their cell phones surgically attached to their ears. When it comes time to merge onto another high speed road or off-ramp (i.e. JTB to I-95 Northbound, or I-95 to a downtown exit), they will actually SPEED UP to like 85 mph, just to get onto the off ramp! Mine, mine, mine!
These same people will drive 40 mph through the subdivision and tailgate you.
Minivans will congregate along BOTH sides of the roads near the school bus stops in the subdivision when school lets out. Apparently, stay-at-home-moms do this to collect up their kids who are too lazy to actually walk home from the bus stop (or as mentioned above because it is so ungodly hot and they feel sorry for them), causing further congestion, and further inconveniencing the rest of us in the subdivision.
In the entire city, there are, perhaps, a grand total of three people (besides than me) that actually use a turn signals. Those other three people are the ones who turn them on at the absolute last minute (WAY too late to get around them) when you are pulled so far up behind them in the intersection, that you have wait for the next hundred or so oncoming cars and the next green light for this person to turn.
School buses have distracting strobe lights on them.
Signs are generally poorly posted – i.e. you come up on them at the last minute and then pass your exit. I have lost count of the times I have seen people backing up on 95 after missing one of the downtown bridge exits or the I-10/95 North debacle. I myself have missed the airport exit off 9A and found myself continuing on to I-295 before realizing I missed the exit.
-Real Estate- We cannot understand how houses here command the prices that they do compared with other cities. There is a distinct lack of storage - There is nary a basement to be found. Perhaps 1%-2% of the houses have basements here, and they are usually in older more established neighborhoods like Pottsburg Creek Goodby’s Creek, or along the St. John’s River and built into the side of a hill, which means they are waterfront – not to be confused with retention ponds- or near the water and will cost you dearly. For many of us (ye ole Yankees) accustomed to basements, this is a big loss. Up in the Northeast or in the Midwest, you can have a house with 1500 to 3000+ square feet and just having a basement – especially a finished one, can add another 800 – 1000 square feet of storage, workshop, entertainment center, extra bedroom or bathroom, office space etc. Here, all that stuff ends up piled up in the garage, given away to friends or charity, sold at a garage sale, or jammed into your closets. The attics are generally worthless. Most attics down here are good for: a box of old shoes, and one artificial Christmas tree. Everything else will melt.
-If you own your house, expect to install/purchase an irrigation system if you don’t have one currently. We water 3 times per week, although some people seem to water EVERY day. Also expect to periodically re-sod. We have had to re-sod twice since we moved here – over 5 years ago. @#%! weeds. Gone are the days of tossing down some grass seed and having a new lawn in two weeks and only having to water it about 5 times a summer. Also the vegetation grows fast. The St. Augustine grass (that crunchy crabgrass-looking stuff we have down here) grows in a matrix of “runners” and “shoots.” So you really need to weedwack and edge regularly, or else your lawn will look like a bunch of spiders hanging over the curb. This is something which my neighbor across the street (who actually pays someone to mow his own lawn – but NOT to weedwack it) has consistently failed to notice.
-Your utility bills will likely be higher than you’d hoped when you consider that the central air will be running 24/7 and your irrigation system will be working overtime. Here, you do not get a yearly metered water bill for, say, $150 from the city. You get charged in your utility bill every month. I have yet to meet anyone – native or transplant – who feels the tap water is fit for drinking “as is,” without a purifier or filter. It tastes like sulfur water. Also, tap water never truly gets cold here -back home it would be ICE cold AND drinkable. You can let it run and run and run and the tap water temperature will never fall much below 62 * F. Bummer.
-Due to construction and highway maintenance, there are dump trucks all over the place with stone being jostled out of the back. They are supposed to be covered with tarps, but many never are. In 5 years, my wife and I have each had to replace a windshield on our vehicles. I have a brand new vehicle (purchased in May) and it already has small cracks in the windshield and rock chips on the hood. Also, has anyone seen the pickup trucks that drive around with pallets in the back or on a trailer that are piled up 20 high and bungeed to the truck? It’s usually a circa-1993 single cab, rusted out, compact Nissan pickup truck with bald tires and the thing NEVER gets pulled over. NYS troopers would have a field day with it.
-The nightlife is really exciting! Not. Bars close at 2:00 a.m. which means you are kicked out at 1:45 a.m. – Unlike NY where you can stay until 4:30 a.m., or Miami where they seemingly NEVER close. Downtown has virtually no night life. Not really an issue for us anymore, but something to consider for the singles, or the childless who like to party all night long. The beaches have a handful of bars and clubs that are o.k. Thuggery-abounds in the Southside and Arlington area nightspots – mostly TGI Fridays, The Ale House, The Wing House, Hooters, Applebees, etc. oh there’s the Leopard Lounge and Plush, hoofa! San Marco and Five Points are a bit more artsy. Overall, the nightlife (to us) is mediocre, but still NOTHING to rival the nightlife of NYC. Mostly college-age kids, with the occasional 40-year-olds out trolling to pick up a 22 year-old hoochie-mama. Meet-markets and sausage fests (meat-markets) abound. Say cheeze! Oh well. Seven Bridges is O.K. At least you can still play pool for a quarter at Pete’s Bar in Atlantic Beach.
-Unless you are actually a Florida Gators, FSU, or Georgia Bulldogs fan (or decide to jump on the bandwagon) you may want to puke after seeing the bumper stickers, flags, decals, license plates, houses, and mailboxes etc., etc. ad naseum displaying the team logos. These are the ONLY collegiate teams that exist within a 75 mile radius of Jacksonville.
Bottom line, we came down here five years ago for job promotions with higher salaries. That, combined with no state income tax, lower property taxes, less regulation than NYS, we were able to pay off all student loans and vehicle payments and put a nice-sized dent in our mortgage. If you can find a decent-priced house and are: a recent college grad, in debt, or both, you can probably do o.k. here. If you are more-established and can afford some of the nicer and costlier places in the Jax area (which if you come from the NYC, CT, NJ, Baltimore/DC, etc., or anywhere in California, will seem like a bargain) you’ll probably love it. Please do not take my sarcasm too seriously (donning flame-proof suit now). Most of it comes from homesickness and craziness from the heat. At the time we moved here, it was the right thing to do for both of us, career-wise and financially. Now that we have small children, we may very well wind up moving back home, but we would definitely recommend Jacksonville to anyone who asked.
Last edited by rugbymetal; 09-24-2007 at 01:27 PM..
Reason: odd font sizing
Here's another ex-New Yorker who loves it here in Jacksonville. Sure, there are pros and cons, but the pros far outweigh the cons. Love the weather, the beaches, the friendly atmosphere, the relaxed pace, people who go out of their way to be nice and not rude.
It really comes down to one's lifestyle. If you are into the club scene and bar-hopping until four in the morning, chances you won't like it here. Jax is not NYC or Miami and I hope it doesn't change.
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I Love Jacksonville Florida
Jacksonville: more Pros than Cons!
