Jax has an emptiness to its core

[TD*]

So, I live in Tallahassee, but periodically i visit jax since its the closest major city for a change.... The last few times I have come away with this awful feeling that the Core of Jax is dieing and decrepit.... The downtown makes me sad every time i go into it..

I know about the projects in brooklyn and riverside which is great.... but I just get this feeling that i want to avoid downtown... I like spending time in Riverside and Avondale, but honestly I havent explored all of Jax.... It seems like the southside is thriving over by UNF and the St Johns Town Center... and the beaches are doing well.. Orange park is ok, as i have grandparents that live by there.

I keep hearing good things about San Marco, I need to get over there and look.. Also north jax by the airport seems to be doing well with the new shopping and zoo etc.

But its weird, it seems like everything surrounding downtown is doing well, (well not everywhere, but a lot of neighborhoods)

Even St Johns County is stealing all the hype lately because wealthier folks got the memo that if they all cluster together, they can make the schools a great district.

SO people are flocking to Race Track Road for durbin crossing, and Nocatee parkway for those developments

As I drove through the southside this weekend on phillips highway on my way to St augustine, I just cant shake this feeling that someone needs to make downtown liveable again..

Jax  has so much potential with everything, but the downtown is not a place I would like to be. The river is nice and so are the bridges, but the fact that almost nothing is going on stinks

Anyways... These are my observations.. im not completely unfounded in my thoughts, i am a masters student at FSU in Urban and Regional Planning..

[fsujax]

well, there were thousands downtown enjoying the riverwalk saturday afternoon, so it wasn't completely dead.

[TD*]

There are attempts to make downtown great... The riverside arts market, the riverwalk, and the water taxis etc.. I just feel like a placemaking initiative should be done, and maybe we are at the start of something new with the brooklyn developments.. If they can inspire other developments, maybe in a couple years, we wont be having this conversation.

[Overstreet]

"...... Even St Johns County is stealing all the hype lately because rich white folks got the memo that if they all cluster together, they can make the schools all white, and rich, and therefore a great district......" TD wrote.


My kids have kids of their own and live somewhere else.  I have noticed that St Johns co schools don't bus downtown low lifes to the suburbs. They don't have cracker days where the minorities beat up on the white kids and the principal ignors it. The teachers don't describe their students as the criminal class. My friend the former Duval School teacher moved there cause she didn't want her kids in Duval schools. AND most of my black friends with college degrees and good jobs moved to St Johns County for the same reasons as the others.

[TD*]

Its suburban flight,  moving away to the safe areas far away from the "scary" downtown schools with all the poor "lowlifes"..

Its pathetic kind of. Everyone has to pay for the sprawl going on across the country.. it costs a lot more to extend services out to st johns than it would be to live in a dense area..

Who pays for it? The taxpayer.. its the classic american ideal... get your immediate needs met, and worry about who pays for it later.. (same thing with credit cards).


Technically since its in another county, Duval wont be paying for some of the issues, but i just dont like the idea...

[TD*]

I would like to add that Tallahassee is really bringing its core up to snuff with the recent Gaines Street Developments, Cascades Park, and other projects. People who have not visited Tallahassee in a while will be surprised how nice the city has become as it is growing smartly.

Its a much more livable city than Jax.

[PeeJayEss]

My kids have kids of their own and live somewhere else.  I have noticed that St Johns co schools don't bus downtown low lifes to the suburbs. They don't have cracker days where the minorities beat up on the white kids and the principal ignors it. The teachers don't describe their students as the criminal class. My friend the former Duval School teacher moved there cause she didn't want her kids in Duval schools. AND most of my black friends with college degrees and good jobs moved to St Johns County for the same reasons as the others.

Downtown lowlifes? The 11E people, or the Berkman I people? There aren't many places to live downtown, and even fewer for those with low income. Please elaborate.

TD, it is clear that your idea of "lively" is "well-paved." Downtown is not a walkable urban paradise, but it is certainly not dying. If anything, it is on an upswing as of late. The SJTC may not be dead on a Saturday afternoon, but it sure makes we wish I was. But I would be interested to know when the last time you were DT was, and where you went. Might explain some things.

[fsujax]

Tallahassee is not more livable than Jax. I spent six years there. I highly disagree. Sorry, it doenst not hold a candle to Jacksonville.

[TD*]

Jax has its nice areas, im just hoping for rapid change.

[fsujax]

i go to tallahassee all the time. Went to school there got my masters in urban planning.

[TD*]

first off the sore lack of mass transit in a metro of 1.3 million is sad. Why can't officials read this site and build rail in jax?

[fsujax]

Do you know that commuter rail is being planned for the area?

[TD*]

I read the entire Jacksonville Comprehensive plan and studied it for school. It seems like a good plan but their idea of short term BRT and long term rail planning is kinda lame. jax needs a sun rail in the worst way.

[TD*]

yes fsujax I know its being planned" but I want to see it in action. Fdot wasted everyone's money building highways in jax for decades when they could have had Awesome density and TOD from a rail system.

[jcjohnpaint]

I was in Tally a few months ago and was nicely surprised by the many infill projects.  Good to see.