Orange Park: The First Coast's Overlooked Historic City

[RattlerGator]

Great, great piece on my hometown. It was an absolutely idyllic place to grow up in the 1970s and I still find it that way when I visit, even with all of the growth and resulting traffic.

John Louis Meeks Jr., Park Avenue / US 17 *is* Main Street but it has been overwhelmed with all of the growth in and around Orange Park so the vestiges of that status are few. In fact, it is because the town was so small (and wasn't the county seat) that our version of Main Street was so easily overwhelmed. Periodically travel all of the east-west side streets of Park Avenue once you cross Doctor's Lake from the south or I-295 from the north and that "old town" will very clearly open itself up to you.

Thanks, Ennis, for a job well done.

[Vista1877]

My parents purchased a home on River Road in July 1960 in which my Mom still resides. OP was wonderful, one light at Kingsley and U.S. 17, a flashing light at Stiles except during school hours at OP Elementary. The mid 70's brought uncontrolled trolled growth to the unincorporated areas of OP. Fortunately, within the town limits of OP there was some zoning unlike on Blanding so all the big box retail is out of the town limits.

I lived in Hawaii, Southern California, Washington, D.C. And Houston but always love coming back to River Road, it is unchanged and what "Old Florida" was before the awful theme parks and uncontrolled growth. Still love Avondale, Ortega and Riverside as well.