Downtown on the verge of a hotel boom

[Snaketoz]

Why does Jacksonville have so many boo-birds?  I don't care what happens in our city, all the boo-birds start booing-even if the news is positive.  Jacksonville's biggest problem is not geographic, it isn't our education system, or our lack of nightlife.  Our problem is a deep rooted lack of self worth.  I think the roots of our problems began after WW2 when folks moved here from rural areas to find work.  They were used to living hand to mouth and expected little.  They wanted a job in a mill, a home, and whatever they could easily get.  Things are slowly changing, but we need to get beyond the "we have all we need" mentality.  If I were mayor the first thing I would do would start a department within my administration to raise the spirit of Jacksonville.  We really have a problem.  Someone can post a story of it raining silver in Jacksonville and immediately posts would start that in Orlando, Atlanta, OKC, fill in the blank, it's raining gold.  Let's turn over a new leaf and stop being so negative.  Any new hotels, restaurants, entertainment in downtown is GOOD.  Look on the sunny side!

[Tacachale]

Why does Jacksonville have so many boo-birds?  I don't care what happens in our city, all the boo-birds start booing-even if the news is positive.  Jacksonville's biggest problem is not geographic, it isn't our education system, or our lack of nightlife.  Our problem is a deep rooted lack of self worth.  I think the roots of our problems began after WW2 when folks moved here from rural areas to find work.  They were used to living hand to mouth and expected little.  They wanted a job in a mill, a home, and whatever they could easily get.  Things are slowly changing, but we need to get beyond the "we have all we need" mentality.  If I were mayor the first thing I would do would start a department within my administration to raise the spirit of Jacksonville.  We really have a problem.  Someone can post a story of it raining silver in Jacksonville and immediately posts would start that in Orlando, Atlanta, OKC, fill in the blank, it's raining gold.  Let's turn over a new leaf and stop being so negative.  Any new hotels, restaurants, entertainment in downtown is GOOD.  Look on the sunny side!

Yeah, I've always thought the inferiority complex is just about the worst thing about living here. Never really understood it. Though I do think it's gotten a lot better over the course of my lifetime (for most people, anyway).

[jaxjags]

I believe some of the inferiority complex is still residual from the old "paper mill smell in the air". It takes awhile to drop that perception from the northerners driving through town on I95, even with the paper mills gone 15-20 years ago.

[vicupstate]

I believe some of the inferiority complex is still residual from the old "paper mill smell in the air". It takes awhile to drop that perception from the northerners driving through town on I95, even with the paper mills gone 15-20 years ago.

That plus the irritating tolls. Both are long gone, but once a reputation is established you have to work to change it.

[KenFSU]

Why does Jacksonville have so many boo-birds?  I don't care what happens in our city, all the boo-birds start booing-even if the news is positive.  Jacksonville's biggest problem is not geographic, it isn't our education system, or our lack of nightlife.  Our problem is a deep rooted lack of self worth.  I think the roots of our problems began after WW2 when folks moved here from rural areas to find work.  They were used to living hand to mouth and expected little.  They wanted a job in a mill, a home, and whatever they could easily get.  Things are slowly changing, but we need to get beyond the "we have all we need" mentality.  If I were mayor the first thing I would do would start a department within my administration to raise the spirit of Jacksonville.  We really have a problem.  Someone can post a story of it raining silver in Jacksonville and immediately posts would start that in Orlando, Atlanta, OKC, fill in the blank, it's raining gold.  Let's turn over a new leaf and stop being so negative.  Any new hotels, restaurants, entertainment in downtown is GOOD.  Look on the sunny side!

The inferiority complex certainly did have a lot to do with Jacksonville's working class composition. As Orlando, Tampa, and Miami exploded post-WW2 and into the 1980s in terms of development, industry (particularly tech), and tourism, Jacksonville was largely left behind. Many people didn't even know that Jacksonville, Florida was a city, and those who did often treated it like a punchline ("the armpit of Florida") because of the terrible smell the city had because of the paper mills. One mayor, Jake Godbold, did exactly what you suggested after a poll revealed that Jacksonville citizens felt even worse about their city than the rest of the country.

The inferiority complex has ebbed and flowed over the years.

It improved in the 80s when downtown development boomed, the Landing was opened, the Mayo Clinic came to town, and the smell was gone.

It dipped when a parade of NFL owners used Jacksonville as a stepping stone to better deals in other markets.

It improved dramatically when the NFL awarded Jacksonville an NFL franchise, and the team came out punching.

It dipped when the team started losing, tickets were given away for free, and the national media started questioning Jacksonville's merit.

It improved again when the Better Jacksonville Plan brought a new arena, baseball stadium, and world-class library to the urban core, and Jacksonville was awarded Super Bowl XXXIX.

And it went into the absolute dumps when the national media torched Jacksonville's Super Bowl, the recession hit, the stadium was empty on Sundays, the Jags-to-LA rumors were literally daily fodder for sports radio. and half the city seemed to be out of work.

And now, to Bill's point above, though the inferiority complex may linger to those who have been here for 40 or 50 years, I honestly believe that it's nearly dead for everyone else, especially the young. Not only dead, but replaced with genuine pride.

Others might disagree, but I think it started with Shad Khan. Jacksonville has fought for acceptance for so long that sometimes it just takes someone (like a Forbes billionaire) coming along that not only believes in you, but challenges you to be better. It's a super petty thing on paper, but that first round of major investments in the stadium with the scoreboards and swimming pools were a really big deal psychologically for a city that had long been told their NFL team was transient. And, to me, that night at the stadium where 60,000 came out for the Fulham game, scoreboard reveals, and Carrie Underwood concert was a real turning point for morale. Khan's speech about Jacksonville's potential, and the video they used to debut to scoreboards (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gAitc5ltRE) was pretty inspiring.

Again, others might (wrongly) disagree, but the entire Town Center area has been a huge self-esteem boost for Jacksonville as well. Prior to the Town Center, you had pockets of the same restaurants here and there (Outback, Carrabbas, Chilis, Fridays) and a two-story mall by 95, and that was basically it. The Town Center literally brought hundreds and hundreds of new restaurants and stores to town - many, like Tiffany, Nordstrom, etc. having that high-end cache that Jacksonville has always longed for, if for no other reason than validation - all in a (reasonably) centrally-located area.

We've also had a string of high-profile companies betting on Jax, like IKEA, Amazon, Deutsche Bank, Top Golf.

And, perhaps most importantly, we've had a massive youth and culture movement in this city in the last 10 years. 10 years ago, we were an Outback, Bud Light, and Starbucks city. Since then, the dining scene has absolutely exploded. Amazing breweries have popped up all over the city. Ditto coffee shops. UNF has made major strides. The HRO passed. Rooftop bars are popping up all over the place. Brooklyn and Riverside/Five Points have come into their own.

Dare I say it, Jacksonville has really started to develop an identity in the last few years that isn't dependent on whether we have a Macy's.

I work in advertising/marketing, which skews very young, and the positive shift in perception I've seen over the years about Jacksonville is just insane.

Let the crusty old pessimists cry in a corner.

Jax is coming into its own and transforming itself, at a sustainable pace, just by being itself. 

[JaxAvondale]

More recently, Jax has had to recovered from what was perceived as a failed Super Bowl showing. There has been a lot of positive movement (in pockets) for the city. The state of Jaguars address next week will be interesting to see what the next steps are for the city.

[TimmyB]

Why does Jacksonville have so many boo-birds?  I don't care what happens in our city, all the boo-birds start booing-even if the news is positive.  Jacksonville's biggest problem is not geographic, it isn't our education system, or our lack of nightlife.  Our problem is a deep rooted lack of self worth.  I think the roots of our problems began after WW2 when folks moved here from rural areas to find work.  They were used to living hand to mouth and expected little.  They wanted a job in a mill, a home, and whatever they could easily get.  Things are slowly changing, but we need to get beyond the "we have all we need" mentality.  If I were mayor the first thing I would do would start a department within my administration to raise the spirit of Jacksonville.  We really have a problem.  Someone can post a story of it raining silver in Jacksonville and immediately posts would start that in Orlando, Atlanta, OKC, fill in the blank, it's raining gold.  Let's turn over a new leaf and stop being so negative.  Any new hotels, restaurants, entertainment in downtown is GOOD.  Look on the sunny side!

The inferiority complex certainly did have a lot to do with Jacksonville's working class composition. As Orlando, Tampa, and Miami exploded post-WW2 and into the 1980s in terms of development, industry (particularly tech), and tourism, Jacksonville was largely left behind. Many people didn't even know that Jacksonville, Florida was a city, and those who did often treated it like a punchline ("the armpit of Florida") because of the terrible smell the city had because of the paper mills. One mayor, Jake Godbold, did exactly what you suggested after a poll revealed that Jacksonville citizens felt even worse about their city than the rest of the country.

The inferiority complex has ebbed and flowed over the years.

It improved in the 80s when downtown development boomed, the Landing was opened, the Mayo Clinic came to town, and the smell was gone.

It dipped when a parade of NFL owners used Jacksonville as a stepping stone to better deals in other markets.

It improved dramatically when the NFL awarded Jacksonville an NFL franchise, and the team came out punching.

It dipped when the team started losing, tickets were given away for free, and the national media started questioning Jacksonville's merit.

It improved again when the Better Jacksonville Plan brought a new arena, baseball stadium, and world-class library to the urban core, and Jacksonville was awarded Super Bowl XXXIX.

And it went into the absolute dumps when the national media torched Jacksonville's Super Bowl, the recession hit, the stadium was empty on Sundays, the Jags-to-LA rumors were literally daily fodder for sports radio. and half the city seemed to be out of work.

And now, to Bill's point above, though the inferiority complex may linger to those who have been here for 40 or 50 years, I honestly believe that it's nearly dead for everyone else, especially the young. Not only dead, but replaced with genuine pride.

Others might disagree, but I think it started with Shad Khan. Jacksonville has fought for acceptance for so long that sometimes it just takes someone (like a Forbes billionaire) coming along that not only believes in you, but challenges you to be better. It's a super petty thing on paper, but that first round of major investments in the stadium with the scoreboards and swimming pools were a really big deal psychologically for a city that had long been told their NFL team was transient. And, to me, that night at the stadium where 60,000 came out for the Fulham game, scoreboard reveals, and Carrie Underwood concert was a real turning point for morale. Khan's speech about Jacksonville's potential, and the video they used to debut to scoreboards (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gAitc5ltRE) was pretty inspiring.

Again, others might (wrongly) disagree, but the entire Town Center area has been a huge self-esteem boost for Jacksonville as well. Prior to the Town Center, you had pockets of the same restaurants here and there (Outback, Carrabbas, Chilis, Fridays) and a two-story mall by 95, and that was basically it. The Town Center literally brought hundreds and hundreds of new restaurants and stores to town - many, like Tiffany, Nordstrom, etc. having that high-end cache that Jacksonville has always longed for, if for no other reason than validation - all in a (reasonably) centrally-located area.

We've also had a string of high-profile companies betting on Jax, like IKEA, Amazon, Deutsche Bank, Top Golf.

And, perhaps most importantly, we've had a massive youth and culture movement in this city in the last 10 years. 10 years ago, we were an Outback, Bud Light, and Starbucks city. Since then, the dining scene has absolutely exploded. Amazing breweries have popped up all over the city. Ditto coffee shops. UNF has made major strides. The HRO passed. Rooftop bars are popping up all over the place. Brooklyn and Riverside/Five Points have come into their own.

Dare I say it, Jacksonville has really started to develop an identity in the last few years that isn't dependent on whether we have a Macy's.

I work in advertising/marketing, which skews very young, and the positive shift in perception I've seen over the years about Jacksonville is just insane.

Let the crusty old pessimists cry in a corner.

Jax is coming into its own and transforming itself, at a sustainable pace, just by being itself.

Kenny, this needs to be published somewhere on a forum much larger than this.  I am serious.  This is the type of thing I read in the Sunday viewpoints in the TU.  Well-said, sir.

[jcjohnpaint]

I have been teaching and living in Jacksonville for about 7 years now.  We came here in the middle of the recession.  At this time I have seen a lot of moves in the right direction.  I truly give a lot of credit to Metrojacksonville.  In the last 2 years I have noticed my students do not want to leave town for a better place.  If they leave, they seem to come back. 

[Snaketoz]

Why does Jacksonville have so many boo-birds?  I don't care what happens in our city, all the boo-birds start booing-even if the news is positive.  Jacksonville's biggest problem is not geographic, it isn't our education system, or our lack of nightlife.  Our problem is a deep rooted lack of self worth.  I think the roots of our problems began after WW2 when folks moved here from rural areas to find work.  They were used to living hand to mouth and expected little.  They wanted a job in a mill, a home, and whatever they could easily get.  Things are slowly changing, but we need to get beyond the "we have all we need" mentality.  If I were mayor the first thing I would do would start a department within my administration to raise the spirit of Jacksonville.  We really have a problem.  Someone can post a story of it raining silver in Jacksonville and immediately posts would start that in Orlando, Atlanta, OKC, fill in the blank, it's raining gold.  Let's turn over a new leaf and stop being so negative.  Any new hotels, restaurants, entertainment in downtown is GOOD.  Look on the sunny side!

The inferiority complex certainly did have a lot to do with Jacksonville's working class composition. As Orlando, Tampa, and Miami exploded post-WW2 and into the 1980s in terms of development, industry (particularly tech), and tourism, Jacksonville was largely left behind. Many people didn't even know that Jacksonville, Florida was a city, and those who did often treated it like a punchline ("the armpit of Florida") because of the terrible smell the city had because of the paper mills. One mayor, Jake Godbold, did exactly what you suggested after a poll revealed that Jacksonville citizens felt even worse about their city than the rest of the country.

The inferiority complex has ebbed and flowed over the years.

It improved in the 80s when downtown development boomed, the Landing was opened, the Mayo Clinic came to town, and the smell was gone.

It dipped when a parade of NFL owners used Jacksonville as a stepping stone to better deals in other markets.

It improved dramatically when the NFL awarded Jacksonville an NFL franchise, and the team came out punching.

It dipped when the team started losing, tickets were given away for free, and the national media started questioning Jacksonville's merit.

It improved again when the Better Jacksonville Plan brought a new arena, baseball stadium, and world-class library to the urban core, and Jacksonville was awarded Super Bowl XXXIX.

And it went into the absolute dumps when the national media torched Jacksonville's Super Bowl, the recession hit, the stadium was empty on Sundays, the Jags-to-LA rumors were literally daily fodder for sports radio. and half the city seemed to be out of work.

And now, to Bill's point above, though the inferiority complex may linger to those who have been here for 40 or 50 years, I honestly believe that it's nearly dead for everyone else, especially the young. Not only dead, but replaced with genuine pride.

Others might disagree, but I think it started with Shad Khan. Jacksonville has fought for acceptance for so long that sometimes it just takes someone (like a Forbes billionaire) coming along that not only believes in you, but challenges you to be better. It's a super petty thing on paper, but that first round of major investments in the stadium with the scoreboards and swimming pools were a really big deal psychologically for a city that had long been told their NFL team was transient. And, to me, that night at the stadium where 60,000 came out for the Fulham game, scoreboard reveals, and Carrie Underwood concert was a real turning point for morale. Khan's speech about Jacksonville's potential, and the video they used to debut to scoreboards (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gAitc5ltRE) was pretty inspiring.

Again, others might (wrongly) disagree, but the entire Town Center area has been a huge self-esteem boost for Jacksonville as well. Prior to the Town Center, you had pockets of the same restaurants here and there (Outback, Carrabbas, Chilis, Fridays) and a two-story mall by 95, and that was basically it. The Town Center literally brought hundreds and hundreds of new restaurants and stores to town - many, like Tiffany, Nordstrom, etc. having that high-end cache that Jacksonville has always longed for, if for no other reason than validation - all in a (reasonably) centrally-located area.

We've also had a string of high-profile companies betting on Jax, like IKEA, Amazon, Deutsche Bank, Top Golf.

And, perhaps most importantly, we've had a massive youth and culture movement in this city in the last 10 years. 10 years ago, we were an Outback, Bud Light, and Starbucks city. Since then, the dining scene has absolutely exploded. Amazing breweries have popped up all over the city. Ditto coffee shops. UNF has made major strides. The HRO passed. Rooftop bars are popping up all over the place. Brooklyn and Riverside/Five Points have come into their own.

Dare I say it, Jacksonville has really started to develop an identity in the last few years that isn't dependent on whether we have a Macy's.

I work in advertising/marketing, which skews very young, and the positive shift in perception I've seen over the years about Jacksonville is just insane.

Let the crusty old pessimists cry in a corner.

Jax is coming into its own and transforming itself, at a sustainable pace, just by being itself.

I totally agree that the worst boo birds are the ones who have lived here the longest.  I was born here 72 years ago and I have fought this mentality all my life.  I have always loved our city.  When mayor Jake set out to get a football team, he was heckled and called a redneck buffoon, even by his friends.  He always believed in Jax.  Tommy Hazouri was behind the toll removal and ridding us of the mill odors.  What Jacksonville needs more than anything is the spirit of the young people to overcome the old.  For all the good that Hazouri did for this city, he was defeated due to telling the truth about garbage taxes.  Let's talk about what's good about our city.  Our weather, our port, our sports teams, our friendliness, our beaches and rivers.  I've noticed during my lifetime that many of the people who disparaged and left Jacksonville, seem to move back after going to other places.  I love Jacksonville!

[KenFSU]

^Can I just say, AMAZING avatar for a 72-year old..

Hope I'm that cool at 72

[KenFSU]

Why does Jacksonville have so many boo-birds?  I don't care what happens in our city, all the boo-birds start booing-even if the news is positive.  Jacksonville's biggest problem is not geographic, it isn't our education system, or our lack of nightlife.  Our problem is a deep rooted lack of self worth.  I think the roots of our problems began after WW2 when folks moved here from rural areas to find work.  They were used to living hand to mouth and expected little.  They wanted a job in a mill, a home, and whatever they could easily get.  Things are slowly changing, but we need to get beyond the "we have all we need" mentality.  If I were mayor the first thing I would do would start a department within my administration to raise the spirit of Jacksonville.  We really have a problem.  Someone can post a story of it raining silver in Jacksonville and immediately posts would start that in Orlando, Atlanta, OKC, fill in the blank, it's raining gold.  Let's turn over a new leaf and stop being so negative.  Any new hotels, restaurants, entertainment in downtown is GOOD.  Look on the sunny side!

The inferiority complex certainly did have a lot to do with Jacksonville's working class composition. As Orlando, Tampa, and Miami exploded post-WW2 and into the 1980s in terms of development, industry (particularly tech), and tourism, Jacksonville was largely left behind. Many people didn't even know that Jacksonville, Florida was a city, and those who did often treated it like a punchline ("the armpit of Florida") because of the terrible smell the city had because of the paper mills. One mayor, Jake Godbold, did exactly what you suggested after a poll revealed that Jacksonville citizens felt even worse about their city than the rest of the country.

The inferiority complex has ebbed and flowed over the years.

It improved in the 80s when downtown development boomed, the Landing was opened, the Mayo Clinic came to town, and the smell was gone.

It dipped when a parade of NFL owners used Jacksonville as a stepping stone to better deals in other markets.

It improved dramatically when the NFL awarded Jacksonville an NFL franchise, and the team came out punching.

It dipped when the team started losing, tickets were given away for free, and the national media started questioning Jacksonville's merit.

It improved again when the Better Jacksonville Plan brought a new arena, baseball stadium, and world-class library to the urban core, and Jacksonville was awarded Super Bowl XXXIX.

And it went into the absolute dumps when the national media torched Jacksonville's Super Bowl, the recession hit, the stadium was empty on Sundays, the Jags-to-LA rumors were literally daily fodder for sports radio. and half the city seemed to be out of work.

And now, to Bill's point above, though the inferiority complex may linger to those who have been here for 40 or 50 years, I honestly believe that it's nearly dead for everyone else, especially the young. Not only dead, but replaced with genuine pride.

Others might disagree, but I think it started with Shad Khan. Jacksonville has fought for acceptance for so long that sometimes it just takes someone (like a Forbes billionaire) coming along that not only believes in you, but challenges you to be better. It's a super petty thing on paper, but that first round of major investments in the stadium with the scoreboards and swimming pools were a really big deal psychologically for a city that had long been told their NFL team was transient. And, to me, that night at the stadium where 60,000 came out for the Fulham game, scoreboard reveals, and Carrie Underwood concert was a real turning point for morale. Khan's speech about Jacksonville's potential, and the video they used to debut to scoreboards (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gAitc5ltRE) was pretty inspiring.

Again, others might (wrongly) disagree, but the entire Town Center area has been a huge self-esteem boost for Jacksonville as well. Prior to the Town Center, you had pockets of the same restaurants here and there (Outback, Carrabbas, Chilis, Fridays) and a two-story mall by 95, and that was basically it. The Town Center literally brought hundreds and hundreds of new restaurants and stores to town - many, like Tiffany, Nordstrom, etc. having that high-end cache that Jacksonville has always longed for, if for no other reason than validation - all in a (reasonably) centrally-located area.

We've also had a string of high-profile companies betting on Jax, like IKEA, Amazon, Deutsche Bank, Top Golf.

And, perhaps most importantly, we've had a massive youth and culture movement in this city in the last 10 years. 10 years ago, we were an Outback, Bud Light, and Starbucks city. Since then, the dining scene has absolutely exploded. Amazing breweries have popped up all over the city. Ditto coffee shops. UNF has made major strides. The HRO passed. Rooftop bars are popping up all over the place. Brooklyn and Riverside/Five Points have come into their own.

Dare I say it, Jacksonville has really started to develop an identity in the last few years that isn't dependent on whether we have a Macy's.

I work in advertising/marketing, which skews very young, and the positive shift in perception I've seen over the years about Jacksonville is just insane.

Let the crusty old pessimists cry in a corner.

Jax is coming into its own and transforming itself, at a sustainable pace, just by being itself.

Kenny, this needs to be published somewhere on a forum much larger than this.  I am serious.  This is the type of thing I read in the Sunday viewpoints in the TU.  Well-said, sir.

Thanks Tim!

That's a nice compliment

[TimmyB]

I totally agree that the worst boo birds are the ones who have lived here the longest.  I was born here 72 years ago and I have fought this mentality all my life.  I have always loved our city.  When mayor Jake set out to get a football team, he was heckled and called a redneck buffoon, even by his friends.  He always believed in Jax.  Tommy Hazouri was behind the toll removal and ridding us of the mill odors.  What Jacksonville needs more than anything is the spirit of the young people to overcome the old.  For all the good that Hazouri did for this city, he was defeated due to telling the truth about garbage taxes.  Let's talk about what's good about our city.  Our weather, our port, our sports teams, our friendliness, our beaches and rivers.  I've noticed during my lifetime that many of the people who disparaged and left Jacksonville, seem to move back after going to other places.  I love Jacksonville!

We looked for 11 years for our retirement home, everywhere from Seattle, through Texas, to Florida.  We chose Jacksonville for those same reasons that you listed.  It's a great place to be, if you are looking forward.  However, there are so many missteps from the past that continue to haunt/taint the images and opinions.  I can understand why so many (especially the old guard) are skeptical or even downright pessimistic about the pie-in-the-sky things that are announced.  I truly believe that if Khan can build that entertainment district and the Rummels group can do that one across the river, the ball will be unstoppable going down that hill; if these two aren't built, it will be more of the "See...I told you so!"

[seaspray]

KenFSU-

Frikkin Amen!

[Snaketoz]

^Can I just say, AMAZING avatar for a 72-year old..

Hope I'm that cool at 72

Thanks Ken.  We need more people like you and the others here on MetroJacksonville.  When we were raising our children, the biggest kick and proudest moments were when our kid's friends told them they had "cool" parents.  We still feel more  like friends to those "kids" instead of their elders.  The younger kids are cooler, have less prejudices, and more peaceful than our generation.  I'm learning from, and trying to be like them and less like us older folks.

[downtownbrown]

Why does Jacksonville have so many boo-birds?  I don't care what happens in our city, all the boo-birds start booing-even if the news is positive.  Jacksonville's biggest problem is not geographic, it isn't our education system, or our lack of nightlife.  Our problem is a deep rooted lack of self worth.  I think the roots of our problems began after WW2 when folks moved here from rural areas to find work.  They were used to living hand to mouth and expected little.  They wanted a job in a mill, a home, and whatever they could easily get.  Things are slowly changing, but we need to get beyond the "we have all we need" mentality.  If I were mayor the first thing I would do would start a department within my administration to raise the spirit of Jacksonville.  We really have a problem.  Someone can post a story of it raining silver in Jacksonville and immediately posts would start that in Orlando, Atlanta, OKC, fill in the blank, it's raining gold.  Let's turn over a new leaf and stop being so negative.  Any new hotels, restaurants, entertainment in downtown is GOOD.  Look on the sunny side!

The inferiority complex certainly did have a lot to do with Jacksonville's working class composition. As Orlando, Tampa, and Miami exploded post-WW2 and into the 1980s in terms of development, industry (particularly tech), and tourism, Jacksonville was largely left behind. Many people didn't even know that Jacksonville, Florida was a city, and those who did often treated it like a punchline ("the armpit of Florida") because of the terrible smell the city had because of the paper mills. One mayor, Jake Godbold, did exactly what you suggested after a poll revealed that Jacksonville citizens felt even worse about their city than the rest of the country.

The inferiority complex has ebbed and flowed over the years.

It improved in the 80s when downtown development boomed, the Landing was opened, the Mayo Clinic came to town, and the smell was gone.

It dipped when a parade of NFL owners used Jacksonville as a stepping stone to better deals in other markets.

It improved dramatically when the NFL awarded Jacksonville an NFL franchise, and the team came out punching.

It dipped when the team started losing, tickets were given away for free, and the national media started questioning Jacksonville's merit.

It improved again when the Better Jacksonville Plan brought a new arena, baseball stadium, and world-class library to the urban core, and Jacksonville was awarded Super Bowl XXXIX.

And it went into the absolute dumps when the national media torched Jacksonville's Super Bowl, the recession hit, the stadium was empty on Sundays, the Jags-to-LA rumors were literally daily fodder for sports radio. and half the city seemed to be out of work.

And now, to Bill's point above, though the inferiority complex may linger to those who have been here for 40 or 50 years, I honestly believe that it's nearly dead for everyone else, especially the young. Not only dead, but replaced with genuine pride.

Others might disagree, but I think it started with Shad Khan. Jacksonville has fought for acceptance for so long that sometimes it just takes someone (like a Forbes billionaire) coming along that not only believes in you, but challenges you to be better. It's a super petty thing on paper, but that first round of major investments in the stadium with the scoreboards and swimming pools were a really big deal psychologically for a city that had long been told their NFL team was transient. And, to me, that night at the stadium where 60,000 came out for the Fulham game, scoreboard reveals, and Carrie Underwood concert was a real turning point for morale. Khan's speech about Jacksonville's potential, and the video they used to debut to scoreboards (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gAitc5ltRE) was pretty inspiring.

Again, others might (wrongly) disagree, but the entire Town Center area has been a huge self-esteem boost for Jacksonville as well. Prior to the Town Center, you had pockets of the same restaurants here and there (Outback, Carrabbas, Chilis, Fridays) and a two-story mall by 95, and that was basically it. The Town Center literally brought hundreds and hundreds of new restaurants and stores to town - many, like Tiffany, Nordstrom, etc. having that high-end cache that Jacksonville has always longed for, if for no other reason than validation - all in a (reasonably) centrally-located area.

We've also had a string of high-profile companies betting on Jax, like IKEA, Amazon, Deutsche Bank, Top Golf.

And, perhaps most importantly, we've had a massive youth and culture movement in this city in the last 10 years. 10 years ago, we were an Outback, Bud Light, and Starbucks city. Since then, the dining scene has absolutely exploded. Amazing breweries have popped up all over the city. Ditto coffee shops. UNF has made major strides. The HRO passed. Rooftop bars are popping up all over the place. Brooklyn and Riverside/Five Points have come into their own.

Dare I say it, Jacksonville has really started to develop an identity in the last few years that isn't dependent on whether we have a Macy's.

I work in advertising/marketing, which skews very young, and the positive shift in perception I've seen over the years about Jacksonville is just insane.

Let the crusty old pessimists cry in a corner.

Jax is coming into its own and transforming itself, at a sustainable pace, just by being itself.

Excellent and accurate history.  My daughter is a cool kid living and working in Manhattan (public relations firm).  To your point about what the young'uns feel about Jax, she says that when she starts a family, she's moving back.  Loves the place.  And why wouldn't she?