The Thrillist: Jax is actually getting cool again

[Bill Hoff]

Great profile of city in Thrillist Travel section. Very cool.

https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/visiting-jacksonville-florida

[Tacachale]

Jacksonville founded in 1791? A pulp mill in 2005? Snowbirds and retirees? "Jacksonville isn't exploding with growth like other Sun Belt cities, but the majority of its estimated 70,000 new residents from 2010-2017 came from other countries"? The DuPonts "slamming the door on the roaring '20s"? Surfer the Bar and "a Chainsmokers remix" cited as positives?

Man, I wish this writer was active on Twitter.

[Bill Hoff]

According to Google, Jax was founded in 1791.

Google is never wrong.

[Captain Zissou]

I like the article overall, but that's pretty much the same thing Buzzfeed or someone put out a couple months ago.  I'd love it if a reporter ventured out past Orsay and Town Hall and went to Blue Bamboo or some of the ethnic places on Beach Blvd or the Indian places on Baymeadows. just because a place doesn't have edison bulbs, subway tile behind the bar, or $12 cocktails it doesn't mean it's not fantastic and worth mentioning.

[KenFSU]

Not gonna lie, I kind of hate it.

The entire article is built around factually incorrect information about Jacksonville smelling like paper pulp during the 2005 Super Bowl.

The mills were shut down in the late 80's.

I mean, not even close to the truth here.

I also don't think the best selling point for Jacksonville is "the city doesn't suck as bad as people thought it did 13 years ago."

[Wacca Pilatka]

^ In the author's defense, he's probably going off Tony Kornheiser's grossly fact-free and casual column from just before the Super Bowl that harped about the paper mills.  But other than that, I agree with your assessment.  "Perhaps it's not the cultural wasteland that many people perceive?"  Gee, thanks.

[KenFSU]

P.S. It's also important to remember that almost any time an article like this pops up, or an article like the Food & Wine "We Can't Believe How Cool Jacksonville is Being Right Now," it's not a happy accident that a reporter or media outlet is randomly visiting or writing about Jacksonville.

While articles like this are cool, they're almost never earned.

[Tacachale]

Not gonna lie, I kind of hate it.

The entire article is built around factually incorrect information about Jacksonville smelling like paper pulp during the 2005 Super Bowl.

The mills were shut down in the late 80's.

I mean, not even close to the truth here.

I also don't think the best selling point for Jacksonville is "the city doesn't suck as bad as people thought it did 13 years ago."

Still pales in comparison to the Chainsmokers remix thing.

[KenFSU]

^The cringe was strong with this line.

Made me want to crawl under my desk and hide.

When the judge of a city's coolness is proudly fast-dancing to a Chainsmokers remix in 2018, we're in trouble.

[dp8541]

I like the article overall, but that's pretty much the same thing Buzzfeed or someone put out a couple months ago.  I'd love it if a reporter ventured out past Orsay and Town Hall and went to Blue Bamboo or some of the ethnic places on Beach Blvd or the Indian places on Baymeadows. just because a place doesn't have edison bulbs, subway tile behind the bar, or $12 cocktails it doesn't mean it's not fantastic and worth mentioning.

These pieces come out all the time for a vast number of our peer cities.  What yall seem to consider "bad press" is still better than no press at all.  And although I do like Blue Bamboo, sending potential tourists to a service road on southside blvd is not what these articles are looking for.  This is why they stick to urban neighborhoods like san marco, riverside and springfield. 

This is still a national outlet, giving praise to a lot of places that locals enjoy just as much as potential visitors will, even if not 100% accurate.

[jcjohnpaint]

What the hell is wrong with shooting refrigerators?

[jaxnyc79]

I like the article overall, but that's pretty much the same thing Buzzfeed or someone put out a couple months ago.  I'd love it if a reporter ventured out past Orsay and Town Hall and went to Blue Bamboo or some of the ethnic places on Beach Blvd or the Indian places on Baymeadows. just because a place doesn't have edison bulbs, subway tile behind the bar, or $12 cocktails it doesn't mean it's not fantastic and worth mentioning.

These pieces come out all the time for a vast number of our peer cities.  What yall seem to consider "bad press" is still better than no press at all.  And although I do like Blue Bamboo, sending potential tourists to a service road on southside blvd is not what these articles are looking for.  This is why they stick to urban neighborhoods like san marco, riverside and springfield. 

This is still a national outlet, giving praise to a lot of places that locals enjoy just as much as potential visitors will, even if not 100% accurate.

I so agree with this post, I want to shout it from the rooftops.  I actually despise the stretch of Southside Boulevard where Blue Bamboo is located.  Place matters and is central to ambience.  Obviously the views expressed here are my own, but just venting.

I don't have an explanation for this phenomenon, but why is it that the most notable and memorable places in cities are those that are accessible on foot in densely clustered districts...

Is it that the various venues feed off each other?  Is it the consumer hunch that a bunch of great chefs clustered along the same strip are uber-competitive and feeding off each other's energy in evolving their product and increasing the patron's experience?  I wish there was a way to make it "COOL" for some of the best, LOCAL, restaurants all throughout Duval County to stake a claim in some newly-minted strip downtown.  Can DIA work on this?  A downtown repatriation program for the Best that Jax has to offer?  Like it or not, downtown or in-town are how most cities get judged, and where most outsiders expect to find the most authentic reflection of a place. 

[KenFSU]

Is it that the various venues feed off each other?  Is it the consumer hunch that a bunch of great chefs clustered along the same strip are uber-competitive and feeding off each other's energy in evolving their product and increasing the patron's experience?  I wish there was a way to make it "COOL" for some of the best, LOCAL, restaurants all throughout Duval County to stake a claim in some newly-minted strip downtown.  Can DIA work on this?  A downtown repatriation program for the Best that Jax has to offer?  Like it or not, downtown or in-town are how most cities get judged, and where most outsiders expect to find the most authentic reflection of a place. 

The Landing would be perfect for this.

Food hall + a couple of signature local restaurants.

[Captain Zissou]

  And although I do like Blue Bamboo, sending potential tourists to a service road on southside blvd is not what these articles are looking for.  This is why they stick to urban neighborhoods like san marco, riverside and springfield. 

I hate Blue Bamboo's location too, but chef Dennis is doing tons for Jacksonville and I'd love to see him get more recognition. 

I would love for DVI and DIA to work with local vendors to set up a food hall or other cluster of the best food Jax has to offer and you could pull most of them from the Beach Blvd area.  Gang Nam Korean, Kathy's Bakery, Karam's, Balkan Cafe, & Marianas Grinds.  Throw some local brewers in the mix, a potato, and baby, you've got a stew going.

[Adam White]

Well, at least we can thank that magnanimous Orsay guy for tricking us backward yokels into eating pork belly.