NoCo and SoBa?

[MusicMan]

Ken FSU my hat is off to you and the others who put forth the brilliant satirical and accurate graphics. Brilliant. You made my day, in the saddest and most hilarious way possible.

[Captain Zissou]

North-Core is starting to grow on me, but more as a lifestyle than a neighborhood.  Hopefully the scenesters will join in.  Since there are barely any bars or entertainment options on the northbank, it could become a haven for straight-edge rock supporters.  Packs of teens and young adults blasting As I Lay Dying while riding around on scooters before a show at 1904.  Skateboarders will flock to JWJ Park other than when the once monthly event is going on.  We could open up a bodega that sells Liquid Death and other straight-edge focused items.  I give you North-Core! XXX

[bl8jaxnative]

In regard to NoCo and SoBa --->  Is the world really full of that many infantile wankers that they can't be bothered to use a word beyond 4 letters?

[Fallen Buckeye]

North-Core is starting to grow on me, but more as a lifestyle than a neighborhood.  Hopefully the scenesters will join in.  Since there are barely any bars or entertainment options on the northbank, it could become a haven for straight-edge rock supporters.  Packs of teens and young adults blasting As I Lay Dying while riding around on scooters before a show at 1904.  Skateboarders will flock to JWJ Park other than when the once monthly event is going on.  We could open up a bodega that sells Liquid Death and other straight-edge focused items.  I give you North-Core! XXX

Hmmm...sounds like it has the potential to be a Minor Threat for Jax.

[jcjohnpaint]

I prefer NoGo or NoNo

[bl8jaxnative]

I prefer NoGo or NoNo

hahahah 

Downtown North ---> DoNo

[simms3]

I took the survey and this is what I had to say in the comment box:

It's the freakin' Northbank.  I grew up in Jax (multi-generational and now back for good), studied then lived in Atlanta for 6 years and San Francisco for 7.  Because you (meaning COJ/DVI/DIA, etc) have gone there, I feel like I need to qualify my statement with those facts so that you understand that I am aware of "cool factor", and I'm not some so-called hayseed hick when I say this: we don't need to try to copy what other cities have done with these acronyms in order to be cool!

Very few cities have downtowns stretching across 2 riverBANKS.  It makes total sense and lends its own sense of cool to just continue with Northbank and Southbank, and makes us truly unique and authentic.  We are trying too hard here and it's painfully obvious.  The renaming of the place is far less important than fixing the place up and encouraging more businesses and residents to take up shop downtown.

Get the Trio done.  Quit demolishing cool, unique buildings that could be repurposed but never replaced. Just don't rename the place - that's a waste of time and money and is incredibly stupid.

[simms3]

Wow, there was a Southbank one as well. My thoughts:

Again, why are we trying to have acronyms here?  It feels like such a "copy" of other cities, and about a decade or two too late.  There is nothing wrong with calling it the Southbank.  At this point, with SoBa apartments up and signage along 95, if you call the whole area "SoBa", are we naming the neighborhood after an apartment building?  I mean come on, this is just ridiculous.

Southbank is actually pretty cool and try finding me another "southbank" in America on the scale of ours.

I lived in SF for 7 years.  One of its most prominent neighborhoods was Soma, as in South of Market.  For Jacksonville to RENAME a neighborhood already named for its geographic setting (Southbank is descriptive), simply to get ourselves a fancy "cool" acronym, feels fake and stupid as hell.  For those of us who have lived in cities with similarly sounding acronym'd neighborhoods, such as Soma, it's not where we should be devoting attention.

Please quit trying, you're trying too hard!

[simms3]

I gave an 8 to the DT Jax logo with the buildings.  I was not supportive of the rest.  Why is this what we're spending our time and money on?

I felt the same way!

[simms3]

I think if the city adopted policies that made these places desirable to live and work, then the people who lived and worked there would eventually adopt some endearing term for them.

That's the difference between setting neighborhoods up for success and letting their identity evolve organically, versus having somebody's grandparent watch a few episodes of Sex and the City and then arbitrarily try to rebrand the entire downtown core.

Love that Brooklyn logo, Mike.

Feels much more authentic than what was presented in the survey.

THIS!  LOLOLOL

Also, loved your rebrands.  They were much better and honestly, would generate the kind of buzz these people seem to be looking for.

[simms3]

I prefer NoGo or NoNo

hahahah 

Downtown North ---> DoNo

Hilarious!  Y'all are obviously way better at this than the paid professionals.

[jaxlongtimer]

SoBa is unoriginal (and is a Japanese noodle per a Google search).  NYC has Soho (south of Houston St.) and Miami Beach has SoFi (south of Fifth St.).  I think this idea is worn.  Southbank is fine.  North San Marco might be another option.

[thelakelander]

I'm not sure what's wrong with Northbank and Southbank? They are just as authentic and original as any other name one can come up with. The alternative names NoCo and SoBa are a bit of trying too hard with not enough true community oriented public engagement.

[Ken_FSU]

I'm not sure what's wrong with Northbank and Southbank? They are just as authentic and original as any other name one can come up with. The alternative names NoCo and SoBa are a bit of trying too hard with not enough true community oriented public engagement.

Bill absolutely nailed it in his piece as well about how when you change from Northbank and Southbank to NoCo and SoBa, you are effectively divorcing the identities of both from the river. I hadn't thought about this, but after reading it, the rebranding would be even more insane and counterproductive as it would disassociate both areas from their strongest asset.

It's kind of the opposite of what Preston Hollow did, switching from the generic, nondescript District to RiversEdge.

[Tacachale]

I'm not sure what's wrong with Northbank and Southbank? They are just as authentic and original as any other name one can come up with. The alternative names NoCo and SoBa are a bit of trying too hard with not enough true community oriented public engagement.

Bill absolutely nailed it in his piece as well about how when you change from Northbank and Southbank to NoCo and SoBa, you are effectively divorcing the identities of both from the river. I hadn't thought about this, but after reading it, the rebranding would be even more insane and counterproductive as it would disassociate both areas from their strongest asset.

It's kind of the opposite of what Preston Hollow did, switching from the generic, nondescript District to RiversEdge.

What's crazy to me is they clearly understand how important the river connection is, considering how many times they mentioned it in the vision statements, but they still moved to use names that remove the river reference. Just bad marketing.