Last Again

[Lucasjj]

Forbes' 2009 list of cities for singles came is out and we are last again. They were not exactly negative about it though.

"But wherever you live, even if it's Jacksonville, Fla., which falls dead last on our list, there's a community of singles making the best of that particular place."

http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/24/best-cities-singles-lifestyle-singles-online-dating.html

[Captain Zissou]

I mean.... I'm not going to argue.  While we would like to think we can beat out Cleveland, Buffalo, and Norfolk, I don't doubt that they have a more vibrant singles scene.  One thing worth noting is the attractions they mention for Jax; the Grotto (ummm), Casbah (uggghh), and Island Girl (what the ...).  Maybe the 'Pablo Island' area bars and clubs don't get factored in, but is this really the best they could come up with??

[Joe]

Forbes always uses suspect criteria for their numerous rankings.

However, I cant say that I disagree here. Jacksonville must have one of the smallest populations of college students per capita in the country. That must have a huge impact on the viability of the singles scene.

Maybe that's slowly changing as UNF gets larger, but for now an inordinate number of 20-somethings leave town for college.

[copperfiend]

I bet Jacksonville is number one for singles who like to watch MMA fights at chicken wing restaurants.

[ChriswUfGator]

I bet Jacksonville is number one for singles who like to watch MMA fights at chicken wing restaurants.

+1

WWF too...

[Sportmotor]

I gave up attempting to date anyone in Jacksonville

[Omarvelous09]

Sad..but true. Honestly it's not really a bad thing...Jacksonville is a great place to start a family. Every city cant be a singles heaven. 

[David]

I'd say that's a fair ranking.

I'm 30 now and noticed by age 24 everyone around me started shacking up and popping out kids, which seemed a bit early for me. I pretty much visited friends in larger cities to get my fill of the single's life throughout my 20's. But that's the thing, Jacksonville is a very family friendly city and does well in that area, the nightlife and singles scene has always been small, although i'm seeing some improvement lately.

[A-Finnius]

I'm confused?  How is it more expensive to live in Jacksonville than it is to live in Chicago or Boston?

[JaguarReign]

I can see this. I am attempting to get into the singles scene here in Jax and it isn't exactly as easy as I thought it would be. But, I also haven't gone out as much as I should be. I come from Honolulu and it's hard to compare to such a tourist trap like Waikiki; so, I don't compare really.

[ChriswUfGator]

The singles scene here, regardless of "which way you swing", is pretty abysmal compared to other cities I've lived in.

From my own observations, there really are a high number of total psychos floating around in the dating pool here vs. elsewhere. I have no clue why that is. Another thing I noticed is, quite of few of the formerly-decent places in our nightlife scene were routinely targeted by JSO and Code Enforcement until were run out of business. Meanwhile, there are shootings at Plush and "Urban Night" at InCahoots all the time, which they do nothing about.

Several more were run out of business by greedy landlords who control the large urban areas, that are about the only place you can get away with opening a nightclub because of the extreme "NIMBY" syndrome that exists in the suburbs. Also, our nightlife scene is pitifully small compared other cities with similar (or even much smaller) population numbers. I don't know why that is either.

And the other poster who said that local culture steers folks into shacking up and popping out babies by the time they're 24, I've definitely noticed a lot of that. Pretty much every male/female couple I see anywhere near my age (20's) already has a pile of kids. That's way too early for the rest of your life to be set in stone, IMO.

[Lucasjj]

I am 26 and my girlfriend ins 24, and the couple friends we have around us here are hitting that stage of marriage and kids. We are not sure we want kids even after we get married, but our friends can't understand it when we tell them if we do, its going to be a while longer.

However, when talking to our friends in Chicago, and where she is from Boston, having kids at this age is not even a thought for them. You can really see the difference in mentality here compared to other places.

[copperfiend]

39. Salt Lake City
40. Jacksonville

Gee, I wonder what role religion plays in this?

[Captain Zissou]

On a semi related note, where do the single posters of this forum go out and when?  I've been trying to get in touch with the singles scene, but the closest I have come is Wednesdays at Wild Wings.

[Sportmotor]

On a semi related note, where do the single posters of this forum go out and when?  I've been trying to get in touch with the singles scene, but the closest I have come is Wednesdays at Wild Wings.

Depends who you are looking for. Guy or Gal