My August 20 - 22 Visit to Jacksonville

[thelakelander]

HU, glad you had a good time during your visit back to Jax.

[9a is my backyard]

Thanks for offering your perspective HU.  It's nice to get input from someone who might pick up on some of the things we miss because we see them everyday.  One thing you said stood out to me:

Jacksonville has so, so much potential its rediculous.  What the hell are our leaders thinking or waiting on? People who visit Florida, and trust me on this, are getting tired of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and the Tampa area.  Jax also has a warm climate but Jax also has seasons, something people south of Ocala cannot really claim (feeble seasons at best).  Jax has so much it can capitalize on and use to its advantage to lure people to it and help it to be the best that it can be!

I couldn't agree with you more.  In my mind, there is ABSOLUTELY no reason why Jacksonville isn't the premier city in Florida, and on of the top cities in the southeast.  It's location is good, the weather is generally very good, most hurricanes avoid us, cost of living is low, we have a good mix of neighborhoods, there's a rich history to the city, and we've got some great beaches very close by.  Ultimately, we keep getting in our own way.  We're handicapped by the planning mistakes of our past that have divided our city and sent us sprawling.  It's such a frustrating city to live in when you know how good things could be yet things stay pretty much the same.  And that's just my opinion as someone who is mostly a spectator, I can't imagine how many of the people on here feel, having thrown themselves in to the fold, trying to make things change for the better.  It's one of the main reasons I'm probably leaving Jacksonville in a few months.

[heights unknown]

HU, glad you had a good time during your visit back to Jax.

Thanks Lake; and it was good to drive around and think back of good times even when the city wasn't nearly as good as it is now.  And boy do I miss the southern hospitality! People actually speak to you (good morning, good evening) regardless of the murder rate (LOL).  THIS (Jax) is my city and always will be, but we keep missing the mark thanks to stupid, short sighted leaders that never had a clue, don't have a clue, and never will have a clue.  I've come to the conclusion that we need one of the METROJAX people to become Mayor and hire some of the forumers into the administration in order to get our city moving.  Pipe dreams y'all.  I enjoyed myself and will be back sooner than later next time!

"HU"

[heights unknown]

Thanks for offering your perspective HU.  It's nice to get input from someone who might pick up on some of the things we miss because we see them everyday.  One thing you said stood out to me:

Jacksonville has so, so much potential its rediculous.  What the hell are our leaders thinking or waiting on? People who visit Florida, and trust me on this, are getting tired of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and the Tampa area.  Jax also has a warm climate but Jax also has seasons, something people south of Ocala cannot really claim (feeble seasons at best).  Jax has so much it can capitalize on and use to its advantage to lure people to it and help it to be the best that it can be!

I couldn't agree with you more.  In my mind, there is ABSOLUTELY no reason why Jacksonville isn't the premier city in Florida, and on of the top cities in the southeast.  It's location is good, the weather is generally very good, most hurricanes avoid us, cost of living is low, we have a good mix of neighborhoods, there's a rich history to the city, and we've got some great beaches very close by.  Ultimately, we keep getting in our own way.  We're handicapped by the planning mistakes of our past that have divided our city and sent us sprawling.  It's such a frustrating city to live in when you know how good things could be yet things stay pretty much the same.  And that's just my opinion as someone who is mostly a spectator, I can't imagine how many of the people on here feel, having thrown themselves in to the fold, trying to make things change for the better.  It's one of the main reasons I'm probably leaving Jacksonville in a few months.

Thanks for your great post and you're welcome 9a!

I hope you don't leave, but sadly, you're right.  We really need to get rid of those "good ole boys" in City Hall, and any others who think they might want to run our city...they just don't have any vision; and yes, if it takes a Yankee visionary with great goals, planning, and VISION, then bring him or her in...and I mean right now!! We've been held back for too long, and Jax (Northeast Florida along with old St. Augustine) is the birthplace of Florida and where Florida began.  No one knew anything about Central or South Florida until the late 1800's till around the turn of the Century; and then the focus began to slowly go away from Jax to warmer pastures down south.  Hopefully change will come soon, but I would love to see it during my lifetime!

"HU"

[north miami]

Certainly shrewd Jacksonville area promoters sell against evil Miami and Central Florida.

Those that 'tire' from points south would do well to reconsider their move to northeast Florida based on what they simply see...and are sold,considering the tremendous amount of development/changes vested yet presently unseen (all under the banner of happy growth Management of course-even the Beltway is cast as forward thinking.And our recent water war with Evil central Florida coincided with finishing up a decade+ of our own massive area development vesting-a point completely missed by most ).For many newcomers the upcoming changes would be welcome,for others-a rip off,or worse.

What really separates us from evil points south??Certainly the weather-after all there are two separate weather zones below us.Our weather is among the best.And perhaps nature based recreation. If we ignore the fact that south Florida enjoys some of the largest tracts of wild public lands in the country.Our wild lands legacy here is admirable yet still bits and pieces with many lost opportunities.

Many of my native Miami friends have in fact assessed their potential move to Jacksonville-and skipped the region all together.

I admire HU for his zeal and love for Jacksonville.

It is good to like where you live.For some of us-the feeling is imperative.

Where would North Miami move too??? It's a secret-the entire region prefers to keep it that way.

[hillary supporter]

God bless you, Garry--- you said everything so well and to the point, you make this site so important.

[Seraphs]

Thanks, HU, I enjoyed reading your assessment of Jax.

[heights unknown]

Certainly shrewd Jacksonville area promoters sell against evil Miami and Central Florida.

Those that 'tire' from points south would do well to reconsider their move to northeast Florida based on what they simply see...and are sold,considering the tremendous amount of development/changes vested yet presently unseen (all under the banner of happy growth Management of course-even the Beltway is cast as forward thinking.And our recent water war with Evil central Florida coincided with finishing up a decade+ of our own massive area development vesting-a point completely missed by most ).For many newcomers the upcoming changes would be welcome,for others-a rip off,or worse.

What really separates us from evil points south??Certainly the weather-after all there are two separate weather zones below us.Our weather is among the best.And perhaps nature based recreation. If we ignore the fact that south Florida enjoys some of the largest tracts of wild public lands in the country.Our wild lands legacy here is admirable yet still bits and pieces with many lost opportunities.

Many of my native Miami friends have in fact assessed their potential move to Jacksonville-and skipped the region all together.

I admire HU for his zeal and love for Jacksonville.

It is good to like where you live.For some of us-the feeling is imperative.

Where would North Miami move too??? It's a secret-the entire region prefers to keep it that way.

Well North Miami...great post.  Just so you'll know when I left Jax in 1995 I lived in Fort Lauderdale for the next 9 years, and also bounced around to Hallandale, Hollywood, Dania, and Fort Lauderdale Beach in between.  Got to like South Florida while I was down there, heck, it became home. But nothing beats trees, real trees mind you like oaks, sycamores, pecan, plum, and foilage foilage foilage (bushes, vines, etc.), and yes we have palm trees in North Florida, and I will again mention real seasons (winter, spring, summer, fall), hospitality (hi y'all, hello, good morning, good evening, how ya doing, etc.), down home cooking (and not just roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy; I'm talking yams, collards, just about every part of a pig, fried chicken, mustard greens, lima beans, rice and beans, I'm talking southern cuisine...heck, we can still eat roast beef and mashed potatoes with gravy and still call it southern!), and how about rainfall just about all the time and not here and there with the grass looking burnt up, trees that don't grow very tall, polluted air, and I could go on and on.

One thing I noticed that differentiates North Florida from Central and Southern Florida; just about everyone in North Florida are native Floridians (we have more yankees, midwesterners and westerners moving to Jax than ever before), and in Central and South Florida just about everyone are from the following states:  New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, and a few from other states up north but these are the main ones. Maybe that's why there is more southern hospitality in North Florida versus Central and South Florida.

Yes, North Florida is my home.  My roots are from North Florida.  Born in Jacksonville, raised in Jasper Florida (Hamilton County), and again raised in Jacksonville before my Mother's Sister talked her into moving to Fort Myers. It could have been the other way around regarding my feelings of North Florida and Jax. I could have grown to hate Jax and loved South Florida; just because you are from somewhere doesn't mean you will always love it; however, I know, that I know, that Jax has the best to offer...not because it is my home, but because I've had the chance to live in other places in Florida and though there might be more to do, and there might be more people, that doesn't mean they are the best places to live.  I'd take corn pone anyday over Boston Baked Beans!

"HU"

[north miami]

Certainly shrewd Jacksonville area promoters sell against evil Miami and Central Florida.

Those that 'tire' from points south would do well to reconsider their move to northeast Florida based on what they simply see...and are sold,considering the tremendous amount of development/changes vested yet presently unseen (all under the banner of happy growth Management of course-even the Beltway is cast as forward thinking.And our recent water war with Evil central Florida coincided with finishing up a decade+ of our own massive area development vesting-a point completely missed by most ).For many newcomers the upcoming changes would be welcome,for others-a rip off,or worse.

What really separates us from evil points south??Certainly the weather-after all there are two separate weather zones below us.Our weather is among the best.And perhaps nature based recreation. If we ignore the fact that south Florida enjoys some of the largest tracts of wild public lands in the country.Our wild lands legacy here is admirable yet still bits and pieces with many lost opportunities.

Many of my native Miami friends have in fact assessed their potential move to Jacksonville-and skipped the region all together.

I admire HU for his zeal and love for Jacksonville.

It is good to like where you live.For some of us-the feeling is imperative.

Where would North Miami move too??? It's a secret-the entire region prefers to keep it that way.

Well North Miami...great post.  Just so you'll know when I left Jax in 1995 I lived in Fort Lauderdale for the next 9 years, and also bounced around to Hallandale, Hollywood, Dania, and Fort Lauderdale Beach in between.  Got to like South Florida while I was down there, heck, it became home. But nothing beats trees, real trees mind you like oaks, sycamores, pecan, plum, and foilage foilage foilage (bushes, vines, etc.), and yes we have palm trees in North Florida, and I will again mention real seasons (winter, spring, summer, fall), hospitality (hi y'all, hello, good morning, good evening, how ya doing, etc.), down home cooking (and not just roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy; I'm talking yams, collards, just about every part of a pig, fried chicken, mustard greens, lima beans, rice and beans, I'm talking southern cuisine...heck, we can still eat roast beef and mashed potatoes with gravy and still call it southern!), and how about rainfall just about all the time and not here and there with the grass looking burnt up, trees that don't grow very tall, polluted air, and I could go on and on.

One thing I noticed that differentiates North Florida from Central and Southern Florida; just about everyone in North Florida are native Floridians (we have more yankees, midwesterners and westerners moving to Jax than ever before), and in Central and South Florida just about everyone are from the following states:  New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, and a few from other states up north but these are the main ones. Maybe that's why there is more southern hospitality in North Florida versus Central and South Florida.

Yes, North Florida is my home.  My roots are from North Florida.  Born in Jacksonville, raised in Jasper Florida (Hamilton County), and again raised in Jacksonville before my Mother's Sister talked her into moving to Fort Myers. It could have been the other way around regarding my feelings of North Florida and Jax. I could have grown to hate Jax and loved South Florida; just because you are from somewhere doesn't mean you will always love it; however, I know, that I know, that Jax has the best to offer...not because it is my home, but because I've had the chance to live in other places in Florida and though there might be more to do, and there might be more people, that doesn't mean they are the best places to live.  I'd take corn pone anyday over Boston Baked Beans!

"HU"

"HU"-

Your zeal and happiness with Jacksonville is great to see and something evident through your posts over time.

My parents were natives of another certified idyllic place;Charlevoix Michigan.They moved to South Florida in the early 50's.My dad used to joke that he wished the car had broken down in Jacksonville.

When we moved to Jacksonville & environs in the mid 70's fireplaces,stacks of fire wood and woodsmoke in the winter neighborhood air was a delightful discovery.

[duvaldude08]

I will always argue that Id rather stay in Jacksonville than anywhere else in Florida. We might not have a "night life", but when it comes down to it, that's not what pays the bills. Ive always wondered why people are concerned about " there's nothing to do." There is SOO much to do, we just dont promote it like we should. EVERY person that has visited Jacksonville and hung out with me, had such a good time they are considering moving here. Actually my friend in central florida is thinking about packing up and heading here. To me life isnt just a "party". There's much more to it. I think Jacksonville is more of a city for someone who's laid back and goal oriented, and just parties every so often. ( I just descirbed myself.) I dont need a whole lot to do in order for me to be entertained.

[Dog Walker]

Last fall had a visit from friends of ours who live in Tallahassee (He's a famous professor of criminology at FSU.)  He and his wife are originally from Chicago.  We had dinner in 5 Points then drove down Riverside Ave and St. John's to Marina Mile then took a slow evening cruise out of the Ortega River through downtown to the Mathews Bridge and back.

The whole way on the drive and the cruise they kept exclaiming that they didn't know Jacksonville was like this.  "It's beautiful!  Look at the wonderful houses and the trees!  Wow, what a downtown!" (from the river at night it's lovely)

They had been to Jacksonville before, but just to go to the airport or to UNF or to drive through to St. Augustine.

We just need to get people off of I-95.

[north miami]

Last fall had a visit from friends of ours who live in Tallahassee (He's a famous professor of criminology at FSU.)  He and his wife are originally from Chicago.  We had dinner in 5 Points then drove down Riverside Ave and St. John's to Marina Mile then took a slow evening cruise out of the Ortega River through downtown to the Mathews Bridge and back.

The whole way on the drive and the cruise they kept exclaiming that they didn't know Jacksonville was like this.  "It's beautiful!  Look at the wonderful houses and the trees!  Wow, what a downtown!" (from the river at night it's lovely)

They had been to Jacksonville before, but just to go to the airport or to UNF or to drive through to St. Augustine.

We just need to get people off of I-95.

The Marina Mile Yacht Brokerage business draws customers from all over the country who through the course of a vessel purchase end up on the River for survey trial run,post closing orientation,cruising and all exclaim how wonderful the immediate environs are.

Nearby,spontaneous nature based recreation is a Jacksonville strong point,as is the weather.