Why do you love Springfield?

[uptowngirl]

I love Springfield because:

The community garden, and the soon to be Community orchard, along with all the classes and options Sunstainable Springfield offers the neighborhood

The random acts of beauty

FIRST FRIDAYS!

Thanksgiving and New Years Eve wondering cocktail parties

Beer Crew

SACARC for so many reasons, a soft landing place for street and abandoned, uncared for animals in our neighborhod, Dog Days, the fantastic Confederate Dog Park

I can travel the world in food each day of the week with never leaving the neighborhood!

Uptown's Farmer's Omelet

Three Layers Jeff Squares

Football at the Cellar

Sweet Pete's Sea Salt Caramels

Shanty's back yard with an effing beer

The juke box at Walnut Inn

Karate and personal training at Pak's

and last but not least, the Springfield chickens :-)

What do you love?

[ChriswUfGator]

The architecture.

[KuroiKetsunoHana]

architecture, beïng left mostly to myself, beïng greeted cheerfully when i'm not left to myself (except for one run-in with an elderly drunk who told me not to wear dresses in 'his' neighbourhood--but hey, into each life etc.), cats all over, people looking out for cats all over, catching snippets ov drama from the front porch, and (ov course!) preservation SOS...that's all i've got right now--maybe more when my headache leaves me.

[sheclown]

it is a bit like visiting Alice's rabbit hole.

[ChriswUfGator]

one run-in with an elderly drunk who told me not to wear dresses in 'his' neighbourhood

Was probably on his way to the SPAR building...

[samiam]

Here is a post along the same lines

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,7405.0.html

[billy]

What's the vibe like at the Walnut Inn?

[uptowngirl]

Late model mountains.... but the jukebox rocks!

[Springfielder]

Oh, there's just so many reasons why I love this neighborhood....
First and foremost, are the people...there's such a warm and genuine sense of community, unlike any other I've lived in. There's always something going on, from either meeting friends at Three Layers to one of the great eateries (Holas, Wafaas, Uptown) to how we'll come together to help with clean ups, saving historic houses to just plain picking up some trash while you walk your dog...there's a real self pride in this hood, with the people...

I love the events, dog days, First Fridays, block captain clean ups, make it happen...and so on. It's walking down the street and knowing your neighbors, it's the knowing that we watch out for one another. The list goes on....

[sheclown]

[iloveionia]

Ditto Everyone.
Springfielder, you hit the nail on the head about the people. 
I like also riding my beach cruiser around the streets and marveling at all the beautiful homes.

[sheclown]

The randomness of it all.  Like the store on Main Street which sells incense and toys.  Period.  One isle is incense and the other toys.  You know there is a story there, but you can't imagine what it would be.

Like the fact that the city moved all of these houses around when it built the school on 12th street and then forgot where they put them.  (I know, I bought one of them about 10 years ago and it took a lot of convincing for the city to believe me when I said there was a house on that empty lot).

You just never know what will happen next, or what you will find.  Things aren't quite where you expect them to be and I sort of like that.

One of the first sights I saw when I moved into Springfield years ago was a man in an electric wheelchair pushing anther man in his manual wheelchair down Main Street.  I said to myself "this is an interesting place."  Got a lot of heart.

[uptowngirl]

The disagreements that cause houses to be placed backwards on a lot, like Sheclown said "this is an interesting place".

[Springfield Chicken]

Let me count the ways:
Springfield has layers.  It's been reborn a number of times.  
It has a place in Jacksonville history.  
Every block has a story - or multiple stories - to tell.  
It's visually stunning in places and depressing in others.  
Its residents are the most passionate folks I've ever met and even when those passions clash it's for the common good.  
There are opportunities to be involved in the community in numerous ways.  
Our residents are cutting edge when it comes to innovation as well as preservation.  
The community welcomes change as long as it embraces our historic fabric.  
There is no pretense here - everyone is an equal.  
It's a beautiful community where you know your neighbors and you know your neighbors care about you.  
And there is no place on earth quite like it!

[uptowngirl]

and Jimmy