10 Great Streets in America, 2011
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/968211763_WNmHC-M.jpg)
The American Planning Association celebrates excellence in planning with a list of 10 Great Streets in America for 2011.
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2011-oct-10-great-streets-in-america-2011
Nice article. Looking at each of these streets makes me want to put a foot down and stroll along them. Human size street-scape with lots to see and do.
St. Johns Ave, Laura St, San Marco Blvd, well that's all I've got.
Previous winners in Florida include Ocean Drive (Miami Beach) and 7th Avenue (Ybor City-Tampa)....and don't forget, Riverside-Avondale was a 10 Great Neighborhoods winner in 2010!
None of the streets this year are in the South. It would be interesting to see the Top 10 Streets of the South and Top 10 Streets in Jacksonville. Does anyone want to give it a shot?
Riverside, avondale, springfield, san marco and downtown jacksonville have all been featured in magazines and newspapers in the past 2 years.
What do you think are the top streets in Jax?
Judging by the APAs picks they have to have commerical.
Quote from: thelakelander on October 21, 2011, 08:28:15 AM
What do you think are the top streets in Jax?
San Marco Boulevard through the Square. Admittedly, I am biased.
This was the scene last night at Affair in the Square:
(http://i54.tinypic.com/r86p2q.jpg)
(http://i56.tinypic.com/29bnhut.jpg)
Imo, streets worth mentioning in Jax would include:
(In no particular order)
1. Margaret Street (Five Points)
2. St. Johns Avenue (Avondale)
3. San Marco Boulevard (San Marco)
4. Myrtle Avenue (Durkeeville)
5. Laura Street (Downtown)
6. Park Street (Five Points)
7. King Street (Riverside)
Wow, this is more difficult than I originally imagined....
Quote from: thelakelander on October 21, 2011, 08:28:15 AM
What do you think are the top streets in Jax?
I only think theres 5 worthy mentions.
1 Atlantic blvd between 2nd street and the beach in Atlantic beach
2 San Marco bvd between Landon ave and Mitchell ave in San marco
3 St. Johns ave between Talbot ave and Van Wert ave in Avondale
4 Park street between Post street and Margeret steet/Margeret between Lomax st and the river (basically 1 street)in Riverside
5 Tapestry park circle on the Southside
2 more.
Adams street between Hogan and Newnan
Laura street between Forsyth and Church street
Hehe, lived on U Street (before it was the cat's meow) & I could throw a rock & hit Ben's from my balcony. I agree. Great American street with a good mix of everything. Awesome mom & pops, some good chains, some higher end restaurants, plenty of ethnic food (the Ethiopian is amazing), good dives/hole in the walls, bars, clubs (the famous Black Cat is just up the street), jazz music filling the streets almost nightly, etc. It's like a dream & I miss it a lot.
I agree. There should have been more southern cities on the list. I'd put King Street in Charleston on there & maybe something in St Augustine.
You guys forgot the most important one of all. River City Drive in the St Johns Town Center. (just kidding)
San Marco & St. John's hands down in JAX. I'm also partial to 1st Street in JAX/Atlantic/Neptune Beach. Centre Street in Fernandina is probably my favorite just outside the area.
My top 3:
3.) The flyover from 95N to 10W
2.) The flyover from 295S to 95N
1.) The flyover from Butler W to 9aS
Honorable Mention: The goofy traffic circle to nowhere on the Arlington Expwy Service Rd.
Quote from: peestandingup on October 21, 2011, 09:12:29 AM
I agree. There should have been more southern cities on the list. I'd put King Street in Charleston on there & maybe something in St Augustine.
First step is that someone has to apply...so maybe nobody worthy in the south submitted this year
What no love for Philips Hwy?
Quote from: Non-RedNeck Westsider on October 21, 2011, 09:49:20 AM
Honorable Mention: The goofy traffic circle to nowhere on the Arlington Expwy Service Rd.
Not to derail the thread, but I have wondered about this since they built it - what is the point of this traffic circle? Why was it built there? Was somebody just curious about what it would look like?
Broad Street, Church Street, State Street, Atlantic Street, Water Street, Bull Street, Montague Street, Lambol Street, Longitude Lane....all in Charleston, too...
I agree about most of the streets mentioned, and I'd add Edgewood Ave. in Murray Hill. It's not all that beautiful, but my wife and I probably spend as much or more time there than in Five Points or San Marco or some of those other spots listed. Mostly that's because of the Crazy Egg, the Dreamette, and Edgewood Bakery. It's not glamourous, but it's real.
Quote from: Non-RedNeck Westsider on October 21, 2011, 09:49:20 AM
My top 3:
3.) The flyover from 95N to 10W
2.) The flyover from 295S to 95N
1.) The flyover from Butler W to 9aS
Honorable Mention: The goofy traffic circle to nowhere on the Arlington Expwy Service Rd.
The Mayport Flyover should've atleast made the top three! LOL
Edgewood ave from the river north to post. Residential and Context sensitive commercial.
Quote from: peestandingup on October 21, 2011, 09:12:29 AM
There should have been more southern cities on the list. I'd put King Street in Charleston on there & maybe something in St Augustine.
Aviles Street - "the nation's oldest public street" seems worthy of consideration here.
Aviles Street rebounds after rehabilitationGoal now is to get more locals to go there
http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2011-10-22/aviles-street-rebounds-after-rehabilitation#.TqnB-XLZeuI (http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2011-10-22/aviles-street-rebounds-after-rehabilitation#.TqnB-XLZeuI)
QuoteDespite a tough economy, business is booming on the nation’s oldest public street, said Jeff Norton, owner of Madre’s Restaurant on Aviles Street and president of the Aviles Merchants Association.
...
“This is really the place people want to be in St. Augustine,†Norton said. “It’s the center of the universe, as far as we’re concerned.â€
My mom used to co-own a restaurant on Avilles Street and I spent many hours in that kitchen... and ate quite a bit of her profit margin :)
Cellar 6 on Avilles is outstanding, if anyone is looking for a good recommendation.
Quote from: Dashing Dan on October 27, 2011, 04:46:03 PM
Quote from: peestandingup on October 21, 2011, 09:12:29 AM
There should have been more southern cities on the list. I'd put King Street in Charleston on there & maybe something in St Augustine.
Aviles Street - "the nation's oldest public street" seems worthy of consideration here.
Aviles Street rebounds after rehabilitation
Goal now is to get more locals to go there
http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2011-10-22/aviles-street-rebounds-after-rehabilitation#.TqnB-XLZeuI (http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2011-10-22/aviles-street-rebounds-after-rehabilitation#.TqnB-XLZeuI)
QuoteDespite a tough economy, business is booming on the nation’s oldest public street, said Jeff Norton, owner of Madre’s Restaurant on Aviles Street and president of the Aviles Merchants Association.
...
“This is really the place people want to be in St. Augustine,†Norton said. “It’s the center of the universe, as far as we’re concerned.â€
I do like strolling down that street. I make it a point every time I visit St Augustine.
However, what I dont like is the way they tried to cram in parking spaces on that little street. It looks ridiculous & plus, hurts the functionality of it for pedestrians IMO. All for what, a handful of spaces? Jesus, does every historic storefront in America have to ugly them up by going against the original design & jamming in parking just so a couple of patrons won't have to walk from a street or two over?
^Nevermind. I see that they recently took out the spaces to make more room for on-street dining, etc. Good call!
Imagine how awesome it would be to hop on a commuter train at 5 pm on a Friday and go to Aviles Street for dinner. Then catch the last train home.
Quote from: dougskiles on October 27, 2011, 08:30:46 PM
Imagine how awesome it would be to hop on a commuter train at 5 pm on a Friday and go to Aviles Street for dinner. Then catch the last train home.
It would be very cool Doug, trouble is, evening commute is entirely southbound. Evening trains probably wouldn't return until morning rush. They would spend the night at a small yard in St Augustine. Sorry to pop your bubble.
As for streets, if we're talking true, walkable, mixed use, urban streets, then I think San Marco Square is the hands down local winner. Most of the other Jacksonville streets named have some mixed use, but I don't see any clear winners. In that runner up category I'd suggest the nine blocks of Herschel in Fairfax is as close as the others and certainly more unique.
But in northeast Florida there probably isn't another downtown street as remarkable as St. Augustine's King Street. Within a space of just 4 blocks you have retail, office, hoteliers, government offices, tourist attractions, historic buildings, a basilica, park, college, and working waterfront. If one was to take the whole of King Street, it would be diagnosed with multiple personalities, from dense mixed use tourist and municipal street only to pierce the ghettos of the west side, continue and it runs down a former railway all the way to the site of the steamboat dock in Tocoi.