Urban Neighborhoods: Avondale
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/photos/thumbs/lrg-3726-p1080623.JPG)
Avondale was one of the first major neighborhoods in Jacksonville to have restrictive covenants. These covenants, requiring two story homes and specific construction techniques, have been successful in creating a community that stands out amongst its Duval County peers 88 years after its conception.
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http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/724
This is such a beautiful area. Thanks for posting the pics.
Too bad they just don't build urban sprawl like this anymore..............
Nice pictures. Who here knows the 4 original streets that Mr. Telfair Stockton created as the ORIGINAL Avondale? :o
I don't know the streets for sure, but I'm going to guess Aberdeen, Seminole, Avondale and Challen. I'm pretty sure that the existing Avondale shopping district was outside the original boundaries.
Since I know the answer from the Jax Architectural Heritage book, I'll stay out of this one.
Quote from: Beloki on February 28, 2008, 02:23:25 PM
Too bad they just don't build urban sprawl like this anymore..............
Considering there was a trolley that ran directly through this part of town to and from downtown, and it's less than a 30 minute walk to downtown, even less by horse and buggy and/or trolley, I would hardly equate this to "urban sprawl". The building done during this time period was an attempt at staying as close to downtown (the center of commerce) as humanly possible. This is why mass transportation was invented...to keep the connection there and prevent people from having to travel long distances for work or shopping.
I used to live in that blue quad on Donald St.! Gorgeous place, but it went downhill after Walter Williams Realty took over as property manager (it was an Atkinson and Knight property prior to that). Certain necessary improvements that were made during the years I live there exhibited no regard for the age or integrity of the building. A revolving door of renters tends to be hard on properties like this one ... it would be nice if the agencies charged with maintaining them did so properly.
Quote from: second_pancake on February 29, 2008, 05:29:45 PM
Quote from: Beloki on February 28, 2008, 02:23:25 PM
Too bad they just don't build urban sprawl like this anymore..............
Considering there was a trolley that ran directly through this part of town to and from downtown, and it's less than a 30 minute walk to downtown, even less by horse and buggy and/or trolley, I would hardly equate this to "urban sprawl". The building done during this time period was an attempt at staying as close to downtown (the center of commerce) as humanly possible. This is why mass transportation was invented...to keep the connection there and prevent people from having to travel long distances for work or shopping.
I think what they were saying is it'd be nice if the rest of jacksonville was built like this, instead of the current homoginized sprawl. I've always wondered that myself, why did we have to stray away from building such great structures to....southside blvd? I really wish I could've lived here in the first half of the 1900's...
Beautiful. Thank you so much for all these neighborhood pics, I can't tell you enough how much I love all of them, as I am exploring many of them today. In picture #21, I think it's the Avondale Baptist Church now - anyone know the history of that building and possibled prior uses? That looks like it could have been a synagogue - just an amateur's guess, noting the high windows and the relatively plain front with no cross in sight.
I don't know that it was any other variety of church. I attended there in the early 60's and it was ABC then. I was baptized there in 1963.
There is a condo building that now appears as if it's going to fall into the water at some future point - if you head North on Highway 17 past Ortega, go over the white bridge, look to the right at the tallest building on the waterfront. It's a dark brown brick multi-story condo building. (This is the bridge just before you get to Wabash where you would turn to go to Wachovia and the original Chamblin's). Does anyone else think this building appears to be leaning?
This building?
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/Neighborhoods/Marina-Mile-July-2010/i-vLpTZvL/0/M/P1370554-M.jpg)
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/Neighborhoods/Marina-Mile-July-2010/i-2PtR39D/0/M/P1370615-M.jpg)
That's the one. As I am usually in the passenger seat when we drive home that way, I've seen the building from the side until it's out of view. When you get to a certain point, it really seems to me as if the building is leaning. My husband has noticed it also. Optical illusion?
The synogogue in the area was converted into what is now the Avenues Condominium. It was catercorner from Riverside Church of God and bounded by Riverside, St. Johns, and Mallory.
There are large parts of what is now considered Avondale that have no restrictions, and in the area between the shoppes and the river, you'll see a number of apartment buildings next to or across the street from some very pricey homes. This could only happen if not only were there no restrictions, but also before zoning ordinances came about.
Yes, most of what's considered Avondale today never had restrictions keeping commercial and multifamily uses out. Only the original 4.5 block wide Avondale didn't allow such uses. Thus, what ended up happening was commercial districts like the Shoppes of Avondale and Murray Hill's First Block growing up around the same time to serve the area's growing early 20th century population. After all, there was no Walmart or Publix (or SUV) that one could hop in and drive to on a regular basis. These mix of uses within a pedestrian scale setting are something that continues to attract people today.
What street is considered the currant border between Riverside & Avondale?
McDuff ?
There's no official border or even one that's widely agreed upon. The original Avondale development extended to Seminole Road. Today, homes as far as McDuff are often considered in Avondale. In some real estate maps, you'll even see King Street, as it's the boundary between the 32204 and 32205 area codes, but few residents would consider all of that Avondale.
Its always been King Street.
Riverside borders Avondale @ King Street?!?
Always envisioned King Street as the heart of Riverside.
Does this make Avondale a little more hip?
Ha, yeah, this is something a lot of people feel strongly about. But no one's really any more right or wrong than the next person. I'll say this: when the Avondale development was... developed, it went up to Seminole. When the Avondale Historic District was added to the National Register, the northeast boundary was Seminole and Belvedere. In Jacksonville's Architectural Heritage, it's put at about McDuff.
Quote from: BoldBoyOfTheSouth on January 14, 2014, 02:18:49 PM
Riverside borders Avondale @ King Street?!?
Always envisioned King Street as the heart of Riverside.
Does this make Avondale a little more hip?
Growing up, nobody even remotely that close to King St referred to their house being in Avondale, but nowadays if your house is on the market....... Avondale.
This must be why when I meet people and they say they live in Avondale and they just don't seem like they can afford a $500,000 - $1,000,000 mortgage and definitly too young to have bought when those house went for far less. Maybe they truely believe they live in Avondale when in fact, they live in Riverside.
Though, there are plenty of more modestly priced homes in Avondale so anything is possible.
Just moved to Azalea Lane. Our house was no 500,000, but it wasn't cheap. I think we are about a block or two from the historic neighborhood.
The History of Avondale shows that Telfair Stockton designed Avondale as 4 streets, Talbot, Edgewood, Challen and Avondale. Then as it grew, the whole area grew around it and now the area is known as Riverside Avondale. Really no boundary other than the east, west, north and river boundaries.
There are pockets of problem areas in both Riverside and Avondale, so I don't make a distinction of Riverside or Avondale, but I used to think Cherry Street was the divider, but now I believe Willow Branch creek to be more of the divider, since West Riverside Elementary would probably belong IN Riverside, thus all of King Street should be in Riverside.
Ask Dr. Wood, who co-wrote the Architectural History of Jacksonville, he would have an interesting answer. Thankfully I live on Edgewood, IN AVONDALE, so I know where I am, lol!