A Look at the Neighborhood of Lakewood
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/455067594_BSCJJ-M.jpg)
Lakewood is located at the intersection of San Jose and University Blvd's. It is a predominantly residential area with houses built in the 1950's. The community has several churches, two shopping centers, and a number of streets named after major private colleges, such as Clemson, Cornell, Fordham, and Emory.
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http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/990
where are the townhomes on the pond located?
Has anything ever happened in Lakewood? As in, historically, that contributed to the overall character and flavor of the larger region? Places like Ortega, Yukon, and the like that have been covered in past photo tours each had anecdotal tidbits to accompany the article.
How did Lakewood play a role in the greater Jacksonville scheme of things? My inner History buff's curiosity is piqued.
Does anybody know what that bell tower looking building that was recently built on San Jose is for?
The townhomes are at the corner of Cornell and Stanford roads.
Mojo BBQ - :)
I'm a sucker for the Atlanta Bread over there.
I think it's the only one left in town.
Quote from: reednavy on January 22, 2009, 08:57:53 AM
Does anybody know what that bell tower looking building that was recently built on San Jose is for?
I remember seeing a sign that said it was a bank. Although it could have been the name of the bank financing it?
I'll probably catch a lot of flack for this, but I LOVE that building. I don't care that it's a faux neo-Spanish/Italian mishmash. I think it's aesthetically pleasing and helps create a sense of "place" in an otherwise bland suburban "anyplace" strip mall corner. Also, thank goodnees someone had the nerve to approve a suburban retail height higher than 35 feet!! I'm sick of that arbitrary number defining how things get built in suburban Jax.
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/455067022_wS3gb-M.jpg)
Also, I noticed that the ugly retail buildings South (left) of this new project are now for sale. Hopefully someone will demolish those underutilized sites and build more 3-4 story buildings.
I like it too Joe. It has some character.
Quote from: Joe on January 22, 2009, 12:17:55 PM
Quote from: reednavy on January 22, 2009, 08:57:53 AM
Does anybody know what that bell tower looking building that was recently built on San Jose is for?
I'll probably catch a lot of flack for this, but I LOVE that building. I don't care that it's a faux neo-Spanish/Italian mishmash. I think it's aesthetically pleasing and helps create a sense of "place" in an otherwise bland suburban "anyplace" strip mall corner.
Well, this certainly gives us some insight on why you would have the elevations of that proposed San Marco midrise ;)
Clemson is a state school in South Carolina. Unless you are referring to an obscure private college of the same name.
Quote from: KenFSU on January 22, 2009, 12:02:15 PM
I'm a sucker for the Atlanta Bread over there.
I think it's the only one left in town.
Yep, according to their site it's the only one in town.
The last time I was there (a while back), the Atlanta Bread Company had no lox, or lox spread
for the bagels.
Doctor K asked "Has anything ever happened in Lakewood?"
Isn't that where the Maddie Clifton tragedy happened?
A few more Lakewood comments:
Most area residents would consider the northern boundary of Lakewood at no further than Oaklawn Cemetery. North of there to Emerson would be mostly Miramar. Where the Gate Station is near Emerson used to be called Flamingo. This was because there was a 2 story building covering the entire site and painted flamingo pink. The ground floor was a Coley-Walker (sp?) drug store and lunch counter. Next to it was Levy's Garden Center.
Here is a little trivia: the old city limits stopped at Emerson. Evidence to this day still exists. Next time you drive down Hendricks Ave. you will notice street lights on BOTH sides from San Marco to Emerson. Southward, the lights are only on ONE side. That is the way the old county lit roads and its never been updated in 40 years!
The Miramar shopping center used to house a Winn Dixie, Norman's Drug Store, and Goodyear Tire store. The Music Bar was where the convenience store is now. Matt Carlucci's dad, Joe, used to have his State Farm office there also.
The Lakewood subdivision and shopping area was developed by Walter Crabtree. See Crabtree Park next to the shopping center on the southern side of University Blvd. Rosenblums was originally American Federal Savings and Loan which originally was sited where Starbucks is today. Next to it was a Dobb's House restaurant. A gas station faced the intersection. Rosenblums and, I think, French Novelty, were originally along the strip extending eastward from Winn Dixie as was a Walgreens. At the end of said strip was a McCrory's 5 & 10. A&P Grocery was originally where the Atlanta Bread is now. At one time, this was also a second location for Worman's Bakery downtown. Lakewood Pharmacy and snack bar were originally on the curved section at the corner of this side of the shopping area. Along the strip eastward from there was Toy Parade's store. The seafood restaurant used to be a Banner Grocery. The whole shopping center used to be a classic 1950s era light colored brick before a remake a number of years ago. It was before my time, but University Blvd. is a meshing of several previous roads and had a different name in Lakewood.
The closed Roe store, formerly Albertsons' store, used to be a dairy farm and a Times Square hardware store was on the corner in front. The store is now owned by Publix and is scheduled to be converted sometime in the future according to my sources.
I hear the bell tower building was built to be bank branch but they are holding back opening it due to the economy.
The Old San Jose condo project appears to be stalemated for now as well. This was River Reach apartments before the developer tore them down for this project. Before that, I think it was the Ripley property. If memory serves me right, he had a brick company in San Marco. I think the Old San Jose developer also bought the Lakewood Apts. pictured for eventual demolition and replacement with more condos. Another project shelved.
I think Maddie Clifton's family lived in the Lakewood subdivision on the south side of University closer to St. Augustine Road.
Lakewood Pharmacy also had a small lending library (they charged a fee).
and I think a postal services counter.
The stores across University had a pet store, and an ice cream place called Dipper Dan's was near Dobb's House.
I heard the antique store pictured was once a guava jelly maker.
University was doubled in width in the 60's.
I worked at Times Square Hardware the summer I graduated high school.
I love the eyewitness historical narratives... Thanks!! :)
Agreed. Nothing like a little e-oral history!
I have lived in this area for about 23 out of 25 years of my life. I didn't even think about the street lights being on one side of the road until now. I remember walking up to the old Pharamcy and getting vanilla and cherry cokes at the little soda bar they had. The new building at San Jose and University really helps the area. I hope Old San Jose can finish their project unlike the project behind Stonewood at Baymeadows and San Jose.
Good stuff...Good Stuff
-Anthony
www.WhatsUpJacksonville.com
Welcome WhatsUpJacksonville!! Looking forward to more of your posts. Thanks for the link!
Quote.... and an ice cream place called Dipper Dan's was near Dobb's House.
Aaaah yes, Dipper Dans. Nothing like a charbroiled burger at Dobbs and ice cream at Dipper Dans!
A few more tidbits about the subject area:
I recall Piners having an old black and white photo of their place from the 40's or thereabouts. It may still be on the wall in the store. They used to also be a good sized bicycle dealer selling Schwinn's. It's where I got my first 3 speed bike.
A couple of doors down from Piner's was McGee Shoes. Many a kid in San Marco/San Jose either got their shoes from Mr. McGee or at Buster Browns in San Marco. Of course, in those days the shoe du jour was leather - laces or loafers! When Mr. McGee expanded his store in the 60's, he added a stage at the back of the store. Boy, did we love to run up and down its stairs and across the stage while we waited to be serviced. Mr. McGee personally handled every customer, measured their feet, went to the stock room to hand select the right shoes, and try them on. He kept meticulous index cards on every customer's purchase history for their entire lives. He had a card on me from birth to high school. And we always got a lollipop when we checked out! A lost way of doing business! Next door was a leather & shoe repair store.
The car repair shop on Hendricks a block south from Emerson used to be Chasteen's Texaco Station (yep, everyone knew the owner of their favorite station in the days before self serve). The old gas station near Hendricks Avenue Baptist church where they now detail cars was a Union 76. Another station next door was converted to a cleaners before HAB bought it and tore it down a few years ago. More gas stations were at the Wine Warehouse (Mobil) and cleaners (Amoco) in the Miramar Center and in Lakewood at the bank tower building and the grass patch on the corner of Univ. and San Jose behind Starbucks. [P.S. How many remember when there was a Gulf station where Balis park is in the center of San Marco Square?]
The Publix at University and St. Augustine Road opened in 1972 or '73. It was the very first Publix on the First Coast at the time [the next one to open was Roosevelt Mall]. In those days, due to the founder's religious beliefs, Publix was closed on Sundays. On Sat. AM's, when the store opened at 9 AM or so, a line was out the door and the parking lot was overflowing. It stayed that way all day long. The bakery was open both to the store and to the street with its own entrance. It was called the Danish Bakery. Everything was made fresh during the night and usually mostly sold out by noon. Anything not sold was dumped or given to employees at day's end. That Publix was the place for San Jose residents to see and be seen for a few years thereafter. The Stein Mart next door was originally Rose's, a low priced department store with a food buffet inside. Eckerds Drugs was down on the end of the strip.
Here is a bit more trivia - Publix's opening in Jax in the early 70's was their SECOND attempt in Jax. The first was some 15 years or so earlier when they opened a store at Gateway Mall which I think is now a Winn Dixie. Publix at that time was a more upscale gourmet type store than now and its original location was a marketing blunder. It appears it took them a long time to get over it based on the time to return to Jax.
stjr, what do you know about Ridgewood neighborhood?
I live there and at a recent association meeting, was told the fabric store adjacent to Oakland cemetery used to be a bar/liquor store.
The association is doing what they can to prevent the empty lot for sale next to this fabric store from being a future commercial-use bldg (good luck!). I figured that lot used to be a home at one time, but from that meeting I found out it used to be part of the road bed for Hendricks/San Jose. In fact all the home lots that front Hendricks across from the Miramar shopping center are larger than other home lots in the neighborhood due to the former road bed was sold to them, increasing their lot sizes. In fact if you look closely some of the lots still have fences that only extend so far from their homes, leaving a large grassy area. I guess they reconfigured the San Jose/Hendicks exchange due to a number of accidents, etc.
I also hear that the woods/land behind the Ridgewood neighborhood has many citrus trees due to there once being a farm of citrus trees, etc. Not too sure about that, but sounds interesting none the less. If you have any more info about Ridgewood please share.
Quote from: uga_jax on January 31, 2009, 02:56:19 PM
stjr, what do you know about Ridgewood neighborhood?
I live there and at a recent association meeting, was told the fabric store adjacent to Oakland cemetery used to be a bar/liquor store.
This is true. It was called The Saki Shop. I think it was a package store on the ground level and a bar upstairs. The place always seemed a bit seamy to me and, being a minor at the time, I stayed clear of it (my parents warned me drunk drivers could be in its vicinity!). Only since my wife dragged me to Calico Corners, the current occupant, did I enter it. Even as a kid, I could never understand how they got approval to plop that establishment in the middle of a mostly residential area.
I have seen the adjacent lot (I presume you are talking about the one at the southeast corner of San Jose and Peachtree Circle South) next door for sale. I just checked it out on the property appraiser's web site and they show it zoned Residential "RLD-G". It is also a mere .241 acres. So, I don't see commercial coming to that site. Who is telling you that?
By the way,
the Ridgewood subdivision is a real gem. I don't know anywhere else you can live that is as close to downtown, as quaint, peaceful, stable, and neighborly, in those quality houses (circa mid-40's to mid-50's) for the prices those houses go for. It's a nice dose of the 40's/50's lifestyle still alive and well. I have always thought it was a bargain opportunity overlooked by many.
The Saki Shop closed afrer it burned.
A few more Lakewood comments:
Here are a couple of links to photo's of the French Novelty at Lakewood in the early 1960's.
http://www.frenchnovelty.com/mm5/graphics/FN%20-%20Lakewood%20-%20Crop.jpg
http://www.frenchnovelty.com/c/AboutUs/About+Us.html
We lived across the street from the Mizrahi family in San Marco in the early '50's. Truly lovely, generous people, all of them.
In those pre-air-conditioning days we used to listen to son Charlie practicing his trumpet each afternoon. He was a very gifted player. Daughter Deborah taught me how to play several card games.
Saki Shop does bring back memories. The were less than careful about checking ID's so many of us could drink there before we could vote. Upstairs was allegedly a illegal gambling club and there was always an attendant guarding the door to the stairway.
Quote from: jack@frenchnovelty.com on September 25, 2010, 10:07:47 PM
A few more Lakewood comments:
Here are a couple of links to photo's of the French Novelty at Lakewood in the early 1960's.
http://www.frenchnovelty.com/mm5/graphics/FN%20-%20Lakewood%20-%20Crop.jpg
http://www.frenchnovelty.com/c/AboutUs/About+Us.html
Yep. that's how I remember that store. Any more pictures, Jack, of the Lakewood Shopping Center showing a larger portion of stores at the time? Or, more memories of various tenants?
So, I have a bit of a mystery. I live in the Lakewood area. I enjoy having the large lake in the neighborhood. It's called New Rose Creek on the map. So the mystery is: at the bank of the lake near Cruisers Grill there are a bunch of large concrete blocks. Some on the bank or embedded in tree roots, so they must have been there quite a while. You also find brick fragments in tree roots and tree trunks grown around them. You also find a dam like structure there regulating the outflow of the lake. On the creek bed there are large fragments of concrete .
It is all very interesting and unlike anything else I've seen in Jacksonville neighborhoods. Does anybody know what used to be there on the bank? Maybe some sort of dock? I'm really puzzled. There is a possibility the location was once a dump site but it doesn't feel that way.
Thanks
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