Hello All! I'm being relocated by my company to the Jacksonville area. I like old, historic neighborhoods and I've been looking in San Marco, Riverside, and Avondale. I recently heard about Springfield and looked at a few houses in the area during my scouting trip last week. I saw a couple of houses that I really liked, one new and one renovated older house.
As we drove through the neighborhood I also saw a lot of houses that were about to fall down and a lot of empty store fronts. I'm interested in being a part of helping to bring an old neighborhood back to life and prosperity, but buying a house is a huge investment and what I saw definitely made me nervous.
As residents of Springfield what would you say to someone in my postion? Would you buy your house again if you had the opportunity? Would you live someplace else in the city if you could sell yours and break even/make money? Are there any local community groups or development groups that you recommend I check out? Are you aware of any work currently being done to help draw business to the area to fill up some of those empty storefronts?
I'd love to hear from residents of Springfield! Tell me anything you thing I should know about your community while I'm house shopping! Thanks in advance for your input!
I'm also wondering if you could help me out with the geography of the area. I've heard people referring to their location by quadrant (NW, NE, SW, SE) and I'm wondering if the main intersection dividing the quadrants is 8th and Main. Also, are the boundaries of Springfield MLK to the north and east, Route 95 to the west, and State to the south?
Anything I should know about the different quadrants?
Historic Springfield is pretty much BLVD to Ionia 1st to 12th. MLK is waaay outta the "hood". I am from Nawlins, Garden District and have lived east and westside, north and south quadrant and can honsetly say love all of them. Where else would I live in Jacksonville-no where, I would only live in Springfield, anywhere else would be like living anywhere else to me. When I go outside my hood, it is to Riverside-but w/o Springfield-I woulda chose Charlotte when I had to relo for work...just my 2 cents.
There isn't enough room here to tell you all the wonderful things going on in Springfield. Preservation efforts, neighbors helping neighbors, new businesses springing up, a group for any passion - like animal rescue, wine tasting, gardening. I could go on and on.
We lived in Riverside for a year before moving to Springfield. I'd met more new friends in Springfield inside a month than I did the whole time in Riverside.
Contact me any time and I'll cheerfully talk your ear off about Springfield!
The thing about Springfield is the sense of community. You may find people in other parts of the city who say how well they know their neighbors, in fact everyone on their block. I admire that, I lived near the intra-coastal on a culdesac for 10+ years and knew only 3 people. But now I can say that I know my neighbors not only on my block but from 9 blocks away!
I spend time with them at community meetings, parties, business grand openings, athletic events, tours and hanging out on their front porches and inside their beautiful homes and much much more. They are not just my neighbors, they are my friends. I've lived in Jville 20+ years and Springfield for 8-9 of that. I don't know any other neighborhood like it. Would I buy my house again? Maybe, I might pick a different one, but it would definitely be in Springfield, regardless of the price.
Springfield is so active that we are in disbelief when we actually have a weekend with nothing planned. I think it happened once over the winter and then of course a last minute event popped up. :) So if you want to live somewhere where you'll have a lot of time to yourself, check out Riverside or Avondale or San Marco, but if you want to be active then there is no place like Springfield.
I agree, that it would take more then just a few posts to really give someone a full view of what it's like to live in Springfield...there's just so much here, so much to enjoy. True, Main street needs help, it's in need of becoming a thriving commercial corridor...it's a slow process, but one that's happening. In the meantime, there's businesses throughout our neighborhood, Sweet Petes to Waffa & Mikes, Fusion to The Pearl, Uptown to Three Layers....The Native and City Kidz...there's more, but wanted to name a few.
We're a diverse community: from the economically well to do, to the middle/low range, race, cultures, religion, single, families, bankers, attorneys, teachers, computer geeks, you name it, we've got it. This is a community of families, irregardless of how the 'make up' of each household...we're all here. There's the huge houses to the small bungalows. There's parks, swimming pools, even our own off the leash dog park...an honest auto repair Mikes) at 6th and Main. There's also several Realtors that live in the neighborhood, if you need one.
I've lived in Jax for 26 years and in Springfield for over 12...and this is the only neighborhood that I want to live in, no other compares. The close proximity to downtown, the stadium, the the bridges and interstate...it's perfect. This is a community of people that are actually neighbors and friends, which is what makes us stand out from all other areas. With all kinds of organizations and clubs to join, such as: spar, the womens club (which isn't just women) sacarc (our neighborhood animal care and rescue club) the mommies group, block captains, shadco, garden, book club...and many more. It's up to you, how involved you want to be.
If you're interested in meeting some of us, participate in a First Friday wandering cocktail party, or come join in on a block captains clean up...
I don't think I could find anywhere else in the city that has a cool little pub around the corner. So I'm staying here.
Phil
Ditto, except I've lived in Jacksonville since 1966, in Springfield since 2005, and would not want to live anywhere else in the city.
Thanks to all of you for taking the time to reply. I appreciate all the info!
I'll be relocating to Jacksonville within the next month (as soon as I buy a house) and I'm definitely considering the house in Springfield after reading so many of your responses in this forum and in the private messages.
Thanks again, and if you think of anything else I should know about Springfield, please let me know!
Quote from: HollieThanks to all of you for taking the time to reply. I appreciate all the info!
I'll be relocating to Jacksonville within the next month (as soon as I buy a house) and I'm definitely considering the house in Springfield after reading so many of your responses in this forum and in the private messages.
Thanks again, and if you think of anything else I should know about Springfield, please let me know!
I'm sure any one of us or several of us for that matter, would gladly sit and talk with you....Three Layers is a great place to do that....
Quote from: nvrenuf on August 09, 2010, 10:29:20 AM
The thing about Springfield is the sense of community. You may find people in other parts of the city who say how well they know their neighbors, in fact everyone on their block. I admire that, I lived near the intra-coastal on a culdesac for 10+ years and knew only 3 people. But now I can say that I know my neighbors not only on my block but from 9 blocks away!
I spend time with them at community meetings, parties, business grand openings, athletic events, tours and hanging out on their front porches and inside their beautiful homes and much much more. They are not just my neighbors, they are my friends. I've lived in Jville 20+ years and Springfield for 8-9 of that. I don't know any other neighborhood like it. Would I buy my house again? Maybe, I might pick a different one, but it would definitely be in Springfield, regardless of the price.
Springfield is so active that we are in disbelief when we actually have a weekend with nothing planned. I think it happened once over the winter and then of course a last minute event popped up. :) So if you want to live somewhere where you'll have a lot of time to yourself, check out Riverside or Avondale or San Marco, but if you want to be active then there is no place like Springfield.
Absolutely says it all. We lived in Avondale for one year - and knew only the immediate next door neighbors in all those months. In Springfield, "neighbor" is a BIG word, and encompasses a lot of space and people. We moved here in April 2008, and yes, I'd buy here again should that need ever come up...!
http://www.myspringfield.org/