Why I love Springfield

[iloveionia]

-The strong sense of community the neighbors of Springfield create and maintain
-The unique, "drool worthy" historic homes of all sizes and design
-Lack of overpopulation which contributes to its' peacefulness
-Riding my bike and feeling safe cruising the streets, gawking at houses
-The people there feel like family
-Three Layers, Tommy's, Mike and Wafaa's, Uptown, etc. etc.
-Lots of parks just steps away
(betting I could go on and on forever. . .)

Hey Moved. . .move to the east side. . .you know it's better 

[thekillingwax]

I like it when my neighbors get DART'd and the block is quiet for a few weeks.
I like neighbors that haven't mowed their back yards in months because I've seen some really awesome snakes in my yard and only a few of them have been deadly.
I enjoy discovering new unmarked sunken in potholes- when the bottom of my car makes contact with the pavement, it reminds me that one day this entire area will melt into the ocean.
When someone comes banging on my front door at 3am asking for money, the look in their eyes when they see my rifle is pretty priceless.

But, it could be worse. At least I'm not behind Shands, in Brentwood or worst of all, stuck in some subdivision with ten billion kids and a HOA fee. Springfield is rarely boring and at least the food is really good.

[iloveionia]

Added later:
- having people who live far west tell me how great the east side is.

;-p
In all seriousness, moved, you have had experiences that would make me want to high tail it out of there as well.  They are serious experiences.  As silly as this may sound, I find the criminals there to be far less brazen than those far west, here.  The people in Springfield remind me of folks up north (New England) where I grew up.  Not snotty, self-fulfilling, selfish folk who reside here. . .far west. 

[Karl_Pilkington]

I love the fact that so many people have such strong opinions on this little neighborhood.  I mean you don't see the type of passionate responses for other neighborhoods.   I also love leaky roofs and creaky floors, add in the high ceilings and a creepy basement and its a fun place to live, we're also fortunate that the ghosts like us (according to a previous owner)  I like that I can blast music outside and not offend anyone (cause noone is there!)  I like that SPR is very cliquey so if one group dislikes you there's sure to be one that doesn't.  I like that my neighborhood bar is considered a "dive" and has great beers and very cool operators.  Its quite the place to call home that is for sure.

[nvrenuf]

+Great community - people get involved
+I consider people who live 8 blocks away from me as neighbors, not like living in the burbs. I actually know the people who live around me and another 100+ people in this 1 square mile
+Proximity to I-95, I-10, airport, downtown, Avondale/Riverside/5points/Murray Hill where several of my friends live
+Always something going on - dinner with friends, parties, wine tastings & dinners, sports, First Fridays, birthday celebrations, etc
+Fusion, Uptown Market, Wafaa & Mike's, Three Layers, Chan's, Shantytown, The Pearl, Jerome Brown's
+Incredibly talented people - artists of all types, brilliant IT minds, chefs, decorators, etc
+Big Jim, Maxwell House breezes, large trees, palm trees I didn't have to plant or pay for, brick roads
+My big old home and all its quirks, nothing is level or square
+Dog Park, the entire park system

Mainly it's the people, I've met some truly incredible people here and I wouldn't want to leave. Does my list mean there aren't things I don't like? No, obviously. But the thread was "Why I love" it. There are more than enough people that are more than willing to tear Springfield apart. Why they find joy in that I don't know, does it make them feel better about their own lives? I don't see a reason to sh!te on their neighborhood. So if I love mine, why do they care? I have no interest in living their life in Mandarin, PVB or wherever. They like it, good for them. Why not show the same courtesy to others? No disrespect to movedsouth (who apparently hates it here) or thekillingwax (who may or may not) but if I hated where I lived so much and it was at all possible I would move regardless of the loss I'd take. If you make any money now, you'll make more. Life is too short to be that unhappy.

[fsu813]

I like:

- that every house is unique, few cookie-cutters
- the potential. so, so much.
- the parks
- proximity to everything
- the diversity, creativity, & friendliness of most residents
- the neighborhood organizations & events. few neighborhoods have such active  
  residents/organizations.
- that it's on the rise. it's fun & exciting.

[jason_contentdg]

- having my cat bring in used condoms instead of mouse carcasses
- about 5 stolen bikes
- robbed at gun point once
- finding discarded shell casings after shoot outs outside my house twice.
- getting into fights with hookers after they and the raggedy cars cruising for them kept me awake
- getting maced by those same hookers
- being asked by JSO why I come out of my house at night (after complaining about the mace)
- telling a woman who asks why I live here about the great neighbors, and have her point to the empty lots and houses around me asking "what neighbors?"
- 2 broken car windows, one damaged car door. I should have stayed inside as JSO told me to.
- having to watch out for broken bottles when walking the dog
- trying to avoid having the dog eat too much discarded happy meals on our walk
- having choices: cross pearl street at Klutho "above ground" and get hit by a police cruiser running to Lincoln court, or "below ground" and stepping into human feces under the bridge.
- a neighborhood organization that tells me there is no crime.
- chasing would-be burglars from my porch twice.

sorry. I am done with Springfield. Why am I still here (physically)? Its cheaper to replace a car window here and there then getting a second mortgage and paying extra insurance on a house I can't sell.

Added later:
- having people who live far west tell me how great the east side is.

Just goes to show you how diverse the area is obviously, we've had nothing like this happen to us in the sw quadrant. We has someone steal a bike and a push mower from our unlocked garage about 4 years ago and that's all the criminal excitement that we've dealt with.

Love the fact that I can walk to some local establishments that are truly invested in the neighborhood.  Which is one of the reasons I'm all for more Mom and Pop's in our 'hood, instead of needing to see any sort of chains opening.

Diverse neighbors, some of the most talented, artists and professionals call Springfield home.

One of the few areas in Jax in '04 when we were looking for a home that didn't have Bush Cheney signs in every other yard.

A chance to make the neighborhood your own, truly exists.  You can be as involved or as detached as you want to be.

The oaks.

And of course the homes and architecture.

[cindi]

Added later:
- having people who live far west tell me how great the east side is.

I find the criminals there to be far less brazen than those far west, here. 

i saw the look on moved's face when the thugs had a gun pointed at him and i have tried to figure out what the look was - it must have been "these guys aren't brazen at all sticking a gun in my face right in front of my front door while being video taped."

[Sportmotor]

who wants to play dodgeball?

[Sportmotor]

- having my cat bring in used condoms instead of mouse carcasses
- about 5 stolen bikes
- robbed at gun point once
- finding discarded shell casings after shoot outs outside my house twice.
- getting into fights with hookers after they and the raggedy cars cruising for them kept me awake
- getting maced by those same hookers
- being asked by JSO why I come out of my house at night (after complaining about the mace)
- telling a woman who asks why I live here about the great neighbors, and have her point to the empty lots and houses around me asking "what neighbors?"
- 2 broken car windows, one damaged car door. I should have stayed inside as JSO told me to.
- having to watch out for broken bottles when walking the dog
- trying to avoid having the dog eat too much discarded happy meals on our walk
- having choices: cross pearl street at Klutho "above ground" and get hit by a police cruiser running to Lincoln court, or "below ground" and stepping into human feces under the bridge.
- a neighborhood organization that tells me there is no crime.
- chasing would-be burglars from my porch twice.

sorry. I am done with Springfield. Why am I still here (physically)? Its cheaper to replace a car window here and there then getting a second mortgage and paying extra insurance on a house I can't sell.

Added later:
- having people who live far west tell me how great the east side is.

Im sorry, I know that most these things are horrbile

but I nearly spilled my coffee in my lap from laughter reading this
Why do I love Springfield?

- I dont live there
- Stories like these make me giggle a bit (knowing you are still alive of course)

[Johnny]

+Great community - people get involved
+I consider people who live 8 blocks away from me as neighbors, not like living in the burbs. I actually know the people who live around me and another 100+ people in this 1 square mile
+Proximity to I-95, I-10, airport, downtown, Avondale/Riverside/5points/Murray Hill where several of my friends live
+Always something going on - dinner with friends, parties, wine tastings & dinners, sports, First Fridays, birthday celebrations, etc
+Fusion, Uptown Market, Wafaa & Mike's, Three Layers, Chan's, Shantytown, The Pearl, Jerome Brown's
+Incredibly talented people - artists of all types, brilliant IT minds, chefs, decorators, etc
+Big Jim, Maxwell House breezes, large trees, palm trees I didn't have to plant or pay for, brick roads
+My big old home and all its quirks, nothing is level or square
+Dog Park, the entire park system

Mainly it's the people, I've met some truly incredible people here and I wouldn't want to leave. Does my list mean there aren't things I don't like? No, obviously. But the thread was "Why I love" it. There are more than enough people that are more than willing to tear Springfield apart. Why they find joy in that I don't know, does it make them feel better about their own lives? I don't see a reason to sh!te on their neighborhood. So if I love mine, why do they care? I have no interest in living their life in Mandarin, PVB or wherever. They like it, good for them. Why not show the same courtesy to others? No disrespect to movedsouth (who apparently hates it here) or thekillingwax (who may or may not) but if I hated where I lived so much and it was at all possible I would move regardless of the loss I'd take. If you make any money now, you'll make more. Life is too short to be that unhappy.

Well said, I didn't go into quite as much detail, but you have added some points that I would be foolish to forget....

I hate to hear that moved is having that much drama. I can honestly say that over here on the east is nothing close to what you are experiencing and it's sad that you are. The worst I have had was my motorcycle tipped over a couple of years back. I think that was actually someone sitting on it and not realizing how heavy it was and it fell, being a 1500 cc and weighing over 600 lbs and all. Either way, I hope it either changes for the better or you are able to find a way out of the house soon. Good luck!

[iloveionia]

Added later:
- having people who live far west tell me how great the east side is.

I find the criminals there to be far less brazen than those far west, here. 

i saw the look on moved's face when the thugs had a gun pointed at him and i have tried to figure out what the look was - it must have been "these guys aren't brazen at all sticking a gun in my face right in front of my front door while being video taped."

Cindi,
I'm on your side.  In LA he would have been shot and killed without hesitation.  It happens all too often. In my opinion, Springfield is not like some of the scary neighborhoods in LA and its vicinity.  Yes, I know, people get shot and killed there (Jax) too.  I am thankful you both did not on that evening in Hampsterdam.  

[zoo]

Easy access to just about anywhere in NEFL, as Springfield/Downtown is smack in the middle of the region.

Easy access to MOCA, Main Library, Times-Union Performing Arts Center, FL Theater, Bay St clubs (when our own S'field clubs are too crowded).

And a timely one, easy access to the Stadium, Baseball Grounds and Arena via A. Philip Randolph -- WALKING. Great for Jags games, concerts, Suns and, of course, FL/GA!

[fsujax]

Easy access to work, nice bike ride to the Sports Complex for games, great neighbors, cool parties, new and old mixed together, my house and my yard!

[hooplady]

--Creaky floorboards
--That great smell that only comes from hundred-year-old heart pine
--The support I got from complete strangers (wait, no such thing in this one-square-mile) when I needed it the most.