Major Jacksonville Photo Thread...RAM, JIA, Panoramas, Food, and More!

[simms3]

The Cummer has a very active board and there are several events/fundraisers at the Cummer each year, namely the Cummer Ball

Cummer Ball was cancelled for either last year or this year due to budget issues. Great party for sure, but I think it is coming back to celebrate the 50th anniversary or some other large milestone. Not sure the event, but I do know they recently skipped a year.

Huh, I'm pretty sure my mother organized it one year, I'll ask her to see what the deal is (she does the Cummer Garden Week now).  That's a shame if it was cancelled because that's probably the most fun formal ball that's relatively public in the city.

[simms3]

5 Points

This was the epicenter of Bohemian/liberal life in Jacksonville, but now shares its space with yuppies and the elderly (2 large retirement buildings nearby and tons of highrise and lowrise condos filled with grandparents nearby, too).  The 5 Points Theater was recently restored to its original glory, and hosts independent films, live shows/concerts, and other movies.  The area is rife with independent retailers (think clothes, books, audio, organic grocers, beer/wine, tattoo/piercing, smoke shops, salons, coffee shops, pubs, and a host of good restaurants).  There are two great parks within walking distance (though if you ask me, both need refurbishment).  This is the type of place where you will see people walking their pet pigs and goats.  This is probably one of the biggest liberal holdouts in FL, and also has a very large local gay population (there are around 5 or so gay bars/clubs in the area).  You’ll also find a wicca store and various art galleries.



















I believe the owner of this business is Jewish, but he hired a bunch of young Asian girls to work there.  Anyway, I was one of the only non-Jewish looking people in there at the time I got a boba tea and a pastry.  For all in Jax, it was good, but not as good as Aroma Corners on Baymeadows in the Southside.  Perhaps it just needs time (opened a month ago…the staff was very friendly, though).

[mtraininjax]

On Saturday, November 5, 2011, the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens will host a Ball celebrating our 50th Anniversary.

No ball for 2010, but there was one for 2009.

[simms3]

Residential Developments and Housing Style Around 5 Points

1661 Riverside (sadly the developer of this building and a neighbor of mine passed at a young age battling cancer recently).  This is one of the best new developments in town.


It stays true to the architecture of the area and is fully leased with local shops for the most part.  Zoe’s Kitchen is great (locations in Jax, Birmingham…the family has ties to Jax and Birmingham, it’s a Greek family, and Atlanta…in Peachtree Battle Station for those who live in Atlanta and want to try this place).


This place was packed when I returned from the park.  I saw a large group of young people beat boxing and break dancing on the corner with a crowd at Starbucks watching.




1926 H.J. Klutho Mediterranean Revival design

[simms3]

Riverside Housing (Continued)



Craftsman Masterpiece


This could very well be from the 1800s as a good amount of buildings in the area are.




Brand New Chelsea Lofts, again fitting in with the area

[mtraininjax]

Simms,
Have you been inside any of the residences at 1661 Riverside? I was in a 2 bedroom a few weeks ago and they are really nothing special. Nice Townhouse idea for groundfloor units, but the layouts are very cookie-cutter on the inside. Outside looks great, a lot better than what used to be there, but I'd take old architecture any day over the 1661 Riverside residences.

Chelsea Lofts are what new construction should look like. Go check out a Chelsea loft to get an idea of what an inside space should look like in an urban area.

[simms3]

Memorial Park (Riverside)


This is one of two major parks in the area.  It was designed and built by the Olmsted Brothers out of Brookline, MA in 1922 (the other park, Riverside Park, was designed and built in 1893).  Ninah Cummer and the local Rotary Club pushed the drive for the park (originally a very large hotel to “rival the big hotels of the East” was planned for the site).  Roy Benjamin oversaw the construction of the park, and stopped plans for a floating dock to allow access from the river (gee, that would be great now…extend the riverwalk down at least ).  The sculpture depicts the winged figure of youth rising from the mad maelstrom of earthly passions.  It is a nude figure and caused a controversy among Riverside society when it was first unveiled.  Back in the day, Riverside was the wealthiest neighborhood of Jacksonville, and the avenue was lined with so many large mansions it was known as “the Row”.  All but two of these mansions and a carriage house are razed today.











The 1915 San Juline Apartments in the background


I took two separate groups’ photos in front of this thing (their cameras) when I was there.

[simms3]

Simms,
Have you been inside any of the residences at 1661 Riverside? I was in a 2 bedroom a few weeks ago and they are really nothing special. Nice Townhouse idea for groundfloor units, but the layouts are very cookie-cutter on the inside. Outside looks great, a lot better than what used to be there, but I'd take old architecture any day over the 1661 Riverside residences.

Chelsea Lofts are what new construction should look like. Go check out a Chelsea loft to get an idea of what an inside space should look like in an urban area.

Haven't been inside either, unfortunately.  If I had to guess, I would presume that the Chelsea Lofts are definitely nicer.  Even the outside finishes are nicely detailed with quality material.  Where is the new owner of Chelsea Lofts from?

[simms3]

really excellent contribution simms.  Thanks for all the hard work that went into the photos and posting them all!

You're very welcome, but I am not done yet, not even close! haha

[simms3]

Views from Memorial Park, and Park Lane Tower

Park Lane Tower was constructed in 1926.  The developer, Francis Mason, built out the units as co-ops, a novel idea at the time that he brought down from New York.  This was Florida’s first residential high rise and really jump started the FL condo boom.  It was also the 3rd tallest building in Jax for quite a while, and the first building to use “setbacks”.  These setbacks allowed the upper unit owners to have balconies/open terraces.  Units originally started at only $12,000.







Known as the Cloister Condominiums.  The average age is probably 85 :p






A much “younger” building.  Average age might only be 40 here.

[simms3]

Forgot this photo of Nemours Clinic, a clinic started by Alfred duPont, who built the Nemours Mansion near Wilmington, DE and his later home, Epping Forest, here in Jacksonville.  Alfred duPont is one of about 5-6 prominent, wealthy northerners who basically started Jacksonville.  He is responsible for a large, multi-billion dollar trust run out of a building here that I show later on.  He started the Florida National Bank, Nemours, and St. Joe.

[Noone]

Simms, beautiful work. How would you like to bring your camera and paddle Hogans Creek and McCoys Creek under the Times Union?

There will be new leadership on the council in Dist.14 would love to hear what your thoughts are on a pocket pier floating dock for that part of the river.

[simms3]

Jacksonville has a nickname: Hartford of the South

It is definitely still a worthy insurance hub, but not nearly like the good old days where several large companies had their HQ’s here.  Today, BCBS, Aetna, Humana, AHL, Prudential, and Allstate still have their names on buildings, mainly downtown.  Chicago Title was acquired by Fidelity National Financial, which is also headquartered here.

Here is BCBS’ downtown/Riverside tower.  Their big campus is on the Southside of town and I show it in another previous thread.

[simms3]

Simms, beautiful work. How would you like to bring your camera and paddle Hogans Creek and McCoys Creek under the Times Union?

There will be new leadership on the council in Dist.14 would love to hear what your thoughts are on a pocket pier floating dock for that part of the river.

If I still had my point and shoot, I would definitely bring it along on a paddle, but I just spent a small fortune (at least to me) to buy a decent SLR and I am still afraid of losing it (I did buy insurance for it, though).  I would, however, be up for paddling that creek sometime, and I would definitely be supportive of a public floating dock for that area.  Anything to pick that area up.  I don't think a dock there would be used very often right now, but if we turn the Shipyards into a good park and bring activities to the area, a public dock there could be very useful.

Personally, I wish Berkman would at least temporarily make their docks public until they can sell all of the slips.  It appears they have sold no more than 5 slips out of at least 10x that amount, and the marina just sits empty.  Of course not very many boats use the Landing's dock either, but there are other issues there (current being one).

Jacksonville's boating scene in this economy is very slow right now because it is expensive to keep a boat (and they are more expensive than cars by far), and many people have taken a hiatus from boating or have even sold their boats.  It's pretty sad.  The good news, though, is that S FL yachters and boaters are being priced out of storing their boats down there and are bringing them up here.  I don't see why more marinas don't just focus all of their advertising on the S FL market.

[simms3]

Time for some Urban Grit!!  I know you guys like this, so here goes



Sexy new highway overpass




Annie Lytle Public School Number 4
Recently purchased by a S FL investor who sits on properties and lets them fall down.  The previous owners did the same.  The school was built in 1917, and was the 4th school built as part of a $1,000,000 bond issue in 1915.  It originally overlooked Riverside Park, but a nearly $200 million interchange linking 95 and 10 was built directly overhead and completed this year.  The fate of the building does not look good.






Reminiscent of New Orleans


Notice the “Camel Rider”.  This is a staple of Jacksonville.  There are tons and tons of Arabs here and you won’t find another city in the South with as many delis run by Arabs serving up various “Rider” sandwiches.  This building is no longer a sandwich shop run by Arabs, though.