Jacksonville fights to keep fleeing young professionals

[Captain Zissou]

Of course Jacksonville would use the 'chicken and the egg' excuse.  We use that for everything.  We throw up our hands and say "It's just too tough to figure out, we'll just hope the market will take care of itself".  We end up working on attracting neither the chicken nor the egg. 

[thelakelander]

^LOL, I hate that excuse as well.  It's basically a code word for doing nothing.

[cline]

Well I did read in this weeks Business Journal that the IT company InterDev is expanding to Jax.  They're planning on creating "two new jobs by the beginning of May".  That's a whole two new jobs we didn't have before.  Baby steps I suppose 

[JaxByDefault]

In addition to all of the great points that others have made, I'll add that salaries in Jacksonville are not competitive for professionals compared to our peer cities. In addition to entertainment, dining, and other quality of life issues, money can be a major motivation for a 20-something professional to stay or relocate to a city.

According to the ABA, the following is a list of median wages for attorneys in other Florida cities and some of our peer cities in the Southeast. (Keep in mind that starting wages for new associates will be lower.)

Duval Co., FL   $79,480
Miami-Dade Co., FL   $104,630
Orange Co., FL   $98,790
Hillsborough Co., FL   $91,310

Davidson Co., TN (Nashville)      $100,320
Jefferson Co., AL (Birmingham)   $108,000
Shelby Co., TN (Memphis)      $100,120
Jefferson Co., KY (Louisville)   $96,480
Mecklenburg Co., NC (Charlotte)   $114,380

Attorneys in the second lowest paying city (Tampa) earn 15% more than Jacksonville attorneys, and attorneys in the highest paying city (Charlotte) earn nearly 50% more!

Even ignoring all of the quality of life issues that we've discussed, if you're a UF or FSU law grad, would you head to Jacksonville over Miami, etc.?

[fsujax]

After spending six years at FSU and then living in Atlanta for five I deciced to return. While in school I never heard anyone say I am going to move to Jacksonville after I graduate. We have two of the biggest state universities within 1.5hr to 2.5hr drive of Jacksonville and to not to attract those students is a huge loss. We may never be able to compete with Boston, Chicago or NYC, but we should be competing with Charlotte, Raleigh, Austin's of the country.

[Captain Zissou]

I typed up a really long response, but it really all boils down to a few things.

There are really three types of young professionals, the single and usually younger faster living crowd, the married with children well educated couple, and the DINK couple who love to travel and are moving towards having their first kid.  I am in that first group of people, so I can mainly just speak to their needs.

Most of my friends and I care about just a few things, getting paid, being physically active/outdoors, basic necessities, and going out and having fun.  On most days, I am only home for about one waking hour.  I am usually out of town between 1 and 2 weekends a month.  Cramming all of this in to a 24 hour day means that convenience is key.  In Jax that means walkable if possible, or a short commute and easy parking if not.  The only areas where this is remotely possible is the southside, riverside, and the beaches.  Most of the jobs in town for people my age are on the southside, so I don't blame people for living there.  I find the QOL to be higher in Riverside, so I give up about an hour of my day to commute back and forth.

There aren't great options for dining, nightlife, and shopping in town, but you learn to make do.  It's like the girl in your calculus class that didn't look attractive at all on the first day of class, but by the end of the year you swear she's at least an 8.  It's all relative.  Young people can't afford the best all the time, but they do have minimum standards.  Those minimum standards are scattered around town but not in large numbers and not in the concentration that you would like.

For housing it's pretty much the same thing.  You're only going to be there for about 10 waking hours of any week and often times less than that, but while you're there the space needs to be very functional and convenient and it can't break the bank.  No need for granite counter tops but fully equipped kitchen, washer/dryer, adequate closets, and a decent bathroom are all crucial.  There is very little of this at the beach that is affordable, very little in riverside that meats convenience standards, and a glut of this on the southside.

[copperfiend]

I have plenty of friends from school that really wanted to stay here but for various reasons (most already mentioned in this thread), they have moved to places like Atlanta, Charlotte and the DC area. Having spent plenty of time in Charlotte, it is becoming an ideal place for young professionals.

[cline]

Having spent plenty of time in Charlotte, it is becoming an ideal place for young professionals.

If our city leadership would have taken note about what was happening in Charlotte years ago, we could be right with them.  As it stands now we are about 20 years behind them.  That is really unfortunate.  We need to learn from cities that are similar to us but progressing forward- not ignore them.  The food truck issue is a great example of what other cities are doing and what we're missing out on.  It's baffling and sad.

[duvaldude08]

I think it also depends on your personality also. I fit into the "young professional" category and Im college educated ( and still going as we speak). Jacksonville is fine with me because Im not hard to please. As long as I have something to do when I get in the mood, Im fine. Im not really one to live the "fast" life, so I could care less about options. I go to Jags game, hit a few house parties, hit a few clubs, dine out every now and then, travel with my group I sing with and Im good. I actually live a very comfortable life given that I dont make a whole lot. 

I am determined to stay in Jacksonville. I am a young educated professional and we all cant just pack up leave. WE will never get anywhere that way. I just purchased a home here so Im not going anywhere. I really just want to change the image of Jacksonville. Being that Im africian Amercian, there is also a perception that all blacks in Jacksonville are "Ghetto" "uneducated'  and "thugs". There also the perception that educated people dont live in Jacksonville and we are all rednecks. I want to change that.

[Tacachale]

It's frustrating the article doesn't address what the city can actually do to improve things (improve transit, cultivate an urban environment more and more young people are looking for, etc) - it feels like just another "it is what it is" piece. The "chicken and egg" excuse is pretty weak and getting old.

[copperfiend]

Having spent plenty of time in Charlotte, it is becoming an ideal place for young professionals.

If our city leadership would have taken note about what was happening in Charlotte years ago, we could be right with them.  As it stands now we are about 20 years behind them.  That is really unfortunate.  We need to learn from cities that are similar to us but progressing forward- not ignore them.  The food truck issue is a great example of what other cities are doing and what we're missing out on.  It's baffling and sad.

I was in Charlotte last month and was given tickets to a Bobcats game. The arena is brand new and right downtown. On either side of the arena is a new hotel. Across the street is a complex with garage parking and plenty of restaurants and bars. Also across the street is a transportation center with a rail station. There was a lot of foot traffic before the game going in all directions. Same after the game.

I was very envious.

[finehoe]

It's frustrating the article doesn't address what the city can actually do to improve things

It says the JAXUSA Partnership and the Northeast Florida Regional Council study will "unveil specific recommendations Thursday". 

It'll be interesting to see what they have to say.

[thelakelander]

I think it also depends on your personality also. I fit into the "young professional" category and Im college educated ( and still going as we speak). Jacksonville is fine with me because Im not hard to please. As long as I have something to do when I get in the mood, Im fine. Im not really one to live the "fast" life, so I could care less about options. I go to Jags game, hit a few house parties, hit a few clubs, dine out every now and then, travel with my group I sing with and Im good. I actually live a very comfortable life given that I dont make a whole lot. 

I am determined to stay in Jacksonville. I am a young educated professional and we all cant just pack up leave. WE will never get anywhere that way. I just purchased a home here so Im not going anywhere. I really just want to change the image of Jacksonville. Being that Im africian Amercian, there is also a perception that all blacks in Jacksonville are "Ghetto" "uneducated'  and "thugs". There also the perception that educated people dont live in Jacksonville and we are all rednecks. I want to change that.

I'm an African-American young professional with school age kids.  Being that I have a few extra responsibilities, I don't spend a considerable amount of time at bars and clubs, but I still do value well maintained urban parks, reliable mass transit, culture, good public schools, walkability and getting the most bang for my buck.  Before moving to Jax, I had a house in Central Florida and hated it.  I'm in my mid-30's now and I have no desire to ever own a single family home again.  Ideally, I'd love a rowhouse/townhouse and searched hard for one in and around downtown when I moved to town.  Needless to say, I found a limited supply (the Parks was about the only option around) and higher asking prices for urban living in environments that didn't offer the basic urban amenities I was seeking.  Thus, I ended up on the Southside by default because the amount of housing stock and supporting services gave me the most bang for my buck.  With that said, I do use my locally earned disposable income on a regular basis, visiting peer communities that allow me the opportunity to enjoy those basic urban amenities that we lack locally.  I'm totally invested in the community and would love to see things improve here but I'm also not willing to blow my younger years missing out on things I value.

[fsquid]

I was in Charlotte last month and was given tickets to a Bobcats game.

my apologies

[JaxByDefault]

If our city leadership would have taken note about what was happening in Charlotte years ago, we could be right with them.  As it stands now we are about 20 years behind them.  That is really unfortunate.  We need to learn from cities that are similar to us but progressing forward- not ignore them.

Flying through the Charlotte airport a few weeks ago, I noticed some posters by the Chamber of Commerce or similar organization promoting Charlotte to the world. The posters had three photographs--one of the skyline, one of nature (I believe), and one of Charlotte LYNX (their light rail system). That's right--when the city had to choose three images to promote their city, they devoted one of the images to rail transit. Yes, if only Jacksonville could learn.