How about Jackson, Florida

[Ocklawaha]

Nah! I rather think, if we're going to do this, we should come up with something groundbreaking. Might I suggest:

Lactobacillus acidophilis, Florida

or maybe

Spirogyra, Florida

although

Aardvark, Florida, does have a ring to it.

[sherri]

I have not lived in Jacksonville in over 20 years, but it is still close to my heart. That is where my life started. I have to say that I am not quit up to date on all the problems in the area, but I do know that whatever problems is in the area, has nothing to do with the name. The problems runs deeper than the name, and changing the name is not going to make things better. If you are having trouble in your life, do you think that just by changing your name is going to fix your problems? No! You have to fix the source of the problems and not try and cover them up with a name change. If the name changes, it will always be Jacksonville, Florida to me, and most likely millions more.

[vicupstate]

The problem is not the name, it is the inferiority complex, which has proven very difficult to remove or lessen.  Creating a great urban core WOULD do it, IMO. 

There are no great cities without a great DT. For good or bad, everyone in every city feels an 'ownership' in it's Downtown. 

Another thing that would help is a decent 'branding' campaign.  I've often said that Jacksonville doesn't have a bad reputation as much as it has NO reputation, which is a better situation to have.

While I think Jax should not be the 'official' name, it SHOULD be as commonly used as 'Hotlanta' or 'San Fran' or 'Motor City' are to their cities. 

[Ocklawaha]

The problem is not the name, it is the inferiority complex, which has proven very difficult to remove or lessen.  Creating a great urban core WOULD do it, IMO. 

There are no great cities without a great DT. For good or bad, everyone in every city feels an 'ownership' in it's Downtown. 

Another thing that would help is a decent 'branding' campaign.  I've often said that Jacksonville doesn't have a bad reputation as much as it has NO reputation, which is a better situation to have.

While I think Jax should not be the 'official' name, it SHOULD be as commonly used as 'Hotlanta' or 'San Fran' or 'Motor City' are to their cities.

We've been branded for years... J A X !  From the 1800's on, our citizens were known as 'JAXSON'S' (as in DeVille, somebody in the NFL got an A in history)

And we've sold ourselves as:

'The City Beautiful'
'The Gateway City' (ref. our rail terminals)
'The Florida Crown'
'The Bold New City of The South'
'The River City'
'The River City by The Sea'
'The First Coast'
...and lately one that I actually LOVE!

THE HISTORIC COAST...   AMERICA'S HISTORIC COAST... etc.

[Debbie Thompson]

If we ever get to the point where our city wants to spend millions on finding a new name, that will be my last straw. To me, it will symbolize a total lack of articulated intelligent leadership. And, I just don't have the stomach to watch our local advertising agencies drooling at the prospect of making a cool million by having a series of superficial brainstorm meetings,

+ 1000!!   

They won't have to!  We are doing it for them for free right here.  LOL

[ronchamblin]

If I had known that there had been previous name change threads on MJ, I probably wouldn’t have had the thought experiment about city names.  In any case, it looks like even though there might be a subtle relationship between the suffix “ville” and the hundreds of small “ville” towns in America, a change is not to be.

As several MJ persons have pointed out, the cost of changing a name would be prohibitive.  Others have suggested that a name doesn’t make a city, but the city makes the name.  Makes good sense.  Onward with solid improvements in our city core. 
   
So I failed to begin a momentum to change Jacksonville to Jackson.  Insomnia.  I must do something else at two or three in the morning other than try to think of ways to engage MJ.  Perhaps if I read more at 3:00 a. m., and talked less, my eventual talk would make more sense. 

The feedback was thoughtful and productive.  Thanks to all MJ posters for giving it.   

[BackinJax05]

^Leningrad was originally St. Petersburg. (Czar Peter the Great named it after himself) Then Lenin renamed it Leningrad. Then Stalin named it Stalingrad. Then it was renamed Leningrad. A few years ago it was again renamed St. Petersburg.

As for Jackson, there is already a Jackson in Mississippi. Its an even bigger dump than what people think of Jacksonville.

Wrong on about three items BackinJax.  I'm almost certain the Tsar did not name the new city after himself, but he named it after St. Peter.  The Soviets named it Leningrad right after the Revolution, a name which it held until it became again St. Peterburg after the fall of the Soviets.  Stalingrad was a few hundred miles away.

The fact of there being Jackson, Mississippi is not relevant to the principles about which I'm getting at on the thread.  And I completely appose your reference to Jacksonville as a dump.  Perhaps if you feel it is a dump, as perhaps your life might be in a slump, in which case you might change your posting name to LeavingJax12, and move on.  We need positive, progressive people here in Jacksonville.  Seems as though you are wrong on a lot of things BackinJax.  Are you educated.... just asking?

OK. So I was wrong. No need for a personal attack. Seems as though you are overly sensitive on a lot of things, ron. Are you a moron? .... Just asking

[BackinJax05]

Thanks Wm and David.  I never thought about the origin of "ville".  I thought I knew everything.  But back to one my points.... Statistically the use of the suffix "ville" is with towns and cities having small populations, even down to the level over several hundreds.

You never thought of alot of things, ronnie. You thought you knew everything; you know hardly anything.

[ronchamblin]

^Leningrad was originally St. Petersburg. (Czar Peter the Great named it after himself) Then Lenin renamed it Leningrad. Then Stalin named it Stalingrad. Then it was renamed Leningrad. A few years ago it was again renamed St. Petersburg.

As for Jackson, there is already a Jackson in Mississippi. Its an even bigger dump than what people think of Jacksonville.

Wrong on about three items BackinJax.  I'm almost certain the Tsar did not name the new city after himself, but he named it after St. Peter.  The Soviets named it Leningrad right after the Revolution, a name which it held until it became again St. Peterburg after the fall of the Soviets.  Stalingrad was a few hundred miles away.

The fact of there being Jackson, Mississippi is not relevant to the principles about which I'm getting at on the thread.  And I completely appose your reference to Jacksonville as a dump.  Perhaps if you feel it is a dump, as perhaps your life might be in a slump, in which case you might change your posting name to LeavingJax12, and move on.  We need positive, progressive people here in Jacksonville.  Seems as though you are wrong on a lot of things BackinJax.  Are you educated.... just asking?

OK. So I was wrong. No need for a personal attack. Seems as though you are overly sensitive on a lot of things, ron. Are you a moron? .... Just asking

Oh my goodness BackinJax.  I thought you might have left town with your negative attitude. And now we have an angry BackinJax, stillinJax, prodding me, suggesting I don't know anything, asking me if I'm a moron.  Don't know.  Maybe I am.  Morons normally don't know that they are morons.  They just have fun.  But if I am of the condition you ask about, basically it's okay by me, as I only do the best I can.  What else can one do?

My response was to  question and counter your comment about Jackson being a dump, which I thought rather interesting for someone to say.  My questioning whether you were educated wasn't so much of an attempt to make a personal attack as much as it was an attack on your description of Jackson.  At this point I suspect you regret using the word dump.  If you have no regret, perhaps you might elaborate for us who might wonder about your meaning of the term. 

But in any case,  care to compare who knows what, and who can have a civil discussion about things that matter?    If you do, wait until a thread interests you and chime in.  Pick a subject and a time.  I'll be waiting.  Love to engage you.  Your words so far allow me to believe that you might be a little... well.... lacking a little somewhere in the cranium.  Care to change my assumption?  Or do you just want to sling crap to further divulge that it's true?

[sandyshoes]

 #33:  I have often wondered, as a Jacksonvillian, what people from other areas of the state called themselves...for example, in Tampa, would one be considered a Tampon...discuss.  (btw I LOVE Tampa so don't get upset)

[Jaxson]

Almost a century ago, our daily afternoon newspaper (Jacksonville Journal) had a publisher who wanted to change the name of Jacksonville to Jackson to reflect what some posters are saying in this thread.  I believe that it was John H. Perry, who owned the Journal, local radio station WJHP (launched a short lived UHF station with the same call letters) and other newspapers outside of Jacksonville.  Mr. Perry died in 1952 Journal joined forces with the Times-Union in 1959.

[Tacachale]

#33:  I have often wondered, as a Jacksonvillian, what people from other areas of the state called themselves...for example, in Tampa, would one be considered a Tampon...discuss.  (btw I LOVE Tampa so don't get upset)

People from Tampa can be called "Tampanians" or "Tampans", though the latter is out of favor for a lot of people. Folks from St. Petersburg may be called "St. Petersburgians", though this is more rare.

As thelakelander can tell you, folks from Lakeland can be called "Lakelanders". Folks from Tallahassee are Tallahasseeans; those from St. Augustine are "St. Augustinians", and those from Pensacola are "Pensacolans".

People from Orlando are usually called "Orlandoans". More broadly they often take the name "Central Floridian", but this can apply equally well to people from the Tampa Bay Area or Daytona.

People from Miami are "Miamians". I am not aware of a demonym for people from Ft. Lauderdale. Often people from this area just go by "South Floridian".

[ronchamblin]

MEXICAN PRESIDENT WANTS TO CHANGE OUR SOUTHERN NEIGHBOR FROM "UNITED MEXICAN STATES" TO "MEXICO". 

This has "some" similarities to the idea of changing "Jacksonville" to "Jackson".  Look at all the time we could save, not having to pronounce "ville".  And "Jackson" sounds so profound.  ....."JACKSON !!!!!"..... tadaaaa.

Huff Post full article address follows below partial:

MEXICO CITY â€" Mexico's president is making one last attempt to get the "United States" out of Mexico â€" at least as far as the country's name is concerned.

The name "United Mexican States," or "Estados Unidos Mexicanos," was adopted in 1824 after independence from Spain in imitation of Mexico's democratic northern neighbor, but it is rarely used except on official documents, money and other government material.

Still, President Felipe Calderon called a news conference Thursday to announce that he wants to make the name simply "Mexico." His country doesn't need to copy anyone, he said.

Calderon first proposed the name change as a congressman in 2003 but the bill did not make it to a vote. The new constitutional reform he proposed would have to be approved by both houses of Congress and a majority of Mexico's 31 state legislatures.

However, Calderon leaves office on Dec. 1, raising the question of whether his proposal is a largely symbolic gesture. His proposal was widely mocked on Twitter as a ridiculous parting shot from a lame-duck president.

full aritcle:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/22/mexico-name-change-felipe-calderon_n_2175707.html

[Ocklawaha]

Personally if but for no other reason then history, I think it's a dumb idea, one that feels like the camp of people who are forever apologizing for our great city.  Yes it's a long name, but it's our name and it's rich with history.  'Jackson' is in Mississippi, or Tennessee, or... 

JACKSONVILLE, IS IN FLORIDA. Little Jacksonville's are in, North Carolina, x2 in Georgia, Oregon, Illinois and Texas to name a few, apparently with very little apology for the name.

SS Jacksonville.

She was a Turbine Tanker, built in 1944 to carry a cargo of 14,300 tons of Petroleum.

As part of Convoy CU-36, she was torpedoed by U-482, in position 55 degrees 30 minutes North, 07 degrees 30 minutes West, on the 30th. of August in 1944.

The U-Boat fired a spread of two torpedoes and obtained two hits, the first 3 minutes 32 seconds after firing, the second 4 minutes 5 seconds after firing. The first torpedo exploded the cargo of petrol, giving the crew little chance of abandoning the blazing ship. The second torpedo caused a huge explosion, breaking the tanker in two.

USS Poole, rescued a fireman, and an Armed Guard, the only survivors.

USS Jacksonville is the 12th Los Angeles-class nuclear powered attack submarine and the first ship in the U.S. Navy to bear the name of the city in northern Florida. The contract to build the Jacksonville was awarded on January 24, 1972, her keel was laid over four years later on February 21, 1976 and she was launched on November 18, 1978, sponsored by Mrs. Charles E. Bennett, and commissioned on May 16, 1981, with Capt. Robert B. Wilkinson in command.

Jacksonville’s operations have included a variety of fleet exercises and deployments including two around-the-world cruises in 1982 and 1985, deployments to the western Atlantic Ocean in 1983, 1986, 1993 and 1994, and deployments to the Mediterranean Sea in 1987 and 1993. In 1988, USS Jacksonville participated in a shock trials test program for the Los Angeles-class submarines, which was followed by a three year major modernization overhaul in Norfolk Naval Shipyard.

BTW, the USS JACKSONVILLE is due to be decommissioned from the fleet in 2014, she would make a wonderful addition to our maritime museum.

[I-10east]

Thanks for resurrecting this horrible thread Ron....