AirTran: 10 Things You Must Do in Jax

[ben says]

http://www.airtranmagazine.com/features/2012/08/the-list-aug-2012

The Jaguars

Rabid sports fans are keeping their fingers crossed and their breath bated, hoping that with a new owner, head coach and roster full of fresh talent, 2012 will become the year of the Jaguar. Don't miss an epic showdown when the Jags host the New York Giants in a preseason matchup for the ages (Aug. 10).
www.jaguars.com

Dos Gatos

Sleek black couches, seductively low and flattering lighting and exposed brick details give Dos Gatos a speakeasy vibe that's second to none in Jax. Watching the bartenders expertly mix cocktails like the Orange JalapeñoMargarita and El Verano is almost as enjoyable as toasting with and sampling the final product.
www.dosgatosjax.com

The Florida Theatre

Claiming to be "Jacksonville's premier entertainment center since 1927," today its stage is used mostly for live touring acts. However, every summer the cultural landmark revives its original use as a movie theater by screening classic flicks in its vintage ambiance. This month's lineup includes Carousel (Aug.19) and Some Like It Hot (Aug.26).
www.floridatheatre.com

The Soul Food Bistro

A word of warning: a meal at the Soul Food Bistro is sure to break every diet's rules. However, the real travesty, would be to leave Jacksonville without sampling the golden fried chicken, cornbread, slow braised oxtails and sweet tea that have made this cafeteria-style restaurant a local legend.
www.thesoulfoodbistro.com.

Riverside Arts Market

Equal parts food bazaar, farmers market and arts fair, the Riverside Arts Market is held every Saturday under the Fuller Warren Bridgeâ€"a veritable explosion of colors and smells. Admission is free, but bring a few bucks for a handmade necklace or fresh kettle corn.
www.riversideartsmarket.com.

Butterfly Hollow

Lions, tigers and bears are tried and true; but in the summer heat, who wants to see sleeping giants? Butterfly Hollow, like a fairy tale come to life with meandering paths and tropical gardens, is an 8,500-square-foot exhibit that boasts hundreds of winged residents amidst fairy houses, garden art and babbling brooks.
www.jacksonvillezoo.org

Jax Brew Bus

With 10 craft breweries in Northeast Florida, hitting as many as possible can be a real mission impossible. Partake in an unforgettable pub crawl (minus the crawling) with the Jax Brew Bus, which takes you to visit a select handful of breweries like Intuition Ale Works and Engine 15, where you'll sample over 15 styles of beer.
www.jaxbrewbus.com

St. Johns Town Center

Fashionistas should leave their heels at home. This mammoth outdoor mall will have them running around for miles, ogling high-end names like Louis Vuitton as well as local favorites like Private Gallery. For a strengthening snack, Sweet! by Good Golly Miss Holly, one of two bakeries owned by two-time Cupcake Wars winner Hollis Wilder, will hit the (sweet) spot.
www.simon.com

E2ride Bike Tours

E2ride offers daily, guided bike tours ranging from five to 12 miles of the Riverside/Avondale, Olde Mandarin, Springfield and San Marco neighborhoods. Some tour-specific stops include the birthplace of Lynyrd Skynyrd, the site where the Civil War's first torpedo casualty took place, the house where Truman Capote spent his summers and one of the largest trees in Jax.
www.e2ride.com

Blue Bamboo

Chef Dennis Chan, author of Hip Asian Comfort Food, fuses Asian and Southern influences on his "hip Asian menu," with mouthwatering meals like Chile-mango salmon and soft shell crab and grits. Take his hipness home by attending one of Chan's monthly classes (Aug. 25) in his dining room.
www.bluebamboojacksonville..com

[ben says]

^ Not a bad list, really....minus the whole St. Johns Town Center recommendation (wtf)!!!

Never used E2ride or been to Blue Bamboo, so can't comment on those.

[CG7]

I would substitute SJTC with Chamblin's and be quite happy with the list.

[David]

All of those travel guides have to throw in a shopping recommendation it seems, I guess SJTC is the best we have.  (I'm not sure, I don't buy...things.)

[brainstormer]

It's great to see Blue Bamboo, Dos Gatos, and the Riverside Arts Market on the list.  I'm kind of surprised the beach wasn't on the list.  Maybe they don't consider Jax Beach part of Jacksonville?

[Captain Zissou]

Seriously? Brew bus?

[ben says]

I would substitute SJTC with Chamblin's and be quite happy with the list.

+1...albeit, again, never been to Blue Bamboo or used E2ride....

[isphil]

WTF is unique about SJTC? It's just another overcrowded parking nightmare mall. Absolutely Chamblins should be on the list

[JeffreyS]

I like the list and for a broad American audience you probably have to have SJTC. For me I would put something about the riverwalk and the beach.

[tayana42]

Agree on the error in including St Johns Town Center.  SJTC could be anywhere USA; same shops and restaurants are in hundreds of other cities.  Nothing local, no character, shouldn't be included.

[avonjax]

I know this is not popular but SJTC has goods you can't get in local shops. I don't hate SJTC and since most of the local shops I frequented have now closed this is a choice for me. This list is mostly about local flavor but many people will want a large shopping area. Most of our local shopping areas like 5 Points, San Marco and Avondale do not offer shopping with broad appeal. They cater to specific tastes. Good or bad STJC is much broader. Nobody has a great kitchen shop anymore except Williams-Sonoma. In the Kitchen was great, but alas the owners moved away. Mimi stopped putting much effort in her kitchen shop in San Marco a long time ago. Although I spent a lot of money there. There was a cool little kitchen shop in Avondale where Pulp is opening, but it has been gone forever. Is there one I am unaware of?
The same is true for furniture unless you want the Ashley, Rooms to Go and Haverty's variety. The really cool 5 Points stores are gone. Besides Max &  Co. I don't know of a single shop that has really cool furniture. Let me know if there is one. So for now I often buy nice well priced furniture from West Elm.
But I do agree, Chamblin's should be on the list though.
Let me add that Jacksonville is way behind the rest of Florida when it comes to big name stores. No great high end department store, even though Dillards at SJTC is not bad. I often leave town to buy certain items, (or order on the internet,) so having some of the stores at SJTC, in my opinion is good.  I am surprised we have a Louis Vuitton. SJTC is the only location that could draw the amount of clientele they need to stay open.
Maybe I am missing something, but since Karl's closed Rosenblum's is the only high end local men's shop. And I'm talking about Suits, ties etc.
So if there is another local business let me know.
Since every big city has a good large shopping area, mall or lifestyle center or whatever, we should be happy we have one that attempts to be high end.
And as unpopular as this is, we need Neiman's, Nordstrom's and Sak's. We are the only city in Florida that doesn't have at least one of those and that's not something to be proud of.

[John P]

avonjax,
AJ Reese Clothiers at the Landing
http://www.ajreese.com/

[Adam W]

People love shopping. And most airplane mags point people in the direction of the local shopping district. That's usually the place where all the big name and high end retailers are. And in most cities the size of Jax, that would be downtown.

I think the reason it seems so odd is that it's a mall and it's kind of out of the way. But if it were right downtown and was a district instead of a mall, no one would bat an eyelid.

[finehoe]

People love shopping. And most airplane mags point people in the direction of the local shopping district. That's usually the place where all the big name and high end retailers are.

This is certainly true, but it is a phenomenon I don't really understand.  What is the purpose of traveling to another place to shop at all the same stores you can find in your own town?

[Dog Walker]

Whenever we have friends in from out of town we take them to the Roosevelt Chamblins.  Every time their jaws drop open, eyes bug out and they wander for hours in a daze of booklust.  Even people from NYC say they have never seen a book store so large, complete and well organized.

Our friends from St. Petersburg always insist an a re-visit and leave with their arms full; and St. Pete has Haslam's!

The Cummer should also be on that list.  There are art lovers from Europe who have come here specifically to see it.