Jax's Inferiority Complex

[Know Growth]

As others have pointed out, Jacksonville culturally and our natural landscape is both southern and Floridian.

This should be our marketing niche.

Queen and sable palms intermixed with southern live oaks dripping with Spanish moss where the setting sun dapples just bought light threw the moss to light the tree up like a soft chandelier and magnolia blooms showing their glory in the full moonlights.

Beaches that are never crowded and whole areas in our region just north and south of JAX where on slightly chilly days you are the only person walking there for maybe a half mile with a few joggers or dog walkers passing by in the distance.

Our population is mostly transplants from southern states and the northeast which can great a nice blended culture of tradition and change.

We have a great ocean, a the great St Johns River, the Ortega River, nearby St Mary's River, Intreacoatal Waterway, marches, hidden coves and silent creeks, nearly Okeefenokee Swamp and Cumberland Island.

Hardly any local knows of the wonders that is White Oak Plantation Conservation and wildlife sanctuary.

Why do most locals over look these great assets and why do must southerners within a day's driving distance have no idea it's all here in one place?

Easy forty minute drive west of my Avondale driveway; Jennings State Forest @ 15-20 minutes, on the way to the eastern edge of the Osceola National Forest to Camp Blanding/Ocala National Forest Conservation Corridor. Jacksonville's "Green Hedge".Bear country. Working timber lands adjacent to public lands complex. Private "hunt/recreation lease"- my own year round private camp, as if owning thousands of acres. Similar to the private camps sprinkled throughout the Northeast, New York state.
The choices are frustrating!........hmmm,head to The Woods or Talbot?? 

Consolidation effort was pure Inferiority Complex act out.

[Sentient]

As others have pointed out, Jacksonville culturally and our natural landscape is both southern and Floridian.



Consolidation and sprawl are not the issue at all. It is a lack of leadership, a lack of a plan, and a told absence of marketing and branding.

I feel like this city is big, unlit firework just waiting to explode.  And we're all just kinda sitting around...waiting and hoping...

Been waiting and hoping for 15 years now...

[jaxjags]

I doubt the "explosion" ever occurs. Improvements are one step at a time. I lived here 20+ years ago and the city as a whole and DT are much better than at that time. In 20 years I'm sure it will also be much different and better. The question is "leadership". What type of leadership we have will determine if we improve everyday life and thus make this a better place to live. We need leadership that will look at mass transit and multi modal transportation systems, increased DT residences, improved school system, upgrade our zoning ordinances, promote the arts and culture to name a few.

[Know Growth]

10/4

I would not want to live in a community hoping to "Explode". Done did that.It's not solely a concern for what will evolve in the future,but also living amongst those that do not really like who and what they are, and in fact what the community and landscape is, even though worthy of selling and promotion,all in the name of transformative "Growth".

Clay County obviously hated itself. For instance.

[ronchamblin]

Inferiority Complex?  A city?  The people?  Some of the people?  Hmmmm.

[Debbie Thompson]

My two cents. I've read the whole thread, and think it's a combination of things brought up.   I've lived here 50 years next month and have 1) become frustrated over unrealized potential as I see us spin our wheels, traveling from city to city gathering ideas, and never coming up with, and implementing, a long term plan based on what we saw.  We jump from one outlier idea to another, sure that will be "the one."  2) It seems as soon as we consolidated, we became obsessed with paving and building on as much of our 850 square miles as humanly possible.  So, that mall was built in 1967?  Or 1987?  It needs a remodel?  Heck no.  Just leave it and go build a new Town Center.  3)  The decision to go cheap.  Why is St. Johns County growing?  Because their taxes are enough to address some QOL issues we don't bother to address.   

That said, I like it here.  I just wish we'd get our act together.