| Page Views: 13,253 Last Visit to Jacksonville: - | Jacksonville - Big City, Big Beaches, Big Beauty by noidiotsplease - last update: Sep 6, 2009 |
"Where Florida Begins" | JACKSONVILLE'S NORTHBANK SKYLINE |
Imagine...
wide beaches of fine white powder sand highlighting a distinctive natural scenery where colorful, tropical flowering plants and palm trees intermingle with magnolias and shady water oaks dressed in Spanish moss. Imagine a major, curvaceous river slices through these lush coastal hardwood hammocks, flowing into numerous finger tributaries and watering acres of expansive wetlands teeming with nature.
Now, imagine you're staying or living right in the middle of it, in a vibrant, cosmopolitan hotbed of culture, entertainment, recreation, commerce, and relaxation where Biblical values are in fact welcomed. Yes, you've just imagined many of the reasons why visiting or living in Jacksonville can be an extra special and unusual big city experience.Where all the action isDowntown Jacksonville, located 12 miles from the sea, boasts spectacular modern skyscrapers and pedestrian riverwalks along both sides of the river. Water taxis and a futuristic monorail transport pedestrians from one side of the river to the other, along with the city's seven iconic bridges.
Lining the river south and east of downtown are numerous tree-covered neigborhoods including the stately "old money" wealthly neighborhoods of Ortega, Avondale, Riverside, Epping Forest and San Marco. Jacksonville's chic artsy types and yuppies come together in this part of town at the sidewalk cafes and bistros of San Marco Square, Five Points and the Shoppes of Avondale, close to downtown.
Jacksonville's beach communities include three laid-back beach towns popular with surfers, families, tourists and yuppies -- Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach and Jacksonville Beach -- each of which offers a lively "Town Center" shopping, dining and nightlife district in addition to sharing the same wide strand of soft, white powder sand. Jacksonville Beach also boasts a new ocean pier. In addition, Jacksonville's beaches include two exclusive playgrounds of the rich and famous -- Ponte Vedra Beach and Amelia Island -- known for their world-renowned 4 and 5 star oceanfront resorts as well as their top-notch golf courses, tennis facilities, and its historic pirate town, Fernandina Beach. Intermingled with these diverse coastal communities are several stretches of pristine natural beaches including Hanna Park, Huguenot Park, the Talbot Islands Geoparks, and Guana River State Park. Mayport, located at the mouth of the St. Johns River just north of Hanna Park, has a dual identity as both a weathered, rustic fishing village with a fleet of shrimp boats and a major navy base. Part of famous route A1A, the only public auto ferry in Florida shuttles drivers across the river every half hour between Mayport and Ft. George Island on Jacksonville's Northside. |
|  | Like any big city, Jacksonville has numerous cultural and sporting options highlighted by the renown Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art, the Jacksonville Symphony, the Florida Ballet, the Museum of Science & History, and, of course, the city's beloved Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. Other cool attractions include the Jacksonville Zoo, with its nationally acclaimed "Range of the Jaguar" exhibit complex; the amusrements and chutes of Adventure Landing & Shipwreck Island Waterpark; and the World Golf Hall of Fame, which features exhibits, challenging courses and an IMAX Theater among its offerings.
As you might expect, the best restaurants and nightlife are found along the downtown riverfront and throughout the beaches, as well as in the booming Deerwood/Tinseltown area of the city's south side. Of course, all the standard chains are also plentiful throughout the city, especially around the Regency Square, Avenues and Orange Park malls. St. Johns Town Center in the Deerwood/Tinseltown area is an outdoor "Main Street" style mall that mixes upscale retailers (e.g.: Sephora, Louis Vitton, Brighton, etc.) with upscale "destination" restaurants (e.g.: The Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Maggiano's Little Italy, Mitchel's Fish Market, etc.).Historically and naturally preservedIf you think of Florida as a fake, Disney-fied playland then you might be surprised to find that Jacksonville is rich with authentic history. In fact, the first Europeans to reach North America are believed to have set foot on the shores of what is now Guana River State Park, half way between Jacksonville and Saint Augustine, in the year 1513. (By the way, St. Augustine, located 40 miles south of downtown, is the oldest city in North America!) For centuries, the area that now consists of the Jacksonville metropolitan area (from Amelia Island south to just past St. Augustine) saw many conflicts between the Spanish, French, British and Native Americans before it ever became part of what we now know as the United States. Fort Caroline, located half-way between downtown and the beach, is a replica of a French encampment on a high bluff overlooking the river. It's also the entrance to the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, acres of protected land suitable for kayaking, hiking and other outdoor pursuits, which serves as a centerpiece for the largest urban park system in the country. This park system also includes 2 oceanfront city parks and the unique Talbot Islands State Parks. The Jacksonville Arboretum & Gardens is an awesome natural area that straddles the meandering Jones Creek, with trails that take visitors over small bridges, up ravines, through dense foliage and past babbling brooks. |
| DAMES POINT BRIDGE AND WETLANDS |
| | A Super Bowl city with a showcase of other major sports events and teamsJacksonville played a wonderful host for Super Bowl XXXIX in February 2005. More visitors descended on Jacksonville at the same time than ever before during that week and the city received lots of praise. In December 2005 the city also hosted the first ever ACC Championship Game. Other major annual football events include the Toyota Gator Bowl and the Florida-Georgia game. Of course, the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars also play their home games at ALLTEL Stadium every fall. In addition, the Jacksonville University Dolphins play football on campus at Milne Field as part of the Pioneer League. In other sports, the Tournament Players Championship draws top pro golfers to Ponte Vedra Beach and the Bausch & Laumb Championship draws the top stars in womens' tennis to Amelia Island every spring. Like many cities, Jacksonville is home to a minor league baseball team. The Jacksonville Suns, AA affiliate of the Florida Marlins , play at the very well designed Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. In addition, the city is home to two NCAA Division I baseball and basketball teams at the aforementioned JU and at the University of North Florida (home of the Ospreys). While basketball is not the city's top draw, Jacksonville did also host one of the rounds of the NCAA basketball tournament in 2006. Finally, the UNF campus is also home turf for the city's professional rugby team, the Jacksonville Axemen. If this were not enough, many locals also follow the Florida Gators, one of the most popular college athletic programs in the country, which call Gainesville home -- a short jaunt away. A similar distance away is the the famous Daytona International Speedway, home to the Daytona 500.The 12th largest city in the U.S. -- and still booming!Jacksonville currently ranks as the 12th most populous city in the United States with an estimated 805,605 residents (according to 2007 Census estimates). It is also the most populous city in the entire Southeast. Despite these facts, the city isn't nearly as crowded as most because it is also the largest city in land area. Its surrounding towns are also considerably smaller than those that surround most major cities.
Most of the city's development in the past few decades has occurred along the river and in the peninsula between downtown and the beaches. This area covers much of Jacksonville's eastern half, a unique mix of neighborhoods that range from tranquil to bustling, scenic to commercial, and eco-sensitive to cosmopolitan. This area includes Arlington, Fort Caroline, Deerwood/Tinseltown, Southpoint, Southside, Baymeadows, San Pablo, Queens Harbor, and Mandarin, among others. In addition, the northern parts of neighboring Clay and St. Johns Counties, just south of Jacksonville, are also experiencing rapid growth in towns like Orange Park and Fruit Cove. Of course, if you are really more into the country life, there are still places in the fringes of the five-county metropolitan area that remain quite rural, like Hastings in southern St. Johns County; Macclenney, to the west in Baker County; and Callahan, in northwestern Nassau County -- all of which are a bit off the beaten path. Click here to view my JACKSONVILLE METRO photo gallery on Flickr. |
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 Comments for noidiotsplease about Jacksonville | | | | |
candibauer Sun Oct 5, 2008 12:24 UTC
The fccj series link is a bad link. I hvae tried to find info on plays and tickets in the jax area for over a year now.... is it just me? Any help woulld be appreciated. Thank You! | candlewik Tue Jan 22, 2008 21:19 UTC
Thank you so much for this Jacksonville page. My wife and I are looking to relocate and you gave us a wealth of info. | Mehmet1234 Sat Feb 24, 2007 23:54 UTC
I loved your jacksonville page very nicely done. I visited your city many times years ago loved it. Mehmet | noapguy Sat Sep 16, 2006 21:06 UTC
It's Haight-Ashbury, not Haight-Asbury. |
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