KeithD

Jax people...

Who all is in and around Jacksonville?

Is it a fun town for younger people?

What are some good areas to live in?

I'm doing a little research about a POSSIBLE job opportunity up there and I'm trying to find out more about the area. I personally don't know too much about it. Any help is appreciated.

jphish

If you want real estate for cheap, come 30-45 min north of Jax in Kingsland, Ga. If quiet is what you want then this is the place. There is a church on every corner if you're interested in that.

24s2k7

Jacksonville is a pretty good place to live. Exactly how young are you? I don't really know what you are into. But the night life is probably average. Plenty of clubs, bars, etc if you are into that kind of stuff. I know there are places with WAY better of a night life than here... but you can definetly have fun here. Don't forget the beach during the summer. St Aug., Orlando, Daytona, all nearby. Many good parts of town to live around here. Mandarin, Baymeadows area, Fruit Cove... all nice. Dont know too much about elsewhere

Never Quit

Keith,

First, we'd love to have you in the area. Two, you're not that young dude! j/k

I've lived in Jax over 24 years now. IMO there's plenty to do no matter what you're into. Big time clubs, etc.? Not so much. Clubs of all flavors? yes.

As far as areas of town I think all of the locals would agree, Jacksonville and it's communities can be very diverse. I spent most of my time growing up on what is sometimes referred as West Beaches or East Arlington. If you were looking on a map you'd look for roads like Hodges Blvd., Kernan Blvd., San Pablo, etc.

Sandy and I recently moved out to basically the NE corner of Jacksonville now and you have to go through some good ol' boy areas to get to our neighborhood. Is it worth the drive? IMO big time Yes but for someone younger, single, etc. probably not unless you were just looking to get more bang for your buck on a house. We can talk about that via PMs or you can buzz me.

I've also lived in other areas of town like Baymeadows, Mandarin, and the beaches. Hard to beat the beaches but when it came to buying something I had to stay on the town side of the "ditch" as they call it (Intracoastal Waterway). Just about all areas of town have HUGE growth so you're bound to find something that fits your taste, lifestyle, and budget.

James is right about south Georgia though. You can get a lot more for your money the further you get from the hot spots but you'll need to weigh your work commute and how often do you need to be out in the nightlife, movie theaters, malls, etc. I'm an old married guy with kiddos so 18 miles each way to work and being 20 minutes from major shops, etc. is fine. I have a friend that lives off of Kernan where our first house was and he still brags about being less than 2 miles from everything he needs. Problem to me is that even though it's 2 miles away it takes 10-20 minutes to get there because of traffic. We're different that way. I'm in the boonies by comparison but my 20 minute drive is highway speeds 99% of the time. More miles, yes. Better drive, IMO yes.

Getting input here is a great idea but I'd consider where your office will be located and then coming up here for a long weekend with maps, home listings, etc. and simply doing some running around. You know you can crash here for a couple nights no problem.

Shay

fernies04s2k

While its taken me a long time (year and a half to adjust) to Jax its beginning to have some strong points.

Night life isnt horrible but a lot of the clubs, if thats what youre into, are far under par as far as Im concerned. Not many with dresscodes, etc so any ole bum can go on in.

I live off Hodges and I absolutely love this area. Between Beach and JTB is such a prime location for me because you can hop on either road to get practically wherever youre going. The only area i would like to live in more than this one is Ponte Vedra Beach and thats simply because its small, close knit, I work there and it reminds me of home. Whether youre wanting to buy or rent, theres always TONS of houses for both in either area that I feel are resonably priced.

If youve got more questions, Ive got more answers and if at any point you decide you need a tour, come on up...or down, over whatever and we can have coffee and drive around!

KeithD

Thanks for the advice guys. A recruiter was talking to me about a position in Jax, but I really know nothing about it. I'm considering relocating only because where I live has become far too expensive and crowded for my tastes. Not to mention the position is very attractive in terms of money.

For those that asked I'm 29. Not a big clubber, but I'm also not married, so I'm looking. Although I'll add I've never met anyone decent at a club or a bar.

How is your homeowners insurance there? I know I pay $3000 per year for Windstorm insurance from Citizens, and its going up. Obviously $300/month tacked on to your mortgage sucks big time.

What is the going rate on a 3/2 with a 2 car garage? From what I'm told the office would be in downtown. I don't mind a commute, but I don't want to be doing 40 miles one way either.

Never Quit

I'd have to ask Sandy what we're paying for homeowners but I'm VERY confident it's a fraction of what you're paying and we're running 5/4, 3 car garage, and about 3600 sq. ft.

Going rate is all over the place...seriously. Depending on the area of town you pick you could be looking at $150 - $500k (if you're at the beach or any good body of water, etc.). Downtown has a bunch of new condos going up if that's a consideration. My side of town I'd guess in the $225k or so range. Nadia's side of town probably about $250ish and up. Our prior home was 1500 and I bought it in '99 for $116.5k and we sold it '04 for $159k and now they are selling for closer to $200k. Nice house but backed up to Kernan - literally. Baymeadows area probably about the same. Any of those areas, depending on the traffic you could be at work within 30-45 minutes. I go about 18 miles each way but it only takes about 25 minutes. When I lived off of Kernan it was more like 13 miles each way but it took 35-45 minutes.

Nadia is right about that section of town. It's where I grew up basically but I can remember when there was no Hodges, Kernan, Gate Parkway, etc. Heck you could go from Atlantic Beach to almost Regency Mall and only have 1 light at San Pablo. Now...probably 20 and it's 6 lanes most of the way. That area though has a ton of new construction plus you can be at the beach in minutes or downtown, the southside, any side within about a half hour depending on traffic.

If you're willing to drive about 15-20 each way then you can really get a good bang for your buck going north of downtown and in some cases west. East towards the beaches has been building up for the last 15+ years and south (like Baymeadows, Mandarin, Julington Creek, etc.) have really exploded in the last decade. Northside has only started to catch on in the last 3-4 years. Go up towards Amelia Island, Fernandina Beach, even Callahan and Yulee and you'll get a brand new house with a decent lot for what you'd pay for a smaller home with a tiny lot in town for BUT you're not anywhere near the bars, clubs, etc. you're going to want to check out either. There's a price for everything I guess.

Being single I'd probably stick to areas like Nadia's IMO.

axhandler

Southside is the single's area of town...10-15 miles from the beach...10-15 miles from downtown...10-15 miles from anything in Jax. Lots of younger proffesionals (24-34).

I live in Mandarin and now that the 1-295/9A interchange is finished it is a very accessable area. 3/2 in Mandarin is gonna run from 200-250 nowadays. Depending on what type of guy you are. I bought a house that wasn't brand new and saved a ton of money...however it was a lot of work to get it to my standards. A couple sets of friends recently bought houses in Shay's area of town and they got brand new houses for reasonable prices but it's kinda in the boonies.

Definitely let us know if you are going to be in town and we'll put together a 'show you around town' group drive. That'd be fun...

fernies04s2k

i think downtown is like a 20 minute drive maybe from where i live(?) ive only been down there a few times because i dont really care for it but its not a bad drive.

seriosuly if you want, come on over and well run around town for a while. thats the best way to find out whats goin on!

KeithD

Thanks for all the good information guys. I'm looking a decent bang for the buck and like to keep it under $250,000. Not at all interested in condos or attached housing. Don't mind being in the boonies if its not too far out. I like peace and quiet.

I'll let you know what's going down. I'm still mulling it over.