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JACKSONVILLE
NEIGHBORHOODS
METRO CITIES
TO HOME
Jacksonville currently ranks as the 12th most populous city in the United States. It is also the third most populous city on the East Coast behind New York and Philadelphia. Despite these facts the city isn't nearly as crowded as most because it also has the largest land area of any city in the contiguous 48 states. Jacksonville's vast suburban landscape may be experiencing a big boom, but the city has also been very aggressive in its endeavors to preserve the natural beauty that defines the area while increasing infrastructure and development. Aside from Downtown and the Beaches, I have divided the rest of Jacksonville into four geographical areas:
1. Historic San Marco and the exploding Southside peninsula
2. The Northside frontier including the zoo, port and preserves
3. Historic Riverside/Avondale, Ortega and the Westside
4. Historic Springfield and the inner city of the Northwest
Southside & San Marco
Most of the city's development over 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 southeastern half, a unique mix of neighborhoods that range from tranquil to bustling, scenic to commercial, and eco-sensitive to cosmopolitan. In general tems, this area is commonly called the "Southside," but its popularity and enormity of land area requires the acknowledgement of its many component neighborhoods, such as Arlington, East Arlington/Ft. Caroline, Deerwood/Tinseltown, Baymeadows, Southpoint, Regency, Mandarin, St. Nicholas, San Jose, San Pablo, Queens Harbor, Hidden Hills, Kernan, Hodges and others. The campuses of both the University of North Florida and Jacksonville University are also found here, as are the city's three largest malls: St. Johns Town Center, Regency Square and the Avenues Mall.
Tucked in the corner of this peninsula across I-95 from Downtown is the chic yet artsy historic district of San Marco. At its hub is San Marco Square, a trendy pedestrian shopping and dining neighborhood stretching for a few blocks along both sides of Atlantic and San Marco Boulevards. At its center rests an iconic fountain featuring three large bronze lions. The neighborhood attracts many sociallites, yuppies, families and artsy types looking for boutique shopping, upscale dining, art galleries, wine, coffee, decadent desserts and, yes, even a couple of affordable pizza and sandwich joints. The surrounding residential community includes numerous restored brick homes from the early 1900s, including several riverfront estates.
Northside & the Timacuan Preserve
As the Southside continues to swell in population, new attention has been given to the Northside, Jacksonville's "frontier." Home to the Port of Jacksonville and the region's primary power plant, the Northside used to be thought of as just an industrial center. However, to the north and east of its industrial sectors lie acres of pristine wetlands and waterways that have been protected as part of the vast Timacuan Preserve. This once ignored corner of the city has now been transformed into an ecotourism hot spot with new kayaking, bicycling and hiking trails making the area's beauty more accessible. New upscale housing developments are sprouting nearby, offering new options for waterfront living.
The Northside also lures tourists and residents alike to two other important points of interest. Located on the Trout River, east of I-95 near the bend in the St. Johns River, the Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens is well into a massive redevelopment and expansion initiative which has created several new impressive animal exhibits. Highlighting these new exhibits is the Range of the Jaguar, the largest jaguar exhibit in North America. Just a short way down Zoo Parkway near the Dames Point Bridge is Jacksonville's cruiseport. From here visitors and residents alike can take a Carnival Cruise to various Caribbean ports of call.
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Across the river to the west of historic San Marco is a large nationally designated historic area covering numerous square blocks of fine restored homes and riverfront estates featuring broad front porches and Victorian accents. Although technically two neighborhoods, Riverside and Avondale, the two blend together and are actually regulated by the same preservation board.
Riverside is closer to Downtown, more commercialized, and is the center of Jacksonville's art culture. In fact, the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens is located here. The city's oldest and most esteemed art museum features the country's largest collection of Messian Porcelain and numerous galleries of aged oil paintings. Behind the museum, two meticulously landscaped gardens -- one of French design and the other Italian -- stretch to the riverbank. A couple blocks to the west is an area of funky and eclectic storefronts and eateries known as Five Points. The epicenter of Jacksonville's counter culture scene, Five Points is a gathering place where body piercings, tattoos, indie-rock and vintage clothing are held in high regard.
Just south of Riverside is the historic neighborhood of Avondale. Primarily residential, Avondale does boast an upscale shopping and dining district of its own along St. Johns Avenue. Appropriately called the Shoppes of Avondale, the businesses here are mainly clothing boutiques with a
few restaurants.
Further south on a peninsula that juts into the river is the old money neighborhood of Ortega. Here are stately mansions that have belonged to Jacksonville's most powerful families for generations. An exclusive yacht club is also located here. Continuing along the west bank of the river south from Ortega to the county line stretches Naval Air Station Jacksonville.
To the west of Riverside, Avondale, Ortega and NAS Jax is a mixture of decidely more modest neighborhoods known collectively as the Westside. Increasingly more rural the farther west it stretches, the Westside is the last bastion of country culture in the city. Here it is even not uncommon to find horse farms. In fact, Jacksonville's new modern Equestrian Center is located in the Westside.
Springfield & the Northwest
Located just north of Downtown, Springfield is a transitional neighborhood gradually striving to regain its turn-of-the-century grandeur. Filled with blocks of Victorian houses, the neighborhood was once home to actors like Oliver Hardy and was considered the city's premier place to live. By the 1960s Springfield had become a victim of suburbanization, deteriorating into the violent and drug ravaged "inner city." Despite the tremendous efforts of visionary new residents to
restore many blocks, the neighborhood, and the neighboring communities in the city's northwest, still has a reputation for drugs, prostitution and violent crime.
