Jacksonville Jaguars Fan Forums

Graduating soon and am looking at jobs or maybe grad school.. Figured perhaps Jacksonville but am unsure. So you natives aside from the obvious reason to move there what are the selling points of the city? What are the negatives?

Pros: We have a beach, we have a river, we don't get much of a winter, St. Augustine is nice and nearby


Cons: not much of a vibrant downtown residential scene or night life scene (though I expect that to change in the coming years), there are bars downtown, but nothing like Orlando or other large cities. The highest concentration of night life venues would have to be at the beach. Jacksonville is relatively spread out.


Anyone else feel free to add to these...

Pros: Weather, Jobs, Beach, Golf, Taxes.

 

Cons: Nightlife not the best.

If you're looking for a job Jacksonville is the place to be. The unemployment downfall hasn't affected the Jacksonville market nearly as much as it has other areas around the state.


Beaches? Check


Great weather year around? Check


Affordable living? Check


Night scene? Meh


Did I mention the beaches yet?

Sounds like it could be an option.. I grew up in California and just always thought Florida was equally expensive. How are the schools in jax? Getting season tickets to the Jags would be pretty awesome.

Quote:Sounds like it could be an option.. I grew up in California and just always thought Florida was equally expensive. How are the schools in jax? Getting season tickets to the Jags would be pretty awesome.

I believe the cost of living here is way less than it is in California...plus we don't have that pesky state tax to deal with!

There's really cool people here like me....

Pro: no longer the murder capital of the South!

Quote:Sounds like it could be an option.. I grew up in California and just always thought Florida was equally expensive. How are the schools in jax? Getting season tickets to the Jags would be pretty awesome.

 

Florida has a much cheaper cost of living than California. Lower taxes too.

 

I think Jacksonville's biggest selling point is it's location and weather. It's also a good big small-town. Alot of Jaguar players stay here when they retire because of it being a good place to raise a family.

St. Johns County is been ranked number 1 in the state for their schools.

Quote:Sounds like it could be an option.. I grew up in California and just always thought Florida was equally expensive. How are the schools in jax? Getting season tickets to the Jags would be pretty awesome.

 

I promise you Florida is cheaper in just about every way. What kind of work are you getting into? that makes the difference really in relocating.

For a guy just graduating you should check out the neighborhood in JAX called Riverside. Reminds me of a southern Ann Arbor. Lots of restaurants and bars, historic homes, walkable, and a cool vibe. San Marco, the Beaches, and Town Center are also nice areas for what you're most likely looking for, especially Town Center if you're thinking of grad school as it's near UNF.


JAX really is a place where you can make it whatever you want since the neighborhoods are so diverse. Don't care about urban sprawl, check out Southside and Mandarin or Orange Park. Golf and quiet are important, look at St. John's Co or Fleming Island. Hip restaurants and nightlife opt for Riverside and Beaches. Want to get shot, north side and increasingly more the Westside are right up your alley. Where I live on the Westside you can drive 5 minutes in one direction and be in one of the top 10 neighborhoods in the country (Riverside), another direction be in the hood and see drug deals or prostitutes out in the open (103rd), or close to horse farms (Normandy). It was very odd to me coming from Detroit where the change in neighborhoods was gradual and really depended on proximity to Detroit city.

Quote:For a guy just graduating you should check out the neighborhood in JAX called Riverside. Reminds me of a southern Ann Arbor. Lots of restaurants and bars, historic homes, walkable, and a cool vibe. San Marco, the Beaches, and Town Center are also nice areas for what you're most likely looking for, especially Town Center if you're thinking of grad school as it's near UNF.


JAX really is a place where you can make it whatever you want since the neighborhoods are so diverse. Don't care about urban sprawl, check out Southside and Mandarin or Orange Park. Golf and quiet are important, look at St. John's Co or Fleming Island. Hip restaurants and nightlife opt for Riverside and Beaches. Want to get shot, north side and increasingly more the Westside are right up your alley. Where I live on the Westside you can drive 5 minutes in one direction and be in one of the top 10 neighborhoods in the country (Riverside), another direction be in the hood and see drug deals or prostitutes out in the open (103rd), or close to horse farms (Normandy). It was very odd to me coming from Detroit where the change in neighborhoods was gradual and really depended on proximity to Detroit city.

 

wanna get shot, made me laugh!

 

Also you can take a small drive southwest and join me in Putnam country if you like the rural life!

Watch out for Riverside though.  There's a short woman in a sun dress who lives there that terrorizes the place.

Quote:I promise you Florida is cheaper in just about every way. What kind of work are you getting into? that makes the difference really in relocating.

I'm am looking for a research assistant job right now so probably working in a lab. I figure my best bet would be at a university. Thanks for all the input guys. I'm currently in Texas so I figure it'd be a big change if I do decide to head out that way.

I can leave my house, hit the boat ramp and be in my spot slaying redfish and flounder in 30 minutes or be at The Bank for a game. Catching some waves or hacking at a golf ball at one of many world class courses. Professionally, there is plenty of opportunities for those willing to go for them.

Quote:Watch out for Riverside though.  There's a short woman in a sun dress who lives there that terrorizes the place.

 

She plays Bumper cars in the Publix parking lot as well.

Like others have said on here, there is alot of opportunity here in Jax, it just depend on what kind of career you plan on working in. 

 

 

I got a little bit of reality shock when traveling back to NYC for a job interview last week.

 

The sheer fact that I may have to pay double tax (working in NY, but living in NJ) is a real possibility.

 

I took it for granted the low cost of living, and no state tax here in Florida.

 

*sigh*

We have an NFL team.

If I was moving here from somewhere else I'd definitely look at Riverside/Avondale, Beaches or anywhere around the Town Center.  That's where it's going on.  I live on the Westside to stay close to family...other than that I'd be out of there.