Name: Jacksonville, FL
Rating: 0.0

Jacksonville Reviews

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Shopping Gang Spree 3 rating By Anonymous ( May 09, 2021) Gang life is common. Young thugs are developed through public schools who fail to develop a intellectual bystander. Every person in the vicinity of 100 mile radius had some deep fallout - Parents dead at early age, murdered or became adopted. This is common for millennials and ge ...Read More n z'ers.

Crime is rising by 1% per year. That's not a good thing considering theres 1 in 30 chance to be victim of a crime in Jacksonville.

Too many night clubs. Run away from Hip Hop nightlife as the city spells murder in the past 30 years.

Lots of police, feels protected yet the population is too lazy and law abiding. If it's not the tinted windows, the noise pollution from automobiles, or the gang violence that forced the city to make radical changes, is there hope?

The beach is now a dog park. The good news it smells clean, fresh and less littery than it did in 2016-2017 in the aftermath of the hurricanes. There were also some unknown long pipes sticking out towards the beach cutting through the sands blocking the beach back then. Only the Devil knows what was thrown in the ocean.

What once was the hottest destination to film, today is ruins. What a joke! I noticed tons of people left Jacksonville. Their whereabouts are unknown. Many good people have left.

Communities are stronger than most cities I been. The religious communities are strong and vibrant. In my one month visit in 2021 - the city is holding on. Neglect any destruction because new exciting development is on its way.

Investors' whereabouts are unknown. Either low profile or business is from foreign, out of state or family and friends management. It's tough to shine a light on Jacksonville. There are people who grew up here and a lot of folks moved in from out of state. How can you keep the youth excited to work and thrive if they are lazy to pick up skilled labor?

It's difficult to find honest, hard working and serious employees. In my first interview the guy through attitude and was out the door. People will be seen to come to work and quit while not being interested to get payed. How can someone be lazy to pick up their paycheck? Government hands out unemployment benefits frenzy that makes my covid relief a joke. Retail is striving hard to operate with potential to close doors due to lack of employees.

Too much environmental awareness and lack of human potential. Crime shouldn't be an issue but remains the common denominator. Read Less

Don't blame the authorities or public officials on the crime rate 1 rating By Anonymous ( Jan 27, 2019) Hello, I live in Jacksonville for a number of years now. I'm a former security officer& former bus operator. I feel I'm a valuable source of information. Concerning thecrime rate no mater what it is, from disorderly conduct to homicides the authorities& public officials are getti ...Read More ng a bad rap. Police & officials are being blamed for not keeping the crime down. The criminal justice system is a big failure & is the one to be blamed. Too many criminals are on the streets do to our ridiculous system.Even if you had a police officer on every corner & enforced the law to the tee, plentyof investigators & prosecutors to put the bad people away, what good is it if thelenient judges put them on the street. A lot of criminals get off when an officermakes an honest mistake. Appeal courts either downgrade the offenseor dismiss it altogether & the department of corrections lets them out early.Lenient judges say that since you didn't get a speedy trial I'll let you go.The jails are too crowded so the judges let them out to prey on the innocent.The bottom line here is most people don't know how to conduct themselves.Please don't blame the courageous men & women of all branches of lawenforcement, from city to federal. The prosecutors are doing a great job.You need a civilian review board of law abiding citizens given theauthority to remove lenient judges, from local to appeal courts all theway up the chain to lenient correction officials parole board & etc.Besides being terminated, their health benefits & pension should be taken away.The only permanent solution with my plan & strategy is to advocatepolice & law abiding civilian vigilante squads to combat criminal activities.You can't fight criminals with your rule & law books, too many restrictionsare placed on the police & prosecutors from doing their job. You can't win with our criminal justice in place now, it's just unwinnable. Check the facts.Vigilante enforcement is the only way. Everybody is a winner especially thelaw abiding citizen who deserves safety, tranquility & a good quality of life.This concludes my comments & concerns on law , order & public safety.Joel S Trus. Read Less

Reviews on jacksonville 1 rating By Anonymous ( Nov 21, 2018) I hate Jacksonville it is crazy.They have top many homeless people living in Jacksonville and they are migrating in Arlington area.The homeless people hang around storage places like Uhaul Storage and Moving Company located on 400 W.Ashley St.The homeless people pick locks,take ...Read More other people stuff and pawn it for crack.The economics in Jacksonville is terrible. If never been to Jacksonville. Please don't ever come to Jacksonville. Miami is better than Jacksonville. Miami has more job opportunity than Jacksonville. Read Less

its pretty cool 4 rating By lmn.ejn ( Mar 15, 2018) jville- rio ranchophoenixKennesawlas vegasEast providenceDeerfieldUticaPhoenixbreagreat places to live def check it out seriously give it a chance ...Read More Read Less

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Stuck Between a Rock And a Hard Place 0.5 rating By Cheerios2 ( Aug 26, 2017) I have always been a go-getter, motivated, happy go lucky, brush yourself off kind of person but Jacksonville has made me depressed, miserable, lonely and broke. Every time I get an interview, I start having hope, calculating how I can get out Jacksonville. Yesterday, I recei ...Read More ved a voice mail about a part time job that I applied to, MV Transportation, a division of JTA. When I called the number back to speak the person they replied, "she does not work here any longer"! So I asked if this was this JTA and they said no it was JEA! The next day I called JTA got disconnected, left a voice mail the next day, Nothing!! I have been on interviews where it took me longer to drive and get dressed than the interview itself! I am so stuck between a rock and a hard place, I feel like I am in jail and I just want to get out!! But how do you get out with limited funds?? I have applied for volunteer jobs just so I can get out of the house and get my mind active on something other than myself, but to no avail. I have three friends but two don't live in Jacksonville and no family. And yes, I have tried to make friends, small conversation, but as soon as I open my mouth, I get that, "oh I can tell you aren't from here look". I like many, have made some mistakes in my life but THIS WAS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE! If it weren't for me listening to TD Jakes and Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyers everyday and praying, I honestly don't know what I would do.I have depleted what little savings I had because I kept thinking tomorrow will be different, well tomorrow is the same as every other day. Now I read all the comments on Indeed and Glassdoor and I know that's its not me, but that doesn't make my situation any better. Does anybody have any suggestions??? Where is this southern hospitality I use to hear about the South? I am from up North and proud of it! I am not prejudice, I am respectful to everybody but Jacksonville...UGH! I have to remind myself not to let others change the person that I am, daily!I never thought in a million years, after going to college that I would be in this situation not being able to find a decent job and there is no sense putting my degree on any application; they only hire Floridians because they are scared to the possibility of anything new. Trust me, I am not the type of person to start a job with my "northern" ideas about how things should be done, for one they wouldn't pay me enough for that, I simply want to pay me bills, save some money and get out of this hell hole! I really have no ratings but I didn't have a choice. This place should be for people in jail so they have time to think about what they've done wrong, not for anybody who have common sense. Read Less

A hell hole! 0.5 rating By tactictaylor ( Jul 29, 2017) Lived in many places, Jax has to be emblazoned upon my mind as the worst ever. Currently living in London, and thankful for that. 'Historic' Springfield forever in my mind as had a short spell in Clark St. Never again thank you! A gun infested, drug infested, gang infested, perve ...Read More rt infested hell hole of a 'city', undoubtedly the most dismal in America, as has no redeeming points whatsoever! Even Jax Landing, and downtown area looks very dated and full of degenerates and aggressive beggers, awful place! Read Less

The Armpit of North Florida 0.5 rating By The Lonly travler ( Jul 24, 2017) Fist let me give you my prospective I have been all all over the world from Warsaw, London, Mexico City, Chicago, L.A. & NY city. Jacksonville is a dump! Fist and foremost you need a car to get everywhere like Dallas or L.A. But the issue is it takes you an hour to get from one e ...Read More nd to the other. I just lived in London and I'm spoiled, I did not drive anywhere. The worst part of North Florida is the humidity in the summer! Everything stinks like a old basement, nothing gets me more pissed off when I walk into a nice restaurant and it smells like my grandfather's wine cellar. People seem to be oblivious to the issue! Don't bother if you have a craving for ethnic foods put that thought away. It's a culinary wasteland! Not to say they do not have there major chains like Capital Grill and III Forks. The food sucks, there local celebrated restaurant would be closed in days in NY or Chicago! They do have a few mom & pop places but over all a real dessert. People are over all miserable here, it's a shame the locals are nice working class folks but over all unhappiness is the rule of the day. The tourism side is zero to sub zero don't bother unless you are into water activity like fishing or boating. There is no good kick ass clubs like in NY or LA and Chicago. Don't expect to see anything open past 9pm and the Friday's and Saturday maybe 10:30 or 11pm. I could not wate to finish my work and move on to a real city like Huston or Dallas, those are my next stops on business. Over all compared to other cities Jax is a big fat Zero! New Jersey's suburbs beat the arm pit of a wannabe city! Read Less

Avoid jacksonville fl.. 1 rating By Redneckjimmy ( Jul 06, 2017) Let me start off by saying ive lived in jacksonville all my life...it is a soul crushing, dirty, crime ridden black hole of a city. Jobs what jobs and the few you find dont want to pay. Education here is a joke. Schools are horrible and dangerous. My daughter just finished 2n ...Read More d grade and there have already been two guns found in her ELEMENTARY school. She will be himeschooled from now on. Rentals here are ridiculous and most landlords are slum lords. Crime is out of control. Shootings daily you dont want take your kids to a park because most are in bad areas ( not that there are many good areas anymore) and you got 50 50 chance of being shot or at least witnessing a drug deal. Nothing really to do here and what little there is to do is either lame, super expensive, or covered in criminals. We are moving out of this wayward pines black hole city as soon as possible. Take my advice run the other way as fast as you can. Read Less

most backwards city I ever lived in 0.5 rating By k9lionheart ( Jun 23, 2017) First I think its important to know that I have lived here for about 7 years. Most people who have written negative reviews about this city have mentioned the crime, the unemployment and the lack of good schools. While all of those things are absolutely true, I feel like mentioni ...Read More ng them here at this point would be beating a dead horse after its been beaten so badly that there is hardly anything left so I am going to talk about something else that I believe hits at the core of why this is such a terrible place to live. What makes Jacksonville Florida such a terrible place to live is the culture of the city. The culture is one that embodies and glorifies apathetic attitudes, laziness, poor decision making, mental illness, hedonism, seedy debauchery, the glorification of violence and criminal activity, and ignorance. If you are an individual that has good principles, determination, a great work ethic, a positive attitude, are even mildly intelligent, and have a good loving and caring heart then sadly this city will do everything it can to suck that out of you. You will feel isolated even though you are surrounded by people all over the city. People will look at you with suspicion as if you don't belong here. While you may enjoy reading books, going to museums, enjoying taking walks in the park, or volunteering, the average citizen of this city enjoys drinking, sharing their messed up family life, and sharing what idiotic choice they are going to make next with you. By the way, in order to even have a snowball's chance in hell at obtaining any kind of actual social interaction with someone, you need to be a drinker. Most people won't admit it but it's kind of an unspoken rule around here. There really is no way around that requirement as I have seen.This city is messed up in a lot of ways but the truly sad thing about it is that is how the people clearly like it. If you attempt to bring up any kind of concern or problem you have with how things are they look at you as if you are crazy. "Better schools? why do we need those?" "What are you talking about better jobs? Making coffee at starbucks is a fantastic long term career path". Heck I have tried and have done more then bend over backwards to try to positively contribute to this city. I have attempted to volunteer at hospitals and the people there can't even be honest with me or do anything but try to stonewall me and keep me from actually doing it (sort of like when a company you apply to work for gives you the run around you follow up rather then just say "we don't want you to work for us" which also happens here all the time). I've also offered to help people I know here move when they have to relocate to a new residence and that offer is met with a suspicious look. Basically what I am saying is this city won't even let you be charitable and giving person and actively discourages such behavior. No matter how hard I try and how much I attempt to adapt to my surroundings I just cannot connect with anyone here. I have felt so isolated here that I almost feel like an incarcerated felon even though I have never committed a crime in my life. I am leaving in a couple of months and it won't be a moment too soon. Read Less

No Life in Jacksonville! 0.5 rating By Too Broke To Stay ( May 06, 2017) Winn Dixie, a grocery store in Jacksonville is closing one of their stores and laying off 62 workers. On the news, a manager said that he wasn't told about the layoffs, he has a family to support and will have to re-apply for another job at the store but he would have to start o ...Read More ff as part time! What the what!! To make matters worse, he was a manager for about 4 years and he was only making $12.00 an hour...go figure. Oh it gets better...the city of Jacksonville will pay people .50 for each sign they see that advertises anything that is not in front of a business.. you know like a sign stuck in the ground. Oh and for each tire you find laying around the city, they will give you a whole $1.00, come on now! I applied for a work at home job, well I would have to pay $50.00 for the online class and they said I could make up to $16.00 per hour at .55 per call, which means.. ok let me get my edumaction (this is not a typo) that I learned up north to calculate...oh I have to make approximately 31 calls an hour. And, there is no guarantee that I will get 31 calls. Really, do you think I will give you my social security number for a work at home job. It is TERRIBLE living here, I don't see how people have lived here all their lives....maybe that's the problem, they have never lived any place else. Jacksonville has a lot of bridges, one of them is the Mathews bridge, which is 5 minutes from downtown. Do you know that some people who live here have never driven across that bridge.How oh how can that be possible. They tell me I speak funny and I tell them I speak the King's English, what English do you speak?? I'm goin' down yonder to fix me sometang to eat... goin to the Corna sto! What the what!! An orange is an erange to them...don't get me started! And these are the people who get the jobs. Read Less

Jacksonville the Dump 0.5 rating By cottoncandy ( Feb 25, 2017) The traffic, employment and educational system is the worst in the world. Random killings happening every day and it doesn't matter where you live or what race you are. You can't live secluded in your home but when you go out, well let's just hope you make it home safe. Terrib ...Read More le customer service, the pay is so low you would have to work two or three jobs to make a decent salary. Who wants to live like that? And these call centers that pay about $12.00 an hour, with benefits...yeah right! Don't believe the hype, they say that during the interviewing process. Don't let the bright lights and websites fool you. People who live in gated communities, get their cars broken into, which I thought was the purpose of it being gated....hello!! If you speak well, articulate your words, they will automatically know that you are not from here and nobody will be your friend. Jacksonville is terrible, kids can't learn, the Teachers are sleeping with the students, meth labs everywhere. A lady I knew was a Paraprofessional...nice way to say Teachers Assistant...she worked for Duval County Public Schools for more than 20 years and couldn't afford to retire, she said she had to wait years to get a raise or no raise so she also works part time after school and she is over 50 years old! UNF, custodians, $10.00 an hour no benefits and you have to pay for your own parking. You would think at least give them a option for free or reduced tuition, nope!A local grandmother was shot 40 times, teenagers murdered at parties, parents killing their own kids, poor Lonzie, his step father killed this little boy and threw his body in a pond and the mother knew about it...it just never ends. DO NOT MOVE TO JACKSONVILLE OR YOU WILL REGRET IT! Read Less

Not a good place 0.5 rating By Smithy ( Jan 05, 2017) People beware. This is one of the worst cities I have ever lived in. The property managers are dishonest. THERE ARE NO JOBS HERE, NONE!!It is a good ole boys club here. They don't hire folks from out of state who just moved here. It is apparent. I have been here 9 months a ...Read More nd have yet to find work. I have applied for jobs below , right at, above and in between my skill sets and cannot even get a call. If you do get a call, it is a phone interview they wish to schedule. Then they don't call !!I am literally blowing through my savings living here. It is expensive. So much for the Florida lifestyle. It blows. Then take a drive around here, during rush hour. You will have a minimum of an hour and a half commute to and from work. So that is an extra three hours onto everyday. More accidents than you can shake a stick at. Our car insurance premiums went up 57% moving here. And the rental properties are dives. We pay $1100 a month for a home and it is a dump. So please heed my warning, stay away, especially if you are from up North or Midwest like I am You will regret. IF you get a job before you get here, great, but otherwise steer clear. It is all military and they take precedence over everyone when it comes to jobs here. For example when you job hunt on careerbuilder, it tells you how many other people have applied for the job. Two jobs last week I wanted to apply to, over 1200 people have applied for each one. I am going to be leaving Jacksonville almost broke. I am so disappointed. We planned on retiring here. Read Less

Great communities for families 4 rating By HerbertB ( Sep 23, 2016) I moved to Jacksonville originally for work, but I had an opportunity to move to a different branch but opted to stay. I bought a home with http://www.drhorton.com/Florida/North-Florida/Jacksonville/Express-St-James-Place.aspx and it's been wonderful. Slower pace and I like that, ...Read More If I wanted crazy then I would move somewhere else. Perfect for the Retirees and Families. Singles or highly active couples may find the nightlife lacking. Read Less

So lame if you're under 55 2 rating By ReviewGirl76 ( Jun 06, 2016) I've lived in Jacksonville now for almost 3 years. I lived around the town center area and most of my time has been in a very popular an upscale master-planned community called Nocatee, which is really located in Ponte Vedra.I have to say that a lot of people's comments are prett ...Read More y accurate. Especially if you are someone coming from a larger, progressive, modern city with a vibrant culture. The type of people that I have met that love Jacksonville are pretty bland generic people that have pretty much set settled into the suburban life and don't want much more from life other then the typical 9-to-5 job and good schools. I am a professional musician and recording artist and have literally done nothing since I moved here because there is no opportunity for musicians. There's nowhere to take my son to enjoy different music or art experiences and other then the beach, which I have yet to swimming because it's brown and ugly looking, there's not much more here. I gave it a very high rating on community because this is the first place I have moved to where I know all of my neighbors and can count on them all. Our community is full of block parties and events for children and I have to say I have grown to love that however there is a big part of me that feels I have left society to live in a bland suburban area. If you don't want to sacrifice your good restaurants, quality ethnic food, upscale theater and nightlife options, I would suggest not coming here because you will not be happy. The only way have been able to make it three years is because I had a baby but if I was still a newlywed I would have never come here in the first place. I am also have Hispanic and half American and this is the first place in my life where I have been made to feel different because of my race. I have heard the stupidest comment said to me about Hispanic people, Mexicans, and all sorts of close minded derogatory comments. I don't like the idea of raising my son in an area where most people have never even left the country and are far from being cultured. If you're looking for a beautiful house, a safe neighborhood, and not much more than you might really like it here. Read Less

God help up 1.5 rating By Swifto ( Apr 30, 2016) I have lived in jax since 1995 across the city in many different neighborhoods... after 2007 this city went to sh!t. The housing prices dropped so low that all the hoodlums started flocking here. the african-american population here has risen drastically. So has the crime rate, t ...Read More raffic, and every negative thing you could think of. Absolutely no attractions here. Everything is just filthy as well including the beach. It is a disgrace. Racism and poor economic aspects are the worst thing here. Read Less

I moved to Jax from Mich 2 rating By Ericka ( Feb 17, 2016) My parents moved us to Jax from Detroit MI. In 1985. All I could say was WOW! Absolutely BEAUTIFUL. My parents (without a higher education) Found jobs that enabled us to live in a good side of town which was Baymeadows, back then. Since then, Jacksonville called themselves growin ...Read More g. The freeway/highway is a disaster. I moved from Jax with my kids in 2007 to SC. Smaller town, but I was comfortable with the fact of everything being close, the crime wasn't as bad as in Jax. Traffic and cost of living a lot better there as well. In 2014, I moved back to Jax because of one of my parents health is failing. WORST MISTAKE I EVER MADE BY RETURNING! Being that my parent is suffering from dementia, moving him out of this town wouldn't be good for him. My children have complained about returning. We live in an area that's racist. The traffic is WORST than when I left in 2007 because they say they are "expanding" the highways, and highways are the main roads to get around the town. I thought I missed the "big city life", but Jax isn't nothing but a "big hot mess". If you're single and don't club, buy a bookcase of Novels because after you visit the Riverwalk, Landing(what's left of it) the beach, and this new thing Jax have like once a month called the ART walk, where you walk around down town looking at different art pieces, THATS IT. The cost of living is OUTRAGEOUS.. where I came from, the cost of food is more expensive here. Even with the gas dropping, it's still more expensive compared to the part of SC that I lived at for almost 8 years. Move back you might say? Trust me, it's in the plan. Beware of the crime rate. There's NO SIDE OF TOWN safe anymore. Read Less

Great besides the crime! 3 rating By Duvall ( Oct 05, 2015) The crime here is out of control. Jacksonville is a great place , just the crime is bad. I recommend for you to visit the landing, the river walk and much more. If you come to visit it beautiful but the crime isn't so pretty here. We don't have tremendous amount of crime but it h ...Read More as increased!!. Come explore Jacksonville Florida you will love it. Represent Duval... The schools here are wonderful, most people say the east side I the bad side here in Jacksonville but it really isn't , I went school on the east side 3 years for middle school never did we ever have code red , we only had a code yellow. The schools systems keep you very safe on the east side, I learned as much as I would learn when going to a school on the south side Read Less

Enjoying Jax 4 rating By Sunshine4Dayz ( Jan 25, 2015) I moved here 6 months ago from Denver, Colorado. The weather in Jax is absolutely amazing. You get seasins but winter isnt extreme like it is in most other places across the US. The people that I have met are very nice, welcoming and professional. Riverside area is trendy and fun ...Read More with lots of parks and great restaurants. The San Marco area is also trendy with old charm. Both neighborhoods have fun places to grab drinks in lounge settings. There are some amazing local restaurants in San Marco like Taverna or BBs. I live near the town center which is a shopping mecca. They have great restaurants and every store from Old Navy to Luis Vuitton. Black Funn is a fun night time hot spot there. And then you have the beaches neighborhoods which are fun to get away to on the weekends. Everywhere you go there is fresh sea food and great local beer or wine.
I also love that Jax is a quick drive to beautiful St Augustine or even Savannah. The Jacksonville airport is so clean and you get through security quickly. I am so glad I moved here! The downtown area is up and coming...so it's not like a Chicago or New York. But honestly, there are so many fun neighborhoods to check out...I've never gotten bored. The beautiful palm trees and sunny skies confirm my move across the country. Read Less

A Stranger In Toilet Town 0.5 rating By IamThinking ( Dec 11, 2014) Don't believe any of the positive comments about Jacksonville, it's either a PR lie to get business from tourists or comments made by people wrapped in their own screwed up universe.

I've been to many cities, Jacksonville, FL and Buffalo, NY are the two most awful cities I've be ...Read More en to. The only hangout spots are The Landing (which is really just a small river boardwalk with bars), two downtown clubs full of wild drunks, several bars that surround those two clubs that routinely get shut down for violating state laws (like serving underage people and drug dealing) and that's it for the downtown area. The ZOO (northside) is pretty standard, this really the only family oriented spot in Jacksonville, which barely gets people coming in since you can't drink alcohol in there (for obvious reasons "Harr Watch Me Hug That Lion! Harr"). Then the beaches. Nothing special about the beaches, lots of bars, lots of underage women/girls and lots of old guys and lots of alcohol... enough said. And that's it for the entire city of Jacksonville. Oh, I forgot Riverside. Riverside is their "Trendy" area, which is really just a hangout spot for felons living their "I Wanna Be A Hipster Like Those People On TV" dreams. Poster boy: Fred Durts.

Crime Rate: It's up there with all the other violent cities across the USA. Most crimes in Jacksonville are alcohol related, hit and run, fights, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, rage manslaughter, rape... all alcohol related.

The people: I've never met one single teetotaler in Jacksonville. ALL DRUNKS. Wake up+crack beer can open, drive or walk to work+crack beer can open, lunch+crack beer can open, go back home+crack beer can open+stop at the store to buy more beer+crack another beer open. Every house hold in Jacksonville's got one or more individuals with a DUI and a very colorful criminal record, stuff you can write a book about.

General Jacksonvillian Attitude: Most are jerks, store workers are jerks, Jacksonvillians are inconsiderate, bad drivers (because they are drunk), they are not too bright, people in their 30s and up act as if they are still in high school and most are drug addicts.

City Water: The city water smells like fart and it tastes funny.

Technology: This city is WAAAAAAAY behind. Most Jacksonvillians are just beginning to find out what is a computer. They buy an old intel desktop with dial up from the Pawnshop (oh yeah, lots and lots and lots of Pawnshops in Jacksonville) hoping to play the latest Call Of Duty games. Jacksonville doesn't have any handicap accessibility like most US cities do. No laws against noise pollution.

Sanitation: Paper cups, snack wrappers and McDonald's paper bags adorn the beautiful streets of Jacksonville.

Real Estate: Cheap, in comparison, but, for a reason. Reason? Oh, the nice poor neighbors deal drugs and prostitution.

Some Jacksonvillian will read my post and respond by denying what I've said and make up lies, don't believe any of it. Read Less

Largest city geographically so you have to know where to go 3.5 rating By awest ( Nov 07, 2014) Jacksonville is huge and has a lot to offer but you have to know where to look. One of the better guides to find what pertains to your interest is the FolioWeekly (FolioWeekly.com). Folioweekly is a local guide to the city and is written by the Progressive thinkers of this town. ...Read More Putting political agendas aside, this magazine gives great reviews of local restaurants, upcoming festivals, and any new hot spots in the area. Jacksonville is home to many micro breweries and is developing new art districts (CoRK). The city has a lot of different vibes and personalities so it is very easy for someone to get the wrong impression if one doesn't keep an open-mind and take a second look. With so many different neighborhoods (Avondale, Riverside, Beaches, Mayport, Arlington, Springfield, Mandarin, Town Center, San Marco, Downtown, etc.) it's easy to not to get the complete picture. Just like any city, we have bad neighborhoods, corruption and things we can improve but DowntownVision (http://www.downtownjacksonville.org/DowntownVisionInc/WhoWeAre.aspx) and others are taking the steps to make Jaxs a worthy city to live in. Read Less

Wish someone told me this, don't move here 1 rating By AshTay ( May 21, 2014) I wish someone told me this before I moved there... so here I'm going to tell you what I wish I knew before moving to Jacksonville. (I left in 2014)

1) They been saying Jacksonville is getting better since 2007. (aka City-data forum, maybe even before 2007) In 2014, I realized ...Read More it was probably just getting worse... People are so hopeful there, when I left some of them were trying to convince me that the housing prices are going up, influx of jobs/people etc...
I foolishly stayed a bit longer and realized that that was something people kept on saying since 2007 and nothing was getting "better." These comments came from the progressive/educated population that has invested money in property or businesses around the area who can't leave. I'm sure they are frustrated seeing all of their progressive/educated friends leave. The others (the people from Jacksonville or the ones without education) kept on saying get out of the city if you hate it. They don't want the change and they are ok with it.
2) A lot of the positive online reviews of Jacksonville seems to be coming from relators trying to sell property or the older generation who retired there that realized that they need young professionals to grow the economy. (which is lacking in that area)
3) Southern Georgia can be beautiful. Some people try defending Jacksonville by comparing it to S GA. They don't realize that Southern Georgia is much better where conservatism comes with a beautiful tradition of loyalty, nobility and charm. Jacksonville doesn't have any of that, which is sad since most people who defend Jacksonville claim that this is the main selling points of Jax. They don't realized that most of the "southern charm" does not exist there.
4) Another defense people use for Jacksonville is listing the "up and coming" neighborhoods. It's the same ol' hype that happened back in the 1990's. (Search: Arlington, Regency Mall, etc...) You can't defend a city based on small neighbourhoods scattered around basically saying that these areas with a combined population of roughly 20,000 people makeup for the lack of quality of the remaining areas that consist of 800,000 people.

To summarize... it's a lose-lose situation. People in Jacksonville doesn't want newcomers in town. I actually can't blame them... people come in and want to change things or "improve" things in Jax. However, people born and raised there are tired of hearing what they don't have when they never knew what it is "missing" from their city. We come in and complain about Education, crime, stuff to do, quality of life etc... It's like, we go into a city of "content" people and tell them what they can do differently when they are already content with their lives.

However, I also noticed that just because they are "content" doesn't mean they are happy. Most people from Jacksonville were angry or passive aggressive. And I think outsiders takes this as an invitation to provide advice or talk about "how to make things better" which only pushes the Jax natives even more towards anger.

If you are reading this and contemplating a move to Jax, I just wanted to warn you since I wish someone did the same for me when I made my decision. If you are in Jacksonville now and want to move, I would advise you delude yourself into thinking it's going to get "better" or change. For most people who have the courage/resources to leave, life will be better lived when you are outside of Jacksonville.
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Is Jacksonville a good place to live for a long term? - Topix
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I hear angry people post negative comments more, but I believe there won't be smoke if there isn't some fire. Hope this review helps some people out there. Read Less

Lots of potential! 3.5 rating By John Smith 1975 ( Jul 31, 2013) My wife & I moved to Jacksonville about 8 years ago, from Atlanto, New Orleans and Miami.

Jacksonville is solid city right now, but with so much potential.

It's a pretty conservative city overall, not exactly progressive or visionary.

Most of Jacksonville is very suburban, bla ...Read More nd, and generic. Track housing, stucco, Applebees, etc. You get the picture.

However, the older historic communities that surround Downtown are bright spot. As are the beaches.

Riverside & Avondale historic districts, Springfield historic district, San Marco, Murray Hill, Ortega, Miramar, and San Jose, in my opinion, are the only neighborhoods worth living in. These range from eclectic, up and coming, and diverse (Riverside, Springfield, and Murray Hill) to regal, posh, and unique (Ortega, San Jose, San Marco) and in between (Miramar and Avondale). These tend to have a lot of parks, are more walkable, are a center for arts & culture, and support unique shops over big chain stores. These mostly surround Downtown too, so are close to all of those amenities (museums, sports, concerts, festivals, etc)

www.riverside-avondale.com
www.myspringfield.org
www.mysanmarco.com
www.murrayhillneighbors.com

All have good info to get a feel for those communities, the others don't have websites.

Atlantic Beach is very nice, sort of a small town feel. Jax Beach is part town with college kids, and Neptune Beach falls in between. These make up the Beaches, which are about 20-30 minutes away from Downtown Jacksonville.

Anyways, if you are looking for generic and bland, stick to the Jacksonville suburbs. They make up 80% of the city.

If you like some diversity and culture with things you can walk or bike to, then Riverside & Avondale, Springfield, San Marco, and Murray Hill are your best bets. If you want the unique factor but more upscale, look at Ortega, San Jose, and Miramar. Read Less

Best City in North Florida 3 rating By Bower284 ( Jul 07, 2013) Jacksonville is for ANY one living in North Florida or South Georgia who wants a taste of a Metro City.When in Jacksonville a Gps is a must.Jacksonville has a lot of concerts and five star dining not to mention.They more movie threaters than all of north Florida or south Georgia ...Read More combined.Professional sports team if that is your thing.The city has some of the best beaches in Florida. The city is perfect for anybody transferring to a 4 year college from a 2 year year college from a town or medium size city.It would be cheaper to fly out here than most towns or medium cities. Read Less

Jacksonville is behind the times 2 rating By QueenB ( May 30, 2013) I have lived in Jacksonville for over 8 years, and I hate it here! Most of Jacksonville is very segregated, except for the Northeast, Oceanway area. The public school system is subpar, so my husband and I sacrifice to keep our children in private school. The pay is low, and th ...Read More ere are still obvious racial undertones here. My family and I plan on relocating elsewhere, as soon as my oldest son graduates from high school (3 years from now). Can't wait! I do like the neighborhood we live in. It consists of a diverse racial/ethnic makeups, the neighborhood is pretty safe, and there are a lot of neighborhood children that my kids are friends with. But, I am looking forward to moving to another state that have nice diverse neighborhoods, good schools, decent pay, and more enlightened people. Read Less

Where Do I Start? 1.5 rating By cali_45 ( Feb 23, 2013) Jacksonville is probably the most boring, lame, city ever. Unless you live a high luxurious rich life, there is nothing here for you. The city is super dirty and the north, west, and east side of Jacksonville are trashy, ghetto, and violent. Lord knows how many crazy crimes I've ...Read More seen here. There are so many rachette people here. The Walmarts on the west side are ghetto and there is not a day you won't see someone you don't know. They are always crowded. The weather can change in a split second. The only part I would say is nice is the south side, but everyone there is pretty snooty and stuck-up because they think they're rich just because they live on the southside. The beaches are nice but that's the only plus side. The education system sucks. Our city is probably the lowest education rate. I went to an F school and it was really bad. If you want to live somewhere that is safe for your family don't move to jax. Read Less

Lousy Place to Live 0.5 rating By comp1218 ( Feb 21, 2013) And getting worse by the day. Housing/Rentals going up, corrupt power company and crime gets worse daily. I've been here 30+ years and have seen a dramatic change since the Navy closed it's largest base here. What used to be responsible military has been turned into street thugs ...Read More and gang bangers. Just about anyplace you go here, you run the risk of getting shot, robbed, or run off the road. It happens multiple times a day here. People are nuts here. Don't even think about riding a bike here.
I was raised in LA, and moved out here to get away from all of the problems. I feel that now I have gone from the frying pan to the fire. Will be moving to Wyoming shortly....
Do yourself a favor and look somewhere else. Read Less

Small town in a big city 4 rating By cnburke83 ( Jun 24, 2012) Jacksonville being the largest landmass City in the nation, is certainly a small town or rather full of small town areas. There are so many differnent places to visit such as Jax Beaches, Riverside, Downtown Riverbank, San Marco, Southside Town Center if you like to shop, and man ...Read More y others. We are the city of 7 major bridges, as we are surrounded by water. I myself do not want to live in jacksonville the rest of my life, but would love to live somewhere and come visit. If you love water and pretty much being surrounded by it this is your place. It is beautiful and sometimes friendly but you will never be bored there is always something to do and somewhere to go that you have never seen before. Jacksonville has many Organic food marts, and are very cultural in arts and music. Just look into the riverside and san marco districts and you will find so much fun. Read Less

Don't move or visit here it's corrupt and dangerous 0.5 rating By anna R ( May 10, 2012) After living here over 20 years . I can tell you thid place is a H-ll HOLE! The corruption is through the roof. You can't even trust the news or their main news paper they are all liars. The value of homes here have gone down to almost half. Crime is all over the place. Don't do ...Read More it you will regret moving or visiting this H-ll Hole. Save your stress and money. i can't wait to sell or rent my home so i can get out of here as fastas i can. My grown children are doing the same. They want out. Read Less

Jacksonville, Inside the River City 4.5 rating By Anonymous ( Nov 24, 2011) I have lived in Jacksonville, Florida for the last four years. I love it here. There is plenty of things to do for a family. The beaches and adventure landing are two of the best attractions in the summer. I adore how ivolved the community is and all the options available for kid ...Read More s at community events. The winter months offer plenty of state parks like Fort Clnch or Hanna park. I enjoy the winter because during the day it is usually not that cold by comparision to other areas in the world. Those rare cold days are a good chance to visit one of the museums. I reccomend the Museum of Science and history if you have children with you.

The landing in downtown Jacksonville is a great place to experience the nightlife. Some of the best features in my opinion is the live music on the weekend and the view of the Saint John's river. Mavericks is one of the best clubs at the landing. Along with great clubs the landing offers some wonderful resturants that range from Chicago's Pizza to a little more upscale like Village Bread cafe. No matter what your choice is you can't go wrong.

Shopping is not that great most of the stores are chain stores with very few small shops that offer unique wares. That is the only downside I can think of for Jacksonville. Other then that the outdoor activities put Jacksonville apart from the rest. Read Less

Hookah in Jacksonville 4.5 rating By Anonymous ( Apr 29, 2010) My experiences in Jacksonville have always been great. I went to school in St. Augustine, so we would take trips to Jacksonville for special occasions. My favorite attraction in Jacksonville is The Casbah, a-li middle-eastern style hookah lounge and restaurant. They had many dif ...Read More ferent flavors of hookah, and traditional dishes including hummus and warm pita bread. I also liked going to the Murray Hill Theater. They have many different local bands play there, and all tickets are only $10. Some of the bands I have seen there have gone on to achieve some fame, like the Christian band Ten Shekel Shirt.

The other place I used to enjoy going was a Jacksonville nightclub called Plush. It was a gigantic warehouse-like club with great drinks and great music, and plenty of room to dance. There were multi-levels and lots of places to lounge when you didn't feel like dancing. I would suggest Jacksonville to anyone coming to visit Florida. Read Less

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amenities A+

commute A+

cost of living A+

crime D+

employment C

health A+

housing A+

schools B-

ratings F

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