Jacksonville Florida?

[Lane]

It's the worst place in the US.

I'm not technically a native, but I've lived in FL most of my life and I'd disagree with your assessment. One thing I've learned from moving around a lot is if the environment isn't one you like then you'll hate it even if it's a fine place otherwise. I could write scathing reviews about several states I've lived in that other people love because it offers them things it didn't offer me. I just chalk it up to it not being a good fit and leave ASAP.

[Eveningforest]

It sucks.

All of Florida is a shithole. Don't believe any of the hype about 'Key West' or 'Wild Miami'. It's all garbage and tourist shit.

Everything is based around tourism and vacationers. People who actually live there are typically poor- most are trashy too. There is a real 'hick'-ness to native Floridians. They are in my experience the most stereotypical 'ignorant southerns' I ever encountered.

The worst of the state of FLorida only intensifies the further away from the center of Miami, Orlando and Jacksonville you get.

Nothing is worth saving in Florida. It's the worst place in the US. Hot fucking garbage.

I'm laughing out loud here! It is true though.

Having moved from the West Coast to Chicago, one of the things that amuse me the most about the Mid West are the locals glorifying FL. They go down there on vacations, worse yet, they plan on retiring there!

Spend more money and fly to an actual nice tropical place over Xmas, like Hawaii. And as for retirement, I think just about anywhere else would be better. Liking warmth is one thing but why pick humidity and trashiness to go with it? There are much better options.

Anyway, I don't really have anything constructive to say to the OP about JAX, but I found your post hilarious and had to nod in agreement.

[Fencers]

I'm not technically a native, but I've lived in FL most of my life and I'd disagree with your assessment. One thing I've learned from moving around a lot is if the environment isn't one you like then you'll hate it even if it's a fine place otherwise. I could write scathing reviews about several states I've lived in that other people love because it offers them things it didn't offer me. I just chalk it up to it not being a good fit and leave ASAP.

Not Florida. I have traveled to all US states and been to 5 out of 7 continents. I even lived abroad.

The shithole that is Florida is unmatched. I hated Mississippi, India and Guam with a red hot passion. Not as bad as Florida- which offered me a lot I was looking for. Except, ya'know, anything resembling good.

There was one upside to Florida, they had a fair number of nudist communes. Which I did appreciate but they were full of mean spirited people.

It's the goddamn worst. I hope it sinks.

[Lane]

It's the goddamn worst.

Well, I enjoy living in Florida. I'm in an upscale neighborhood within biking distance of the beach, so I'm not seeing these poor, ignorant, trashy people you're talking about, especially when I'm passing by mansions to get to beach access. The rudest people I've encountered are the northerners who moved here and I've met worse 'hicks' when I lived out west. There is one state in particular you couldn't pay me to return to I have such an abject hatred of it, so I know what it's like though I've never hoped it disappeared from the map. :P

The 'touristy' aspect doesn't bother me, though sometimes the 'snowbirds' can be irritating. I had a great time in Key West.

[Prokne]

Jacksonville has fairly large city limits. Some parts of it are ghetto and other parts are upscale. Commute depends upon if you work in Jacksonville or travel to Jacksonville from a nearby town. Mosquitos isn't a big issue as Florida is proactive in combating mosquitos in urban centers. Climate and weather is like the rest of Florida where it is muggy during the summer and dry during the winter. I disagree with Jacksonville being the best of Florida weather though because it is on the Atlantic side and that is where more violent storms will come from compared to the more calmer Gulf. The only reason the Gulf produces storms that are sometimes as strong as the Atlantic is because of the warm Gulf waters.

I highly advise you travel there for a mini vacation to scout out what the city is like and rent a vehicle for a weekend.

I lived in Jacksonville for 2 years and didn't think it was muggy. I am from the West and hate humid weather and it didn't seem humid to me. It rains a lot especially compared to Arizona. I went to Orlando once and it was so swampy. Weather on the gulf side is much muggier because of the warmer gulf water.

It is also fairly safe from hurricanes as the area is further west than the rest of Florida. Most hurricanes will hit land farther south and turn back east. In order for one to hit, it has to start pretty far north. I don't believe there has been more than 1 hurricane to hit Jacksonville since 2005. Of course I hated it anyway because you never know and it's like living in a bowling lane.

The area south and east of the river is nicer and the more south beach cities are somewhat better. I agree that one should visit a city and scope it out for the best possible living situation.

[Blobfish]

Jacksonville has a very good NFL team ..the Jaguars (Jags).

They made the top 4 in the finals & just about beat the Patriots

The mascot for the Jags is a funny cat (Jaguar) named Jaxon de Ville (pic below)

[Reivur]

There are nice pockets and ghetto pockets. Look up the demographics and just choose a good area of the city... I can't elaborate due to the lame forum rules but I hope you get the idea. I have to agree with a previous poster and say St Augustine beaches are great. Plenty of free parking near by, showers on the beach, clean good beach, and I almost never see any of the "wrong crowd" in the town or the beach.

I would have to agree with this. You can get a general sense by checking certain apartment complexes. I always found Jacksonville rather strange in that it went from almost crime free to a hell hole within a single block, and once you pass that imaginary line everything became fine again. This is coming from someone who used to use the bus transit service to be able to go to the Jax community college as well. I found its less about skin and more about what they wear, really. Most on the bus were pretty damn cool.

But seriously, once you learn the unspoken rules of where and when not to go its reliably safe. Case in point I never had the surreal experience of walking over people sleeping on the side-walk until I went to school at Jax, either... But every year the curfews on bus schedules got pushed back again and again because of late incidents to the point where I was having to leave classes early in alter semesters if I wanted to be able to take the last bus home. Homeless shelter right beside the bus station/across the street from the College in this particular example.

Most of the places I went were pretty nice in the Baymeadows Road/King area. Could go anywhere without a care in the world in those instances.