Jamily's Top 3 Jacksonville Faves

I haven’t lived in Jacksonville long, we’re coming up on our 5th year Jacksonville anniversary. But even so, it’s the longest my husband and I have lived anywhere! In the almost 14 years since we got married we’ve lived in 3 states and had 10 addresses, and no, we’re not military. When we first moved to Jacksonville it took some getting used to. We were coming from the Gulf Coast of Florida and if you’ve been there, Sarasota specifically, you know it’s just different. At first Jacksonville felt so big, like I’d never get the hang of the neighborhoods, and honestly even now I still occasionally have to look at a map to get my bearings. In the short time it took to reach our first fall and winter in Jax, I was hooked. The weather completely sealed the deal for me and I absolutely love living here! You get just enough of cold and cool weather to miss the beach and just when you’re longing for hot beach days it warms up! It’s hard for me to choose 3 favorite things about living in Jacksonville but if I had to choose:

1.     The Bridges. Follow me here for a second. With all the land that encompasses Jacksonville and the St. John’s River flowing through it, you’ve got to have several bridges to get around this large city. Jacksonville has 5 major bridges connecting its towns and I absolutely love them all. Depending on which bridge you’re on you get to see so much of our beautiful city! You can see the river, the waterways and marsh, the beautiful mansions on the water, boaters, fishermen! I could name a hundred reasons but my absolute favorite is going over the Dames Point bridge at sunset. The glistening water and views of Jacksonville are breathtaking and I am so thankful every time I go over that bridge that I live here.

2.     Local Pride. Business owners and long-time Jax residents love it here! It’s no secret that Jacksonville is one of the biggest cities in the country, but did you know that because we have two major military bases we also have a huge revolving door of people coming and going? I think that makes us unique and those that are locals, including small business owners, are happy to stay for the long haul. The people of Jacksonville are proud to be here and support local businesses more than chain stores. That’s unique for a city so large and I’m happy to be a part of that local culture.

3.     The Seafood. I’m a huge foodie – it’s my first love and passion. It takes skill to cook a great fish but also to supply it. My favorite seafood restaurant here is called Safe Harbor Seafood (https://www.safeharbor-seafood.com)  and you can find me there at least once every 3 months. My family and I have been going there for about 4 years and they consistently serve fresh, local seafood time and time again. There is a plethora of wonderful seafood restaurants here in Jacksonville – we’re so close to the ocean you’d be hard pressed to find one that didn’t serve wonderful food. Our local fisheries take pride in their craft and providing our town with the best catch is something they have mastered.

Shali's Top 5 Must Haves in a Home

1.     Sizable Open Kitchen  – We love to entertain and have game nights with extended family and friends. It’s important that we can cook together in the kitchen, have conversations across the bar, and have an eye on the living room to watch all the little ones while the adults enjoy themselves.

2.     High Ceilings – My husband and I are both tall and enjoy higher ceilings along with unusually tall doors. Not to mention a floor plan that might be smaller on paper really can come to life and feel “just right” when the ceiling is 9ft+.

3.     A Private Entryway – Personally, having lived in apartments, it was a pet peeve when I had visitors or someone stop by, that the door was the center of the living area. There was no privacy. In our current home, it was important we have a hallway that allows for a little privacy and guest having an opportunity to take coats and shoes off.

4.     Large Closet – The bigger the better! My ideal closet would be one that is its own attached bedroom to the Owner’s suite. With a bay window, chair, and tons of shelving and shoe racks.

5.     A Game/Movie Room- My husband likes to play video games, and we LOVE movies. I would envision a movie room with a tv the size of the wall where he can retreat to, to play games as well as double function as a fun movie room with the family. Adding in a popcorn machine and mini fridge for pure entertainment and décor.

Shali's Top 5 Reasons She Moved to the Northside

Initially I was strongly opposed to living anywhere but close to or inside the downtown historic districts. We fell in love with the charm and everything downtown living had to offer. Walkable restaurants, the beautiful Jacksonville skyline by the water and many other fun artsy things to do. However, as we began our home search we realized that as our family is changing, our needs are changing as well.

1. Conveniences- The convenience of living on the Northside near River City Marketplace as well as the developing town of Yulee is amazing! Grocery shopping has never been easier. Although I have utilized grocery delivery during the time of COVID, there are just some days you need to run to the store for something quick. Living on the Northside truly means quick shopping. Being 10 minutes from Yulee’s always empty Target and 7 minutes from all other stores and restaurants has been a total game changer for me and the way city living can be.

2. Entertainment- We chose a home community that has low CDD/HOA fees, however it is absolutely packed with fun things for the entire family, including a pool and splash pad for the toddlers. For the 4th of July, our community had a 30 minute Firework display, 3 food trucks (Funnel Cake!!) and family friendly social distanced celebration. They offer Panera Bread Coffee and Bagels every Tuesday for either to go or to stay and mingle and meet your neighbor. Every Friday they have a different food truck and once a month they have adult night out, where the kids are being watched at the community center, so the adults can come together. In addition to all these fun things in walking distance, you can drive for less than 10 minutes to the Jacksonville Zoo or drive 7 minutes the Catty Shack Ranch.

3. Accessibility – My husband’s family is in Georgia, and my family is in Tallahassee. One of my favorite places to shop is IKEA, and we do occasionally visit the mall. Traveling to all these places could not be any easier by living 3min from I-95 and 5 min from I-295. Regardless of where we want to go within Jacksonville, it is typically within a 30 min commute. Considering how much time we like spending at home this commute is totally worth it! 

4. Restaurants – Initially, I was concerned on missing out on all the locally owned restaurants and shops, but to my surprise, these hidden gems do exist everywhere. From King Craw to the Jungle Bowl and Sun Sun Garden, local restaurants are present and thriving. Not to mention super delicious!

5. Community- Prior to making an offer on our home, we drove through the community at various times of day, and each time were pleasantly surprised by how many people were actively walking, talking, moving around their neighborhood. Kids riding on bicycles up to the community center to play ball, little kids learning to ride bikes in their cul de sacs, everyone looking out for each other and feeling safe. The feeling of “safe” is priceless. Being able to see my son go outside and walk over to the neighbor to play just warms my heart. Within the first week of us living here, we made more family friends than we have staying in any apartment we’ve ever lived in.

Now, living on the Northside checks all the boxes for our family, and to our surprise, at an amazingly affordable price point. We were able to afford our dream home at a fraction of the cost in comparison to anywhere else in the city. Believe me, we looked! Let me know if you want to connect on the Northside or if you’re looking in the area!