Working 2 Live, Living 2 Travel

This WorkLife Travel Destination is focused on a Florida city that doesn’t always make the headlines as a tourist’s paradise but holds plenty of activities. Jacksonville is the largest city in area in the United States, and, yet, its public transportation is extremely limited so make sure you bring a car or your trip will likely be a bore.

 

 

Our Favorite Places

Jacksonville Zoo

The zoo boasts an excellent collection of jaguars, brought to Jacksonville as a reminder of the NFL team’s mascot and helping to rank the zoo as one of the top ten in the country. The jaguars at the zoo are generally more impressive than the football team, and Jacksonville has the least exciting NFL stadium that we’ve ever entered for a game. This is due in part to many of the fans are generally deployed with the Navy and games are routinely blacked out on local television for not selling out. Overall, though, there are more Tim Tebow fans in Jacksonville than Jaguars fans.

So now that we have established that Jacksonville is not a rabid sports town for the out-of-towner to witness, unless, of course, you’re there for the annual collision of the Georgia Bulldogs and Florida Gators  in what’s known as the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party , what exactly is there to do here?

St. Augustine

On the south side of the Jacksonville metro area is a very popular vacation retreat, St. Augustine, bringing in flocks of tourists. St. Augustine is filled with Spanish colonial buildings and historic homes centered on St. George Street. Debated to be the oldest city in the U.S., there is a certain charm here that allows you to slip away from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

Jacksonville Beach

As you drive into Jacksonville from the south, you begin to approach a wide span of beaches collectively known as Jacksonville Beach. Here, you can spend an afternoon on the beach or an evening gazing at the sunset from a pier. After dark, the music pours from Freebird Live and other clubs. The Atlantic Beach portion is most popular/crowded and offers free parking if you arrive early enough to find it.

The Landing

In the center of Jacksonville is an area known as The Landing on the downtown riverfront. Free concerts and other events are held here where locals work and dine. Here, all of Jacksonville converges in a collage of working, shopping and partying.

San Marcos Historic District

Another popular district with more of a Bohemian feel, San Marcos Historic District has local shops, restaurants and historic homes. Surrounding the Three Lions statue are spectacular views of the St. Johns River that runs through the city.

Before departing Jacksonville, you should also take a cruise down Ponte Vedra Boulevard and see how Jacksonville’s wealthiest live on this famous street lined with oceanfront mansions.

Eats

There is quite a selection of restaurants to choose from, and seafood places are plentiful, like all of Florida. There is a great chain restaurant, Pollo Tropical, that serves closely authentic Jamaican food. Other favorites include The Pier (Mexican on the ocean), Al’s Pizza, Gumbo Ya Ya’s (New Orleans cuisine) and Nipper’s.

Also, you should purchase bottled water. Jacksonville has some of the worst tasting tap water that we’ve ever tried. On the other hand, you can rest assured if you are disgusted by the taste that it’s not as bad as some recent tourists discovered in Los Angeles.

Working in Jacksonville

We asked Chris’ brother, Andy, a civil engineer in Jacksonville for the past nine years, about living in the city. He says that he chooses Jacksonville because it “has all of the necessities (shopping, restaurants, activities, etc.) that other large cities provide, but without the traffic delays typically seen in other cities.”

As for a typical workday, he says it “involves commuting to work in a car (local transit is typically reserved for people who cannot afford a car), often 25+ miles due to Jacksonville’s status as the largest city in the U.S. in area. The commute often involves driving through multiple construction zones. Many locals refer to Jacksonville as ‘the city always under construction.’”

While commuters working in downtown Jacksonville often work late hours and skip lunch breaks throughout the week, he says they also balance it by taking advantage of the fabulous year-round weather on Fridays and starting the weekend early by dining at an outdoor eatery.

As the weekend arrives, Andy says that most take a trip to the beach or a local city/state park (Jacksonville has the most city parks per square mile of any city in the country), stroll around nearby downtown St. Augustine, and enjoy festivals throughout the year.

Another advantage for families who live and work in Jacksonville is that as in-state residents, they receive huge discounts to Orlando-area theme parks, which is less than a two-hour drive away. While families across the nation save for a big trip to Disney World for the kids maybe once every five to 10 years, it is a regular experience for Florida parents and children. Meanwhile, unlike Florida residents in the far south, Jacksonville residents can easily take I-95 N to explore the non-Florida East Coast.

We give Jacksonville a 5 on our list of favorite places to be. What’s your favorite city in Florida?

Chris & Monica