Inside Jacksonville

But numbers, of course, tell only part of the story. When you consider all the quality-of-life benefits Northeast Florida has to offer, Jacksonville definitely lives up to its reputation as one of the “Top 10 Best Cities for Relocating Families,” a designation given by Mobility magazine.

Residents of all ages have plenty of opportunities to enjoy life to the fullest, whether they visit the area’s spectacular beaches, attend cultural events, dine at a signature restaurant or cheer on their favorite team in a sports arena.

Every year, Florida Homebuyer Jacksonville presents an encyclopedia for newcomers and longtimers alike.? So on the following pages you’ll hopefully learn everything about Northeast Florida you need to know.

If we’ve left anything out, call us at (904) 724-3330 or email us at penelopeg@florida-homebuyer.com.

EMPLOYMENT
According to figures compiled by Cornerstone, the economic development arm of the Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce, more than 685,000 people are employed by a variety of industries across Northeast Florida.??

Duval, Clay and St. Johns counties have the largest labor forces, and the area’s top employers include school systems, hospitals and the Navy.

With great weather, proximity to the coast and a favorable tax environment, the Jacksonville area draws a number of relocating companies each year. Following are some of the major announcements made in 2008:
> The Hanjin Shipping Co. is developing a 170-acre, $360-million container terminal in JaxPort. Expected to begin operations by 2011, this will be the fifth marine terminal at JaxPort, moving approximately 100 million tons of cargo annually. The terminal will create thousands of jobs and should generate nearly $1 billion in economic activity.
> Unilever, an international consumer products manufacturing company, relocated its Southeast distribution center to a 772,000-square-foot facility on Jacksonville’s Westside.
> Deutsche Bank opened a major financial operations center in Jacksonville that houses the operational and support team for the German-based company’s investment banking operations. Deutsche Bank employs nearly 400 currently and plans to increase its staff to 1,000 by the end of 2011.
> Toyota Distributors opened an $8.5 million truck maintenance facility on Jacksonville’s Westside for its subsidiary, Southeast Transportation Systems (STS). STS delivers more than 120,000 Toyota and Scion vehicles per year to dealers in the five southeastern states. The facility employs 75 people.
> Wal-Mart opened up a new distribution center in Putnam County, bringing approximately 500 jobs to the area.

HOUSING
From charming historic areas to amenity-rich, master-planned communities, a variety of housing options are available across Northeast Florida.

In Jacksonville, downtown condominiums and loft apartments are experiencing a resurgence while historic preservation is the focus in the infill neighborhoods of Springfield, Riverside/Avondale and San Marco.

Clay and St. Johns counties are home to many master-planned communities with mixed-use town centers.

If you’re seeking a rural lifestyle, parts of northern Jacksonville" target="_blank">Duval County remain sparcely populated while there are plenty of wide-open spaces in Nassau, St. Johns, Baker and Camden counties as well.

Of course, one of the regions primary draws is water, including the Atlantic Ocean. The communities comprising the Jacksonville Beaches—Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach and Ponte Vedra Beach—and neighboring beaches in St. Augustine, Jacksonville" target="_blank">Flagler County and Nassau County provide an ideal coastal lifestyle.

SPORTS
Northeast Floridians love sports and sporting events. In addition to the beloved NFL Jacksonville Jaguars, the following events and teams rank high on lists of local favorites:
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> The Florida-Georgia Football Classic
> The MPS Group Tennis Championship at Sawgrass
> The Jacksonville Suns Baseball
> The Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament
> The Gate River Run
> The Konica Minolta Gator Bowl
> College sports at Jacksonville University (the Dolphins),? the University of North Florida (the Ospreys) and Edward Waters College (the Tigers)

CULTURE AND THE ARTS
Jacksonville boasts an active and thriving culture and arts community. The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens is the largest fine arts museum in Northeast Florida and home to more than 5,000 pieces while Jacksonville’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) is the largest contemporary art museum in the Southeast.

The performing arts in Jacksonville take center stage at The Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts, a state-of-the-art facility encompassing three venues. In addition to hosting concerts and traveling Broadway shows it’s also the permanent home of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra.

The Ritz Theatre and LaVilla Museum features African-American-related exhibits and performances, including “Amateur Night at the Ritz,” one of the most popular talent showcases in Jacksonville where the audience picks the winners.

The Florida Theatre, a circa-1923 landmark in the heart of downtown, has hosted a galaxy of stars, including Elvis Presley, whose first concert on an indoor stage was at the venerable venue in 1956. The Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena also welcomes big-name artists throughout the year.

The upcoming 2009 line-up includes concerts by the Eagles, Taylor Swift, Elton John and Yanni.
Northeast Florida’s events calendar is packed year-round with events celebrating holidays, history and a diversity of cultures.

Music-lovers won’t want to miss the annual Jacksonville Jazz Festival, held downtown at various outdoor venues and in the historic Florida Theater. One of the largest jazz events in the world, this three-day celebration features a jazz piano competition and such wide-ranging jazz and blues artists as Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Guy, Harry Connick, Jr., Grover Washington, Jr., the Robert Cray Band, Kenny G, the Manhattan Transfer and Spyro Gyra.

Over the summer, grab your passport and experience international sights, sounds and tastes at the World of Nations Celebration or Fiesta Playera, the largest latin-themed festival in the Southeast. And for those with an appetite for seafood, the Shrimp Festival of Fernandina Beach is a don’t-miss.

Did you know Jacksonville was once a mecca for production of silent films? The city continues to celebrate its film industry heritage with an annual Film Festival, during which both independent and big-budget movies are screened.

Historical and special-interest museums in the region include:

The Amelia Island Museum of History, the Camp Blanding Museum, Castillo de San Marcos and Ft. Matanzas National Monuments, the Florida Community College Kent Campus Museum/Gallery, the Jacksonville Maritime Museum Society, the Kingsley Plantation, the Lightner Museum, the Museum of Science and History, the Museum of Weapons and Early American History, the Oldest House Museum, the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum, the St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine, the Sojourner Truth Library Museum, the Ft. Caroline National Memorial and World Golf Hall of Fame.

RANKINGS
We don’t mean to brag—but we think some of the notable honors Jacksonville received over the last several years are worth mentioning. After all, while those of us who live in Northeast Florida already know it’s a great place to be, we’re thrilled when this is recognized by others.
> Forbes.com ranked Jacksonville among the Top Ten Best Cities to Buy a Home.
> Forbes magazine ranked Jacksonville 4th on its list of America’s Best Cities for the Outdoors.
> Newsweek ranked Jacksonville’s Stanton College Preparatory School and Paxon High School as the 5th and 8th best high schools in the nation in its compilation of? America’s Best High Schools.
> U. S. News & World Report ranked four Northeast Florida high schools in the top 10 percent in its compilation of Best High Schools of 2008.
> A Fit Pregnancy Study ranked Jacksonville 11th among Best Cities in America to Raise a Family and 11th for Most Stroller-Friendly City.
> Money Magazine ranked Jacksonville" target="_blank">Flagler County 3rd in its compilation of Best Places to Live/Where the Jobs Are.
> Black Enterprise ranked Jacksonville among the Top 10 Best Cities for African Americans to Work, Live and Play.

PARKS AND NATURE
Jacksonville is immensely proud of the mighty St. Johns River, which has for centuries shaped its geography and its spirit. ?Stretching 310 miles, the St. Johns is the longest river in Florida and one of the few rivers in the United States that flows north. The source of the river, or its headwaters, is a large marshy area in Indian River County, south of Melbourne.

It flows north and turns eastward at Jacksonville before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Mayport. The total drop of the river from its source to its mouth is less than 30 feet, or about one inch per mile, making it one of the “laziest” rivers in the world.

Saltwater enters the river at its mouth. In periods of low water, tides may cause a reverse flow as far south as Lake Monroe, which is 161 miles upstream.

The St. Johns basin is actually an ancient intracoastal lagoon system. As sea levels dropped, barrier islands became an obstacle that prevented water from flowing east to the ocean. Instead, the water collected in the flat valley and slowly meandered northward for about 300 miles. This eventually formed the St. Johns River.

Jacksonville has an extensive park system with almost 84,000 acres or 131 square miles of city, state and national parks—larger than the city of San Francisco. The city also has several new outdoor recreational projects in the works. The 10-foot-wide Timucuan Preserve multi-use walking/biking/riding trail, which first opened in 2005, will span about 15 miles from Hanna Park to Amelia Island State Park when completed. Also under way is a new boat ramp at Cedar Point and a north-south bike trail that will link Jennings State Park to Cary State Park and cross the east-west Jacksonville/Baldwin Rail Trail.

Castaway Island is one of the newest park initiatives, located in south Jacksonville between Beach and Atlantic Boulevards on San Pablo Road. Visitors have boating access to the Intracoastal Waterway and the park features picnic tables, grills, an open-air education center, walking trails and an observation deck.