Paradise Found

Despite the lowest mortgage interest rates in decades, housing affordability in the United States has fallen to the point that only about half of all homes sold are within reach for families earning the nation's median household income.

Yet, one of the most desirable relocation destinations in the nation—Northeast Florida—remains a bastion of value, at least relatively speaking.

According to the most recent National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index, 68 percent of homes sold in greater Jacksonville are affordable for families earning the region's median household income of $56,600. Figures reflect home sales made in the third quarter of 2004, which is the most current data available from NAHB researchers.

That makes Jacksonville the 67th most affordable market out of 274 surveyed. In Florida, where home price appreciation has soared, Jacksonville remained the most affordable major market, ahead of Tampa, where 62.9 percent of homes sold were affordable for families earning the region's median household income. Orlando was at 58 percent and Ft. Lauderdale was at 47.5 percent.

For perspective, the most affordable market in the country was Lima, Ohio, where 90.5 percent of homes sold were affordable to families earning that region's median family income. The least affordable market in the country was Santa Barbara, Calif., where less than 5 percent of homes sold could have been bought by a typical family. With a median home price of $447,000 and a median household income of $64,700, it's easy to see how such a disparity could exist.

Other measures also confirm Jacksonville's affordability edge. For example, Coldwell Banker's annual Home Price Comparison Index shows that in 2004, a home costing $250,000 in Jacksonville would have cost $701,000 in Miami, $330,000 in Naples and $265,000 in Tampa.

"Why wouldn't you want to live here?" asks Charlie Clark, a real estate guru based in Ponte Vedra Beach. "We have a low cost of living, the St. Johns River, the beaches, golf and tennis—plus the weather is to die for. What's not to like?"

Good question. Plus, the Jacksonville area—which encompasses Duval, Clay, Nassau and St. Johns counties as well as Jacksonville" target="_blank">Flagler County to the south and Jacksonville" target="_blank">Camden County, Ga., to the north—boasts most of the same cultural and recreational perks found in glitzier (and more expensive) Florida cities such as Palm Beach, Naples and Sarasota.

It all boils down to "livability." Of course, that term is rather nebulous and hard to quantify. But that hasn't stopped an array of social scientists from trying to decide what factors are required for a community to be deemed "livable."

Washington, D.C.-based Partners for Livable Communities has been working on this issue for 25 years. And in 2004, the not-for-profit organization, which was originally a subsidiary of the National Endowment for the Arts, announced its list of "America's Most Livable Communities."

Among large cities, the Top 5 were Charlotte, N.C.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Denver, Colo.; Fort Worth, Texas; and Jacksonville, Fla. The announcement was made at a National Press Club event, where Secretary of the Treasury John Snow was the keynote speaker. Snow, who was chief executive officer of CSX Transportation before the company left Richmond, Va., for Jacksonville, knows first-hand about the River City's enduring appeal for relocators.

Jacksonville impressed the organization's panel of governmental officials, arts administrators, journalists, financiers and academics with its combination of a vibrant economy, strong governmental leadership, eclectic arts and cultural organizations, diverse housing options and vast natural resources.

Making the honor even more special—it's given only once a decade.

"This is really a unique honor for Jacksonville," says Irene Garnett, director of public programs for Partners for Livable Communities. "That's why we only give it every 10 years. We want to see communities that are not only livable now, but that have a plan in place that creates a good life for their residents over the long haul."

This national recognition was enhanced in January by Super Bowl XXXIX, which showcased the city to an international audience. Although naysayers were convinced that Jacksonville was too small-time to pull off such a major event, the River City again defied expectations and won rave reviews for its hospitality and its organizational prowess.

Oops, did we say "River City?" We don't call ourselves that any more. Nor do we refer to ourselves as "The Bold New City of the South." Both of those monikers have given way to "Jacksonville, Where Florida Begins," the tagline of a branding campaign funded by the city.

The campaign is the first to position Jacksonville geographically as the entry point to the state. That's because Dalton's research indicated that most outsiders were generally aware that Jacksonville was in Florida somewhere-they just didn't know exactly where.

Still, they're managing to find it, according to the Northeast Florida Builders Association. In 2004 the Jacksonville MSA, which consists of Duval, Clay, Nassau and St. Johns counties, notched 13,636 single-family building permits compared to 12,784 in 2003. For perspective, that number is almost double the 6,955 permits issued as recently as 1997.

So where should a newcomer look? Jacksonville Homebuyer can help. Following is a neighborhood-by-neighborhood primer, in which you'll find everything from new master-planned developments to charming historic neighborhoods. Undoubtedly, there's a home just right for you and your family "Where Florida Begins."

CLAY COUNTY

In 1803, when Zephaniah Kingsley purchased 1,880 acres on the western shore of the St. Johns, the property was lush with laurel trees. The wealthy land baron and slave trader dubbed his plantation Laurel Grove.

By the late 1870s, the tract had been redeveloped as a resort community and renamed Orange Park for the abundance of citrus groves that surrounded it. During its brief heyday as a tourist destination, such luminaries as Ulysses S. Grant, Buffalo Bill Cody and Sitting Bull stayed in luxurious hotels and enjoyed the scent of orange blossoms wafting through open windows.

Today, however, you'd be hard pressed to find any orange groves in this bustling Jacksonville" target="_blank">Clay County municipality, which has emerged as a popular suburb dotted with dozens of subdivisions and hundreds of businesses. More than half the residents of Orange Park work in Jacksonville, according to the Jacksonville" target="_blank">Clay County Economic Development Council.

And more are coming. Jacksonville" target="_blank">Clay County's population more than doubled from 1970 to 1980, then grew another 33 percent between 1990 and 2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That pace is expected to continue, in part because there's still undeveloped land here. In fact, Clay remains one of the most sparsely populated counties in Florida, with about 234 residents per square mile versus a statewide average of 296.

Orange Park's residential development first gathered momentum in the early 1920s, when Caleb Johnson, president of the Colgate Palmolive Company, built Villa Mira Rio, a $500,000 estate on the banks of the river. Other millionaires followed Johnson's lead, as did less ostentatious families who were attracted by the community's natural beauty and its convenient location.

Vestiges of that era remain in Orange Park's small commercial historic district at the east end of Kingsley Avenue, where a few vintage buildings stand around what was once a watering trough and hitching post that served as the community's unofficial gathering spot.

A scattering of gracefully aging residential showplaces can be seen along River Road, while Johnson's Mediterranean-style mansion survives as Club Continental, one of Northeast Florida's most popular special event destinations.

The region's past is celebrated each year through Carrie Clarke Day, sponsored by the city and run by the Historical Society of Orange Park and the Orange Park Garden Club's Founders Circle. Clarke and her husband William were Orange Park pioneers, and their circa-1914 home is now a centerpiece of popular Clarke House Park.

Otherwise, Orange Park is a thoroughly modern place, where amenity-rich, master-planned communities attract hordes of buyers. For example, Eagle Harbor, a huge mixed-use development that boasts a Disney-esque water park, ranked as the sixth-busiest development in the region last year, with 209 housing starts.

Residential development along the U.S. Highway 17 and Highway 220 corridor is also moving forward with projects such as Fleming Island Plantation, which notched 218 starts last year and will contain 2,000 homes at buildout.

And in the northeast corner of the county, OakLeaf Plantation will ultimately contain more than 11,000 homes. In fact, it was the region's second-busiest development last year—Julington Creek in St. Johns County was the first—with 581 starts.

Additional mixed-use developments containing at least 11,000 homes have been approved for 20,000 acres straddling Branan Field Road, which extends from Blanding Boulevard in Middleburg through the Argyle area to I-10.

Jacksonville" target="_blank">Clay County's highly rated school system is a major selling point for Orange Park, as is the community's location near Naval Air Station Jacksonville and its plethora of retail and entertainment outlets, including the sprawling Orange Park Mall and the Orange Park Kennel Club, a 5,100-seat greyhound racing mecca.

But while attracting new residents to Jacksonville" target="_blank">Clay County has required little effort, attracting industries offering high-paying jobs has been more of a challenge. That's why the Jacksonville" target="_blank">Clay County Chamber of Commerce has launched a $1.25-million economic development effort dubbed "Focus on the Future." The five-year goal is to attract $175 million in new commercial construction and add $75 million in annual payroll.

Other Jacksonville" target="_blank">Clay County communities include Green Cove Springs, Keystone Heights, Middleburg and Penney Farms, which department store magnate J.C. Penney founded in 1926 as a retirement home for ministers and their wives.

Despite frantic development, much of Jacksonville" target="_blank">Clay County remains rural, with Gold Head Branch State Park, Kingsley Beach, Strickland's Landing, Jennings Forest and Black Creek/Ravines Conservation Area offering camping, hiking, fishing and hunting.

DUVAL COUNTY
(Arlington/Intracoastal West, The Beaches)

Arlington/Intracoastal West

Arlington is home to Jacksonville University and some of Northeast Florida's most precious environmental and historical landmarks. It's also a center for commerce, encompassing Regency Square Mall and vast expanses of shopping centers, restaurants and office buildings. Downtown is just a 10-minute drive over the Matthews Bridge, and the Beaches are just 20 minutes away via Atlantic Boulevard.

Roughly 50 square miles in area, Arlington is a melting pot of some 80 distinctive neighborhoods, containing everything from modest, ranch-style homes to spectacular riverfront mansions.

Although much of Arlington was developed in the 1950s and '60s, its history goes back much further. French explorer Jean Ribault came ashore here in 1562, preparing the way for a second French expedition to start a colony called La Caroline two years later. The centerpiece of the settlement was an earth and wood fort built on the bank of the St. Johns, which was then called the River of May.

The Spanish, led by Pedro Menendez de Aviles, later routed the French and captured Fort Caroline. Remains of the fort and the meadow on which it stood were swallowed when the river was dredged. But in 1964 a replica of the triangular structure was built, and stands today in the 680-acre Fort Caroline National Memorial.

The preserve also contains a replica of a stone column erected by Ribault upon his arrival. The monument stands atop a topographic anomaly called St. Johns Bluff, which is actually the shoreline of a barrier island that dates to an era when the ocean covered most of what is now coastal Florida. From the bluff, visitors can enjoy a breathtaking view of the river and of the large Heckscher Estates homes on its northern shore.

Arlington was also central to Jacksonville's brief heyday as a film capital in the 1920s. At the urging of an organization called Old Arlington Inc., the city voted this year to purchase and preserve four of five buildings that make up the Norman Film Studios complex on Arlington Road. During the 1920s, producer Richard E. Norman made silent films here starring African-American actors.

Homes in Arlington range in price from just under $100,000 to well over $1 million along the water, but the typical price is in the low- to mid-$200s. Young families are increasingly calling Arlington home, with nearly half the residents between 18 and 25 years of age and another quarter between 35 and 44 years of age.

Although most closer-in Arlington property has been built out, there's considerable buzz about a new project, Kendall Town Center, developed by G.L. National, part of Jacksonville-based Gate Petroleum Company.

The 300-acre office, residential and retail center is planned north of Regency Square Mall and south of Merrill Road, bordered by Monument Road, Florida 9A and the Southside Connector. Developers say the project will take at least six years to complete.

A road project that will ultimately have a major impact on Arlington is the final nine-mile leg of the Wonderwood Connector, which runs through the heart of Arlington and joins Monument Road with Florida 9A. Because of funding delays, construction may not begin until year's end with a completion date no earlier than 2008.

Much of Arlington's growth is occurring in the area informally known as Intracoastal West, once a no-man's-land where the Intracoastal Waterway marks the traditional dividing line between Jacksonville proper and its coastal communities. There, new multifamily projects are springing up everywhere land is available.

Intracoastal West residents are just a short drive from employment centers, but the main attraction for homebuyers appears to be adjacency to the Intracoastal Waterway, easy access to the ocean and expansive marsh views.

The Beaches

Mayport, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach and Jacksonville Beach are contiguous coastal cities known for their lively pubs and good restaurants. Increasingly these low-key communities are attracting affluent homebuyers who are charmed by their laid-back ambience and unpretentious atmosphere.

The Beaches are certainly tied to Jacksonville by geography, but they have steadfastly sought to maintain separate identities. When Jacksonville and Jacksonville" target="_blank">Duval County adopted a consolidated government in 1968, Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville Beach and Neptune Beach insisted on retaining their own municipal charters and their own elected officials.

Starting from the north, here's a look ay these once-remote cities, which were settled by rugged pioneers and still attract people looking for something a bit out of the ordinary.

Mayport, at the mouth of the St. Johns, retains a gritty rough-and-tumble charm and is home to commercial fishing and shrimping operations as well as the huge Mayport Naval Station.

Locals enjoy traveling to Mayport via ferryboat, which departs from facilities on Hecksher Drive at the southernmost tip of Fort George Island. The main attractions: dining at decrepit but delightful seafood eateries such as Singleton's, a local landmark, or chugging beers at any number of colorful drinking establishments along A1A, also called Mayport Road. Gambling cruises also depart from Mayport daily, and charter boats are available for deep-sea fishing excursions.

Mayport was originally known as Hazard because the large, dangerous sandbar where the river spilled into the sea made navigation for large ships tricky. By the 1830s, it was a bustling little village in which most of the residents were employed by a sawmill.

By the 1870s, Mayport had become a popular getaway for Jacksonvillians, many of whom built cottages along the ocean. In the 1880s, construction of two huge jetties allowed ships to enter the channel safely and boosted Jacksonville's stature as a port city.

In 1899, Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railway bought the defunct Jacksonville & Atlantic Railway, which ran from the Arlington area to Jacksonville Beach. Flagler, the legendary developer, then extended a northward line to Mayport, making all the Beaches communities more accessible.

In 1914, an heiress named Elizabeth Stark bought acreage around Ribault Bay and built an elaborate estate called Wonderwood-by-the-Sea, where several silent movies, including a handful starring Laurel and Hardy, were made during Jacksonville's filmmaking years. The U.S. Navy purchased the Wonderwood property during World War II.

Today, the only historic buildings in Mayport are the Old St. Johns Lighthouse, a 145-year-old tower listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the nearby wood-frame Mayport Presbyterian Church. The eight-block downtown consists mainly of shabby seafood packinghouses and a handful of funky restaurants.

Mayport proper, however, may be getting a facelift. Five years ago, the city of Jacksonville and the city of Atlantic Beach joined forces to form the Mayport Waterfront Partnership, a multi-agency board seeking to revitalize the downtown area. Roads have been paved, sewer lines laid and a proposal is pending to install sidewalks and period lighting in the historic district.

"We don't want Mayport to lose any of its charm," says Ed Lukacovic, a senior planner with the city of Jacksonville. "We want to maintain its character, but also improve it as a venue for ecotourism."

Certainly there's plenty of natural splendor for tourists to see. Just south of the Naval Station is the 450-acre Kathryn Abby Hannah Park, which boasts 1.5 miles of beachfront, 300 campsites and 60 acres of stocked freshwater fishing lakes. And the Poles of Mayport, named for a dividing line of pilings that separate the Naval Station from the park, is renowned as the region's best surfing spot.

But Mayport is still heavily dependent on the Navy. So news that Mayport Naval Station was spared in the most recent round of base closure announcements—in fact, the facility will actually gain military and civilian jobs—had local merchants breathing a collective sigh of relief.

In contrast to its working-class neighbor to the north, Atlantic Beach began as a lavish playground for the wealthy.

In 1899, when his rail line was complete, Flagler began to develop the area as a resort community, the centerpiece of which was the fabulous Continental Hotel. The hotel, completed in 1901, was at the time one of the largest wooden buildings in the South: 447 feet long and 47 feet wide, with 186 rooms.

But the community's resort heyday was short-lived; the Continental burned to the ground in 1919. By then, Atlantic Beach was attracting year-round residents, thanks in large part to the opening in 1910 of Atlantic Boulevard, which connected the Arlington area to the coastal communities.

Today, Atlantic Beach's tree-lined streets are primarily residential, with funky old beach cottages next to sprawling new mansions. Non-beachfront residents can access the sand and surf from many well-placed, well-maintained dune crossings.

Of course, there's plenty of action in Atlantic Beach if you're so inclined. The area of Atlantic Boulevard between Third Street and the ocean, recently refurbished and dubbed Town Center, boasts some of Northeast Florida's liveliest nightspots. Among the most popular is Ragtime Tap Room and Brewery, Jacksonville's oldest brew pub, known for such foamy concoctions as Dolphin's Breath Lager, Red Brick Ale and A. Strange Stout.

The city, which stretches only 25 blocks north to south, also offers community events such as the annual "Dancin' in the Streets" festival in May, Christmas festivals and family campouts in the city park. The Atlantic Beach Experimental Theater, housed in the Bull Recreational Area, stages 10 productions each year.

Spunky Neptune Beach, the smallest of the Beaches communities, was originally part of Jacksonville Beach. It was incorporated as a separate entity following a 1931 "tax revolt" by residents who felt they were receiving short shrift when it came to services such as street paving, fire and police protection and garbage collection.

Although it's difficult today for a casual visitor to distinguish between the two communities, Neptune Beach has its own historical commission, operating under the auspices of the city and charged with the task of preserving historical items and obtaining oral histories from longtime local residents.

As Beaches property values increase, Neptune Beach remains a place where diligent shoppers can still find a fixer-upper for around $100,000. Renters, who take up residence in garage flats and duplexes, also have plenty of affordable options.

Neptune Beach has at least one genuine landmark: Pete's Bar, a friendly hole-in-the-wall that was mentioned in the John Grisham bestseller The Brethren. Pete's, established in 1933, is said to be the oldest continuously operating tavern in Northeast Florida, and attracts a loyal clientele with its everybody-knows-your-name ambience and its 25-cent billiard tables. (See "Hemingway Drank Here" below.)

The largest, oldest and southernmost Beaches community is Jacksonville Beach, which was first known as Ruby, named for the daughter of a pioneering family that settled the area in the 1880s.

Jacksonville Beach has long offered an escape for harried inlanders, first with resort hotels such as the 350-room Murray Hall in the 1890s and later with an amusement park featuring a wooden roller coaster. The city earned international recognition in 1922 when Lt. Jimmy Doolittle broke the transcontinental speed record by flying from Jacksonville Beach to San Diego in less than 24 hours.

But the community really started to grow in 1949 when Beach Boulevard was opened, supplying a second, more southerly route from Jacksonville to the coastal communities.

In 1998, a Mediterranean-style city hall was built and four parks were acquired in 2000: Latham Plaza with the Sea Walk Pavilion, South Beach Park and a site for a new county pier between Fourth and Fifth avenues. Hurricane Floyd wrecked the old wood pier in 1999, but its 1,300-foot-long replacement is made of concrete.

Jacksonville Beach is also known for its annual festivals, including Fiesta Playara, a celebration of Latin music and culture; Springing the Blues; Cajun Crawfish Festival; The Beaches Festival; Moonlight Movies; and the Key West Conch Festival.

Nightlife options abound. Among the hot spots: the Ocean Club, a noisy disco; the Freebird Cafe, which hosts live performances ranging from Dickey Betts and Blues Traveler to Vasser Clements and Willie Nelson; and Sneakers Sports Grille, a 12,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art sports bar boasting six 38-foot-wide screens and five plasma televisions surrounding the bar.

Cultural offerings include the Beaches Fine Arts Series at St. Paul's-By-The-Sea Episcopal Church and theatrical productions by Players-By-The-Sea, which moved into a new performance space off Beach Boulevard last year.

The lively lifestyle has helped fuel a condominium boom. Five multifamily developments have been built in the past two years; four are under construction and at least 20 others are on the drawing board. That's remarkable considering that no new complexes were built in Jacksonville Beach between 1987 and 2002. Now, they can't be built fast enough to keep pace with demand.

HEMINGWAY DRANK HERE

Pete's Bar, located a block from the Atlantic Ocean, dates from 1933. This Northeast Florida watering hole is one of those great beach bars that are ultra-dark inside with doors that remain open to the bright sunlight, reminding you that it's only 11 a.m., and yes, you're a barfly.

The celebrity photos on the wall tell you that you're still in Florida, but a world away from Miami: Bobby Bowden, Vince Dooley, Steve Spurrier, Herschel Walker, Bo Jackson and Pat Dye walking through the woods with shotguns on their shoulders.

Pete's also has literary connections. Hemingway drank here. John Grisham visited while working on The Brethren and even put Pete's in the book. To commemorate this fact, the bar has placed a sign over the table where Grisham sat.

That alone makes Pete's one of my favorites.

Pete's Bar is located at 117 First St., Neptune Beach. Call (904) 249-9158.— Tim Dorsey

Editor's Note: This description first appeared in the January issue of Gulfshore Life in Naples. Writer Tim Dorsey was asked to name his 10 favorite Florida bars, and Pete's made the cut, ranking No. 5.