Where Florida Begins

Well we did it! Super Bowl XXXIX has been played and the big game went off without a hitch-or at least without a hitch that had the whole world aghast. So I think it's safe to assume that roughly 1 billion viewers worldwide came away with a favorable impression of the River City.

"We've always said that if we can get people here and get their attention, they'll like what they see," said Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton to an Orlando Sentinel reporter doing another one of those stories outlining how a small city outsmarted its bigger competitors to land the biggest event in professional sports.

The mayor is right, of course. Jacksonville has nearly 70 miles of Atlantic beachfront, 72 (and counting) golf courses, the nation's largest public park system and the mighty St. Johns River running right through town.

That's an impressive list of assets-and when you add our numerous cultural organizations, our eclectic entertainment venues, our beloved NFL Jaguars and our beautiful neighborhoods, you've got a city second to none in Florida in terms of vitality, livability and family friendliness.

Plus, on the heels of the Super Bowl is a new branding campaign that will position Jacksonville as "Where Florida Begins." I love the concept, which was dreamed up by Dalton and Company, a local advertising agency, after focus group studies revealed that many outsiders knew there was a Jacksonville, but didn't know exactly where it was-or what it represented.

"Where Florida Begins" really says it all. Downtown Jacksonville is about a half-hour's drive from the Georgia border, which means combining the Deep South's genteel politeness with the Sunshine State's party-hearty abandon.

In the same year, you can sip champagne with the literati at our huge annual author's event, Much Ado About Books, and you can swill beer at our huge annual tailgating event, the Florida-Georgia football game at the Gator Bowl. Both are quintessentially Jacksonville.

Jacksonville Homebuyer is also quintessentially Jacksonville. We hope that every issue you read gives you a feel for what it's like to live in our coverage area, which we generically refer to as Jacksonville but which also includes the fast-growing surrounding counties.

We seem to be doing a pretty good job. Last year, our real estate industry peers chose us as "Best Magazine for a Consumer." We're proud of that award, but understand that the ultimate judges are the folks who come to our pages for information they need to make important lifestyle decisions.

So after you read this issue, give me a call and let me know if there's something about Jacksonville you'd like to know-and you couldn't find out.

I'll look forward to hearing from you-and I'll look forward to welcoming you personally to "Where Florida Begins."

Sincerely,

Penelope Geismar

Publisher