15 Things to Love

2. The Jaguars. Okay, so the team had a couple of lousy seasons and the personality-impaired coach got the ax. A Jacksonville University study still found that 80 percent of us say the presence of an NFL team is a source of pride.

3. Music and memories. Homegrown musical legends and near-legends with Jacksonville connections include Slim Whitman (country yodeler), Lynrd Skynrd (southern rockers), James Weldon Johnson (writer of Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing), Chubby Wise (legendary bluegrass fiddler), Judy Canova (hillbilly comedienne), Mae Axton (writer of Heartbreak Hotel), Mae's son Hoyt (writer of Joy to the World) and Ray Charles (notable St. Augustine School for the Deaf and Blind dropout).

4. Calories. There are more interesting independently owned restaurants in Jacksonville than any other city its size we've ever visited. Among the best: Biscotti's, b.b.'s, Bistro Aix, Cafe Carmon, Dwight's, Gallery Bistro, Gene's Seafood, Giovannis's, LaNopalera, Lighthouse Grille, Marker 32, Matthew's, Old Siam, Singleton's Seafood Shack, The Loop, Woody's, Wilfred's 24, Wine Cellar and at least 100 more.

5. Shopping. We've got the d'rigeur regional malls, but also funky shopping districts like Five Points, San Marco Square and the Shops of Avondale.

6. Historic homes. Riverside/Avondale, San Marco and Springfield feature every architectural style imaginable.

7. When someone says "Jacksonville is more like South Georgia than South Florida," we take it as a compliment.

8. Culture, culture, culture. We've got a dandy symphony orchestra, and it doesn't even have a banjo section. Also great museums like the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, the Jacksonville Museum of Contemporary Art, the Alexander Brest Museum/Gallery, the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum, the Jacksonville Maritime Museum, the Museum of Science and History and a slew of private galleries.

9. The revitalized LaVilla area, the centerpiece of which is the historic Ritz Theater and the LaVilla School of the Arts. An example of urban renewal gone right.

10. Folio Weekly. An alternative newspaper that kicks butt, takes names and keeps the politicians (relatively) honest.

11. Non-scholarship football at Jacksonville University. Kids playing football for the love of the game, in a bucolic on-campus setting. Let's beat Slippery Rock!

12. We love the nightlife, we love to boogie. From mega-clubs like Freebird Cafe, Sneakers Sports Grille and 8 Seconds to holes-in-the-wall like Pete's Bar, Art Bar and Fly's Tie Irish Pub, there's a special place to celebrate the thrill of victory or wallow in the agony of defeat.

13. Coffee, beer and cigars. Maxwell House, Budweiser and Swisher manufacture three of life's necessities in Jacksonville. Sometimes in the early morning, the Northbank smells just like a fresh cup of joe.

14. Natural wonders. Among them: Anastasia State Recreation Area, Big Talbot and Little Talbot Islands, Faver-Dykes State Park, Fort Clinch State Park, Guana River State Park, Huguenot Memorial Park, Kathryn Abbey Hannah Park and Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve and Tree Hill Nature Center.

15. The Florida-Georgia game. They don't call this annual clash of the Gators and the Bulldogs "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" for nothing.