Hi! We've just decided to make a move and we're looking at Jacksonville...can anyone steer me in the right direction? Neighborhoods...which ones to look at...which ones to avoid? How are the elementary schools? We have 5 children ages 17, 8, 5,4, 2...We've got 3 dogs, a cat and a school of goldfish...I'm a personal trainer with my own business and I teach aqua aerobics and spin classes at our local Y. We are looking for a better way of life for us and the kids, cause the animals have got it pretty good!
Any information you can give me in general about the area...even areas outside of Jacksonville would be great. I'm a little nervous about moving down there due to the weather changes and the terrible storms that have been happening...so I hope we're not moving into harms way! You know what it's like being a Mom...everything becomes a concern!
Thanks! All and any help would be appreciated!
D.
Hi D.,
I've lived in Jax for about 16 yrs. I've lived in Mandarin and loved it, now I'm on the westside near Ortega...love the house/neighborhood, but not the public school options. My son is 2 and we plan on moving to St. Johns county before he begins school...probably the World Golf Village area...new subdivisions, new schools, lots of new stores & restaurants in the pipeline.
think you would like the area near the beach. the south end of jacksonvill is nice, the north side is building but still alitte behind and no west side. if you are looking for a home to purchase, have a dear friend with watson and she is great to work wit, sharon at ###-###-####. won't be pushy and can help you. also, my son is in the morgage business, john ###-###-####, just tell them B. recommended them. they will do you right.
now is the time to buy, and i am at the beaches, i love it.
southside is nice, but stay away from baymeadow area, as it is really congested, traffic is the problem but i assuming you would like to be close to some good schools, sharon can help you with that. good luck, and come on down, it is a great city.
Hi D.,
I have 3 kids and I've been through all this with my kids. We live on the South side of Jacksonville in the Baymeadows/San Jose area. We love it here, but the high school stinks. I am home schooling my 16 year old and will be home schooling my next child when he gets out of middle school. Florida has an excellent record for home schooling. Thank the good Lord for computers! The weather can be a problem, like the last few days, but all in all Jax is a great place. We're from NC and I was born in Wisconsin. So I've been around a little bit and I love the south. I wouldn't move north again for love nor money! The south side of town is definitely the place to be. The north side is a little dangerous and the west side is really redneck. Towards the east it's a little of everything, but very expensive. Good luck to you and welcome to Jax!
If you are going to put your kids in public school, then you want to move to St. Johns County or Clay County because Duval County public schools are HORRIBLE. Some good private schools are Seacoast Christian Academy, Providence, and Trinity Christian Academy. Bolles is also good if you are looking for a private school without a Christian education incorporated into the curriculum. I'd make the decision about which part of town to live in after making the schooling decision.
Don't worry about the weather. We've had lots of wind and rain the last few days from the "big storm" but nothing we can't handle. At least with these type of storms there's plenty of warnings so there's time to properly prepare.
Stockton Elementary is an A Magnet school. It has a very nice neighborhood and your children would automatically go there. If no one has told you - good schools here are by either living in the District or apply through the Lottery to get into a Magnet school. A BIG DECISION concerning the kids education. St. Johns County is supposed to have good schools and is growing like crazy! You want to stay away from Orange Park, the traffic is horrible. The traffic in Mandarin is pretty bad too but it's a nice place to live. White House/Marietta (I've been told have good schools), lots of land but a little bit of a drive. Argyle is growing and has nice houses and land but I'm not sure about the schools. It butts up to Orange Park so I'm not sure about the traffic. Don't move to the Northside! The beaches are nice but you have to travel for work (if you don't get a job there). You need to look at Duval County Schools and check out the websites so you can have an idea of where and what kind of magnet schools they offer and what part of town they are in. That, would help you decide for the kids educations. It really stinks living in a school district where you're option is a C school.....there is always private schools or home schooling. Good luck! I hope others have helped you more than I.
