I lived here in Jax for nearly 13 years .
-
12/21/2017
Here's what I've experienced so far. Most people are friendly. Some are just plain crazy (But that's mainly in the downtown area :P) If you're a tourist you might want to watch your stuff because people will take anything from you as long as it sells. I had an iphone that was stolen in a grocery store. And my bike was stolen at the Rosa Parks Bus Station. With 2 chains and a padlock. I even had a prepaid phone stolen once and it wasn't even in service. (I just used it for a radio) So that was a weird experience. The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office does not do police report on most stuff so that kind of sucks. Only if you have a serial number they can work with you. There's a lot of shooting and homicides here so what most of the commentators here say is true. But one thing I learned is, if you stay to yourself and mind your own business and don't get involved too much, people won't bother you. There's also a lot of sporting events and art exhibits and festivals downtown because Jacksonville is full of art and culture. It's also full of pan handlers and dope and heroin addicts on almost every corner. The smell of weed is always in the air, or on the bus. And there are a lot ALOT of homeless and a low income families and individuals. But not a lot of good help for them. And what I mean by that is, we have a lot of charities, churches and government places helping people with food, clothing and shelter and maybe paying a bill. But that's pretty much it. So, if you stayed at a shelter or some transitional housing place. Or if you are a first time worker or new to the city and need help finding a job. You're on your own. The most help you'll ever get is resume building and sometimes Career Source has a workshop but it's not very often. And not very effective when it comes to finding fast employment. But they do give good tips and I learned a lot so it makes a good class. Also there isn't any help with housing or cars. I know of one program that helped a family get housing but it was a very long process and they had to do so much for it. Staffing agencies make it difficult to find work for most people. Jacksonville has a lot of jobs and career opportunities but rather bad management and work ethics. In my experience I've worked many hours for several employers who didn't pay me all the money they owed. So that was rough. Also, in the past 10 years The JTA Bus System has improved drastically and it's a lot more reliable than it was in 2007 but still have a lot of flaws to work on. Minimum wage is still under $9.50 an hour. And if you're looking for a house to buy on average they are $60,000 -$200,000. Rent on average is $600-$900 a month for 1-3 beds. Or $400 for a cheap studio Apartment. But if it's super cheap, you might want to get a dog. Or a weapon. If you are looking for a nicer neighborhood. Riverside and Mandarin seem to be people's favorites. And San Marco which is right outside of downtown Jax. They're kind of small but they're nice and quiet. The Beaches area is great. They have nice little shops and this great restaurant called Joe's Crab Shack. I don't know if it's still open but I loved their fried fish. We have several Farmer's Markets and Whole Foods Health Stores and a couple of vegan restaurants and like 200 fitness clubs and gyms (well alot of them) so if you're into health you'll probably like it here. Oh and also it is true about the crazy drivers. People drive like maniacs and they don't care whether you have the right away or not. They will pull out in front of you and lay on their horn and yell at you for holding them up. I've been nearly hit on several occasions and I rammed into the back of a guy's car with my bike because I didn't have time to stop. It scared the crap out of him but I wasn't hurt Thank God lol. But I think it gave his car a dent. Some people on the road can be really rude and mean. So beware because we have a lot of hit and runs. I believe they say Jacksonville has the highest Pedestrian death rates in the US. So anyway, there's alot more but I've already written a book so I'm going to end it here. I hope this helps..
Shelyna | Jacksonville, FL