[90sman]

Originally Posted by OfficerC93

Okay let me start off here by saying I'm from Philadelphia, PA, I'm 19, and I am going to be going to college to become a teacher.

Anyways.. I do not like Philadelphia or the area at all (No offense to fellow Philadelphians.. I have nothing against you.. it's all opinion.) so I asked my grandparents who live in the Southside of Jacksonville if I could live with them and attend college there instead, and they said yes.. and I have a flight to go there this weekend to atleast check it out for a week and if I decide to stay I will have my parents send my stuff out there and apply to school.

Anyhow I have a few questions...

I've been "ghosting" the Florida forums and a lot of people have been saying Jacksonville is a dump, it's full of rednecks, blah blah blah.. is this true? I'm going to be living by San Jose/Mandarin so hopefully I don't encounter the problems some people are having.

No, as usual, it's just a stereotype. Of course there are red-necks there but they're also located everywhere in America.

I went to LA in November.. and I was there for about a week.. I was going to try to move there on my own and go to school there, but that's drastic and I figured living rent free was the much smarter decision. I loved SoCal.. is Northern Florida anything like it?

No. Southern Florida is more like SoCal though, especially Miami Beach, Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.

I also heard that it's extremely boring there.. but I don't really care because I'm usually bored here as well. Is it really "boring" there?

Depends on who you ask. Some people find it thrilling to live in Jax while others find it the dullest place on the earth. It depends on what you like to do.

Is Florida a good state to settle down in?

I think so. But others may disagree.

The summer heat.. 90-95 compared to 83-90 every summer like I'm used to can't be THAT bad, right?

When you first move here, it may be. But you get used to it. Us Floridians who have been born and raised here are accustomed to it though.

Thanks.. I leave in a few days so I had a few questions. I appreciate the help.

Answers are in bold. ^^^^

[squarpeg]

Being the 11th largest city in terms of population in the USA you would think Jacksonville would really have more of a unique feel about it. I use the term "souless" it is just missing something. The downtown area is devoid of people once the work day is over. Like Hartford Ct or some place like that. The heart of downtown does not really exist. People don't live there. Beyond the city center, it spreads out into an endless sea of shopping plazas and newish residential development. People live in there own little residential areas, North of the city is the older section and this is pretty much a slum. The nicer areas are south along the water. Unless you work downtown you will have little reason to go there. Living in Jacksonville is not like living in what I call a city like philly, boston or NY. It is more like living in a suburb and like the suburbs not much happens. That can be nice though if you like that. If you are from the NE you WILL find the summer very hot. Most of the time you will be indoors. I will say the beaches are nice. The road to get to them however can be a hellish trip through thousands of traffic lights and by about 8 miles of continues concrete strip malls. Welcome to Florida. The winter will be AWESOME you will love it. They also have great seafood here and it is really cheap to drink. Best of Luck