transplanters opinions of Jacksonville (Palm Beach, Springfield: neighborhood, school, to live)

[Robyn55]

You're too tough. Remember the old saying. If you're younger and conservative - you don't have a heart. And if you're older and liberal - you don't have a brain. Perhaps we ought to raise the voting age to 35 . Robyn

[904jax]

Originally Posted by donisanasfan

I love the phrase "fox news conservative". It's so funny what makes pseudo intellectual liberals feel good about themselves. "Fox news conservatives" to someone who doesn't speak liberal code means " you bunch of kool-aid drinking, dumb , hateful, racist. homophobes." This of coarse comes from someone who is probably in his or her 20's, has an undergraduate degree in "nothing I can do with this worthless piece of paper" ,listens to NPR and thus finds themselves to be intelligent because listening to something that boring must be intellectual. ( how many " a pbs mind in a fox news world " bumper stickers have you seen on a broken down volvo in a ditch on the side the road. I guess intelligence ends at the moment of making a vehicle purchase. ....I've got a nice 40 grand Chevy Volt I can sell you
by the way) I have always been amazed at the people who think of themselves as intelligent and yet cannot think beyond saying something as amazingly vacuous as " never understood how such nice people can embrace such mean politics contrary to their own interests." I guess "mean politics" must mean a political system where someone has to earn a living and not live in their mothers basement while being a permanent figure on some liberal arts college campus. Or in many cases just live in their mothers basement. Desiring people to work and have some self respect instead of relying on the government (i.e. forcing others at the point of a gun to give the money they earned to the government so that others may continue to live mom's attic.....thought I would switch it up a bit since there are no basements in Florida) is not mean, it's thoughtful and moral. Thank god people are waking up after electing this king of the pseudo intellectuals Barry Obama , and realizing that instead of gravitas and erudition , all that is really inside these folks is a bunch of hot air.

Exhibit A to Jax Con # 1.

[donisanasfan]

Robyn , I remember being in elementary school and taking part in our own classroom vote for president. It was 1976 and I was the only kid in the class to vote for Gerald Ford over Carter. I guess growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area that's not surprising. I'm betting every one of those 4th grade Carter voters also cast a ballot for Barry- Carter redux . Some people never learn despite their age. Also, to be honest I have always hated that saying , as I was a young conservative before I was an old one, and I like to think I had a heart the whole time.

[Robyn55]

Gosh - in 1976 I was about 30. Can't remember whether that was a year I was waiting in gas lines (or whether the gas lines were earlier or later). Also can't remember who I voted for.

FWIW - I think California is very extreme in terms of its politics. I don't know many people there. But those I know are either a fair amount to the left or right or me. I think it's an action/reaction thing. Most of the people I know here tend to be more moderate. There is left and right - but not so extreme. Perhaps the heat bakes our brains .

Also - the few people I know in the SF Bay area left the city when it got taken over by bums and deadbeats. (I thought a large part of the city proper was pretty disgusting when I visited a while back - and am in no hurry to return - OTOH areas like Palo Alto are still lovely.) Especially if they had kids - because no matter how much you spend for a house in that city these days - your kids are subject to a lottery that can put them in any school in the city (good or bad or indifferent). So - best I can tell - the city is pretty much these days inhabited by rich people and poor people - especially people without kids unless they can afford private schools. It's kind of an old story repeated everywhere. Middle aged middle class people want decent schools for their kids. Whether they have to move out of JAX or SF to get them. Robyn

[Robyn55]

Originally Posted by 904jax

Exhibit A to Jax Con # 1.

Apart from your starting this conversation with your negative comment - perhaps you can answer a few questions. You came here fairly recently from Denver - yes? You're a lawyer - yes? Perhaps a trial lawyer - yes or no? If yes to all the above - well we (or at least I as a retired trial type lawyer in Florida) - know you're expected to pay lip service to liberalism in Florida Bar circles - and to pay your dues to liberal causes/parties/whatever. FWIW - I don't understand why I am solicited constantly by the Florida Bar and related organizations to help people escape contractual obligations on their credit cards - mortgages - etc.

Anyway - I think perhaps you have a dog in this fight. And perhaps you could tell us what it is. Robyn

P.S. If you don't have a dog in this fight - apologies given in advance. And - if you don't like it here - you're welcome to return to Denver (or to go any place you want to go). It is after all a free country.

[AliciaMaria]

What if Im a 20 something and conservative?! MADNESS I TELL YOU!!!!!

I had a hell of a time in college... especially since my degree was a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences.. my sociology teachers despised me. It was great because I was able to conjure up so many amazing discussions in class (that the teachers just never expected) that the students in class started dividing themselves up on their own (left and right..).

[mississippimagnolia]

d*lifter,

I didn't read all the comments. But we just moved here from the D.C. area! We moved from Northern Virginia (Fairfax County) to St. Johns (just outside of Jacksonville).

We love it! We've been here about 3 months. I have zero complaints. The schools in St. Johns County are fan-freakin-tastic! And we were in Fairfax, so our expectations were high.

Love living close to the beach! I can't stay away.

Love the lower cost of living! I still can't get used to the housing prices, grocery prices, etc.... It just blows my mind.

Love the lack of traffic. I had a doctor's appointment on Monday at 4pm right in the middle of downtown. I left at about 4:45 to drive home to Julington Creek. People warned me I might hit traffic. What? Nothing like D.C. Not even close. There were cars on the road, but unlike on the D.C. beltway, these cars were actually moving!

People have been very friendly! Our neighbors are great! My kids made friends very quickly.

The cons??? I guess I miss living near D.C. sometimes. We've lived all over the world and D.C. is truly my favorite city. I miss the variety of restaurants. I miss the shopping. I miss the general vibe of the D.C. area. But I don't miss them enough to want to go back...at least not yet.

[fsu813]

Why hello there strangers,

I too am a recent transplant. Northwest for us, as opposed to the bussling Northeast. We're enjoying getting to know the city, finding what we like and what we don't care for. So far this is my list ~

Likes
bright sunshine
the sea and the rivers
thirteen gypies cafe
live oaks spangled with spanish moss
chamblins uptown
the zoo
barbara jean's seafood
fusion wine and jazz bar
three layers coffee shoppe
mitchell's fish market
friendly people
imax theaters at every turn
southern accents

Dislikes
oppresive humidity
car dependency
80 degrees at 9 in the morning
the regency mall
firehouse sub restaurants
swaths of blandness
medieval recycling and reuse programs
southern accents i can't understand

[Dappleganger]

Originally Posted by islandtimect

Fox news? Is St Johns county considered conservative politically?

Yes it is.

[Dappleganger]

Originally Posted by donisanasfan

I love the phrase "fox news conservative". It's so funny what makes pseudo intellectual liberals feel good about themselves. "Fox news conservatives" to someone who doesn't speak liberal code means " you bunch of kool-aid drinking, dumb , hateful, racist. homophobes." This of coarse comes from someone who is probably in his or her 20's, has an undergraduate degree in "nothing I can do with this worthless piece of paper" ,listens to NPR and thus finds themselves to be intelligent because listening to something that boring must be intellectual. ( how many " a pbs mind in a fox news world " bumper stickers have you seen on a broken down volvo in a ditch on the side the road. I guess intelligence ends at the moment of making a vehicle purchase. ....I've got a nice 40 grand Chevy Volt I can sell you
by the way) I have always been amazed at the people who think of themselves as intelligent and yet cannot think beyond saying something as amazingly vacuous as " never understood how such nice people can embrace such mean politics contrary to their own interests." I guess "mean politics" must mean a political system where someone has to earn a living and not live in their mothers basement while being a permanent figure on some liberal arts college campus. Or in many cases just live in their mothers basement. Desiring people to work and have some self respect instead of relying on the government (i.e. forcing others at the point of a gun to give the money they earned to the government so that others may continue to live mom's attic.....thought I would switch it up a bit since there are no basements in Florida) is not mean, it's thoughtful and moral. Thank god people are waking up after electing this king of the pseudo intellectuals Barry Obama , and realizing that instead of gravitas and erudition , all that is really inside these folks is a bunch of hot air.

This kind of broad-based bashing is not helpful to anyone. You may feel better about yourself after the rant, but it isn't helpful at all in this forum.