Major changes coming to Jacksonville's parks (Springfield: best city, neighborhoods, high school)

[parks71]

Maybe with all these parks it will give all the thugs that live down there something else to do other than commit all the crime that happens downtown. I think education and things to do are the number one things to prevent crime. It would be nice if these parks can change things around in the downtown area in the years to come.

[fsu813]

of the 5k people or so that live Downtown, very few if any will be "thugs". Keep in mind Downtown is a pretty small area that doesn't include it's surronding neighborhoods.

Even still, thugs generally won't be able to afford living Downtown. The low-end would be City Place, which is a middle-class high-rise. There is no low-income slum in Downtown.

There is a large homless population Downtown, naturally, but homeless commit few crime on non-homeless. In fact, very little crime occurs in Downtown that involves residents at all.

The guys you are talking about would be from the Lavilla, Moncrief, Brooklyn, New Springfield, & Eastside neighborhoods......who pass through on thier way from/to something or other. those are rough neighborhoods that you wouldn't want to hang out in.

I wouldn't count on parks to "give thugs something to do" though. Parks are passive in nature, even if they have sports courts or intercative features. You'll notice that the nice baseball field on Myrtle & 8th in the Lavilla area is mostly used by little league teams from outside the area.

I think all these park projects will vastly improve the desirability of true Downtown, high-rise living to people once they are finished. Beautiful parks attract people.

The T-U will be running a 5 day series entitled "Downtown Dilemma" starting Sunday (tomorrow), which will examine just why Jax Downtown isn't as developed as other similar sized cities and how to correct it. It's pretty in-depth.

[parks71]

I consider downtown from the the mathews bridge to the main street bridge and about 5 miles north to the golfair area. I clump it all together kinda like the beachs, theres really not a huge difference between Jax, neptune and atlantic beach or intracoastal west, from JTB to Atlantic.

That 5 square miles is pretty much a community, there might be different neighborhoods and some better than others but it all boils down to the community. For instance, good springfield bad springfield you preach so much, they are right next to each other. You use the same grocery stores, blockbusters, vets, parks and everything else you can think of that you use in a community so one way or another, you will be in contact with the bad guys.

[fsu813]

"they are right next to each other......you will be in contact with the bad guys."

I don't know what to tell you. There are very nice areas clsoe to sketchy areas all over town. The nice areas generally stay nice & desirable. Examples of this would be Ortega & Avondale. They have been upscale forever and are just a mile or so from lower-income neighborhoods. Riverside & Historic Springfield were once pretty rotten, but have improved greatly as well. It happens. If crime were a big problem, noone would want to live there that could afford it.

See Inman Park in ATL 10 years ago, and see it now: Inman Park - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

& Inman Park & New Georgia Encyclopedia: Inman Park

This has happened in larger cities acorss the country, it's not unqiue to Jax.

Tieing this into Parks, the orginal subject. You'll find that most of these areas have 2 things in common: Historic neighborhoods and nice parks. By reinvesting in the park system (already the largest in the US) you enhance desirability, property values, and quality of life. In my opinion, if a nieghborhood doesn;t have at least a couple nice parks and/or public spaces, then it's long-term desirability is questionable.

This group is working with Jax for the Hogan's Creek parks renovation, otherwise known as the "Emrald Necklace": Placemaking for Communities | Project for Public Spaces (PPS)

They are pretty darn awesome, met them a couple months back, and hav done amazing work around the globe.

[parks71]

You really do try hard but its a fact your springfield is crime ridden. I pulled up " + theTitle + " (http://maps.coj.net/WEBSITE/CrimeStats/viewer.htm - broken link) and search all around your "safe" area and theres nothing safe about it.

In less than a year, with in just a .5 radius right in the middle of your neighborhood.

39 assult and batteries
14 residential burglury
10 other burglury
10 car burglury
15 robberies
34 car thefts
22 vandalism

This is not normal crime for normal people, this is living a dangerous life. Where I live I have none of that and thats only a .5 mile radius, its not even your whole neighborhood!!!

Then you have springfield neighborhood watch website, Mission (http://www.sprwatch.org/Mission.html - broken link)

Here are some of thier rules for living in your neighborhood.

Tell prostitutes to leave
do not walk with out 3 others
shine bright light in Johns face


Then if you click join us, they state the neighborhood watch is no longer active and "living in springfield? Good luck!"

As you say, facts are facts.

[fsu813]

Since you seem intent of talking about SPR......

you've demonstrated on countless occasions that you don't even know where many neighborhoods are. so forgive me and others that are skeptical of you finding the correct area on a map, and thus crime stats. speaking of which, as i've stated previously, Srgt. Short (look him up if you like) notes that general crime in the area is down 65% and is at historic lows....and that the vast majority of crime in general is between homeless, transient that are just passing through or hand out in certain areas. That's according to Srgt. Short. In general you are rather disconnected with Downtown & it's surronding Historic neighborhoods. which is another reason to cast away your opinion as uninformed and out of date. out of touch with the general area, per say.

as for the website linked, yes....that site is no longer active. guess why?: it's no longer needed. that site hasn't been active in quite some time (years, i believe).....that should be a clue.

you are chasing your tail in circles here, buddy. if you want to talk about SPR, why not do so in an SPR thrread? You don't have to hi-jack the Parks thread.....

[parks71]

So the homeless are breaking into the homeless homes? Wait, they have no homes. Are the homeless stealing the homeless cars? Wait, most dont have cars. Hmmmmmm

In case you didnt get it, the springfield neighborhood watch website used sarcasim with the saying "still living in springfield? Good luck!"


If those crime statistics are down 65%, I would have hated to see what it was last year but thats good and I hope the parks even bring it down even further.

[fsu813]

you are hopeless. you don't address the flaws in your argument and regurgitate previously addressed propaganda.

this is a Parks thread.

[jimbo13]

link, please!

[fsu813]

Urban Core Vision Plan - Metro Jacksonville Photos | Jacksonville Fl



Urban Core Vision Plan - Metro Jacksonville Photos | Jacksonville Fl



As you can see......the massive Hogans Creek renovation project is still in the works. These images are part of Jcksonville's Urban Core Vision plan to be unveiled Thursday (tomorrow).