Moving from law firm in Tampa to Jacksonville office (Plantation: apartments, renters)

[jt2171]

Can anyone give me suggestions and/or opinions about San Jose , Oakleaf Plantation and San Marco?

Family of 4, 2 kids -9 and 10 (4th & 5th grade)

[fsu813]

Oakleaf Plantation is suburban hell, and all that it entails. San Jose isn't far behind.





San Marco lies on the Southbank of the River. Almost completely gentrifed and revitalized, it's one of the most well-respected, trendy neighborhoods. Located in the "urban core", it can have a much more suburbish feel in places as well. It's a semi-historic district that mixes very large homes with plenty of bungalows and apartments. Homes here can go from 150k to Millions, depending on the location and condition. Of course you can walk to various parks, dining, cafes, the arts, botiques, etc and it borders the river as well.

Hendreicks Elementary & Spring Park Elementray are both very good schools, as is Landon Middle School. Which are some of your options in San Marco.

Here's a spreadsheet of all the public schools and thier ratings:

http://www.duvalschools.org/reseval/..._Sch_Alpha.pdf


Walkable neighborhood: Homes with 'walkability' command higher premium | Jacksonville.com

San Marco Square Photo Tour Neighborhoods | Metro Jacksonville
San Marco Photo Tour Neighborhoods | Metro Jacksonville
Walking in San Marco Neighborhoods | Metro Jacksonville
Predominant neighborhood organization: San Marco Preservation Society

These area few realty companies that specialize in the historic, urban core areas:

- Agent who speiclaizes in the urban core areas: www.intownjacksonville.com
- Traditions Realty
- Atkinson Realty Group, Inc.

[jt2171]

Thanks for the info, but San Jose is next in line for surburban hell? My wifes cousin lives there and it seems nice, but thanks for the info on that.

Next - what do you know about Saint Nicholas and it's past and/or furture...?

I'm also looking to rent for the time being at least until I find the right location/town.

[fsu813]

it's a semi-historic area as well, but similar to san jose in it's suburbanization. not nearly as nice/pretty as san jose.

this is a pretty accurate description of St. Nicholas: https://www.city-data.com/forum/jacks...ut-ortega.html

if you're looking for upside, it doesn't have much momentum.

[jt2171]

Gotcha - thanks again for the info.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by jt2171

Thanks for the info, but San Jose is next in line for surburban hell? My wifes cousin lives there and it seems nice, but thanks for the info on that.

Next - what do you know about Saint Nicholas and it's past and/or furture...?

I'm also looking to rent for the time being at least until I find the right location/town.

My sentiments exactly. Oakleaf Plantation and San Jose have about as much in common as an apple and a sneaker .

San Jose would be an excellent choice for a family. It is absolutely suburban, but it was built out from the 1950's-1970's for the most part. Some sections are older and date to the 1920's.

Here's a little bit of San Jose history:

Nestled on the banks of Northeast Florida's St. Johns River, Epping Forest has been a Jacksonville landmark for close to a century. The 58 acre estate, built by Alfred I. duPont and his wife, Jessie Ball duPont in the 1920's, boasts a rich history as a meeting place for industrial giants, heads of state and powerful politicians, the Vanderbilts, Carnegies and the Goulds.

duPonts, Vanderbilts, Carnegies...yeah, San Jose sounds like a real slum !

Jacksonville only has 2 true yacht clubs. One is located west of the river in Ortega, the other is east of the river in San Jose. Technically there is a 3rd "yacht club" but it's part of a developer community so it doesn't really count (Queen's Harbour) .

Epping Forest Yacht Club l Jacksonville, Florida

San Jose is a big area and Epping Forest is just one neighborhood. There are a lot of choices in San Jose. Here is a recent thread we had about the area:

https://www.city-data.com/forum/jacks...th-bolles.html

As for Saint Nicolas, the only part I would seriously consider is the Empire Point neighborhood. Saint Nicolas itself has too much of a crime element for my taste but Empire Point can be very enticing...some nice deals on or just off the river.

[AndHow]

Renters beware of the apartments in Oakleaf Plantation! Both complexes are ran by the same group. They were ment to be condos but they could not sell so apartments they became. We moved in them to make sure this is the area we wanted to live before we buy but this place left us with a bad taste. These are new units so I really thought they were built better than they are.Not! Not only can you hear people above but you can also hear people below you. Now that is sad. Not even a year has went by and I seen many people come and go. We would leave now but we sign a lease. Thought about just walking out on them. They have done me no favors so maybe I will.

[fsu813]

oakleaf = eww

[wb3690]

Originally Posted by Jax Questions

oakleaf = eww

awww hey now we live out in Oakleaf and love it. Now granted I wouldn't live in an apartment building like the one in phase 2, but we love the area and the amenities for our kids.

this area is perfect for us and our family......but it isn't for everyone.

[Robyn55]

I've only been to Oakleaf Plantation once (for a golf club demo) - and it is really far out there (in a distance sense). Don't know where you'll be working. But - unless you'll be in the Orange Park area - I think the commute would be pretty terrible. FWIW - my visual impression is it seemed like a middle of the road pleasant suburb (unlike some people here - I don't think all suburbs are hell). But the location would be a complete deal breaker for me.

San Jose - among other things - is the center of the relatively small Jewish community in Jacksonville (not that everyone - or even a substantial percentage of the population - is Jewish). If you're Jewish - I'd be glad to go over the resources in the area (although some - like the JCC - might be of interest to people who aren't Jewish). There are also a ton of churches in the area.

San Jose kind of morphs into San Marco as you go north. I am not exactly sure where one starts - and the other ends. But I always considered them pretty interchangeable. There are various resources in the area - like the Bolles School (best private school in JAX) - San Jose County Club - etc. You didn't say what your interests are - or what your price range is. If you give us some details - I can add more.

Note that I do not consider either place a walkable area in terms of day-to-day life (try finding a Publix within walking distance). "Downtown" San Marco is about 3 blocks long - and most of the stores aren't stores where you buy the stuff you need every day.

Although there are some very historic and architecturally interesting houses in the area - I would have several concerns. First is homeowners' insurance. Although it's not as hard to get here as it is in central and south Florida - the situation has deteriorated a lot in recent years. The few big insurers still left in the market don't - in general - like to insure older houses. Also - various streets in the area tend to flood when it rains (inadequate drainage). And - although I haven't checked in perhaps 5+ years - a lot of pretty fancy houses - even those on the river - didn't have city sewage for a long time. Struck me as ridiculous when we were investigating where to live 15 years ago. Things may have changed in recent years - but I would ask about utilities.

I agree with your decision to rent first (that's what we did when we moved here). See whether you like your job - and explore the area (it's really big - and different neighborhoods have different things to offer). The JAX Bar Association seems to be pretty active (I'm a retired lawyer in St. Johns County). If you go to some events - I'm sure the people you meet can give you a ton of information. Robyn