If you prefer city-ish living and being centrally located, I'd highly recommend these three historic neighborhoods that surrond Downtown:

Riverside & Avondale

San Marco

Springfield Historic District

All are unique, walkable/bikeable, lots of parks, very artistic and eclectic, and just minutes from Downtown amenities and each other, while being no more 20ish minutes away from even the farthest Jax destination.

For additional Infromation visit these websites:

Riverside & Avondale Historic District www.riverside-avondale.com
San Marco www.mysanmarco.com & www.smpsjax.org
Springfield Historic District www.myspringfield.org & www.sparcouncil.org

 

Downtown/Riverfront

Surrounded on both sides by an ever-growing skyline, the gorgeous St. Johns River continues to be one of Jacksonville's most recognizable icons.

Long stretches of the Riverwalk were added to the South and Northbanks.   The Jacksonville Landing is a centerpiece for shopping, fine dining and nightlife is just one of the area's hotspots. Waterfront dining can be found all throughout the area.

If spectator sports are your thing, the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars play Downtown at the Sports Complex, as does the city's minor league baseball team, the Jacksonville Suns.

There are also a variety of museums, including the Ritz Theatre & La Villa Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville and the Museum of Science and History.

And taking it all in couldn't be easier. River taxis are constantly on the go, transporting visitors back and forth between the Northbank and Southbank. If you prefer a more romantic river experience, take a moonlit cruise on one of the old-fashioned paddle wheel riverboats that wind their way along the St. Johns with River Cruises, Inc.