Tell me about Jacksonville!

[fairyandgnome]

Hubby was recently offered a posistion in jacksonville and I havent a clue where to start looking for anything..

I never in a million years saw myself moving to florida, so this is a big shock to me. i want to make sure this could be the right move before he says yes...

So a few things I would really like to know about..

Who are the CPMs in the area? I have already contacted Fruitful Vine, but I would like to hear about others in the area as I am working on finishing up my internship.

Are there any alternative school options in the area? Charters would be ideal.

No vax, home birth and intact friendly Peds?

What areas do you like most to live in? Im kinda torn between finding the funky urban area with lots of coffee shops and artsy people.. and being on the beach. The only think about the urban area for me is that I want to make sure there is low crime. In atlanta, crime is very high... when we lived in KY the urban area was a very safe area to be in. I havent been to Jacksonville since I was a preteen.. so I havent a clue what the areas are like.

Thanks for all of your help and any info is welcome!

[ihugtrees]

I grew up in Jacksonville but have been away for almost 2 years...so things *could* have changed in that time.

To my knowledge, the only CPMs in the area are Fruitful Vine. The only hb, intact, no vax peds I know of share a building with Fruitful Vine...Progressive Pediatrics.

I loved living in the Riverside/Avondale/Five Points/Murray Hill neighborhood (urban, artsy, etc.) Some people (the white, middle class conservative Christian folks) consider it a 'bad' part of town but what I think they really mean that there are people who aren't white who live there...and it's more gay friendly which in a lot of people's eyes means it is a heathen area...therefore unsafe, ha. Actual crime rates? No idea. In the time I lived there, I never felt unsafe. I enjoyed the diversity in lifestyles and cultures, which I'm sure you have plenty of in Atlanta as well. Atlantic/Neptune beach is the only other area besides Riverside in Jax I would live...they tend to be more liberal in thinking (not just politically), and many of my HB/selective vaxxing friends live in that area. However, the area right outside NAS Mayport is not one I'd recommend.

I'm not sure about charter schools as my daughter was a baby when we lived there.

I would recommend the Jacksonville Natural Parenting group as well as the Jax API chapter...both are friendly and welcoming, and there are MANY awesome mama's there :) However, now that I live in Seattle, it is hard for me to go back to Jacksonville without feeling frustrated at the lack of progress and ignorance (re: homebirth, breastfeeding, healthy eating, racism and homophobia, etc) that is prevalent. I'm not sure if that is something that would bother you or not, or if it could be similar in Atlanta, but there you have it!

[AtomHeartMother]

wow, you've asked a lot of questions so here's my 2¢:

i currently live in jacksonville and have been here since 2003 (minus a 1 year stint back in south florida). i'm a very happy patient at fruitful vine and have nothing but good things to say. there are other midwifes in the metro area, either around the beaches or in st. augustine. there is a woman who is starting a birthing center in atlantic beach, i believe. i want to say that the one that practices in the st. augustine (about 30 mins south of jacksonville) does only homebirths, but again i'm not 100%. 

as far as schools goes, there are charter schools here, but not nearly as many as you'd find in other metropolitan areas of florida. you can find more information about them at: http://www.duvalchoice.com/charter.html. most of them are located in the more "interesting" parts of town. i personally wouldn't live within walking distance of the majority of them. 

the only pediatrician that may suit your needs that i'm aware of is progressive pediatrics, which is located in the same building as fruitful vine (the offices are connected). the no vax thing isn't something that's important to me so i haven't done my research. 

as far as neighborhoods goes, the riverside/avondale/murray hill and san marco areas (on opposite sides of the st. johns river) are the most walkable and diverse of them all, away from the beaches area. i currently live in the riverside area, but you're a drive away from anything that is really useful. there is one art museum, a few galleries, two coffee shops (one of which is starbucks, and other on it's way), one grocery store, and a seasonal "farmers market" that is only open once a week. while the neighborhood is defined as walkable, it isn't strollable. meaning, i wouldn't walk to the grocery store from where i live toting kids. there are sporadic strips of shops here and there, but are usually filled with nail salons and a restaurant or two. there is also one pharmacy. the beaches area has a lot more availability of shops and such, but is still lacking in the cultural availabilities (that's a theme in jacksonville). there is a lot of good areas in the beaches, but you'll, as expected, pay a premium for that. there are some really sketchy areas with high drug related issues. i'd suggest that you do your research before settling on a permanent location, just as one would reasonably do in a move.

there are some other areas that are good for families, but are lacking on walkability, diversity, and culture. and there are some neat things around too, like st. augustine and the history of the area, being the established by the spanish well before the english ever arrived on the continent.

and i'm sure my response sounds a little critical, but that's because i'm honestly not impressed with jacksonville. we're making plans on leaving because i don't want to raise a child in this city. it's great for older, more established people, but doesn't offer much opportunities for young families. i grew up in a much much more culturally diverse place (south florida) with great access to a wide variety of activities that just aren't available within the city of jacksonville/duval county. florida, despite it's issues, is a great state and i really don't want to ever leave, but jacksonville just isn't the city for me.

feel free to contact me off list if you have any questions. i'm happy to help in any way i can and i promise i'm not as much as a curmudgeon as i may sound!!! :)

[hippiemombian]

I don't have a whole lot of specific advice. I lived in Jacksonville for about 6 months, my partner had lived there her whole life. She loved it, she grew up there, it was all she knew. I on the other hand almost had a panic attack every other day! lol If you're coming from Atlanta I think it may be culturally lacking. Its a big city of nothing really. Jacksonville has had better days, there are a lot of run down foreclosed properties. You would think for being such a big city it would be bursting with life, sadly it's not. It's not a terrible place, but not my first choice. The crime and drugs are something that bothers me. Topped with the traffic and lack of things to do it just isn't my cup of tea.

[catieface]

I'm a transplant from Mississippi and have been here since 2003, so my answers may be a bit biased (since I come from a town of ~10K people).  While I am not super duper impressed with Jacksonville, it's a heck of a lot better than other places I could be!  I'm a current patient at Fruitful Vine, and they're awesome.  I know that there are 1-2 other midwives practicing in the area (as someone else stated) but they do not have offices and do home births only at this time.  Pediatricians are hard to find, unless you go with Progressive Pediatrics.  They do not accept our insurance and charge an outrageous self-pay rate, so we do not see them.  Those who have said Riverside/Avondale/Murray Hill are right on the money.  This is the historic district, which is also the artsy district.  Sad to say, but crime is a problem all over town; you have to kind of pick your battles with that one.  While people bemoan the lack of cultural opportunities, I think they're insane!  There is PLENTY to do here with young children.  The Jacksonville Zoo offers a family membership for around $100/year and offers lots to do.  The Museum of Science and History (MOSH), while in need of a facelift and some updates, appeases the younger crowd and is a good place to go to beat the heat.  There is an awesome playgroup in the area for natural minded parents and we have events all over town throughout the week, so no matter what neighborhood you would land in, you'll find some "crunchy" nearby (although sometimes hidden!).  The Main library offers great free programs for kids of all ages, as well.  Plus, there are more public parks here than I've seen anywhere else.  So while it may not be the ideal place to live, it's definitely doable and we're happy here for the time being.