Duval County
Florida
Arlington
This community has abundant
waterfront property, surrounded by the St. Johns on the west and north and the Intracoastal on the east. Fort
Caroline National Park overlooks the site of a former colony of French Huguenots. Jacksonville University, Jones
College and a small airfield are located in Arlington. There are many apartment complexes; homes come in all styles
and price ranges. Arlington has easy access to schools, churches and downtown.
Beaches
Jacksonville's beach communities are comprised of Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and
Jacksonville Beach. Located within one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country, beach residents
enjoy all the amenities and modern infrastructure of a large city and all the hospitality of a small
hometown.
All three beaches offer a diversity of neighborhoods, each with a unique coastal
Florida personality. Atlantic, Neptune and Jacksonville beaches are bordered by the Intracoastal Waterway and the
Atlantic Ocean. Atlantic and Neptune beaches are made mainly residential with single-family homes and public beach
access. Look for entertainment, shopping and dining along Atlantic Boulevard and A1A. Jacksonville Beach is further
south and offers a mix of residential, commercial, retail and light industrial sites.
With miles of white sandy beaches and a mild, breezy climate, residents and visitors
enjoy year-round golfing, boating, fishing, tennis, and other outdoor sports. A variety of festivals offer music,
food, and fun throughout the spring and summer. Although tourism is a major economic generator, there are no spring
break crowds at Jacksonville's beaches, only family-oriented tourism which includes events like Friday night
Moonlight Movies and the Summer Jazz Concert Series.
Although Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and Jacksonville Beach are part of Duval
County's consolidated government, the three beach cities voted in 1968 to maintain their own identity and city
governments. Each beach city has established a government that includes a city manager, a mayor and a city
council.
For more information about living, working and playing in Jacksonville's beaches
area, view beaches area Web sites at:
Atlantic
Beach
Jacksonville
Beach
Neptune
Beach
www.visitjacksonvillebeaches.com
Mandarin
Primarily rural until the end of the 1960s when developers discovered this area,
Mandarin has grown steadily since. The Mandarin Community Club works diligently to maintain the community's
architectural integrity. Mandarin is rich in history, and for years different preservation groups have sought to
maintain that history either in family holdings, trunks, church and school archives or through Mandarin Community
Club involvement. Mandarin homes range from estates on the St. Johns River to small country homes with
stables.
Nassau County / Amelia Island and
Fernandina Beach
Just north of Jacksonville on I-95 is Nassau County, where Amelia Island and
Fernandina Beach are located. This area is known around the globe as a resort destination with exclusive oceanfront
properties and intracoastal waterfront property. Year-round residents have a variety of single family homes,
apartments and condominiums to choose from at varying prices. Downtown Fernandina is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places for late Victorian architecture preservation. The area features bed and breakfast inns,
restaurants and recreational activities, historic Centre Street and Fort Clinch State Park. Fernandina is the home
of the annual Shrimp Festival. Amelia Island Plantation hosts the annual Bausch & Lomb Championship tennis
tournament. Visit the world famous Ritz-Carlton Resort or take a day cruise from downtown Fernandina.
North Jacksonville
North Jacksonville runs roughly from 20th Street north to the county border and from
Interstate 295 on the west almost to the Atlantic Ocean. This is a vast area with waterways, new housing
developments, and attractions, including the Anheuser Busch Brewery, the expanding Jacksonville Zoological Gardens,
Huguenot Memorial Park and Little Talbot Island Park. Growth is due in part to the opening of the Dames Point
Bridge in 1989, the expansion of the airport, and business activity in Imeson Industrial Park and the International
Tradeport. North Jacksonville has convenient shopping, restaurants, medical facilities, schools, churches, and
residential communities, and is only minutes from Downtown.
Ortega
Bordered on the east by the St. Johns River, to the north and west by the Ortega
River and south of Riverside, this community is a peninsula on the river. Convenient private schools, area
churches, and small parks along the river contribute to Ortega's charm. The Florida Yacht Club and Timuquana
Country Club offer private social and recreational opportunities. Worth Magazine ranked Ortega 46th among the
nation's top 50 wealthiest neighborhoods. The area offers just about any style of architecture and homes range in
size from average sites to stately, sprawling estates. The 1920s Ortega River Bridge is one of the oldest
functioning drawbridges.
Riverside and
Avondale
This community is bordered to the west by Highway 17 and the river to the east,
between Interstate 10 to the north and the Ortega River to the south. These are well-established, historic
neighborhoods on the west bank of the St. Johns River. There are five public schools located within walking
distance of both neighborhoods. Riverside has become an attractive spot for young professionals who want a short
commute to work. Homes include modest duplexes to elegantly restored historic residences and waterfront estates.
Riverside is a medical hub with the St. Vincent's Medical Complex and private medical offices scattered along the
river. Avondale is a traditional neighborhood with small boutique-type shopping, quaint streets and small-town
charm. There are over a dozen parks with tennis courts, softball fields, and paths for jogging, walking or biking.
Its close proximity to downtown makes it a great location for short commutes.
San Jose and San
Marco
San Jose and San Marco are bordered to the west by the St. Johns River and by U.S. 1
to the east. A popular area for young professionals, San Jose and San Marco are close to the river and downtown.
The area features boutique shopping and entertainment in San Marco Square, and private country clubs and private
schools along San Jose Boulevard. Spanish architecture is most common in this area. A number of public schools are
within these neighborhoods, enabling students to walk to school.
Southside
Centrally located, the Southside is bordered by Arlington to the north and east, St.
Johns County to the south and San Marco and I-95 to the west. This is literally the southernmost area of urban
Jacksonville and is in the middle of all other Jacksonville communities. Southside has the area's largest grouping
of apartment communities. Many new developments are less than a year old. Commuting, shopping and recreation are
convenient. Housing includes single-family homes, condominiums and apartment complexes. Residents enjoy local golf
courses, abundant dining and entertainment, and easy access to the beaches via J. Turner Butler
Boulevard.
Westside
The Westside is a large community starting just north of I-10 to Clay County,
bordered on the east by I-295 and stretching west to Baker County and east to Riverside. Four small incorporated
towns make up the Westside: Baldwin, Marietta, Maxville and Whitehouse. Other neighborhoods on this side of
Jacksonville are Ortega Forest, Ortega Hills, Argyle, Lakeshore, Venetia, Cedar Hills, Hyde Grove, Murray Hill and
Normandy. Much of the area is wooded, offering hunting and outdoor activities. Both NAS Jacksonville and NAS Cecil
Field are located here, as well as Herlong Airport, a small, general aviation fixed base operation. Homes and
apartments are available in all sizes and price ranges.
Springfield
Downtown and Springfield offer opportunities for entertainment and the convenience of
living near Jacksonville's business district. Downtown's borders are the St. John's River to the south, the Stadium
District to the east, I-95 to the west, and 1st Street on the north. Historic Springfield is bordered by Hogan's
Creek at the south, railroad lines at the east and north and Boulevard Street at the west. Springfield, founded in
1869, is Jacksonville’s first and oldest subdivision. Its wide streets and blocks of architecturally distinguished
houses have acted as a catalyst to preserve and revitalize the neighborhood
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