Profile: Jacksonville is the largest city in Florida. If you live in the city itself, you can call your lifestyle Urban Chic. Urban chic means having access to transportation, shopping, restaurants, culture and activities within walking distance. This saves time and energy. Usually you will live in an apartment home and the design could be cutting edge, sophisticated and modern.
Living outside the city in the suburbs you can have access to the
restaurants and attractions of big city life. Over 55 resort-like
communities are located in areas outside of Jacksonville. See 55 communities in Florida.
Jacksonville Fl Area Information for Seniors - "Florida's First Coast"
County:
Duval
Population: Over one million in metropolitan area
Colleges:
Florida Community College
Jacksonville University
ITT Technical Institute
Trinity Baptist
University of North Florida
Libraries: Jacksonville Public Libraries
Museums:
Museum of Science and History
Museum
of Modern Art houses 5 galleries and features a collection of
pre-Columbian artifacts. Adjacent outdoor sculpture garden for
picnicking
Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum
Museum of Art
LaVilla Museum
Museum of Southern History
Jacksonville Maritime Museum
American Lighthouse Museum
Downtown:
Centered around shores of St. John's River with billion dollar restoration. Features Jacksonville Landing, a marketplace. Jacksonville Maritime Museum is here. Riverwalk, a wooden boardwalk lined with shops, restaurants and outdoor vendors extends for more than a mile along the river. Friendship Park is the site of one of the tallest fountains in the world. Water taxis.
Shopping:
Shopping Centers; Outlets; shops along beaches; Jacksonville Landing is a festive marketplace. Avondale, a historic district is a charming place to shop and dine. San Marco Square offers open air produce market, restaurants and boutiques.
Restaurants: Waterside restaurants. Many ethnic foods, seafood and southern barbeque restaurants from casual to upscale.
Airports:
Jacksonville International; St. Augustine 34 miles and Gainsvile Regional 61 milesmiles
Hospitals:
Brooks Rehabilitation;Baptist Medical Center, Memorial Hospital;St. Lukes Hospital;St. Vincents Medical Center; Shands Jacksonville Medical center;Mayo Clinic
Senior Centers:
The City of Jacksonville provides door-to-door transportation to seniors age 60 and over to attend 21 senior/community centers. Also included in Senior Transportation are field trips within a 50 mile radius and shopping and grocery field trips according to the needs of the center and according to the zone the senior lives in.
YMCA:
A dozen YMCA's in and around Jacksonville. Go to www.firstcoastymca.org for more information on outstanding programs for seniors.
Websites:
www.firstcoastymca.org
Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce
Climate:
Semi Tropical
Interesting Facts:
Jacksonville is Florida's First Coast and home to the largest urban park system in the nation. Residents and visitors enjoy more than 82,000 acres of land for boating, sailing, surfing, fishing and swimming.
Jacksonville was named after General Andrew Jackson in 1822 but it was inhabited by the Timucua tribe since before the year 2000 BC.
The motion picture industry developed in Florida before it moved to California.
Sixty-eight miles of Atlantic coastline and 300 miles of river.
The Jacksonville Chamber calls it the Most Affordable city in Florida.
Unique:
Kathryn Abbey Hanna State Park and Little Talbot Island State Park Beach and Campground; Jacksonville Zoological Gardens; Jacksonville Jazz Festival, an annual event; Jacksonville Beach Pier and Jacksonville Symphony
Housing:
Custom-built new communities, luxury condo hi-rises, grand estates, and every variety of home.