Jacksonville is a big place, and as you say: it's car oriented, so you can't really experience it like a "median" resident without covering a lot of territory.
When you get down in Mandarin, the bus system does indeed start to suck, one route with hourly service for 100Kish residents. Then there's the whole 10+ mile East-side, West-side river divide which only has one (completely unwalkable) bridge south of Downtown.
You got one semi-pedestrian oriented view in San Marco, there are others: like Five Points & surrounding areas on the other side of the river, and Jax Beach if you count that as part of Jacksonville.
If you aren't afraid of the weather, there's an interesting bike path that goes from the very northern border of Jacksonville with Amelia Island down through the Talbot Islands past their parks, and in Heckscher Drive. If you're exceptionally brave, that continues on through an industrial area to the Zoo - it's 24 miles in all, better done on a bicycle (or e-Bike) than on foot, for sure. If you're just interested in interesting places, rather than specifically reporting on Jacksonville, I'd skip the Zoo leg, start somewhere around the Blount Island bridge, Junior's Shrimp shack, and head all the way up to Centre Street in Fernandina Beach.
You know, after reading Tara’s piece & coming here, I am really struck. By my own discovery — as a city person, I am always looking at small towns & tight-knit communities, thinking “that’s so sad” — but now I think, maybe that is me reflecting on my inner sadness of how little I feel tied to “place” myself. Hm.
Hi Chris I think these posts are excellent. If you ever get the inkling to walk in the Philadelphia area, let me know! There is only one free standing McDonalds left in the downtown area, and Penn is about to redevelop it after about two decades of battles with the community (Penn agreeing to put the McDonalds back on the ground floor of the new building).
As a historian, I am moved by your tragic description of 21st century Jacksonville, a city named after US President Andrew Jackson. His road to the aptly named White House ran along the "Trail of Tears," the ethnic cleansing of the "Five Civilized Tribes" of the Southeast, which he presided over in 1831.
Ronnie Van Zant, a native son of Jacksonville, who founded the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, grew up in the semi-rural semi-integrated, working poor Westside, which he nicknamed "Shantytown." His boyhood home is now both a state historic site and ironically, an Airbnb.
A few notes on transit from someone who lives in the area.
There's money now from a local gas tax increase to improve the bus stops. Work hasn't started yet because they're still picking a firm to manage all of the projects, but it's in the pipeline.
I don't know if you had a chance to ride the monorail around downtown, but that's getting replaced by a network of self-driving shuttle pods.
But yeah, from a urban planning and land use standpoint there's no reason to ride the bus if you have a car, because getting somewhere can take multiple hours longer than it would to drive there. And despite plenty of people saying they'd ride transit if it was convenient enough to do so, there's no political will to do so right now.
Chris, your writing, as always, brings me such pleasure. I live in the suburb of a walking town (Minneapolis, MN) When I lived in the city it was easy to walk *everywhere*. Grocery, pharmacy, hardware, restaurant etc. Here in my suburb, I end up walking in the street-there are no sidewalks on many of the avenues & streets. If I could afford to move back to the city-I wound in a heartbeat!
This was one of my favorites. I got a sense of place but, interestingly, I felt like I got a much better sense of you. Maybe it was the beer and karaoke? Maybe it was the inability to get the kind of walking in you usually do? Anyway, good one. I enjoyed it as always.
Feb 20, 2022·edited Feb 20, 2022Liked by Chris Arnade
Seeing those bare benches with ads on them in Jacksonville. I'm reminded of the time I lived in Chicago in the 80's- and benches not already covered with ads often had the suggestion in big letters "Your Ad Here" However, on one bench some wise-ass had written a big 'D' in front of the word 'ad' - "Your Dad Here" and seeing that forlorn bench, open to all the vicissitudes of Chicago weather - with that bold suggestion was funny and poignant.
I'm scrutinizing my memory - for Chicago - circa 1984 - and actually - I think the exact wording for that bench was not, " Your Ad Here " It was "Your Ad On This Bench" therefore became, "Your Dad on this Bench". ..even more vindictive and funny ... It was a cold cruel silly world on the North side of Chicago... and no wind protection.
And I think it's time to write a song about the poetry scribbled on toilet stall walls. Has it become a lost art? Nowadays everyone - EVERYONE - carries a smarty phone - who looks up anymore with those devices in ones clutches?
Anyway, Chris, keep up the good work. Fascinating series you got going.
Jacksonville is a big place, and as you say: it's car oriented, so you can't really experience it like a "median" resident without covering a lot of territory.
When you get down in Mandarin, the bus system does indeed start to suck, one route with hourly service for 100Kish residents. Then there's the whole 10+ mile East-side, West-side river divide which only has one (completely unwalkable) bridge south of Downtown.
You got one semi-pedestrian oriented view in San Marco, there are others: like Five Points & surrounding areas on the other side of the river, and Jax Beach if you count that as part of Jacksonville.
If you aren't afraid of the weather, there's an interesting bike path that goes from the very northern border of Jacksonville with Amelia Island down through the Talbot Islands past their parks, and in Heckscher Drive. If you're exceptionally brave, that continues on through an industrial area to the Zoo - it's 24 miles in all, better done on a bicycle (or e-Bike) than on foot, for sure. If you're just interested in interesting places, rather than specifically reporting on Jacksonville, I'd skip the Zoo leg, start somewhere around the Blount Island bridge, Junior's Shrimp shack, and head all the way up to Centre Street in Fernandina Beach.
When you push a button on benches in Warsaw, Poland, you get a Chopin nocturne. But Jacksonville benches sound nice, too.
You know, after reading Tara’s piece & coming here, I am really struck. By my own discovery — as a city person, I am always looking at small towns & tight-knit communities, thinking “that’s so sad” — but now I think, maybe that is me reflecting on my inner sadness of how little I feel tied to “place” myself. Hm.
Hi Chris I think these posts are excellent. If you ever get the inkling to walk in the Philadelphia area, let me know! There is only one free standing McDonalds left in the downtown area, and Penn is about to redevelop it after about two decades of battles with the community (Penn agreeing to put the McDonalds back on the ground floor of the new building).
Come to Cleveland, Chris. We'll show you a good time. Great series!
Thanks for another great writeup and shared experience.
Thanks Chris for your insightful piece.
As a historian, I am moved by your tragic description of 21st century Jacksonville, a city named after US President Andrew Jackson. His road to the aptly named White House ran along the "Trail of Tears," the ethnic cleansing of the "Five Civilized Tribes" of the Southeast, which he presided over in 1831.
Ronnie Van Zant, a native son of Jacksonville, who founded the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, grew up in the semi-rural semi-integrated, working poor Westside, which he nicknamed "Shantytown." His boyhood home is now both a state historic site and ironically, an Airbnb.
https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/duval-county/lynyrd-skynyrds-legacy-honored-jacksonvilles-van-zant-house/M7CP5RJTKRH2PFVGMBZNQYDYVE/
Van Zant foretold the fate of his hometown, which you so eloquently describe, in his 1976 song "All I Can Do Is Write About It:":
"Lord I can't make any changes,
All I can do is write 'em in a song.
'Cause I can see the concrete slowly creepin,'
Lord take me and mine before that comes."
Thanks for writing about it.
A few notes on transit from someone who lives in the area.
There's money now from a local gas tax increase to improve the bus stops. Work hasn't started yet because they're still picking a firm to manage all of the projects, but it's in the pipeline.
I don't know if you had a chance to ride the monorail around downtown, but that's getting replaced by a network of self-driving shuttle pods.
But yeah, from a urban planning and land use standpoint there's no reason to ride the bus if you have a car, because getting somewhere can take multiple hours longer than it would to drive there. And despite plenty of people saying they'd ride transit if it was convenient enough to do so, there's no political will to do so right now.
Chris, your writing, as always, brings me such pleasure. I live in the suburb of a walking town (Minneapolis, MN) When I lived in the city it was easy to walk *everywhere*. Grocery, pharmacy, hardware, restaurant etc. Here in my suburb, I end up walking in the street-there are no sidewalks on many of the avenues & streets. If I could afford to move back to the city-I wound in a heartbeat!
I hope you make these in to a book someday—they are treasures. Thank you.
This was one of my favorites. I got a sense of place but, interestingly, I felt like I got a much better sense of you. Maybe it was the beer and karaoke? Maybe it was the inability to get the kind of walking in you usually do? Anyway, good one. I enjoyed it as always.
Seeing those bare benches with ads on them in Jacksonville. I'm reminded of the time I lived in Chicago in the 80's- and benches not already covered with ads often had the suggestion in big letters "Your Ad Here" However, on one bench some wise-ass had written a big 'D' in front of the word 'ad' - "Your Dad Here" and seeing that forlorn bench, open to all the vicissitudes of Chicago weather - with that bold suggestion was funny and poignant.
LOL. That is absolutely great.
In Baltimore, in the 80s, the Benches read "The City that Reads" and people would turn the Reads into Bleeds"
It was a little more dark humor.
I'm scrutinizing my memory - for Chicago - circa 1984 - and actually - I think the exact wording for that bench was not, " Your Ad Here " It was "Your Ad On This Bench" therefore became, "Your Dad on this Bench". ..even more vindictive and funny ... It was a cold cruel silly world on the North side of Chicago... and no wind protection.
And I think it's time to write a song about the poetry scribbled on toilet stall walls. Has it become a lost art? Nowadays everyone - EVERYONE - carries a smarty phone - who looks up anymore with those devices in ones clutches?
Anyway, Chris, keep up the good work. Fascinating series you got going.