Neighborhoods of Jacksonville facts for kids

Approximation of the main areas of Jacksonville:      1. Urban core neighborhoods – the city before it grew bigger      2. Arlington      3. Southside      4. Westside      5. Northside      6. Beaches

Jacksonville, Florida, is the largest city in the contiguous United States by land area. It has more than 500 neighborhoods! These include Downtown Jacksonville and the areas around it.

Jacksonville is also divided into several big sections. These main areas have fuzzy borders. They are the Northside, Westside, Southside, and Arlington. There are also the Jacksonville Beaches.

Four towns in Duval County are not part of Jacksonville city limits. These are Baldwin, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and Jacksonville Beach. The last three are on a barrier island by the coast. They are part of the Jacksonville Beaches area. This area also includes Mayport (inside Jacksonville) and Ponte Vedra Beach (in St. Johns County).

Exploring Jacksonville's Main Regions

Jacksonville joined with Duval County in 1968. This means the city limits are mostly the same as the county borders. The city believes there are over 500 neighborhoods here.

The greater Jacksonville area is often split into several large sections. These sections have borders that are not always clear. They include city neighborhoods and also suburban and rural areas further out. Many of these areas have "directional" names. The most common ones are Northside, Arlington, Southside, and Westside. The Jacksonville Beaches are a group of towns and communities along the Atlantic coast.

The City of Jacksonville also uses six planning districts for some government tasks. These districts partly match the main areas. They include the Urban Core (Downtown and nearby areas), Greater Arlington/Beaches, Southeast (Southside), Southwest (southern Westside), Northwest, and Northside.

Discovering Downtown Jacksonville

Downtown is the main business area of Jacksonville. It is the oldest part of the city. Its borders were set when the city was first created. Downtown is the center of Jacksonville's Urban Core. This core includes neighborhoods like LaVilla, Springfield, East Jacksonville, and Brooklyn. It also includes the Southbank area, which is on the south side of the St. Johns River.

The area that became Downtown Jacksonville was on the north bank of the St. Johns River. This crossing was called Wacca Pilatka by the Seminole people. The British called it Cow Ford. By 1821, a small community grew there. Locals planned the streets for a town. They soon named it "Jacksonville" after Andrew Jackson.

Union troops occupied the town during much of the American Civil War. After the war, the city grew steadily. It became one of Florida's first big tourist spots. In 1887, Jacksonville added several nearby suburbs. Almost all of Downtown burned in the Great Fire of 1901. However, a big building boom happened right after the fire.

Today, the city's definition of Downtown Jacksonville covers a larger area. It includes several different neighborhoods or districts.

Downtown Core: The City's Heart

The Downtown Core is also known as the Northbank. It is Jacksonville's traditional city center. It holds many government offices, tall corporate buildings, and city attractions. It is sometimes divided into smaller areas. These include the Cathedral District and the Riverfront District.

LaVilla: A Historic Neighborhood

LaVilla is a historic neighborhood. It is located just west of Downtown. It was Jacksonville's first suburb. LaVilla was its own city until Jacksonville added it in 1887. The part of LaVilla north of Adams Street was a center for African-American life and culture for many years. Most residents were Black. The neighborhood had many places like the Ritz Theatre. Many clubs on Ashley Street showed Black entertainers.

LaVilla became a town in the 1860s. It was mainly an African-American town. Union troops were based here during the American Civil War. Jacksonville added LaVilla and five other suburbs in 1887. The Great Fire of 1901 started in LaVilla. But the neighborhood was mostly saved, while the fire destroyed Downtown.

Over the next decades, LaVilla's music and entertainment scene grew. Many famous artists came to play at local clubs. These clubs were on and near Ashley Street and served Black audiences. However, in the 1960s, the neighborhood faced a big decline. It has not fully recovered. The railroad industry slowed down. Also, urban decay set in. After segregation ended, many residents left for other neighborhoods. In the 1980s, a plan to rebuild the area began. This plan continues today.

Brooklyn: From Plantation to City Life

Brooklyn is located south of LaVilla. It is along the St. Johns River, just north of Riverside. This whole area was plantation land until after the American Civil War. It changed owners many times in the 1800s. After the war, Miles Price bought the land. He sold the southern half to be developed as the suburb of Riverside. He kept the northern part and developed it as Brooklyn.

It seems Price named the area, but no one knows why he chose a name linked to New York. Price's Brooklyn was first a residential suburb. It grew fast with a streetcar line. Brooklyn is a historic African-American neighborhood. Houses were built here for Buffalo Soldiers. In 1887, Brooklyn and other suburbs were added to Jacksonville. Brooklyn stayed mostly residential into the 1900s. Then, it was changed for commercial use. Many commercial skyscrapers were built along the river. In recent times, plans have been made to bring back residential areas.

Southbank: Riverfront Attractions

The Southbank is a mixed-use area. It is directly across the St. Johns River from the Downtown Core. It is closely linked with Jacksonville's San Marco neighborhood. It has large office and residential buildings. Attractions like the Museum of Science and History, Friendship Fountain, and the Southbank Riverwalk are here. The city hopes to connect it better with Downtown and San Marco.

Riverside and Avondale: Historic Homes and Charm

Riverside and Avondale are two neighborhoods next to each other. They are often seen as one continuous area. They are south of Downtown on the St. Johns River. Both neighborhoods are mainly residential. They have some of the city's most famous homes. They also have business areas, like the historic Five Points and King Street District.

The area south of Jacksonville was all plantation land before the Civil War. After the war, investors bought the southern part of Miles Price's plantation. They wanted to build a new residential suburb. Price kept the northern part of his land. He developed it as the suburb of Brooklyn. Riverside and Brooklyn were added to Jacksonville in 1887. But growth really boomed after the Great Fire of 1901. Many of the city's important residents chose to rebuild their homes in Riverside.

Growth continued into the early 1900s. This created a very diverse mix of building styles in Florida. It includes probably the largest collection of bungalow houses in the state. In the late 1950s and 1960s, the area declined. Many large old homes became rooming houses. However, after being named a "National Historic Neighborhood," Riverside recovered by the late 1990s. Many homes were brought back to their original look.

Avondale was built later. In 1920, it was planned as a new upscale development. It was the biggest Jacksonville had ever seen. Avondale is known for its quiet, tree-lined streets and hundreds of charming homes. Most of these homes are from the early 1920s. A few Avondale homes are even older than 1900. Most homes show the taste of wealthy people in the 1920s. They include styles like Prairie School, Art Deco, Craftsman, Classical Revival, and Mediterranean Revival. Avondale has many bungalows and spacious, elegant homes. Unlike some other neighborhoods, Avondale never declined in the late 1900s. It still has much of its original charm. Many residents are financially stable with high incomes.

Riverside and Avondale are often called some of the best neighborhoods in Jacksonville and Florida. In 2010, the American Planning Association named them one of the top ten neighborhoods in the United States.

Springfield: A Historic Comeback Story

Springfield is a historic residential neighborhood. It is located just north of Downtown. This area was first part of "Hogans' Donation." It was divided up after the Civil War for homes. The original Springfield development started in 1869. Over time, other developments joined to form one community. Jacksonville added all of them in 1887.

Springfield became home to many of Jacksonville's wealthiest people. It boomed after the Great Fire of 1901. Many grand houses were built. However, changes in zoning laws in the late 1920s changed the neighborhood's feel. Urban decay affected most inner-city neighborhoods in the mid-1900s. This sent Springfield into a big decline. In 1975, a group was formed to save Springfield's historic buildings. This led to new growth. Author Wayne Wood believes Springfield will become one of Jacksonville's successful residential neighborhoods again. In 2011, Southern Living magazine named Springfield one of "The South's Best Comeback Neighborhoods."

Eastside: Sports, Industry, and Renewal

Eastside, or East Jacksonville, is a residential neighborhood. It is located directly east of Downtown and Springfield. Unlike Northside, Westside, and Southside, Eastside is not a large part of Duval County. Eastside has Jacksonville's sports complex. This includes TIAA Bank Field, VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, and the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.

The original East Jacksonville development was a small community. It grew up east of Jacksonville along the St. Johns River shortly after the Civil War.

Eastside has remained the center for Jacksonville's annual Fair and sports complexes. It is also a center for industry in the city. Like other inner-city neighborhoods, it declined sharply since the mid-1900s. For many years, the business area on Florida Avenue (now A. Philip Randolph Boulevard) was a major neighborhood hub. However, many shops were destroyed in a 1969 riot. This riot started when a white cigarette salesman shot a Black man he said was robbing his truck. Neither the Avenue nor the neighborhood has fully recovered. But more recently, Eastside has been the focus of urban renewal projects.

Oakland and Fairfield: Early Communities

Two other communities grew up after the Civil War: Oakland and Fairfield. Oakland, just north of East Jacksonville, was a working-class area. It was mostly African-American. Oakland Park was the city's first park for African American children. Eartha M. M. White helped create it. Fairfield was further east, along the river's bend. It was known for Jacksonville's first Fairgrounds, which gave it its name. These included a racetrack, which was the start of Jacksonville's sports venues. Fairfield became a city. In 1887, all three communities were added to Jacksonville. They soon grew into one continuous neighborhood.

San Marco: A Mediterranean-Inspired Area

San Marco Theatre

San Marco is a neighborhood south of Downtown Jacksonville. It is across the St. Johns River. It started as the former city of South Jacksonville. Today, most of what was South Jacksonville is called San Marco. The name South Jacksonville or Southside is now used for a much larger part of southern Duval County.

The area that is now San Marco was lived in long before Downtown Jacksonville. It was the site of the ferry that crossed the Cow Ford. It also had plantations from the 1700s. After the Civil War, these became residential developments. South Jacksonville eventually absorbed the other communities. South Jacksonville became a city in 1907. It grew a lot after the first Acosta Bridge was built in 1921. In 1932, Jacksonville added South Jacksonville.

The name San Marco comes from South Jacksonville's biggest development. It started in 1926. It had many upscale Mediterranean Revival-style homes. It also had a business area called San Marco Square. Later, as South Jacksonville or Southside referred to a wider area, San Marco was used for most of the former South Jacksonville. San Marco is still a diverse neighborhood with important architecture. Many of its old government buildings and homes still exist.

The southern border of San Marco is at Greenridge Road. The historic Red Bank house sits there on the cape of Point La Vista.

St. Nicholas: A Quiet Residential Spot

St. Nicholas is a small neighborhood on the south side of the St. Johns River. It is just east of San Marco. Like San Marco, people lived here long before Downtown Jacksonville. During Florida's Second Spanish Period, it was the site of Fort San Nicolas. This fort guarded the river crossing at the Cowford. This led to the area being called "San Nicolas." The name later became St. Nicholas.

After the Civil War, this area was home to vacation and retirement houses for wealthy Jacksonville residents. Some of their old homes are still there. Today, St. Nicholas is mainly a residential neighborhood. It has some businesses along Beach and Atlantic Boulevards.

Ortega: One of Jacksonville's Wealthiest Neighborhoods

Ortega is on the St. Johns River. It is just south of the Riverside and Avondale area. It sits on a piece of land that sticks out into the St. Johns River. The St. Johns River is to the east. The smaller Ortega River is to the north and west. It used to be an island until a land bridge was built on the south end. This bridge now carries U.S. Route 17, or Roosevelt Boulevard.

Ortega is one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Jacksonville. It is also one of the wealthiest in the United States. Worth magazine listed it as the 46th wealthiest area.

U.S. 17 cuts Ortega in half. The older area east of the road is "Old Ortega." The area to the west is "Ortega Forest." On July 14, 2004, a part of Ortega was named the Old Ortega Historic District. This area is east of U.S. 17 and north of Verona Avenue. Ortega has hundreds of mid-size to large homes. Many are from the early 1900s or are Southern-style mansions. Many homes are right on the river. The "island" shape makes it easy for residents to access the waterways. Along with Avondale and Riverside, Ortega is home to some of Jacksonville's wealthiest families. It has a strong traditional Southern culture.

The island is almost all residential. The only exception is a small square in "Old Ortega." Here, you can find a few restaurants, shops, and a pharmacy. Ortega is known for its giant oak trees, waterfront mansions, and parks. It is considered one of the most beautiful residential areas in Northeast Florida. Naval Air Station Jacksonville is also on the south side of this neighborhood.

Mandarin: From Orange Groves to Growing Community

Mandarin is on the east side of the St. Johns River. It is just north of the border with St. Johns County. It was once a separate city. It became part of Jacksonville in the Jacksonville Consolidation in 1968.

Mandarin grew as an orange grove farming community. It had several names before its current one. The name "Mandarin" was chosen for the Mandarin orange. After the Civil War, author Harriet Beecher Stowe had a summer home here. Her book Palmetto Leaves was inspired by her time there. Mandarin remained a quiet community until 1970. That's when the Buckman Bridge was built. This bridge connected Mandarin to Orange Park across the river. This led to a new wave of development. Mandarin then became one of Jacksonville's fastest-growing neighborhoods.

Northside: A Hub for Transportation and Wildlife

The Northside is a large region of Jacksonville. It is generally seen as one of the city's big areas, like the Urban Core, Arlington, Southside, and Westside, and the Beaches. This big area has a lot of the city's transportation and logistics facilities. These include Jacksonville International Airport, Jacksonville station, and several port terminals. The area is also home to the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. There is no single definition for the Northside's borders. But it is generally north of the urban core and Westside, and stretches west and north of the St. Johns River.

Brentwood: A Historic Home Community

Brentwood is a historic residential community. It has many Bungalow-style homes. The Brentwood Realty Investment Company started selling homes here in 1913. The original area was roughly between 26th Street to the south, 35th Street to the north, Pearl Street to the east, and Davis Street to the west.

Panama Park: An Early Suburb

Panama Park is a neighborhood on Jacksonville's Northside. "Panama" was the site of East Florida's first steam-powered sawmill in 1828. The area grew as a suburb of Jacksonville in the 1800s. Two popular roads connected it to the city. Major growth came after 1905. A new school designed by Henry J. Klutho was built in 1915. Jacksonville added Panama Park in 1931.

Riverview: From Gardens to Park

Riverview is a neighborhood on the Northside of Jacksonville. The Trout River borders it to the North and East. The Ribault River is to the South, and Ribault Ave is to the West. Dr. E.H. Armstrong first planned and developed Riverview as a Jacksonville suburb in 1911. He advertised it as a great place for "intelligent Caucasian Race to own a beautiful home." Dr. Armstrong also turned his 25-acre waterfront property into Riverview Tropical Gardens. This attraction had boating, fishing, and garden trails with roses, azaleas, and lilies. In the 1950s, the Gardens became Sid Walker’s Riverview Amusement Park. In 1979, the city of Jacksonville bought the land. They turned the property into a park.

Tallulah-North Shore: Riverside Living

Tallulah-North Shore is a neighborhood in the Northside area. It is on the southern banks of the Trout River. This mostly residential area was first developed in 1879. Jacksonville added it in 1925. The Trout River is Tallulah-North Shore's most beautiful feature. It also forms the neighborhood's northern border.

Westside: A Large and Diverse Area

The Westside, or West Jacksonville, is one of the big traditional sections of Jacksonville. It refers to the large part of Jacksonville west of Downtown and the inner neighborhoods. This includes both populated areas and a huge amount of undeveloped land. The Westside is generally west of the St. Johns River and Downtown, and south and west of the Northside. Neighborhoods sometimes included in the Westside are Argyle, Riverside and Avondale, Ortega, Cedar Hills, Lake Shore, Murray Hill, Normandy, Sweetwater, and Confederate Point.

Lake Shore: Historic Homes and Marina Mile

Stucco entrance sign to Lake Shore neighborhood, built in the mid-1920s

Lake Shore was first established in the 1920s. Its main business center at San Juan Avenue and Blanding Boulevard dates back to at least 1906. Lake Shore is just south of Murray Hill, Riverside, and Avondale. It is bordered by Fishweir Creek, and the Cedar River (locals call it Cedar Creek) to the west and south. It is inland from the Ortega historic district and McGirts Creek to the east. The community has historic homes both inland and along the waterfront. It also has a group of Spanish Colonial estate homes. Many post-war frame, brick, and stucco bungalows are here too.

South of Park Street, Lake Shore Terrace has mid-century modern homes. These were built on larger lots between 1951 and 1953. They are just north of San Juan Avenue Florida State Road 128.

Stucco arch on Appleton Avenue, part of the entry gates to the Lake Shore neighborhood in Jacksonville, Florida

In 2009, the arched gateways marking the entrance to Bayview Road were restored. The City of Jacksonville and the Lakeshore Area Preservation Society named them historic landmarks.

State Road 21 (Blanding Boulevard) cuts through Lake Shore. Lake Shore is home to the Jacksonville Marina Mile. This is a unique area with full-service marinas, nautical shops, and dry storage facilities. They are along the calm waters of McGirts Creek, where it meets Cedar Creek and the St. Johns River.

Murray Hill: A Vibrant Community with Diverse Architecture

Murray Hill (Heights) in Jacksonville got its name from a neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City. The neighborhood was created in 1907. The town of Murray Hill became its own city in 1916, with its own mayor. The City of Jacksonville added the town on August 15, 1925.

Murray Hill is a Jacksonville neighborhood with many parks, restaurants, bars, community gardens, and an art center. Most parks are within the neighborhoods. Some parks in Murray Hill are Four Corners Park, Murray Hill Playground, Jasmine Park, Powers Park, and Cameron Park. The community garden, near Four Corners Park, was kept up by the Murray Hill community. However, in 2017, two new homes were built on that land.

The architecture in Murray Hill is very diverse. There are brick, wood, stucco, and concrete homes. Styles include bungalows, cottages, modern, and Southern-style homes. Most homes are smaller, making them good for younger families and retirees. The homes in Murray Hill are older, but the area is not a registered historic neighborhood. The oldest existing house in Murray Hill was built in 1898 on Talbot Avenue.

The main street in Murray Hill is Edgewood Avenue South. This road has storefronts with older and newer businesses. Some older businesses are Edgewood Bakery, Dreamette, and Murray Hill Theater. Newer businesses include Mockshop Music Exchange, Maple Street Biscuit Company, Community Loaves, and Moon River Pizza. The neighborhood has been going through a period of gentrification. Murray Hill is right next to the thriving neighborhoods of Riverside and Avondale, near Downtown Jacksonville.

New Town: A Community Focused on Success

New Town is an urban Westside neighborhood. It is located just west of LaVilla and Downtown. It is a working-class, mainly African-American residential neighborhood. It was developed in the early 1900s. It is home to Edward Waters College, Florida's oldest historically black college. By the 2000s, the neighborhood showed many signs of urban decay. It faced crime, struggling schools, health issues, and widespread poverty. In 2008, the city started the New Town Success Zone. This was based on New York City's Harlem Children's Zone. It provides many social and educational programs and services to the neighborhood.

Durkeeville: A Historic Housing Project

Durkeeville was a low-cost housing project and neighborhood for African Americans. Construction started in 1936. It is named after the landowner who sold the property for the project. It had 215 homes. J. P. Small Memorial Stadium is located in Durkeeville.

Arlington: East of the River

Arlington is one of the large sections of Duval County, along with Northside, Westside, and Southside. Arlington was first a settlement east of Jacksonville, across the St. Johns River. Today, it refers to most of Jacksonville east and south of the St. Johns. It is west of the Intracoastal Waterway and north of the Arlington River and Southside.

Arlington was one of the first areas in the United States visited by Europeans. It was the site of the French Fort Caroline in 1564-1565. The Fort Caroline National Memorial now marks this spot. After Fort Caroline was destroyed, the area was only sparsely populated until the 1800s. Then, sawmills and plantations were built along the St. Johns River. After the American Civil War, these gave way to residential developments. These were slowly absorbed into the growing Arlington community. The building of the Mathews Bridge in 1953 led to much more development. Over the next two decades, Arlington became the fastest-growing part of the Jacksonville area.

Sandalwood: Halfway to the Beaches

The Sandalwood neighborhood began developing in the spring of 1960. It was about 6 miles (10 km) from both downtown Jacksonville and the beaches. In 1960-61, it was advertised as "On the Southside - halfway between business and pleasure!" The builder, Pearce-Uible, was located at 3850 Beach Blvd.

Southside: A Sprawling and Growing Area

Southside, or South Jacksonville, is one of the larger sections of Jacksonville. It is like Northside, Westside, and Arlington. The name "South Jacksonville" first meant the area south of Downtown across the St. Johns River. This neighborhood is now usually called San Marco. Today, however, the term "Southside" covers a much larger region. It is an area east and south of the St. Johns River. It is north of the Mandarin neighborhood, inland from the Intracoastal Waterway, and south of Arlington. However, Southside overlaps with Arlington at its northern borders.

Southpoint: A Major Commercial Hub

Southpoint is a commercial area of Jacksonville, Florida. It is in the city's Southside area, eight miles from downtown. The area has mostly commercial buildings, apartment complexes, and professional office centers. St. Lukes Hospital, built in 1984, is on the corner of Southpoint. It is now known as St. Vincent's Medical Center Southside. Many of the hospital's doctors have offices in Southpoint.

Southpoint is in the fast-growing southeast part of Jacksonville. It is along J. Turner Butler Boulevard. This expressway is a major road to and from the Jacksonville Beaches.

Southpoint's borders are roughly Interstate 95 to the west, Bowden Road to the north, Belfort Road to the east, and Butler Boulevard to the south. Some businesses between I-95 and Philips Highway use Southpoint to describe their location. Streets within Southpoint include Southpoint Parkway, Southpoint Drive North & South, Southpoint Boulevard, and Salisbury Road.

When the first part of J. Turner Butler Boulevard (State Road 202) was finished in 1979, access to land around Butler Blvd improved. This helped the area east of Interstate 95 develop. Gate Petroleum partnered with the Bryant Skinner Company in 1980. They created the 250-acre (1.0 km2) Southpoint office park.

Jacksonville Beaches: Coastal Communities

The Jacksonville Beaches are a group of towns and communities along the Atlantic Ocean. From north to south, they are Mayport, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, and Ponte Vedra Beach. The first four are in Duval County. Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and Jacksonville Beach are cities with their own governments. Ponte Vedra Beach, in St. Johns County, is a CDP without its own city government.