“Entertaining U Newspaper” sounds so oddly corporate. I prefer calling us EU Jacksonville, because acknowledging Jacksonville is so much what this publication is about. Every writer in these pages lives here in our River City. Our publication is a small family business, like so many locally owned businesses in this town.
From truly unique fast food chains like Lubi’s and The Loop to the indigenous fine dining found at Café Nola inside of MOCA Jacksonville or a perfect casual lunch of fish tacos in the Urb Garden at Burrito Gallery, Jacksonville is loaded with terrific locally owned businesses. We have stuff you can’t find anywhere else. Have you ever perused the greeting cards at Cowford Traders or Basket Case to the Rescue in Avondale? Have you ever bought the best pair of pants or sweater you’ve ever owned at Wolfgang in 5 Points? And that is just a small sampling of the consumer culture in Jacksonville.
What about our Atlantic sunrises or gorgeous river sunsets? What about that perfect February day when the sun is warm but the air is cool on your skin? Or when there is a hurricane somewhere in the Atlantic sucking up all of the rainfall and leaving us a breezy summer evening? There is plenty to love about Jacksonville and every Valentine’s Day we here at EU enjoy reveling in it with the rest of you.
We’ve sent out the call to readers to tell us what they love about Jacksonville and here are some of the more articulate responses:
I love Jacksonville because it has a big city skyline and a small town heart. A river and two Interstates may separate the city into sections, but a spirit of togetherness unites the community. A parking garage collapsed and a young father was missing. Firefighters worked through two nights searching, hoping to rescue the man. When the search ended with a body found, many people responded to help his children. A church burned and neighboring congregations responded offering tangible gifts of food and worship symbols as well as prayerful support and encouragement. An orchestra faced financial problems and the community attended concerts to help the musicians. The homicide rate soared and citizens of note said yes when asked to find solutions.
I love Jacksonville because it is a city that cares!
Paula Suhey
Special Events Coordinator/Pine Castle
Community Express Columnist – Jacksonville.com
I guess the thing I Love MOST about Jacksonville is the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. The Suns have a rich history of talent that have passed through Jacksonville, and with the Suns being a AA affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, we get to see the allstars of tomorrow today. The Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville is probably hands-down the finest minor league facility in the Southeast. So do yourself a favor this summer, even if you don't think you like baseball, go down to the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville on a warm summer evening and relax.........I know I will be there in the front row!
Tim Hall
Owner of Jack Rabbits and JaxLive
Jacksonville has a wonderful arts community with a strong presence in music and an exciting emerging film industry. I look forward to the annual Jacksonville Film Festival, the 48 Hour Film Project, THE TALKIES, and the countless big budget and indie films that are shot on location in our city each year. These outlets give our talented community the opportunity to show the world what we can do.
Ashley Earles-Bennett, Director of Public Relations Department of Music
University of North Florida
You can be anywhere in Jacksonville in 15 minutes. That, of course, excludes around rush hour – but this city has so many different areas to explore. San Marco, Five Points, Jacksonville Beach, downtown. Best thing about Jacksonville? The ArtWalk downtown and then a late night dinner at Chew. Tell me you’ve tried the macaroni and cheese or the gnocchi…….
Erica Opisso
Staff Writer for the Ponte Vedra Recorder
I love the fact the young people are taking control of the city's future by planning art shows, blogging, opening retail stores, starting bands, throwing house parties, DJing, building gardens, etc. They aren't sitting around waiting for the scene to happen. They are making the scene. Keep making the scene! You are making a difference in this city.
Joey Marchy
Urban Jacksonville
Jacksonville affords me a lot of opportunities to indulge in some of my favorite interests and activities. I love starting a lazy Saturday morning with brunch at the Cool Moose, enjoying the best salmon omelettes on the planet! For some strange reason exercising in the morning brings me a lot of joy and when combining a brisk walk with shopping intervals among the stores in Avondale or San Marco, how can you go wrong? In terms of entertainment there are so many venues to choose from, whether you’re in the mood to see the new exhibits at MOCA Jacksonville, a theatre production at the Alhambra Dinner Theatre or a new indie band at Jack Rabbits. Some days a nice walk along the St Johns River is all I need to feel recharged and revitalized. Most of all I would have to say I love Jacksonville for the great bunch of eclectic friends I have made here in the last three years.
Stan Cleiland
WJCT Director of Corporate Communications
Last March one son from California and one son from Colorado flew into town at 5 pm Friday night to run in the Gate River Run with their 80-year old father. We enjoyed the carbo-load dinner at the Fairgrounds, viewing the bridges with their lights, dessert at BB’s, a great evening of reminiscing, and an early morning arrival downtown for the 15k run (wearing Ohio State shirts), followed by massages, a gourmet lunch at Truffles, a quick nap, then a tour of The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens with its "Temples and Tombs, the Eqyptian Treasures from the British Museum" plus the Walter O. Evans collection of African American Art, then on to Marker 32 for a fabulous gourmet dinner. Sadly, their flights left at 6 am Sunday morning. Where else could we entertain so thoroughly, so well, so completely with physical challenge and gastronomic delights and great art thrown in the mix, all in 36 hours?
Pat Thomas
Mandarin
One moment I will never forget was the first time I took my son to see the Blue Angels perform at the beach. Mark was 10-years old and we filtered through all the people waiting to watch and arrived at the water’s edge at low tide in time to see the whole show. We had the prime spot, the intersecting point where the jets would pass each other at those amazing speeds. They seemed to be no more than 100 yards in the air, so close that when they passed us the calm ocean water kicked up behind them after they went by. Mark squealed with all the joy a 10-year old can display. We are transplants from South Florida and started to think of the beach as home after that show.
Tonn Pastore
Ponte Vedra Beach
I am originally from a small town in the Midwest where one side of town is basically no different than another side of town. What I love about Jacksonville is that it still feels somewhat like a small town to me, while offering such distinctly different and interesting neighborhoods from one part of town to another. I just realized that I still don't use the word city when I speak of Jax. I certainly enjoyed living at the beach and all that those communities had to offer during my first few years here. Living in Riverside the last few years has shown me quite different sides of Jacksonville that I have enjoyed too. I would certainly not have the appreciation I have for the St. Johns River, the downtown area, the Riverwalk and so much more had I not moved. It really is amazing what this town has to offer given its relatively small size and feel.
Clifford Kleiss
Riverside
I love how residents and business owners from all over Jacksonville are striving to make this city a fantastic place to live! I remember a time when the only thing cultural about Jacksonville was the Confederate flags – hey, they’re culturally a part of the South! Now, we have an increased ethnic population, better artistic events and activities such as a growing theater scene, better availability of independent films, ArtWalk, and amazing musical concerts like Talleyrand, and we are even bringing in major sporting events like the big England vs Australia Rugby game at UNF. What used to be a quiet little town is growing into a diverse and culturally rich city, that is what makes Jacksonville a great place to live!
Jennie Jarvis
Orpheus Theater Group
The beaches and the weather are certainly what I love about Jacksonville, but what I truly appreciate are the people of this city, especially the employees in our supermarkets and other stores.
Compared to New York and New Jersey where everyone is always in a rush and not very polite, the sales staff and checkers at Publix and other businesses are extremely friendly and helpful and always send customers off with a ready smile and a "Have a good day!"
That's what makes living and shopping here such a pleasure.
Doris Manukian
Ponte Vedra Beach
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