| Phoenix Avenue Neighborhood Tour |
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| Friday, 01 February 2008 | |
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The Phoenix Avenue Neighborhood was developed in the early 1900's as a working class community catering to the railroads and the port. Most of the homes in this neighborhood are either bungalows or frame vernacular structures.
Along its north and east borders, the construction of the MLK Parkway has severed the neighborhood from other parts of the Eastside.
Because of the allowance of incompatible land uses, it is very common to see intense industrial uses directly located next to single family homes. Major industrial properties in the neighborhood include Vak-Pak, Inc., Berman Brothers Scrap Metal Processors, Rubin Iron Works and JC Renfroe & Sons, Inc. The majority of the industrial properties are located along East 8th Street and the old Springfield railyard. Like the Springfield warehouse district, this area would also benefit from a commuter rail line using the S-Line corridor.
A rail spur leading into the Berman Bros scrap yard with the Swisher cigar plant in the background.
This building at 635 East 12th Street was originally the home of a Canada Dry Bottling Plant.
Phoenix Avenue serves as the primary commercial corridor of the neighborhood.
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February 1, 2008, 7:51 am
Re: Phoenix Avenue Neighborhood Tour
They have a killer lunch take-out at the corner store @ 8th & Phoenix pictured above. Great soulfood/country style food. It really is a hidden gem.
February 1, 2008, 8:41 am
Re: Phoenix Avenue Neighborhood Tour
Geez.....looks like another very poor neighborhood........how can there be soooo many poor neighborhoods in Jacksonville? Yikes.
February 1, 2008, 8:50 am
Re: Phoenix Avenue Neighborhood Tour
I'm going to have to try this place out one day. I'm a sucker for hole-in-the-wall local spots.
February 1, 2008, 9:47 am
Re: Phoenix Avenue Neighborhood Tour
Because they all went to the southside. This to me is why commuter rail is so important to Jacksonville - it could be a huge economic development engine for the areas where rail exists - like here.
When was the last time you saw a neighborhood revitalized with a bus system?
February 1, 2008, 10:01 am
Re: Phoenix Avenue Neighborhood Tour
Its an older neighborhood. Old homes, by nature, require more upkeep, and will show their age faster if not kept up properly.
If people in Jacksonville would stop being so damn afraid of their own shadow, and start repopulating these old neighborhoods, you would have one of the most expansive historic areas in the south.
February 1, 2008, 11:29 am
Re: Phoenix Avenue Neighborhood Tour
For those who want a truly vibrant urban and walkable community, these are the types of neighborhoods that will get us there. For proof, head 2 hours north of I-95 to Savannah. 20/30 years ago, what you see today was in worse off shape than most of Jacksonville's inner city neighborhoods.
February 1, 2008, 2:53 pm
Re: Phoenix Avenue Neighborhood Tour
maybe you guys should do some photo tours of Ponte Vedra Beach, Ortega, Queens Harbor and other such places, so outside folks don't think all of Jacksonville is this run down looking.
February 1, 2008, 3:35 pm
Re: Phoenix Avenue Neighborhood Tour
Ortega and Avondale are two the next few inner city neighborhoods that will be showcased in the upcoming weeks. Our primary focus is the urban core, so we'll continue to illustrate places like Phoenix Avenue and Durkeeville to the same degree that we will with the more popular neighborhoods and downtown. Since these places are the past and future of a walkable Jacksonville, its important to not forget about them and find ways to bring growth back to them.
However, we do occassionally show suburban areas. Just a week or so ago, we had a photo tour of Nocatee. Unfortunately, there's nothing special about subdivisions like Queens Harbor that can't be found in most cities, both large and small (plus its gated), so there probably won't be too many tours of individual housing developments.
February 1, 2008, 3:36 pm
Re: Phoenix Avenue Neighborhood Tour
February 1, 2008, 3:48 pm
Re: Phoenix Avenue Neighborhood Tour
Btw, for those who do live in suburban areas and would like to see them showcased, if you are willing to take images of your neighborhoods and submit them for photo tours, we would be glad to set them up as front page articles and give you credit for your work.
February 1, 2008, 9:45 pm
Re: Phoenix Avenue Neighborhood Tour
Alot of cool looking History ...and not a bad looking neighborhood at all .
February 2, 2008, 11:02 pm
Re: Phoenix Avenue Neighborhood Tour
my photo page at http://atlantaphotos.fotopic.net has a bunch of photos from suburban parts of jax; by all means feel free to use them. Just go to the Jacksonville link.
February 4, 2008, 9:33 am
Re: Phoenix Avenue Neighborhood Tour
The Suburban areas of Jax are no different than any other cookie-cutter housing subdivision in Anytown, USA. In fact, most of them are built by the very same builders. If that's the kind of living you're looking for then your draw to Jacksonville is clearly not due to the housing and I wouldn't worry too much about where to live because you pretty much have your pick of places. Now, try and find one of those communities with a route to your place of business that isn't a total traffic nightmare. That will be your challenge.
Interesting stuff about Savannah. I heard a lot of stories from people that went through its revitalization but never saw any pictures. Another area that is closer to home is Fernandina Beach.
Many people that visit the island (Amelia Island) get all swept-up in its charm and they don't realize that only about 10 years ago, many of the homes in the area (including the Fairbanks Inn) were run-down rental properties or crack-houses. Walking down Centre St. it's difficult to tell (the only give-away is the date stamped on the building) that 3 of the businesses were built in the year 2000 or later. The more we continue to feature stories about Jacksonville's lost communities, the more interest we'll generate and hopefully one day we'll see these areas back to their original state or better.
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