Top 10 U.S. Cities for Young People

[duvaldude08]

I was in Charlotte last weekend.  Wow, the downtown that place blows Jax away.  Schools, business, things going on, the list doesn't end with what they are doing right.  I was suprised it wasn't on this list. I did notice that few historic structures remain there though.

Charlotte's DT used to be just like Jax. Except they woke up 20 years ago and we are still sleep.

[L.P. Hovercraft]

This isn't the first time I've seen Austin TX lead a list like this. What is it that Austin is doing that we are not? And why are we not adapting some of those ideas into our lifestyle?

Isn't Austin's unofficial motto "Keep Austin Weird"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keep_Austin_Weird

Although things are seemingly getting better day by day, I think that Jax is still just too damn small minded and conservative (yet) to fully embrace Austin's "loving the alien" attitude.  To wit: the whole kerfluffle over the Parvez Ahmed nomination to the COJ Human Rights Commission; our fawning over the shiny new St. John's Town Center as suburban consumer utopia and replacement for the authentic downtown and urban core; the pipe bomb at the local mosque; former mayoral front-runner(!) Mike Hogan's campaign quip about bombing abortion clinics; and the bombing (figuratively speaking) of the cult movies convention held here recently.  Unfortunately or not, perceptions matter; if you were a young, optimistic and creative person just starting out on a career or a business looking to relocate between Jax or some other city that was a bit more cosmopolitan and accepting of diversity, which would you choose?  Low taxes only get you so far.

All that being said, I do love our city and truly think Jacksonville's best days are still ahead of us.  After all, we did just elect Alvin Brown mayor over the aforementioned quipster Mr. Hogan and just this past weekend downtown was absolutely alive with people for the Jazz festival, so hope springs eternal! 

Let's make Jacksonville weird!

[danem]

I was in Charlotte last weekend.  Wow, the downtown that place blows Jax away.  Schools, business, things going on, the list doesn't end with what they are doing right.  I was suprised it wasn't on this list. I did notice that few historic structures remain there though.

Charlotte's DT used to be just like Jax. Except they woke up 20 years ago and we are still sleep.

What I'd like to see is Jax doing everything it can do right now, and do it "yesterday". It sounds like so much can be done now that doesn't require decades of construction. Although, the decades of construction should start yesterday too.

[danem]

Also, I see these cities represented pretty well in discussions of "most active / most fit" and "environmentally friendly" US places.  Living for 25 years in New York and Connecticut, I'll say this: I've listened to thousands of more criticisms of Florida being one strip mall than I have of it being too much for the elderly.  Cut this crap out of Jacksonville being where Florida begins.    

IMHO, I think Jax also would do well to better publicize its large urban park system and find ways to create lengthier green stretches for biking, walking, caneoing, etc by linking parks (i.e., the idea of cleaning up Hogan's and McCoy's) and providing urban green pathways (okay, the last one might be out of reach financially right now).  
 

I agree. We should take advantage of Florida as Florida: nature and warm weather. Enhance and improve and most importantly preserve those parks. Speaking of financial feasibility, I wonder what kind of public/private partnerships could make this happen?

[Jdog]

One other: the Metjax article cites the importance of a music scene (and see the cities' listed; i.e., Austin, etc.).    Can Jax's Southern Rock history / music scene be better displayed?  And, relevant to this thread, are the genres appealing to the target population discussed in the thread?  Not very knowledgable myself in this area.   

[jcjohnpaint]

This isn't the first time I've seen Austin TX lead a list like this. What is it that Austin is doing that we are not? And why are we not adapting some of those ideas into our lifestyle?

Isn't Austin's unofficial motto "Keep Austin Weird"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keep_Austin_Weird

Although things are seemingly getting better day by day, I think that Jax is still just too damn small minded and conservative (yet) to fully embrace Austin's "loving the alien" attitude.  To wit: the whole kerfluffle over the Parvez Ahmed nomination to the COJ Human Rights Commission; our fawning over the shiny new St. John's Town Center as suburban consumer utopia and replacement for the authentic downtown and urban core; the pipe bomb at the local mosque; former mayoral front-runner(!) Mike Hogan's campaign quip about bombing abortion clinics; and the bombing (figuratively speaking) of the cult movies convention held here recently.  Unfortunately or not, perceptions matter; if you were a young, optimistic and creative person just starting out on a career or a business looking to relocate between Jax or some other city that was a bit more cosmopolitan and accepting of diversity, which would you choose?  Low taxes only get you so far.

All that being said, I do love our city and truly think Jacksonville's best days are still ahead of us.  After all, we did just elect Alvin Brown mayor over the aforementioned quipster Mr. Hogan and just this past weekend downtown was absolutely alive with people for the Jazz festival, so hope springs eternal! 

Let's make Jacksonville weird!

You know I lived in enough places to realize that the kind of thinking you mention is everywhere.  Any place can become more creative and any creative place can become a conservative hole.  I have only lived here for a year and so much has happened toward Jacksonville's positive. 

[ChriswUfGator]

I agree that from a prestige standpoint University of Phoenix etc. may not be the cat's meow, but really, looking at the wasteland downtown is, beggars can't be choosers. And as Kraze already noted, we already screwed the pooch and ran off a med school and a law school who were both considering locating downtown. Both of those institutions then went on to invest tens of millions of dollars fitting out single-purpose buildings located elsewhere, so I really don't think there is a second chance. Those were both 1-shot deals for downtown, that goose is cooked, we screwed it up.

What I'm saying is, at this point, if a University of Phoenix or Devry or whatever wanted to open up down there, then we should welcome them with open arms. It's not like we have a lot of other suitors. Especially after the way the last two were treated, and it's not like educators don't talk to each other. Whatever comes knocking, we need to accept it for what it is rather than holding out for something better, that usually never happens. Look at Springfield, they're staring down a blighted and almost totally-vacant commercial district, while SPAR still waits on their Starbucks and Panera Bread that never showed up after they ran off all the "lesser" merchants they didn't like.

At this point, something is better than nothing.

[duvaldude08]

I agree that from a prestige standpoint University of Phoenix etc. may not be the cat's meow, but really, looking at the wasteland downtown is, beggars can't be choosers. And as Kraze already noted, we already screwed the pooch and ran off a med school and a law school who were both considering locating downtown. Both of those institutions then went on to invest tens of millions of dollars fitting out single-purpose buildings located elsewhere, so I really don't think there is a second chance. Those were both 1-shot deals for downtown, that goose is cooked, we screwed it up.

What I'm saying is, at this point, if a University of Phoenix or Devry or whatever wanted to open up down there, then we should welcome them with open arms. It's not like we have a lot of other suitors. Especially after the way the last two were treated, and it's not like educators don't talk to each other. Whatever comes knocking, we need to accept it for what it is rather than holding out for something better, that usually never happens. Look at Springfield, they're staring down a blighted and almost totally-vacant commercial district, while SPAR still waits on their Starbucks and Panera Bread that never showed up after they ran off all the "lesser" merchants they didn't like.

At this point, something is better than nothing.

I agree. Something is DEFINATELY better than nothing. Have to start somewhere.

[duvaldude08]

Is it just me, or has anyone else wondered why Winn Dixie's Headquarter's is WAYYYY out Casset? It would have been cool to have them DT.

[jcjohnpaint]

You know I was wondering where they were located. 

[Garden guy]

At time is was cheap land and they had the money for it.

[Tacachale]

I agree that from a prestige standpoint University of Phoenix etc. may not be the cat's meow, but really, looking at the wasteland downtown is, beggars can't be choosers. And as Kraze already noted, we already screwed the pooch and ran off a med school and a law school who were both considering locating downtown. Both of those institutions then went on to invest tens of millions of dollars fitting out single-purpose buildings located elsewhere, so I really don't think there is a second chance. Those were both 1-shot deals for downtown, that goose is cooked, we screwed it up.

What I'm saying is, at this point, if a University of Phoenix or Devry or whatever wanted to open up down there, then we should welcome them with open arms. It's not like we have a lot of other suitors. Especially after the way the last two were treated, and it's not like educators don't talk to each other. Whatever comes knocking, we need to accept it for what it is rather than holding out for something better, that usually never happens. Look at Springfield, they're staring down a blighted and almost totally-vacant commercial district, while SPAR still waits on their Starbucks and Panera Bread that never showed up after they ran off all the "lesser" merchants they didn't like.

At this point, something is better than nothing.

I agree. Something is DEFINATELY better than nothing. Have to start somewhere.

I'm certainly not saying that if University of Phoenix or similar came in wanting to establish a downtown campus that we should say no. We just need to understand the kind of institution it is. You wouldn't be getting a traditional college campus with a lot of students tied to the area and permanent dedicated buildings, and you shouldn't court them expecting them to be. "Campuses" of Keiser University and the like tend to be rented office space, not dedicated permanent buildings. Additionally, at this point, many of them are basically hubs for administration and instructors that are visited only occasionally by students taking (and paying way too much for) online classes from home. The campuses also have a much, much higher turnover rate than traditional non-profit schools, moving around or closing completely much more regularly. Having a downtown campus one year doesn't mean it will be there in 10.

[thelakelander]

Why not focus on EWC, FSCJ and JU?  Maybe its past time to get more utilization out of FSCJ's downtown campus?

[duvaldude08]

Why not focus on EWC, FSCJ and JU?  Maybe its past time to get more utilization out of FSCJ's downtown campus?

That is a good idea. Work with what we have locally. That's probably much simpler. And with Nat glover being the president of EWC now, I am sure he would be down with possiably expanding DT. And being that EWC is kind of DT anyways, I dont think that would be hard.  I mean Honestly I think the original campus was DT before it got destory by the great fire of 1901. JU is a great idea also.

[Tacachale]

Why not focus on EWC, FSCJ and JU?  Maybe its past time to get more utilization out of FSCJ's downtown campus?

That is a good idea. Work with what we have locally. That's probably much simpler. And with Nat glover being the president of EWC now, I am sure he would be down with possiably expanding DT. And being that EWC is kind of DT anyways, I dont think that would be hard.  I mean Honestly I think the original campus was DT before it got destory by the great fire of 1901. JU is a great idea also.

That is a good idea, we should encourage JU to establish a stronger presence downtown, and look into beefing up FSCJ Downtown. I wouldn't hold out too much hope for EWC right now; they are too small and funding strapped to worry about things like this.