Author Topic: Urban Neighborhoods: Miramar  (Read 8563 times)

Metro Jacksonville

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Urban Neighborhoods: Miramar
« on: March 18, 2010, 05:08:53 AM »
Urban Neighborhoods: Miramar



Located off the beaten path just south of San Marco, Miramar is a neighborhood with a unique history and atmosphere of its own.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-mar-urban-neighborhoods-miramar

Miss Fixit

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Urban Neighborhoods: Miramar
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2010, 05:49:33 AM »
Nice photos!  I've never seen some of these houses, although I live in and bike through the San Marco area frequently.

I could certainly be wrong, but I believe only a small portion of the area you have described is known - either legally or commonly - as "Miramar."  You have included portions of River Oaks, Oriental Gardens, Colonial Manor, Waterman Estates, Granada and Point Lavista.   No one I know who lives in those subdivisions (and I am one of those people) would say that they live in "Miramar".  Miramar is a smaller area between Gadsden, San Jose and Hendricks that includes the Miramar shopping center and the small brick bungalows on Peachtree, London, Dover, etc.

Overstreet

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Re: Urban Neighborhoods: Miramar
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2010, 08:51:11 AM »
Colonial Manor Lake Park..........OK there may be a sign. It may show up on a map that way. But my friends that live around there call it the Duck Pond.

thelakelander

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Re: Urban Neighborhoods: Miramar
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2010, 09:05:40 AM »
I could certainly be wrong, but I believe only a small portion of the area you have described is known - either legally or commonly - as "Miramar."  You have included portions of River Oaks, Oriental Gardens, Colonial Manor, Waterman Estates, Granada and Point Lavista.   No one I know who lives in those subdivisions (and I am one of those people) would say that they live in "Miramar".  Miramar is a smaller area between Gadsden, San Jose and Hendricks that includes the Miramar shopping center and the small brick bungalows on Peachtree, London, Dover, etc.



I used the neighborhood name and boundary from walkscore.com, who used data from the City of Jacksonville.

http://www.walkscore.com/rankings/Jacksonville

Nevertheless, you could be right.  COJ calls the area bounded by Hendricks, Emerson, FEC tracks and Craig Creek, "South Riverside."
"A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.” - Muhammad Ali

fsu813

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Re: Urban Neighborhoods: Miramar
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2010, 09:07:04 AM »
Curious as to what makes those neighborhoods "urban"?

They seem rather suburban to me....

Bativac

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Re: Urban Neighborhoods: Miramar
« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2010, 09:08:00 AM »
What a great area to live in. I attended Hendricks Ave Elementary as a kid in the 80s and it was a great school then. I lived in the neighborhood right across from the Wine Warehouse (heheh) for 3 years before I bought a place in St. Nicholas... still go bicycling over there all the time.

Great pictures. Great article.

thelakelander

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Re: Urban Neighborhoods: Miramar
« Reply #6 on: March 18, 2010, 09:53:11 AM »
Curious as to what makes those neighborhoods "urban"?

They seem rather suburban to me....

To tell the truth, it could probably go either way.  Its a 1920s era suburban area, yet still shares more characteristics with urban San Marco than with Mandarin, Baymeadows or Deerwood.  It has a decent street network, history, a number of neighborhood parks, a commercial spine and its a short distance from the central city.  It would be easier to make it a self sustaining multimodal friendly neighborhood than a place like Arygle.  Like Springfield, the bones are in place.  It just needs a few connectivity improvements like more sidewalks, bikeways and a context sensitive streetscape design on Hendricks Avenue.
"A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.” - Muhammad Ali

lindab

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Re: Urban Neighborhoods: Miramar
« Reply #7 on: March 18, 2010, 11:54:00 AM »
Miss fixit is right. Mirimar is mostly smaller homes clustered near the Miramar shopping center. It is a wonderful neighborhood, affordable homes, tree-lined streets, churches, schools.  I have family and friends who live or lived in the area for years and they all love it. Thanks for the article. Yes, it could stand some Town Center amenities.

stjr

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Re: Urban Neighborhoods: Miramar
« Reply #8 on: March 18, 2010, 08:24:36 PM »
I agree with Miss Fixit's analysis of names in this area.  Also, we old timers know Colonial Manor Lake Park simply as "the duck pond".

I would like to add that many in the "Miramar" area would also include in that monikier the self contained and architecturally similar (circa 1945 to early 1950's) Ridgewood development on the east side of Hendricks, opposite the Miramar shopping center.  This development continues Peachtree Street from the west side as Peachtree Circle which envelops streets names for trees (Birchwood, Pinewood, Rosewood, Redwood) and the bisector street, Ridgeland that comes out at the traffic light. It may be the best housing deal between Downtown and Mandarin (see post following this for more).

Metro Diner was known as Dan's, a pinball and soda shop for Hendricks Avenue Elementary kids walking home or waiting to be picked up (the school had no school buses in those days!) during the 1960's.  The school was considered tops in the county even back then, emulating, or even surpassing, the best private schools of today.


I have posted on other MJ threads stories of:
-Mr. McGhee's shoe store next to Piners
-Piners being the place to buy your Schwinn bicycle
-Chasteen's Texaco Station at Hendricks and Emerson
-Ossi's Drug Store a few feet south of Emerson
-Coley Walkers Drug Store where the Gate station is
-Levy's Nursery where the engineering firm buildings are next door to Gate
-Noman's Pharmacy, Goodyear Tire (AND Appliances!), Winn-Dixie, Joe Carlucci's State Farm, Rose's Beauty Parlor and Gift Shop, Towers Hardware, the Music Bar, Seven-Eleven, and Tommy's Barber Shop in or around the Miramar Shopping Center in the 1960's.  Wine Warehouse was a Mobil gas station (and maybe a Gulf Oil before that?) and the cleaners in the triangle at San Jose and Hendricks was an Amoco/Standard Oil.  
« Last Edit: March 18, 2010, 08:51:22 PM by stjr »
Hey!  Whatever happened to just plain ol' COMMON SENSE!!

Keith-N-Jax

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Re: Urban Neighborhoods: Miramar
« Reply #9 on: March 18, 2010, 08:41:07 PM »
Wow what a beautiful neighborhood. Nice kept landscapes and beautiful homes. I must take a drive through there. I also love the spring bloom in North Florida. People can say what they may, but we do have some very, very nice neighborhoods.

stjr

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Re: Urban Neighborhoods: Miramar
« Reply #10 on: March 18, 2010, 08:41:47 PM »
It is a wonderful neighborhood, affordable homes, tree-lined streets, churches, schools.  I have family and friends who live or lived in the area for years and they all love it. Thanks for the article. Yes, it could stand some Town Center amenities.

Linda B, totally agree.

The true Miramar neighborhood (ironically and regretfully, I did not detect more than one, if that, picture from this area) around the shopping center (i.e. the Peachtree/English named streets and Ridgewood) is very much overlooked for the very reasons you mention.  I think it is one of the most "peaceful" areas of the city.  And, if you like nice sized lots on tree lined streets in a mature upscale and close-in (less than 5 miles to downtown) area, brick, stucco, or wood sided houses with character, hardwood floors, plaster walls, and some oddball charms like phone nooks, built-in shelves or columnar room dividers, you can't beat the values at 150K to 275+K (the same house will sell for about 20 to 30% more on the west side of Hendricks vs. the east side due to greater proximity to the river) many of the true Miramar/Ridgewood development homes trade at.

Yes, many of the homes are at or under 1400 square feet, typically are 3/1's (there are some 2/1's), have carports or one car garages.  But, a lot of homes have been upgraded to 1,600 to 2,000 s.f, typically with a second bath and a Florida/great room, and some have as much as 4/2.  The ones that haven't could be if the owner wishes to due to the nice size lots.  Pretty much all the homes have been lovingly cared for regardless.  Won't find any roofs falling in or abandoned properties here.

Residents include young DINK professionals, young families, and lifers making for a nice mix of residents.  Over the last 50 years the neighborhood has just gotten better and better.
« Last Edit: March 18, 2010, 08:54:05 PM by stjr »
Hey!  Whatever happened to just plain ol' COMMON SENSE!!

Keith-N-Jax

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Re: Urban Neighborhoods: Miramar
« Reply #11 on: March 18, 2010, 08:46:57 PM »
Its too bad that all neighborhoods cant retain their charm!!!!

lewyn

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Re: Urban Neighborhoods: Miramar
« Reply #12 on: March 18, 2010, 11:48:46 PM »
As far as I can tell, no sidewalks except on Hendricks.

stjr

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Re: Urban Neighborhoods: Miramar
« Reply #13 on: March 19, 2010, 01:13:19 AM »
As far as I can tell, no sidewalks except on Hendricks.

Not in most residential subdivisions.  San Jose (the 2 lane section running parallel with Hendricks) has sidewalks as I recall.  Along with Hendricks, that's the only moderately trafficked road in the area.  Within a subdivision, I believe Point La Vista has some.  Maybe a few others.  But, most streets are so quiet, you really can walk along the street edges without any concerns.  In fact, you will see many people doing just that.  Maybe one day, someone can go back and put them in.  Not sure if the property owners pay or the City.
Hey!  Whatever happened to just plain ol' COMMON SENSE!!

Captain Zissou

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Re: Urban Neighborhoods: Miramar
« Reply #14 on: March 19, 2010, 09:51:32 AM »
Quote
DINK professionals

What is that?