Location: Jacksonville (and Mayport), FL

[Brandi]

please note, all of these questions are generic and will be asked for all locations so some may sound silly. The questions underneath each area are only there to help you think. Please feel free to skip things that don't apply or to elaborate on things that I did not mention.

Housing:
(How is military housing there? Which area did you live in and did you like it? Is it affordable to buy or rent in town and if so what areas would you recommend? Any additional thoughts?)


Schools:
(Which schools did your kids attend? Did you like them? Did your kids like them? How do you think the school system was overall? Any schools you would recommend over others? Did you go to college while you were there? If so, which college and how did you like it? Any additional thoughts?)


Shopping:
(How are the commissary and NEX? Do you shop there or out in town? What stores are available out in town? What is the local shopping like? Malls? Any places you recommend? Any additional thoughts?)


Cost of living:
(What is the cost of living like? High? Average? Low? How did it effect your family? Was there anything special you had to do to make ends meet? Any additional thoughts?)


Military Community:
(How is the military community? Are there resources for family and spouses? Any likes or gripes? Additional thoughts?)


Recreation:
(What is there to do in the area for adults? For kids/families? Is there anything within a few hours driving distance?)


Weather:
(What's the weather like? Mild? Seasonal? Hot? Humid? Rainy? Cold? Are there seasons?)


Overall:
(Would you go back again? Why or why not? What are your main likes and gripes?)

[andrea]

Nobody has anything to say about Jacksonville?

[jennyb]

Housing:
(How is military housing there? Which area did you live in and did you like it? Is it affordable to buy or rent in town and if so what areas would you recommend? Any additional thoughts?)

I live in Bennet Shores on Base at Mayport. It isnt bad inside but outside looks like a cinderblock doublewide connected to another cinderblock doublewide.we do have a front and back yard and a nice screened in back porch. We didnt even look into renting out in town when we got here. so I m not too sure about any of that.The hose has no carpet at all anywhere, I dont really like it but it is easy to clean. Some perks are I dont hear my neighbors at all, The central air works awesome, I have a nice yard and you can have 2 pets. oh and there are lots of play areas all over the neighborhood.


Schools:
(Which schools did your kids attend? Did you like them? Did your kids like them? How do you think the school system was overall? Any schools you would recommend over others? Did you go to college while you were there? If so, which college and how did you like it? Any additional thoughts?)


My kids are not in school yet and Im not in college so I have no idea


Shopping:
(How are the commissary and NEX? Do you shop there or out in town? What stores are available out in town? What is the local shopping like? Malls? Any places you recommend? Any additional thoughts?)

The NEX and COmmissary are close and I do my "big" shopping there, the commissary is under construction so it is a bit of a mess right now but not too bad. There are 3 wal-marts all about the same distance just all in different directions. I m not really impressed with the mall thats the closest but I like the one about 45 min away alot.


Cost of living:
(What is the cost of living like? High? Average? Low? How did it effect your family? Was there anything special you had to do to make ends meet? Any additional thoughts?) The cost of living really isnt too bad, our gas prices are way lower than the west coast.


Military Community:
(How is the military community? Are there resources for family and spouses? Any likes or gripes? Additional thoughts?) The USO is always doing things for the familys ( i have never gone) lol but there seems to be alot going on.


Recreation:
(What is there to do in the area for adults? For kids/families? Is there anything within a few hours driving distance?)

The beach is about a mile from my house so we walk there, there is a big pool with a water slide right here on base. the zoo is about half an hour away too and Blake loves it. I really havent looked into any adult recreation, since i have no time for that. there is a strip joint down the rroad form base


Weather:
(What's the weather like? Mild? Seasonal? Hot? Humid? Rainy? Cold? Are there seasons?)


HOT and HUMID!!!!

Overall:
(Would you go back again? Why or why not? What are your main likes and gripes?)

NO I am not a FL person, I hate the humidity and all the creatures!!! ( snakes Lizards and frogs)

[NavyChiefs_Wife]

Housing:
(How is military housing there? Which area did you live in and did you like it? Is it affordable to buy or rent in town and if so what areas would you recommend? Any additional thoughts?)

I live in Jacksonville, right of off Southside Blvd. Our rent is kinda high but we wanted to live in a nice and safe area. If someone was interested in renting an apartment I would look at places off of Southside, Beach and Atlantic. They have some really nice places.

Schools:
(Which schools did your kids attend? Did you like them? Did your kids like them? How do you think the school system was overall? Any schools you would recommend over others? Did you go to college while you were there? If so, which college and how did you like it? Any additional thoughts?)

My daughter isn't in school yet and I'm not in college yet so I don't know.

Shopping:
(How are the commissary and NEX? Do you shop there or out in town? What stores are available out in town? What is the local shopping like? Malls? Any places you recommend? Any additional thoughts?)

The NEX and Commissary are about 30 minutes away when traffic is good and that's the same for the NEX and Commissary on NAS. I like the NEX on NAS better than the one in Mayport. I live about 15 minutes away from three malls so that's pretty nice. There are three Wal-Marts all within about 20 minutes. There are also a lot of outlet malls in St. Augustine which is about a 45 minute drive maybe a little longer but they are worth it.


Cost of living:
(What is the cost of living like? High? Average? Low? How did it effect your family? Was there anything special you had to do to make ends meet? Any additional thoughts?)

Cost of living is kinda high but it depends on where you live. Things are tight for us but that's because we pay a little more in rent. If we would have went with a cheaper apartment things would be better but I wouldn't feel safe while my husband is away.


Military Community:
(How is the military community? Are there resources for family and spouses? Any likes or gripes? Additional thoughts?)

The USO does a lot of stuff and there is always something going on on base, but I haven't been to any of those functions.

Recreation:
(What is there to do in the area for adults? For kids/families? Is there anything within a few hours driving distance?)

The beach is very close, there is a little water park called Adventure Landing, the zoo, they are always having concerts and stuff, festivals and things like that. There is a lot to do you just to have to get out and find it.


Weather:
(What's the weather like? Mild? Seasonal? Hot? Humid? Rainy? Cold? Are there seasons?)

HOT!!!! and very HUMID!!!


Overall:
(Would you go back again? Why or why not? What are your main likes and gripes?)

I hope I never come back to Jacksonville, I hate it here. It's so hot and humid and the crime rate is terrible. I hate dealing with Tropical Storms and Hurricanes so this is not the place for me to be.

[~Jess~]

Housing:
(How is military housing there? Which area did you live in and did you like it? Is it affordable to buy or rent in town and if so what areas would you recommend? Any additional thoughts?)I live in Ribault Bay housing. It's off base housing off mayport rd. There ok. The look alittle ghetto b/c housing lets people live like pigs. I live in the apartment 2 bedroom one but the 3, 4 and I think 5 bedrooms are upstairs downstairs houses w/ garage. I have carpet and tile in my house and I love it. I have a screened in back porch and a backyard that I share with the other neighbors. It's not too bad but it's not the greatest.


Schools:
(Which schools did your kids attend? Did you like them? Did your kids like them? How do you think the school system was overall? Any schools you would recommend over others? Did you go to college while you were there? If so, which college and how did you like it? Any additional thoughts?)I don't have any kids in school and I'm not in school so I don't know, sorry!!


Shopping:
(How are the commissary and NEX? Do you shop there or out in town? What stores are available out in town? What is the local shopping like? Malls? Any places you recommend? Any additional thoughts?)The NEX and Commissary are right behing my house. I can walk there in lwss then 5 min and drive in 1. Their both ok. The NEX is small but has the things you'll need. The Commissary is under a extreme makeover so right now it's a friggin mess. It's also small but has what I need.


Cost of living:
(What is the cost of living like? High? Average? Low? How did it effect your family? Was there anything special you had to do to make ends meet? Any additional thoughts?)I don't really know since I'm in housing. It's seems average but high in some places just depends on where you wanna live.


Military Community:
(How is the military community? Are there resources for family and spouses? Any likes or gripes? Additional thoughts?)The USO does a bunch of stuff and it too is under an Extreme makeover. The base does things alot too. The base newspaper The Mirror is always lisiting things to do.


Recreation:
(What is there to do in the area for adults? For kids/families? Is there anything within a few hours driving distance?) THe zoo is about 20 mins from base. Adventure landing is on Beach about 15mins Hanna park is a block form the base and is really nice, there is the lack the beach a little water park for the kids jicking trails and bike trails. It's $3 to get in unless you go through the base it's free. but that gate isn't open all the time.


Weather:
(What's the weather like? Mild? Seasonal? Hot? Humid? Rainy? Cold? Are there seasons?) HOT HOT HOT and some more HOT


Overall:
(Would you go back again? Why or why not? What are your main likes and gripes?)
Jacksonville isn't my cup of tea. THe weather is to hot, the crime is high and it's craphole(well mayport is anyways) some people love it and the rest hate it!!

[PrincessMia]

Housing:
(How is military housing there? Which area did you live in and did you like it? Is it affordable to buy or rent in town and if so what areas would you recommend? Any additional thoughts?)DH and I chose not to live in housing because it does not benefit us especially since we do not have children. What I have seen of the Mayport housing I do not like. Someone already mentioned they look like cinderblocks and it is so true!!

Schools:
(Which schools did your kids attend? Did you like them? Did your kids like them? How do you think the school system was overall? Any schools you would recommend over others? Did you go to college while you were there? If so, which college and how did you like it? Any additional thoughts?)No kids, but I go to Florida Community College and I love it! The community college I went to in California sucks compared to FCCJ!

Shopping:
(How are the commissary and NEX? Do you shop there or out in town? What stores are available out in town? What is the local shopping like? Malls? Any places you recommend? Any additional thoughts?)Considering DH and I chose to buy our home on the Westside, NAS JAX is the nearest base. We do all big shopping at the commissary, but head to Super Wal-Mart or Publix for little things. Orange Park Mall and Avenues Mall are alright at best. I hate Regency Square Mall!! St. Johns Town Center is my favorite mall though!! I enjoy shopping in high end stores.

Cost of living:
(What is the cost of living like? High? Average? Low? How did it effect your family? Was there anything special you had to do to make ends meet? Any additional thoughts?)Cost of living is low even with the house and coming from California..well you all know how high the cost of living is there!

Military Community:
(How is the military community? Are there resources for family and spouses? Any likes or gripes? Additional thoughts?)The USO always seems to have some event. Hubby and I both volunteered to help with the air show last year and it was fun. Plus the Jacksonville Jaguars offers discounted tickets for football games. For about $80 DH and I had decent seats, footlong hotdogs, large soda, and large popcorns. The tickets covered the food too!

Recreation:
(What is there to do in the area for adults? For kids/families? Is there anything within a few hours driving distance?) I like to go to the Cummer Art Museum and MOSH a lot. The beach is great and there are some great restaurants I love in Ponte Vedra and at the beaches. I love driving up to Fernandina Beach and hanging out there as well!


Weather:
(What's the weather like? Mild? Seasonal? Hot? Humid? Rainy? Cold? Are there seasons?) HOT and HUMID for about 9 months out of the year, and then it is actually cold for about 3 months.


Overall:
(Would you go back again? Why or why not? What are your main likes and gripes?)Jacksonville is alright! It has its good and it bad (just like anyplace) and I prefer to make the best of it. I love my house and knowing that I own it so that is a big plus about living here in JAX for me.

[KevzQueen]

please note, all of these questions are generic and will be asked for all locations so some may sound silly. The questions underneath each area are only there to help you think. Please feel free to skip things that don't apply or to elaborate on things that I did not mention.

Housing:
(How is military housing there? Which area did you live in and did you like it? Is it affordable to buy or rent in town and if so what areas would you recommend? Any additional thoughts?)
We lived in housing on NAS Jax. I liked having a huge yard. The housing at NAS are cinderblock too. There was no carpeting. We had sandy dirty that was a pain to keep out of the house.

Schools:
(Which schools did your kids attend? Did you like them? Did your kids like them? How do you think the school system was overall? Any schools you would recommend over others? Did you go to college while you were there? If so, which college and how did you like it? Any additional thoughts?)
My kids went to Venetia Elementary. It's very close to the base. We liked the elementary school. The high school didn't seem too great. My niece was thinking about living with us, so we checked out the high school and asked around about it. I went to University of Phoenix in Orange Park for a little while. I wouldn't recommend that. I didn't learn anything and it's too expensive.

Shopping:
(How are the commissary and NEX? Do you shop there or out in town? What stores are available out in town? What is the local shopping like? Malls? Any places you recommend? Any additional thoughts?)
We liked both. They were big enough for us. The exchange has a big liquor section. I liked the malls. I usually shopped at OP mall, but I like Avenues also. I've only been to Regency a couple times.

Cost of living:
(What is the cost of living like? High? Average? Low? How did it effect your family? Was there anything special you had to do to make ends meet? Any additional thoughts?)
No bills, so we were fine.

Military Community:
(How is the military community? Are there resources for family and spouses? Any likes or gripes? Additional thoughts?)
same as most bases, I guess

Recreation:
(What is there to do in the area for adults? For kids/families? Is there anything within a few hours driving distance?)

Metro Park, zoo, Hands-On Museum, clubs, bars, concerts, St Aug (shopping, Ripley's), Savannah, Orlando

Weather:
(What's the weather like? Mild? Seasonal? Hot? Humid? Rainy? Cold? Are there seasons?)

It's hot. I like fall there. The evenings were great. I like windy hurricane weather too. It rains enough, but not too much.

Overall:
(Would you go back again? Why or why not? What are your main likes and gripes?)
I'm kinda having second thoughts because of the murder rate, but I do plan to live in a bigger city, so I know I won't be able to escape that anyway. I had alot of fun there though, so it's very tempting to go back there.

Housing:
(How is military housing there? Which area did you live in and did you like it? Is it affordable to buy or rent in town and if so what areas would you recommend? Any additional thoughts?)

Well I live in Marsh Oaks appartments, which is about 10 minutes off base, and they are very nice. The people here are very nice and considerate.

Schools:
(Which schools did your kids attend? Did you like them? Did your kids like them? How do you think the school system was overall? Any schools you would recommend over others? Did you go to college while you were there? If so, which college and how did you like it? Any additional thoughts?)

I dont have kids yet so I cant say anything about the schools.

Shopping:
(How are the commissary and NEX? Do you shop there or out in town? What stores are available out in town? What is the local shopping like? Malls? Any places you recommend? Any additional thoughts?)

I like commissary alot better now that it is not under construction. But I still like Walmart better because I can find everything I need easily. All the walmarts are alike. I havent been here that long to know what other shopping centers there are here in Mayport. I do know that there is a mall on Atlantic. Everything is basically on Atlantic.

Cost of living:
(What is the cost of living like? High? Average? Low? How did it effect your family? Was there anything special you had to do to make ends meet? Any additional thoughts?)

I think its about average. However I am looking for a job to help with some extra money.

Military Community:
(How is the military community? Are there resources for family and spouses? Any likes or gripes? Additional thoughts?)

Im sure there are here but I dont have a clue to where they are located. Wish I kinda did though. I need helo dealing with my husband being gone.

Recreation:
(What is there to do in the area for adults? For kids/families? Is there anything within a few hours driving distance?)

I know theres a few clubs here and there are movie theaters. Other than that, I have no idea.

Weather:
(What's the weather like? Mild? Seasonal? Hot? Humid? Rainy? Cold? Are there seasons?)

The wather here is just like anywhere else except its not cold enough to snow. It rains, it gets hot, it gets humid, it gets chilly and cold. Its just like all the rest of Florida.

Overall:
(Would you go back again? Why or why not? What are your main likes and gripes?)

Where Ive only been here for 4 months now, I have no idea if I would want to come back here. I'll let you know about that when Ive been here longer. Lol. The only thing I dont like here is all the traffic and people that drive like its a race.