I moved to Jacksonville, Florida on May 11th, 2007. I will always remember
it, because that was the day I said to myself and the world "That's it! I am
not moving anymore. Here is where I plant my root." And that was it. From
there on out, I have been directing my energies toward becoming a citizen of
this fine and interesting city.

The largest city in the U.S., if you go by square mileage, Jacksonville
offers me a grand contradiction; it is a mega-tropolis with a small-town
feel. The City of Jacksonville is the heart of Northeast Florida's Duval

County, and is comprised of five, very different, areas.

The Beaches,officially separate from the city, is just that, the beach. Jacksonville
Beach is pristine. Clean. Very clean compared to other beaches I've walked
along and swam in. I know I've beat this horse to death, but the Beach is so
clean, that after leaving the sand to stroll through the streets
criss-crossing the neighborhood, I refuse to put my shoes back on, even
after nightfall. The people are warm and friendly. Just the other day, my
wife and I went to our favorite Jax Beach snackery to catch a bite of tasty
coconut shrimp and a brisk walk in the sand. As we walked back to our Jeep
(I went barefoot), a homeless man commented us on what a cute couple we
made! Yup, it's true - he didn't ask us for any money, didn't harass us for
food, but chose to give a compliment. Right before that, a young lady I have
never met before made the kind gesture of inviting my wife and I to a free blues
concert around the corner. She had heard about it from a friend, and thought
we'd have an awesome time. The Beach is safe.The traffic at the Beach,
consisting of brightly colored custom hogs, clean classics, and old school
beach peddle bikes, always rolls slowly down the strip of corner-to-corner
seafood bars and kitschy souvenir stores, while police officers maintain a
close eye on pedestrians.

Heading west from the Beach takes you through Arlington and San Pablo. When
I close my eyes and think of this part of Jacksonville, all I see is green.
The green of a healthy, strong, manicured golf course. Arlington, with it's
independent merchants' charm, is an upscale shopping panacea. If you don't
like shopping at franchise or chain establishments, and you want your
services provided by people who work to make and keep their customers in a
state of mind-blowing satisfaction, this is where you want to be. San Pablo
has an abundance of ways

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