Jacksonville's Rival City

[krazeeboi]

Thanks for the correction. That seems odd, being that there are cities named "Jackson."

[AuLukey]

I take everything I have said about Charlotte having in common with Jacksonville in this thread back. I just finished a three day vacation seeing some friends in St Augustine and spent a little time in Jacksonville. I cannot believe how much growth there is. Not to the skyline, but to the city. It feels like a city. The skyline may not be tall, but it is more spread out by leaps and bounds. Plus, on the ground level, if you don't look up, you don't realize you've left the CBD when leaving the city. Charlotte feels a lot more suburban with huge spans of nothingness in between. I've lived in Charlotte and its suburbs as well having lived in Jacksonville and its suburbs over the last couple decades. I envisioned Charlotte of being such a larger city (metro-wise) because I have day by day seen the growth happening here. But since my last trip to Jax (in March) so much has changed. Bridges are going up in all directions; the interchange for 9A and 95 is one of the most gorgeous interchanges I've ever seen. While that isn't a measure of a city's size or power, it speaks well of the sense of pride Jax puts into its architecture. The bridges lit blue at night put a beautiful touch to the now bisected string of towers. I wish I had had my trusty camera on my side. I wish even harder that i didn't have to miss the Jaguars play the Panthers later today.

I know none of this has to do with a rivalry, but I figured I'd take back a lot of what I've said the two cities have in common. I can't let my dog swim in the ocean and chase birds at the beach in Charlotte.

[bobdreamz]

On this one my good friend jpl02 , we are just going to have to disagree.

I feel that urban South FL was spawned by North-easterner's and grew in its image. The Jersey suburbs and L.I. to me look just like suburban Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. I feel that the South FL region is way more connected to NYC than LA. Sure South FL may have palm trees, trendy beautiful people and the warm weather like LA, but beyond that, I just don't see the connection. Look at the 3 big airports in South FL, you can catch a flight to the Northeast about every 15 minutes while to LA there's maybe 3 flights a day. Also on the news down there if something happens in NYC, they report it like it happened next door. The connection between the NE USA and South FL is just too deep and historical for me to see it as anything other than a Father/Son or Big Bro/Little Bro relationship.

And as always YMMV (your individual mileage may vary.)

as a former south Floridian myself poonther is dead on on his assesment....you may want to label Miami/South Florida as 'LA East" but culturally we are binded to New York City unlike any other major city in the US. Go to a Dolphins/Jets game and half the crowd is rooting for Miami & the other half for the Jets!

The New York Times called Miami it's 6th Borough once because of the amount of transplanted New Yorkers living there. Even though there is a resemblance to LA there is nothing there culturally that ties us to it.

[krazeeboi]

I remember reading an article in the NY Times about the places where Black New Yorkers move to when moving out of NYC. I think Miami was the 2nd or 3rd most popular spot. Others included Atlanta, Philadelphia, and DC. I was surprised.

[Charlotteman]

Maybe Jax's most appropriate rival would be Orange Park:)

[AuLukey]

Maybe Jax's most appropriate rival would be Orange Park:)

hey, no shots at Orange Park, I was born there. Too bad Savannah isn't larger, it would make a good rival to Jacksonville due to their proximity to one another and their relatively similar geography. I'm actually amazed that there isn't more growth between the two cities along the coast of Georgia, just in general.

[krazeeboi]

^And that's a good thing. Georgia's coast is relatively unspoiled, unlike its neighbors.

[Charlotteman]

aussie you're right, Georgia's coastline seems underdeveloped. And it's such lovely land too.

[VistaLakes01]

I take everything I have said about Charlotte having in common with Jacksonville in this thread back. I just finished a three day vacation seeing some friends in St Augustine and spent a little time in Jacksonville. I cannot believe how much growth there is. Not to the skyline, but to the city. It feels like a city. The skyline may not be tall, but it is more spread out by leaps and bounds. Plus, on the ground level, if you don't look up, you don't realize you've left the CBD when leaving the city. Charlotte feels a lot more suburban with huge spans of nothingness in between. I've lived in Charlotte and its suburbs as well having lived in Jacksonville and its suburbs over the last couple decades. I envisioned Charlotte of being such a larger city (metro-wise) because I have day by day seen the growth happening here. But since my last trip to Jax (in March) so much has changed. Bridges are going up in all directions; the interchange for 9A and 95 is one of the most gorgeous interchanges I've ever seen. While that isn't a measure of a city's size or power, it speaks well of the sense of pride Jax puts into its architecture. The bridges lit blue at night put a beautiful touch to the now bisected string of towers. I wish I had had my trusty camera on my side. I wish even harder that i didn't have to miss the Jaguars play the Panthers later today.

I know none of this has to do with a rivalry, but I figured I'd take back a lot of what I've said the two cities have in common. I can't let my dog swim in the ocean and chase birds at the beach in Charlotte.

Wow, I have to take a drive up one weekend to Jax, haven't been in about 3 years sounds like a lot happening. I'm not sure now who Jax's rival city is. When Orlando landed the Burnham Institute a couple of weeks ago and is starting to build on biotech, there was major mention of it in all Florida media (Tampa Bay, South Florida) but I did not see a mention of it in the Jax media. Orlando is finally diversifing it's ecomomy, now finally getting in to the biotech game, doing well in the digital media area and financial area. I know in the 90's both Jax and Orlando were "call center" cities and now Orlando is moving beyond with the second largest state university which is adding it's medical school. Are these the things that Jax is striving for? I'm not sure so maybe we are not rivals. Although much smaller maybe Jax is starting to get a lot of Atlanta overflow, after all they are "The First City of the South" or something like that.

[Unifour]

I have to disagree with you on this one poonther (a first I think!). I have always thought of Miami as LA junior. It's got that liberal, fun and sun atmosphere and the same fast-paced lifstyle and "trendiness". This is not to knock NY at all.

Put it in perspective like this. Dade/Broward = LA, Palm Beach=NYC. Palm Beach is definitely stuffy, boring and conservative like NYC.

I don't think I have ever heard anyone call NYC conservative. It is considered by everyone I've heard as one of the most liberal areas in the nation... Too much for us genuine conservatives. I've never heard it described as boring either. I have heard it described as the most exciting city on earth, as it is the center of the modern world. It would undoubtably floor me with all there is to see and do. I wouldn't describe it as having the values of most Americans though.

As for South Florida, I would say that in terms of climate and appearance, Miami and LA would be comparable, both are on the ocean, are warm, sunny, etc. I can see the cultural connection to NY for Miami, where LA is largely Mexican now. For Jacksonville, I would think that it's first rivals would be instate, such as Orlando and Tampa. If it can match those, maybe it could tackle Miami. Regionally, I would think that they would be competing with all the sizable southern cities for "status." If they are regionally important, the next stage is national and then international. Present size isn't THE most important thing for anything. They also consider rate of growth, poverty figures, work force, business climate, etc. etc. They can compete statewide, regionally, nationally and internationally based on many strengths and weaknesses. It is a newly coming of age city, much like Vegas. A lot of people think being on a beach makes or breaks a city, but I think being on a river, mountains, or lakes matters just as much. A beach means nothing to me personally. Being on a beach puts you at risk for something horrendous-a catastrophic hurricane. I think Charlotte's lakes are better than an ocean any day, and Charlotte will never have to face a 30 foot storm surge with 20 foot waves on top of that.

[derrickskugler]

Unifour - be careful labeling yourself a conservative on this board... you may get yourself kicked off!

In all seriousness, I agree, NYC is about as liberal as it gets. For anyone to say it's conservative is definately out of touch.

[Unifour]

Unifour - be careful labeling yourself a conservative on this board... you may get yourself kicked off!

In all seriousness, I agree, NYC is about as liberal as it gets. For anyone to say it's conservative is definately out of touch.

HAHA thanks for the warning! I've actually already been put on notice

New York is awe inspiring in what it has to offer, but it is not a place I'd ever want to live.

I don't think Florida is for me, but it is certainly a paradise. However, I like 4 seasons. I don't think Florida's weather automatically makes it the best place, but for those that like the sun, you would be hard pressed to beat it. The state is so large that it has many sizable cities and towns, but nearly all of them continue to grow so there is no reason to think that Jacksonville can't be one of the best southern cities. I'm more concerned about Jackson, Mississippi or Montgomery, Alabama growing into a prosperous southern city than I am Jacksonville-I think they've got it in the bag.

[monsoon]

Unifour - be careful labeling yourself a conservative on this board... you may get yourself kicked off!

....

We only kick off people for breaking the rules.

[Charlotteman]

Can someone post a link to see this project? Thanks:)

[Bucktown_Orl]

I think the rival has to be Tampa for Jax. Orlando is so different in almost every way. I always think of deep south when I think of Jax and Tampa, to me both cities just have an industrial dirty feel to them, whereas, Orlando, and Miami's tourism and faster growth and BIG city attractions such as shopping and food set them apart from Tampa and Jax. Not trying to bash Jax or Tampa, every city in Florida is different and the same in some way. Taking into account that both cities are in the same state, have NFL teams, similar urban feel,

both economies geared more towards bussiness rather than tourism, are both port cities, and that Orlando is rapidly running away as the 2nd major city in this state leads me to believe that Tampa and Jax are natural rivals. Now had that list been national rather than southern, I would have to say Jax is a Jr. Baltimore! And major props to Metrowester for the accurate data and insight on Orlando, and sorry to other forumers, we O-towners are very passionate about our up and coming city!!!!

[amato407]

I agree 100%. I moved from Orlando to Tampa and word on the street is that Tampa is very similar to JAX. Orlando and Miami are beginning to draw similar comparisons as well. Tampa is jealous of Orlando because of all the development that is happening. While Orlando will never be Miami, JAX and Tampa have been directly compared because of their southern roots. I didn't know what mudding was until I moved to Tampa.

Here are the comparisons in my opinion:

JAX vs. Tampa - both are supported by their industrial and financial economies.

Miami vs. Orlando - both are experiencing enormous growth and development and are more trendy that other cities in Florida. If you take out the tourist section of Orlando, and look at the places where locals hang out, you will see comparison with South Beach.

Orlando vs. Tampa - This is a heated rivalry. Everyone in Tampa is jealous that Orlando has more going in terms of downtown development and transportation and everyone in Orlando is jealous that Tampa has 3 major sports teams, a casino and draws more concerts than Orlando. Although, Orlando just announced the construction of a new PAC, arena and renovation of the stadium is also planned, so the sports and concerts aspects may change in the future.

[Bucktown_Orl]

I agree 100%. I moved from Orlando to Tampa and word on the street is that Tampa is very similar to JAX. Orlando and Miami are beginning to draw similar comparisons as well. Tampa is jealous of Orlando because of all the development that is happening. While Orlando will never be Miami, JAX and Tampa have been directly compared because of their southern roots. I didn't know what mudding was until I moved to Tampa.

Here are the comparisons in my opinion:

JAX vs. Tampa - both are supported by their industrial and financial economies.

Miami vs. Orlando - both are experiencing enormous growth and development and are more trendy that other cities in Florida. If you take out the tourist section of Orlando, and look at the places where locals hang out, you will see comparison with South Beach.

Orlando vs. Tampa - This is a heated rivalry. Everyone in Tampa is jealous that Orlando has more going in terms of downtown development and transportation and everyone in Orlando is jealous that Tampa has 3 major sports teams, a casino and draws more concerts than Orlando. Although, Orlando just announced the construction of a new PAC, arena and renovation of the stadium is also planned, so the sports and concerts aspects may change in the future.

[VistaLakes01]

Yeah I will admit a little bitterness towards not having an NFL team, and I did have to drive there to see 311 in concert, but the Ford amphiteater is nothing special and with our new arena and PAC in the works I think we in Orlando wont have to worry about leaving town for shows. We will have another pro team in the future, whether its NFL, IHL, or MLB, I dont know. Ive always liked certain parts of Tampa metro, and always have felt that what it has we dont and what we have it doesnt, not that big of a deal since its only 72 miles away. But in just a couple years I dont think Ill have to leave town for entertainment ever again!

For those of you who haven't been to Orlando recently you will be shocked, development is going bananas down here! And yes I know its that way everywhere as I was in Atlanta 2 weeks ago and saw some towers and plazas being built downtown and Miami a few months ago, the difference is relativity Orlando seems to be growing two fold where Miami and ATL are already huge.

[Bucktown_Orl]

I have to totally agree. The big difference in development in Atlanta, Miami and Orlando is the fact that Atlanta still looks like Atlanta, Miami still looks like Miami, but Orlando is ever-evolving and changing at this point in it's development. We really don't know what Orlando is like or looks like because the whole structure of the city is still developing. When I was a kid, Atlanta was big, Miami was big and Orlando was like Ocala.

[Spartan]

I have spent a lot of time in both Charlotte and Jacksonville (though probably more in Jax). To me, these cities feel very similar. They obvioulsy have a lot of differences economically, but I have personally witnessed growth in both cities/metro's and I have always comapred one to another. I think that if you go to one, and then the other you will see how they are similar. It would seem that even inspite of the many arguments on this thread, most people think Charlotte is the 'rival.'

I also thought that the Jaguars and the Panthers were rivals since they were both created the same year?

I take everything I have said about Charlotte having in common with Jacksonville in this thread back. I just finished a three day vacation seeing some friends in St Augustine and spent a little time in Jacksonville. I cannot believe how much growth there is. Not to the skyline, but to the city. It feels like a city. The skyline may not be tall, but it is more spread out by leaps and bounds. Plus, on the ground level, if you don't look up, you don't realize you've left the CBD when leaving the city. Charlotte feels a lot more suburban with huge spans of nothingness in between. I've lived in Charlotte and its suburbs as well having lived in Jacksonville and its suburbs over the last couple decades. I envisioned Charlotte of being such a larger city (metro-wise) because I have day by day seen the growth happening here. But since my last trip to Jax (in March) so much has changed. Bridges are going up in all directions; the interchange for 9A and 95 is one of the most gorgeous interchanges I've ever seen. While that isn't a measure of a city's size or power, it speaks well of the sense of pride Jax puts into its architecture. The bridges lit blue at night put a beautiful touch to the now bisected string of towers. I wish I had had my trusty camera on my side. I wish even harder that i didn't have to miss the Jaguars play the Panthers later today.

I know none of this has to do with a rivalry, but I figured I'd take back a lot of what I've said the two cities have in common. I can't let my dog swim in the ocean and chase birds at the beach in Charlotte.

[gotaimnow]

I have spent a lot of time in both Charlotte and Jacksonville (though probably more in Jax). To me, these cities feel very similar. They obvioulsy have a lot of differences economically, but I have personally witnessed growth in both cities/metro's and I have always comapred one to another. I think that if you go to one, and then the other you will see how they are similar. It would seem that even inspite of the many arguments on this thread, most people think Charlotte is the 'rival.'

I also thought that the Jaguars and the Panthers were rivals since they were both created the same year?

[Spartan]

Welcome to the forum gotaimnow!

[Mr Downtown]

From an outsider's perspective.. I would say that Jacksonville's rival would most likely be Orlando or Tampa. Yea, the panthers and the jags came into the NFL at the same time, but that hardly consitutes a rivalry beyond the football field.

[skycity]

Richmond should be on that poll before Charleston. Richmond is much bigger than Charleston. Also, what about Miami?

[krazeeboi]

Richmond should be on that poll before Charleston. Richmond is much bigger than Charleston. Also, what about Miami?