Jacksonville Florida's largest city

[FLORIDA SKYRISE ORDER]

I voted no for the following reasons:

*Though Jax is the largest city in population because its boundaries was extended to include all of Duval County, it is apparent that if the old boundaries was still the political rule, Jax would probably be the third or fourth largest city in population in Florida.

*Take away the extended boundaries and Jax bareley has a population of 200,000 people; look up the populations of Jax's political districts or neighborhoods within the old city boundaries, add them up, and you will see that a total population of just over 200,000 is the rule.

*Miami is clearly the top city, and largest City in population in Florida keepin the traditional rule of old city boundaries without consolidation in effect.

*You can see, from judging skyline, businesses, tourism, etc., that Jax is not the largest City in Florida. Again, if the old city boundaries were there....Jax would definitely not be in the top three largest cities.

*Much more than just population, in my opinion, makes a city the largest and most populous. You must take into effect the amenities available to not only the locals but to neighboring counties and visitors. Jax lacks severely in a lot these areas and amenities. Though Jax is on the upswing, and will be a stauch compeititor, adversary and threat to Miami and Tampa after the superbowl, it is still considered a corn pone, paper mill stanking, red neck, backwoods, chitlin eatin, southern big city small town that knows nothing and will ever know nothing.

I was born in Jacksonville. I love the City immensely. I just moved from being in Fort Lauderdale for 10 years, to now Sarasota, and though these two cities, though different in population, have much more to offer than Jax. I root for Jax all the time in everything that it does. But until City leaders widen their focus and receptiveness to big business and stop thinking in a restricted, small image vain, nothing extremely big will ever happen in Jacksonville and it will remain the big city with a small town attitude for all eternity.

FLORIDA SKYRISE ORDER

[bobliocatt]

Sarasota offers more? From my trips there, I've always viewed Sarasota as a small town, with a big skyline, and not much else to do. In other words, its always felt like a rich version of Lakeland.

Fort Lauderdale (Broward County), on the other hand is almost twice the size of Duval County in population, so I'd expect them to have more. However, for all the entertainment they have in Broward, what Jax does have over them, is a large collection architecturally distinct urban neighborhoods.

[Urban_Legend]

....is still considered a corn pone, paper mill stanking, red neck, backwoods, chitlin eatin, southern big city small town that knows nothing and will ever know nothing....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What pray-tell is wrong with eating chitlins?!?!

[bobliocatt]

I don't know, I eat them and I know a of people in Tampa, Orlando, Miami, Atlanta, New Orleans, Columbia and even Detroit (just to name a few cities) who eat them too.

Fix me a big plate of chitlins, collard greens & white rice with a big slice of cornbread and you'll make me a very happy man. However, as much as an urbanite as I am, I won't touch sushi with a ten foot pole. I guess its different strokes for different folks.

[sunshine]

What is chitlin?

I love sushi

[Urban_Legend]

Lakelander, you've got me cravin' some Soul Food! This is kinda off-topic, but where are some really nice and tasty Soul Food places in Jax?

[bobliocatt]

Carl's Main Street Restaurant on the corner Main & 8th Street, in Springfield, is a pretty good soul food restuarant. They have a killer all-you-can-eat buffet on Sundays.

[FLORIDA SKYRISE ORDER]

Good. I knew I'd get you guys going with calling Jax names. Jax is my city, and I am a southern man too. I wanted to see who was real and who wasn't.

I've eaten it all, love it all, and the south has surely risen when I finish eating a big plate of collard greens, hamhocks, rice, chitlins, fried chicken, fried okra, and whatever else they throw on the plate. Hmm, Hmm! Lord help us.

FLORIDA SKYRISE ORDER

[93sportie]

Good.  I knew I'd get you guys going with calling Jax names.  Jax is my city, and I am a southern man too.  I wanted to see who was real and who wasn't. 

I've eaten it all, love it all, and the south has surely risen when I finish eating a big plate of collard greens, hamhocks, rice, chitlins, fried chicken, fried okra, and whatever else they throw on the plate.  Hmm, Hmm!  Lord help us.

FLORIDA SKYRISE ORDER

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Love everything but the chitlins.If ya gotta ask what they are,ya don't wanna know.

[JaxInvestor]

Lakelander, you've got me cravin' some Soul Food!  This is kinda off-topic, but where are some really nice and tasty Soul Food places in Jax?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He was in the Times-Union right after Christmas

Carl's a Staple in Springfield

[sunshine]

Sorry for my ignorance, I have seen several places in Orlando that sell soul food, never tried it because I dont know what to they serve. Can someone tell me about it?

Before I actually saw the word "soul" food, I always assume people are talking about Korean food because of Seoul.

[bobliocatt]

The term "Soul Food" originated from the cuisine developed by the African slaves mainly from the American South. Soul food developed from the meager food ingredients available to the slave and sharecropper black families.

Certain kinds of Soul Food include Black Eye Peas, Seafood Gumbo, Chopped BBQ, Fried Catfish, Fried Chicken, Chitlins, Collard Greens, Fried Cabbage, Fried Pork Chop, Fired Okra, BBQ Pigs Feet, Candied Yams and Potato Salad. Man, writing this post is making me hungry.

[sunshine]

How do u cook Collard Green? and I am not eating pig feet....

[Brickell]

it's pretty much the same as spinach. in fact, a lot of places just call them greens and hey can be collard, mustard, spinach, whatever.

boil it to a nice mushy consistency, add salt

or if you prefer...

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Vegetables/CollardGreens.htm

[Fruit Cove]

ive never hadd collared greens in the south, only in baltimore, md at lexington market. if youve never been to lexington you should definately go, its quite an experience.

[Viper]

I consider Jax the 4th largest in Florida.

I determine this by urban population, city population, metro population and business market.

[monsoon]

How do u cook Collard Green? and I am not eating pig feet....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Here is monsoon's Favorite Collard Greens recipe.

Wash the greens (in case you didn't now )

Cut them up. Discard any big stalks.

Slice up (not chopped) about 7-8 good sized cloves of garlic. Mix together 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Heat 2-3 table spoons of peanut (or simlar) oil in a frying pan or wok. Saute the garlic until brown. Toss in the cut up greens and cook until wilted some. Then add the Soy mixture and cook for a couple of more minutes.

Serve with a side of Texas Pete (actually a NC product) pepper vinegar.

Yummmmm.

[Fruit Cove]

a winston-salem product to be exact.

[Charleston native]

I believe that Jacksonville is the biggest and BEST city in Florida. I hope to move down there and settle down someday. The population of the city proper is the biggest and in my opinion, has the most to offer for new families and businesses in Florida.

[RiversideGator]

Y'all come on down, Charleston

[Charleston native]

Y'all come on down, Charleston

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't worry, I will make my best effort! If I get into Florida Coastal Law School down there, we will be more than happy to make Jax home this year.

This is just following up on what Florida Skyrise posted earlier about Jax being a big city with a small-town attitude: dude, that's why I love the city! Many people want to live there because the citizens make it so pleasant to live in. It is like being in Charleston, only bigger and more modern. The people down there are very friendly, which is not the case in Florida when you get down to Orlando, Tampa, and Miami. Also, because Jacksonville is near the Georgia border, you don't feel isolated; you feel like you're part of a bigger country with other cities nearby like Savannah, Charleston, and Tallahassee.

[F-L-A]

May I ask how you came to the conclusion that Jax is the only "friendly" city in the entire state of Florida?

And there's no reason to feel isolated in the rest of Florida. If you're in Central Florida, you have two major cities an hour away from each other, which are both bigger than Jax itself or any city near it. Not to mention St. Pete and Daytona. From Jax, the closest major city would be.... Orlando, one of the two cities mentioned. But both Orlando to the South and Atlanta to the North are considerably far away. If you're in South Florida, you're in an even denser area. Sure, you'd have to drive through the entire state just to get out of it, but if you really wanted to get somewhere, why would you be driving to begin with? Planes were invented for a reason.

[Charleston native]

May I ask how you came to the conclusion that Jax is the only "friendly" city in the entire state of Florida?

And there's no reason to feel isolated in the rest of Florida. If you're in Central Florida, you have two major cities an hour away from each other, which are both bigger than Jax itself or any city near it. Not to mention St. Pete and Daytona. From Jax, the closest major city would be.... Orlando, one of the two cities mentioned. But both Orlando to the South and Atlanta to the North are considerably far away. If you're in South Florida, you're in an even denser area. Sure, you'd have to drive through the entire state just to get out of it, but if you really wanted to get somewhere, why would you be driving to begin with? Planes were invented for a reason.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When I say that people are friendly, I can point out several ways that people in Jax tend to show it more than in other cities. People there look you in the eye and say hello, people talk and ask how are you when you're pumping gas off of Butler Blvd., people are more considerate in traffic jams, people hold doors open for each other, and you can have conversations with complete strangers in the malls or restaurants. It reminds me of my hometown!

As far as the isolation, I'm not saying that Orlando or Tampa are way out in the woods! All I'm saying is that Jax has proximity to other cities in other states. Its not just limited to cities in Florida. Its kind of neat how its located. It has proximity to many other places in Florida, yet it also is nearby other cities in other states. That's all I mean by isolation...maybe I should have used a different word.

[miamistreets]

You know,the first time I saw Miami's population I was shocked to see how little bit of numbers there were.I thought it was a more populated city.But then i figured its 'cause they consider Miami the little 80 something square mile city.

That kind of sucks 'cause because of that Miami isnt really recognized as a big city.(i think).(In my opinion)it'd be good if they'd unite Hialeah,Miami Beach,etc. I think it'd show a way higher population number.(just a thought)

[bobliocatt]

If Miami was 80 square miles, it would be the largest city in the state. Currently its only 36 square miles.