Florida’s northernmost metropolis is also one of its most southern cities, which sounds contradictory. But then, Jacksonville abounds in delightful contradictions.
She may have made Queen Victoria weep, written the best-selling book of the 19th century, and been told by Lincoln she was the woman “that started this great war,” but my favorite thing aboutYou see, in the years after the Civil War, Stowe moved to Mandarin across the river from Jacksonville. Long before Palm Beach and Miami were twinkles in Henry Flagler’s hungry eyes, tourists flocked to the Jacksonville area.
On a misty Thursday afternoon a couple of weeks ago, I parked my rental car on a nearby street lined with live oaks and Acadian houses putting on airs. It was my final stop before heading to the airport, a last stab at finding the traces of old Jacksonville in my few days visiting for our series on underrated destinations,Florida's most populous city
While many people visiting Jacksonville with time to kill would pop up to Cumberland Island and see the wild horses or to more upscale Amelia Island, or even down to historic St. Augustine, I was determined to stay within the confines of Jacksonville itself. My home for those few days was just off the historic center and on the riverfront—theOne afternoon, I took a river boat tour with the St. Johns River Taxi. My guide was a guy named Monty.
I asked one of the front desk workers why bookstores of such breadth are here in Jacksonville. Her response? “Jacksonville is pretty sleepy so people have a lot of time to read, and there are a lot of strange people.” There is a sleepiness to the area, which if you want a city that’s buzzing and exciting might disappoint you, but for those looking for somewhere relaxed, there’s tremendous appeal.
The neighborhood of LaVilla doesn’t look like much these days. It’s identical to any number of city neighborhoods nationwide ravaged by freeways and neglect—as well as the 1901 Jacksonville fire, the third worst city conflagration in U.S. history. Except LaVilla was once the center of Black life in Jacksonville, and thus, depending who you ask, at the center of Black life in America at the turn of the century. Ray Charles, Ma Rainey, and Zora Neale Hurston all spent formative years here.
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