Jacksonville

Located on the Atlantic Coast, only approximately thirty miles south of Georgia, Jacksonville is the third largest city on the east coast. Jax, as it is affectionately known, has a subtropical climate – this translates into warm, lovely winters and hot, humid summers. This year round sunshine makes it a popular city to visit anytime of the year. This city straddles the St. Johns River, and this dynamic city has revamped its waterfront to include bars, nightclubs, restaurants, shops, walkways, bike paths, and many other tourist areas as well.

This city used to exclusively cater to the Navy and other large business, but Jacksonville’s reinvention of itself now provides fun options for the tourist. The beaches on the eastern portion of the city are very nice and worth the day trip; and the downtown area is revitalized by the inception of Jacksonville Landing and the Southbank Riverwalk. These two areas possess bars, restaurants, and shops; these areas are always buzzing on the weekends and after work on the weekdays. Southbank Riverwalk is about a 1.2 mile stretch of walkways, bike paths, shops, restaurants, and boutiques. Southbank Riverwalk also hosts the occasional Seafood and Performing Arts Festivals; but by far the biggest attraction to this area is the Museum of Science and History. This museum has interactive exhibits for all, and has a very cheap ticket price. Downtown Jacksonville rather resembles Miami’s Bayside and New York City’s South Street Seaport region – areas that, although are popular with tourists, are very popular with locals too that are looking for a good night out on the town. There are many interesting restaurants in the downtown region that are only unique to Jacksonville. Furthermore, the Jacksonville Landing hosts concerts, festivals, and other special events throughout the week. We highly recommend you visit downtown Jacksonville, and to get ideas about where to eat, what to do, or where to stay, use our “Things to Do”, “Places to Eat”, and “Places to Stay” options found on our homepage.

Jacksonville also has a world class Zoo – who would have suspected as much? The Jacksonville Zoos is one of the best Zoos in Florida (barring Animal Kingdom and Busch Gardens – both of which are affiliated with major theme parks) and it has truly developed into a mighty attraction. There are many exotic animals here, and the layout of the Zoo allows people to get very close to the animals. Admission is pretty cheap, and it is a great way to spend the afternoon.

Shopping is a fun pastime in Jacksonville – there are malls that represent the major franchises, which you can find anywhere in America and most likely near your hometown, but for one of a kind finds, head to the very Mediterranean-esque San Marco Square, which sells antiques, unique home furnishings, clothing books, and vintage records. There are many cafes, art galleries, and boutiques in the Avondale/Riverside area, and the Five Points on Park Street is an eclectic, funky, hip area that has trendy stores and vintage clothiers.

Jacksonville has a robust LGBT community, and there are many gay owned and operated business throughout the city. Jacksonville hosts major Pride Festivals throughout the year ( see the article here). The city is very friendly towards the LGBT community, and has a large residential gay and lesbian population. There are some fantastic nightclubs that cater to men/women only clientele, and many more nightclubs that are gay friendly. The nightlife in Jacksonville is very lively and entertaining, see our “Things to Do” option and our Calendar of Events Article to help plan your activities during your stay in lovely Jacksonville!

Florida Tourists Guide