THE MANY SIDES OF JACKSONVILLE

Our downtown spans the Northbank and Southbank at a narrow spot on the St. Johns River. You might be going downtown in these parts, but never uptown.

Just north of there is historic Springfield. North Jacksonville goes from the Trout River to the Nassau County line and from New Kings Road on the west to the Intracoastal Waterway.

Westside runs from Riverside Avenue west to Baker County and from Interstate 10 to Clay County.

Arlington, our "eastside" (but we don't call it that), is bordered by the river on the west and north and the Intracoastal on the east. Southside, a huge area that runs on both sides of the river from Arlington south to Baymeadows Road and the St. Johns County line, includes such diverse areas as San Jose, San Marco and the St. Johns Bluff Road area.

Mandarin is the area south of Baymeadows, bordered by Philips Highway to the west and Julington Creek to the south. The Beaches are bordered by the Intracoastal and the Atlantic Ocean.

COMMUNITIES OFFER INDIVIDUAL CHARMS

This corner of the world may be spread out, but you can find your own niche within one of our many towns, cities and neighborhoods.

It's that wide range of lifestyles that helps draw residents to the First Coast. But the area's expanse can make finding your way a difficult task. Names such as the Westside, Baymeadows, Gateway, Murray Hill, Arlington or Loretto may pinpoint that particular area for the people who live there, yet be meaningless to newcomers or those not familiar with that part of town.

These brief capsules of many of our communities give a glimpse of the people who live there, work there and raise their families there.  You'll discover the Jacksonville neighborhoods of San Marco and Riverside, both treasure troves of interesting architecture. You'll get closer to the history of St. Augustine in St. Johns County and the Springfield area of Jacksonville. You'll find many interesting people and places, plus homes in a wide range of prices - sometimes in unexpected places.

The capsules also include information about schools, commercial and retail resources and where the communities are headed.  Argyle residents, for example, are experiencing an explosion of interest in their Clay County-Duval County neighborhood since the opening of Branan Field-Chaffee Road. Realtors in Jacksonville's Moncrief neighborhood are seeing a new sense of pride among residents and clients as they work to improve their community. Civic leaders in traditionally rural areas such as Yulee in Nassau County are working now so that they can accommodate expected population surges.

In this corner of the world, there are diverse places and a diverse population - with some embracing the past, some embracing growth, but all embracing the individuality of their communities.

FIRST COAST HOUSING OPTIONS

Drive any direction from downtown Jacksonville and you'll see new construction and homes on the market - beginning with downtown itself.  New luxury condominiums and loft conversions are changing the face of downtown geographically and demographically. All the while, new developments are spreading in all directions extending into neighboring Nassau, Clay, St. Johns and Baker counties.

For families looking for a newly constructed home, the search was made easier by the number of single-family homes coming on line. Single-family residential permits for the first three quarters in 2004 were 10,646, compared to 9,689 for the first three quarters of 2003.

Resale homes move quickly, too. In some parts of town, homes sell before the sign goes in the ground. According to the Florida Association of Realtors, Florida reported an 18 percent gain in the number of existing single-family homes sold - 73,437 homes changed hands during the second quarter of 2004, which surpassed the first two quarters of 2003 by 15,000 homes.

Statewide, the median sales price rose 18 percent to reach $181,800. Statistics compiled for 2003 indicate a more affordable home climate in the Jacksonville MSA. The median price rose to $166,700 compared to $124,400 in 2002. The increase in the number of new and resale homes sold in the Jacksonville MSA in the first two quarters of 2004 was a 7.3 percent increase over the same time period in 2003, from 11,436 in 2003 to 12,271 in 2004.

Analysts often rank Jacksonville high in job growth and housing affordability. St. Johns County has the distinction of being one of the fastest-growing 100 counties in the United States. Ranked No. 38, it is one of nine Florida counties on the national list.

Primary housing options in Jacksonville include single-family residences, multi-family residences, apartment dwellings and manufactured housing. Data from the 2000 Census indicate there are 468,163 housing units of all types in the Jacksonville MSA.

Single-family housing in the area comes in all price ranges. Homes in upscale communities range in price from the mid-$150,000s to more than $6 million. These upscale communities are found throughout the First Coast and generally offer amenities such as access to navigable waterways, a country club, golf course, various recreational opportunities and organized social activities for residents.

The area's housing market offers opportunities for homeownership in the affordable range as well as in the higher-priced range. Whether in a master-planned community or established neighborhood, home prices on the First Coast generally remain below the state median, and home buyers still can find reasonable housing options.

Historic areas are benefiting from in-fill construction activity. New homes are being built on vacant lots or to replace demolished houses. Historic areas such as Springfield are coming back to life through the efforts of private enterprise and the city's completion of projects under the Better Jacksonville Plan.

The multi-family housing opportunities continue to increase, too, as new apartment complexes are being built and existing ones renovated. According to the Duval County Property Appraisers office, there was a total of 240,755 property parcels containing single-family homes, mobile homes and condominiums. There also were a total of 93,639 units in duplexes, triplexes, quadruplexes and apartments ac-cording to the 2004 tax rolls.

Apartment homes also are available in all price ranges and sizes.

There are more than 35,669 mobile homes on the First Coast. Many are sited in the 356 communities and manufactured housing parks found in the five-county area.

The climate in Northeast Florida - business and weather - brings hundreds of new residents into the area weekly. The demand for housing is being met with a variety of options and a range of prices.