Only 15 minutes from downtown Jacksonville and just east over the beautiful Intracoastal Waterway, things are a little bit different. Cooler ocean breezes and seemingly brighter blue sky, it’s the contagious, the "Island" state of mind that makes the community one you’ll love to call home.
Collectively known as the "beaches", the community is made up of 3 municipalities- Atlantic Beach in the north, Neptune Beach and Jacksonville Beach to the south- that together create an eclectic mix of residential, commercial, cultural and recreational space everyone can enjoy.
One of the few non-touristy beaches left in Florida, Jacksonville’s beaches share 20 miles of sandy coast with the great Atlantic Ocean- and little else. Here, visitors are welcomed like family and residents enjoy a lot of elbow room for daytime activities and nighttime diversions.
Each individual community has its own personality, history and style, creating an environment where everyone is welcome and everyone is equally at home.
Atlantic Beach, the northern most neighborhood, is predominately residential with an eclectic mix of Cape Cod-like cottages and seaside villas. The community is anchored by a bustling village town center packed with unique boutiques and eateries- all within strolling distance of the ocean. Nearby Mayport, an old fishing village and site of a beautifully preserved 1850’s lighthouse, is home to the largest naval base on the East Coast and to the Kathryn Abby Hannah Park, a 450 acre oceanfront preserve/park.
Neptune Beach is a close-knit, family oriented community dominated by neighborhood schools and public parks. Homes are nestled within tree-lined neighborhoods where kids ride their bikes and play with nearby friends. On a given evening, you can catch a little league baseball game or pick up a game of hoops. Neptune Beach is also a lively center for professional services available for the entire beach community-many family owned and operated.
Jacksonville Beach, the oldest community, is a thriving commercial center and entertainment Mecca for all of Jacksonville and the First Coast. Most of the oceanfront hotels and condominiums reside here, flanked by quaint, single family homes and apartment buildings featuring beach style architecture of decades ago. Many local icons stand as reminders to the area’s heritage, including a historic watchtower original to the 1947 American Red Cross Lifeguard Station at the end of Beach Boulevard. Currently, a $6 million redevelopment project is underway which includes reconstruction of an old favorite fishing pier and a new park. Visitors and residents flock to Jacksonville Beach for great antique and boutique shopping, art galleries and all-season, open air concerts and festivals including symphony performances, summer films, spring blues festivals and so much more.
Welcome to Jacksonville’s beaches. Welcome home.