Neighborhoods

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=175 BGCOLOR="#000066" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <IMG SRC="04a7d9d0.jpg" border=0 width="125" height="157" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Maria Kieffer</B></div> <div> <B>Direct: 891-1248</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hablo Español"><U><IMG SRC="0b887170.jpg" border=0 width="135" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A><A HREF="default.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MariaKieffer.com"><U><IMG SRC="05c87170.jpg" border=0 width="135" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A><A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Featured Jacksonville Homes"><U><IMG SRC="04c87170.jpg" border=0 width="135" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A><IMG SRC="06487170.jpg" border=0 width="135" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="05d87170.jpg" border=0 width="135" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Find A Dream Home"><U><IMG SRC="04d87170.jpg" border=0 width="135" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A><A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Your Home Value"><U><IMG SRC="04e87170.jpg" border=0 width="135" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A><A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Services Explained"><U><IMG SRC="05187170.jpg" border=0 width="135" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A><A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Relocation"><U><IMG SRC="05287170.jpg" border=0 width="135" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A><A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Community Links"><U><IMG SRC="05487170.jpg" border=0 width="135" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A><A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Me"><U><IMG SRC="05587170.jpg" border=0 width="135" height="23" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> Website Designed by<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.realtyproductions.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.realtyproductions.com"><U><IMG SRC="06278320.jpg" border=0 width="120" height="50" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></FONT></div> <div> ©2000-03</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.realtyproductions.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.realtyproductions.com"><U>Realty Production Systems</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="06380803.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>MariaKieffer.com</B></FONT>  </div> <div> Neighborhoods</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="602" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 113 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="06bf46b0.jpg" border=0 width="500" height="107" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 707 WIDTH="596"><div> <B>The Beaches</B></div> <div> Beginning in the north at the mouth of the St. Johns River, you'll find Mayport, once a bustling fishing village now home to over 14,000 military personnel and civilians who work at the Mayport Naval Base. Mayport still has the charm of an old fishing village and features a number of fresh seafood restaurants and a commercial fishing district where shrimp boats can be seen daily heading out to or returning from sea. The only ferryboat operating in Florida makes numerous runs carrying cars and passangers from Mayport across the river to Heckscher Drive. If it's gambling you like, a cruise ship featuring dining and a number of Casino games departs from Mayport daily. Deep-sea charter boats are available for deep-sea fishing. </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Jacksonville Beach - Neptune Beach - Atlantic Beach</B></div> <div> <B>St. Johns County / Ponte Vedra Beach and Sawgrass</B></div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="jax_beach"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Jacksonville Beach</B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > is the oldest and with a population of more than 20,000, the largest of Duval County beaches. It has a greater mix of residential, commercial, retail and industrial areas than other areas of the beaches. Much of the beaches commercial area is located on Third Street and while the bustling business environment adds to the atmosphere and economic well-being of the city, it offers a myriad of shopping, dining and entertainment options.</FONT></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="atlantic_beach"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Atlantic Beach</B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > is home to the beautiful Selva Marina Country Club community and Fleet Landing, a lakefront retirement community whose residents are primarily retired professionals from the military services and government, their spouses and widows. </FONT></div> <div> Where Neptune and Atlantic beaches meet, referred to locals as "The Corner," are some of the most popular restaurants, including a brewery, and entertainment spots residents love to frequent. Along Atlantic Boulevard and A1A is an abundance of restaurants, strip malls, hotels and churches. </div> <div> <B> <A NAME="neptune_baech"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Neptune Beach</B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > shares many of the attributes of Atlantic Beach. Many of the oceanfront homes that line the beach are rented for summer visitors, causing the normal population of approximately 7,600 to more than double in summer months. Like Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach is fully developed with some light rail services located mainly along A1A. Home prices vary again according to proximity to the ocean. Stretching from the ocean to the Intracoastal, its neighborhoods are diverse and are home to renters, families and retired couples. </FONT></div> <div> <B></B><B>St. Johns County - Ponte Vedra Beach - </B><B> <A NAME="sawgrass"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Sawgrass</B></div> <div> Ponte Vedra Beach and Sawgrass are located in the northeast corner of St. Johns County, south of Jacksonville Beach along A1A. The community stretches along five miles of the Atlantic Ocean, aside carefully preserved wetlands. Many new apartment communities have been built in this area in the last few years. St. Johns County is the home of PGA TOUR and the ATP Association of Tennis Professionals headquarters. Annual tournaments attract people from around the world. There are more than 150 holes of golf and 60 tennis courts. Public beach access is limited.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 248 WIDTH="596"><div> <B>Mandarin & Southside</B></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="mandarin_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Mandarin</B> </div> <div> Just north of the St. Johns County line is the beginning of Mandarin. During the last decade, the Mandarin area has undergone the greatest growth of any community in Jacksonville. Located at the southern end of Duval County with the St. Johns River as its eastern boundary, Mandarin is also one of the oldest areas of Jacksonville, having been settled before Jacksonville was founded. The community, home to almost every kind of business and service, had been a rural community until the end of the 1960s, when developers began building homes. Now throughout the area are many types of residential neighborhoods, including some of Jacksonville's most affluent. The area is marked by huge oaks and sizeable estates. Highway 13 leads through the heart of Mandarin, intersecting with I-295, making access to other areas of the city a breeze. In spite of rapid development, the Mandarin Community Club works diligently to maintain the integrity of the community. The entire community is viewed as maintaining or increasing its value.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 213 WIDTH="596"><div> <B> <A NAME="southside"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Southside</B></div> <div> Beginning close to downtown with I-95 as its western boundary, extending to the east as far as St. Johns Bluff Road; extending from Atlantic Boulevard in the north, to the St. Johns County line in the south, Southside is such a large area and is composed of so many neighborhoods, retail areas and office parks, it defies description as its own residential entity. </div> <div> Housing ranges from single family homes to apartment communities and condominiums in new and old developments offering something for everyone. Residents enjoy local golf courses, abundant restaurants and entertainment spots, and there is easy access to any part of town or the beaches via the many major routes including Beach Boulevard and J. Turner Butler, major east-west corridors, and the north-south corridor of Southside Boulevard, which continues northward into Arlington to the Dames Point Bridge. Churches representing many denominations call Southside home. </div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 1731 WIDTH="596"><bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="historic_jacksonville"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Historic Jacksonville</B></div> <div> Jacksonville's many historic neighborhoods bring a variety of interesting historical homes and landmarks. These neighborhoods feature a number of homes listed in the National Trust Of Historic Preservation.</div> <div> Over the last few years, many individuals and investors have been buying old homes within those historic districts. A large number have been restored and are now being occupied by individuals, couples and families. Some located on busy streets were converted to professional offices housing attorneys, doctors, dentists, real estate offices and architects. </div> <bR> <div> <B>San Marco</B></div> <div> The San Marco area, located along the river and near downtown, was developed at the same time as Riverside/Avondale. Centered around the San Marco shopping district, homes in the area range from Mediterranean-style homes built in the 1920s to homes recently renovated or rebuilt. In addition to the shopping village featuring old-fashioned street lamps and an historic fountain and an array of unique and elegant shops, San Marco is home to Theatre Jacksonville, Southside Baptist Church and several beautiful parks. The neighborhood hosts a number of special activities and festivities during the year. </div> <div> This much sought-after neighborhood can no longer grow in size but has however consistently appreciated from year to year. High society of yesteryear and modern times come together in a charmingly understated community called San Marco. The real estate market in San Marco is extremely active, most properties selling within weeks of marketing. The reason is simple... few houses for sale and a waiting list of buyers. People seeking to buy in San Marco must be patient and act quickly whenever a property is placed on the market for sale.</div> <div> San Marco is also much more than houses. Its bustling business/fine arts district attracts thousands of locals and visitors each day where we find casual, yet sophisticated diners and cafes. Art lovers love the galleries within its borders and check out the marquis at Theatre Jacksonville, home to the nations oldest continuously operating community theatre group. You can even catch a movie at the San Marco Theatre, which opened in 1938.</div> <div> The earliest beginnings of San Marco were in the affairs of a 19th century socialite named Martha Reed Mitchell, wife of millionaire railroad tycoon Alexander Mitchell. The Mitchells fell in love with the area, then called Oklahoma. Mrs Mitchell persuaded her husband to buy a 140-acre tract of land along the St. Johns River, which she soon transformed into an elaborate setting for the couple's winter palace, which was named "Villa Alexandria."</div> <div> After Mrs Mitchell passed away several events in the first quarter of this century caused a boom in residential building. World War I brought ships workers by the thousands to support the war effort in Jacksonville's ports. The opening of the St. Johns River Bridge and the expansion of the railroad system make transportation into the area easier.</div> <div> During the mid 1920's, real estate developer Telfair Stockton proposed an 80-acre subdivision. The triangular shaped commercial district called "San Marco Square" was designed and named after the famous St. Mark's Square in Venice. Just before the Stock Market Crash of 1929, Telfair Stockton makes plans to purchase and redevelop Villa Alexandria. It is here that the mansions of San Marco's new wealthy citizen still stand, including those of John and Carl Swisher of the famous King Edward Cigar Company.</div> <div> Today, San Marco remains one of the few areas that has managed to make room for modern advancements, without relinquishing its old world charm.</div> <div> <B>St. Nicholas</B></div> <div> Located at the Northern point of the St. Johns River, St. Nicholas was so named by the Spanish around 1740. The Spanish built a fort at this southern shore after 1783 and made it a strategic battery for guarding the river crossing against the British, and as well an important northerly point of defense for St. Augustine. </div> <div> One of the richest collections of Jacksonville's remaining century-old houses can be found on this crescent of land along the south bank of the St. Johns River from Palmer Terrace to Clifton. </div> <div> <B>Riverside</B></div> <div> In close proximity to downtown, this area on the Westside was part of the original city of Jacksonville and offers a picturesque setting of stately oaks and scenic river views. Situated between the St. Johns River and Roosevelt Boulevard, this area provides cultural diversity, historic architecture and an urban feel. </div> <div> Riverside has become an attractive neighborhood to young professionals who want a short commute to downtown and are interested in renovating an old home. There are many homes to choose from, including modest bungalows, small duplexes, apartments and condominiums, elegantly restored homes and waterfront estates </div> <div> <B>Avondale</B></div> <div> Southward along the river is Avondale, part of the same National Historic District as Riverside. Avondale features even more stately mansions than its neighbor, many of these built in the prosperous 1920's reflecting the Mediterranean Revival style as well as Tudor, Norman and other European styles. Avondale has maintained a unique village atmosphere and family environment through the years. </div> <div> The focal point of the neighborhood is the shops of Avondale featuring trendy gourmet restaurants and an array of specialty shops and boutiques. The lifestyle of its residents is enhanced with the presence of over a dozen parks, which provide tennis, softball fields, and plenty of paths for jogging, walking and hiking. </div> <div> Residents of Avondale also enjoy close proximity to downtown Jacksonville. You'll find apartment buildings, condominiums, small bungalows,and large, stately homes in the area. </div> <div> <B>Ortega</B></div> <div> Long considered home to "Old Jacksonville," Ortega is located on a peninsula between the Ortega and St. Johns Rivers, bordered on the west by Roosevelt Boulevard. The area is expericing an influx of young upper to middle-income professionals who are finding a wide selection of home styles and close proximity to boating and golfing as well as convenience to downtown offices. Stately oaks overhang the winding main thoroughfare, which still offers some of the most breathtaking views of the Jacksonville skyline the city has to offer. </div> <div> Some larger estates have sold portions of real estate to make way for new homes; however, Ortega has been developed for many years. Families tend to stay in Ortega and as a result, fewer homes are sold on the open market than in newer areas. </div> <div> <B>Springfield</B> </div> <div> Historic Springfield and Downtown are defined by I-295 to the west, the Trout River to the north and the St. Johns River to the south and east. </div> <div> Downtown and Springfield offer opportunities for entertainment and the convenience of living near Jacksonville's business district. Preservation has been a catalyst in the revitalization of Springfield, located just north of the Downtown business district. </div> <div> Springfield is the largest residential historic district in Florida with wide streets and blocks of architecturally distinguished houses.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Norville Realty, Inc.</B></div> <div> <B>1938 Hamilton Street, Jacksonville, FL 32210</B></div> <div> <B>Off: (904) 388-4400  Fax: (904) 388-8888 Toll Free: 1-866-NORVILLE</B></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>