Have you ever just wanted to pick up your life and go? Just find a new fun, progressive and happening area to call home or work from a new location during this work from home era. Well I did just that and spent a week living and working remote from Jacksonville Florida. The city of Jacksonville has been revamped, it is such a beautiful city, combining both the laid back feel of the South, the hustle and bustle of big city life and beautiful beaches all within reach you will quickly fall in love. Before I left for my adventure I took this quiz to help me figure out where I wanted to plant roots for the week, it also put in perspective how much cheaper the cost of living is compared to other larger cities I once called home. Not to mention, there is little to no traffic, if you like having a packed social calendar there is always something to do ( I will dive into that a little later, keep reading), there is so much diversity and you can now file Jacksonville under one of the largest communities for location independent professionals! Aka digital nomads —like myself. Digital nomads are those who can work anywhere there is WiFi. This area of Northeast Florida s chalk full of freelance artist, creatives like myself and entrepreneurs working off of a computer screen.
Cool places for young professionals to work remote
Urban Grind Coffee Company 45 W. Bay St., Downtown Jacksonville Instagrammable Spot: Greenery garden with exposed brick and fire pit
Southern Grounds 3562 St. Johns Ave., Avondale @southerngroundsco Instagrammable Spot: “Gather Together” greenery wall
The Bread & Board 1030 Oak St, Jacksonville
Arepa Please 474 Riverside Ave., @arepaplease Instagrammable Spot: Mural on the side of Arepa Please
Tossgreen 501 Riverside Ave., @tossgreen
Good Dough 1636 Hendricks Ave. @Gooddough Instagrammable Spot: Mural on the side of Good Dough ” Hello San Marco”
Things to do in Jacksonville
CUMMER MUSEUM
829 Riverside Ave, Jacksonville
The largest fine arts museum in the region beautifully positioned on the water the Cummer houses more than 5,000 works of art, spanning from 2100 BC through the 21st Century. Young professionals take advantage of the museum’s free Tuesdays to enjoy the museum, café and their riverfront Italian, English and Olmsted Gardens. Instagram which make for the perfect backdrop to your next Instagram photo!
My favorite museum display was from the talented Zanele Muholi Somnyama Ngonyama, Zulu for Hail the Dark Lioness. It is a photographic series by the South African visual activist, it was impressive and drove to think outside the box.
Art Bikes
We picked the perfect day to take go riding, the weather was perfect! We rented electric bikes from Open Road Bicycles. These electric bikes are customized by local artists giving you an eclectic and unique front row seat to tour the city. Depending on which bike you choose you will be turning heads as you zip through neighborhoods and parks, it is a great way to cover more ground exploring. Fun Fact: Jacksonville is the most populous city in Florida and is the largest developed city by area in the United States as of 2020.
Downtown Jacksonville Riverwalk
If you are looking for a light stroll or somewhere to pass the time the riverwalk is the perfect place. This 3 mile stretch is located between the North and Southbanks on either side of the St. Johns river. You will enjoy views of skylines, if you are lucky you may spot a dolphin or manatees. The Main Street and Acosta Bridges help walkers and runners navigate both banks of the river. (NOTE: as with most growing cities, there is a lot of construction in downtown Jacksonville so refer to a map in the event one of the bridges is closed when you visit. Some must see spots along the river walk include:
• Mirrored River – a mural under the Main Street Bridge. The mosaic stretches 64 feet in mirror, ceramic and glass tile and pebbles forming a satellite image of the St. Johns River. It is one of the most photographed destinations in Jacksonville.
• Corkscrew Park – Under the Acosta Bridge, near CSX HQ and the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts, the outdoor gym features workout equipment and amenities include free weights, ropes, pull up bars, etc. in an open-air setting. Open all day long, the free-reign equipment is set up beginning at 9 a.m.
• Love Locks Bridge/David Nackashi sidewalk mural – My fiancé and I wrote our names on a lock and attached it to the bridge, it gave me butterflies and will make for the perfect memory everytime we travel over that bridge. You can also lock your love forever along with my lock and hundreds of others on the fencing above the St. Johns River. If you don’t want to add a lock to the bridge no worries, head down that way for a beautiful and brightly colored mural adorning the sidewalk by local artist, Nackashi, inspired by the reflection of the downtown buildings.
• Commerce along the river – Jacksonville is growing! Along the Brooklyn stretch of Riverwalk toward Riverside, the world’s largest fintech company, FIS, is building its 12-story, 300,000 square foot headquarters, alongside the headquarters to Black Knight, Fidelity National Financial, Haskell and TIAA Bank. If you are looking for a new career that walk might be a great opportunity to scope out a potential employer!
Candle Making!
Wick A Candle Bar 1641 Hendricks Ave., San Marco
You know they say that scent brings about the fondest memory. Every time my fiancé and I light our candles we think of the amazing time we spent in Jacksonville. Wick is a scent driven pour your own natural soy candle making experience with 90+ fragrances from which to choose from to make your very own custom scent. The candle-making process takes about 30 minutes or more if you are indecisive about your scent like me haha and 90 minutes to cool. I chose a scent reminiscent of a mans cologne by mixing rain, bergamot and leather!
- During the downtime while you wait for your candle to cool explore the neighborhood of San Marco. We walked half a mile to the Historic San Marco Square for lunch and some mid day shopping. Before we knew it, our 90 minutes was up and it was time to pick up our candles. I was so tempted to light my candle that night at the air bnb.
Beautiful Farm nestled in the city
Congaree and Penn 11830 Old Kings Rd., Jacksonville @congareeandpenn
Where do I begin, this farm was so quaint and fun I didn’t know which way to go first when I got out of the car because there is so much to see and experience. The farm got its start as a small rice farm. Fast forward, the farm is now a thriving working operation of orchards, vines, fields and livestock and honeybees. It is also a premier setting for weddings, farm-to-table dinners under the muscadine vines, and workshops. My fiancé and I started our time at the farm with a self guided tour of the farm, C&P does offer guided tours. After picking mayhaw berries, petting goats, swooning over baby emus and horses, swinging on a rope swing under oak trees we headed back to the field house for a farm to fork dining experience overlooking the farm. It was such a vibe and so romantic.
The food scene in Jacksonville
Unlike other cities where the food scene is concentrated in one area, Jacksonville’s food scene flourishes across its neighborhoods. After night one I was not expecting to be blown away by the growing food scene. Here are a few restaurants I dined at and are on my list to try when I return.
Biscottis Bistro serving small plates, sandwiches, salads & brunch but known for their desserts so save room for those decadent treats. 3556 St Johns Ave, Avondale
Barrique Kitchen & Wine Bar Pizza, European tapas and a large wine selection. 3563 St Johns Ave, Jacksonville
Taverna classic Italian and Spanish fare. 1986 San Marco Blvd., San Marco
Orsay The ultimate vibe, perfect for date night or for young professionals to take clients. The menu is chalk full of creative dishes that are French inspired. 3630 Park St., Avondale
Marker 32 Refreshing delicious seafood and beautiful expansive views of the water 14549 Beach Blvd, Jacksonville
Terra Gaucha Brazilian Steakhouse Upscale all-you-can-eat meat carved tableside steakhouse with an extensive salad bar. 4483 Southside Blvd, Jacksonville
The Blue Fish Restaurant & Oyster Bar Seafood driven menu with a romantic vibe, outdoor deck & Sunday brunch buffet. 4405 W Tradewinds Ave,
Brick Restaurant Tavern food and small plates also, weekend Brunch, Live Music, and Full Bar. 3585 St Johns Ave
River & Post 1000 Riverside Ave., Riverside By fay the trendiest restaurant in Jacksonville but also known for its great new American style cuisine and breathtaking views of Riverside and St. Johns River so be sure to come prepared to snap a pic for the gram from its spacious and chic rooftop lounge.
- Date night tip: Make reservations to River & Post on Tuesday evening and plan to go to the Cummer museum for the free entry. These two establishments sit across the street from one another.
Are you ready to pack your bags and hop in your car to head to Jacksonville, FL? I hope I was able to provide you with some inspiration on what to do, where to go and how to maximize your lifestyle in the city. If you have any questions feel free to message me on Instagram or Facebook!
