Arab Americans have a long history in Jacksonville tracing back to the 19th century. Between 1890 and 1920, hundreds of immigrants arrived and settled in Jacksonville from an area of the Middle East that is now home to the countries of Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine and other territories. Early settlers established themselves as grocers, peddlers and small-business operators, and dispersed
Missing middle housing represents many types of residences ranging in scale between single-family homes and massive apartment buildings. From shotgun homes to duplexes to bungalow courts, missing middle housing was once common in Jacksonville – and could be a weapon to fight the housing crisis. What is missing middle housing? It’s a modern term for an old phenomenon. Made up
Home to the country’s largest concentration of Gullah Geechee descendants, Jacksonville emerged as Florida’s premier Chitlin’ Circuit destination during the formative years of vaudeville, ragtime, jazz, and blues. The Chitlin’ Circuit was the collective name given to a series of Black-owned nightclubs, dance halls, juke joints and theaters that were safe and acceptable for African American entertainers to perform in
Speaking to comparatively simple, cost-effective ways to revitalize Downtown Jacksonville and the Urban Core, these five terms should be in every local leader’s lexicon. The “Three C’s” The Jaxson team has long advocated for the “Three C’s” of urban revitalization: the clustering of complementing uses within a compact setting. This is the simple idea that it doesn’t take big, expensive
Those hoping to revitalize Jacksonville’s historic Black neighborhoods should take a look at Chicago’s Bronzeville. Located in the South Side, Bronzeville rose to prominence as a national hub for blues music during the Great Migration. Today, the neighborhood is in the midst of revitalization while continuing to embrace its heritage and culture. The revitalization of Chicago’s Bronzeville South Side Chicago’s
In honor of Women’s History Month, here are six sites associated with women who transformed our community and nation. Cummer Museum, 829 Riverside Ave., Jacksonville 32204 Born Ninah May Holden in 1875 and the wife of lumber magnate Arthur Cummer, Ninah was an avid gardener, parks advocate, art collector and philanthropist. She organized relief efforts in response to the Great
Despite a common perception that parking is difficult in the city center, Downtown Jacksonville has more surface parking lots, garages and empty land – in other words, “parking craters” – than standing buildings. This vast amount of dead space has long been one of the biggest hindrances to Downtown’s progress. What is a parking crater? A Google map of surface
In honor of the start of Women’s History Month, here are five women with ties to Jacksonville whose writing affected the world: Carita Doggett Corse Born in March 1891 to prominent Jacksonville attorney John Doggett and and Florida history writer Carrie Van Deman, Carita Doggett Corse was a historian and writer in charge of the Works Progress Administration’s Florida Writers’
The Gullah Geechee descended from enslaved Central and West Africans who worked the plantations of the Lowcountry in the coastal Southeastern United States. After the abolition of slavery, the Gullah Geechee settled in remote areas, in particular the barrier islands stretching from North Carolina to Northeast Florida, where they formed a unique culture and strong communal ties that remain today.
Downtown Jacksonville has its fair share of “gamechanger” developments that have failed to deliver, but when done right, major projects can help move the city center forward. Here’s a look at seven projects from the last 25 years that positively impacted Downtown Jacksonville – and why they’ve succeeded where others failed. 1997: Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts renovation In