Featured image for “Black diamonds: Imagining the future of Jacksonville’s century-long baseball legacy ”
Ribault outfielder Braylin Clarke lays down a bunt during the High School Heritage Classic on Feb. 15, 2023. Clarke reached base twice and scored the game's opening run in Ribault's 8-3 win. His mother says he and his twin syster Brayla have played baseball and softball since they were three. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
February 21, 2023

Black diamonds: Imagining the future of Jacksonville’s century-long baseball legacy 

Black baseball evangelists are trying to attract young players in a city with a rich history with the sport.…

Featured image for “OPINION | Jax’s Godzilla strategy of urban development”
Image: Courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd.; photoshop by Doug Henning
January 31, 2023

OPINION | Jax’s Godzilla strategy of urban development

Demolishing existing buildings in hopes that flashy new ones will replace them doesn’t work. It’s time to change gears.…

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January 24, 2023

OPINION | Changing the urban landscape in 2023

2023 could be a year of big change for Jacksonville’s urban core. Here’s a look at five trends to watch…

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January 17, 2023

THE JAXSON | The railroads of Jacksonville

Today, Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia continue to be served by several railroads.…

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January 10, 2023

OPINION | How to fit a gas station into LaVilla

These examples of urban gas stations show that a Daily’s station being proposed for LaVilla can be improved dramatically with…

Featured image for “OPINION | The lie of invisibility”
Ami Polonsky, author of "Gracefully Grayson," spoke during a rally ahead of the Dec. 6th Duval School Board meeting. The district ordered her book for fifth grade classrooms in 2021 but decided to send it back after a review process.
January 4, 2023

OPINION | The lie of invisibility

Banning books eliminates an opportunity for students to expand beyond their own surroundings and worldview.…

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The W.H. Clark Fruit Co. at the intersection of West Beaver and Acorn streets during the 1940s. | Florida Southern College
January 3, 2023

THE JAXSON | Florida’s disappearing citrus processing industry

The orange tree has been a major part of Florida’s identity for centuries. From Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville…

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Photo: WJCT News
January 2, 2023

OPINION | The 2023 mayoral race is getting real

It is now 2023, and city elections are all but upon us. If you’re in the mayoral race, you’d better…

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Jacksonville City Hall
December 13, 2022

OPINION | 4 myths about Jacksonville’s city government

Jacksonville City Hall provides no shortage of things to criticize, but there are some common complaints that don’t stand up…

Featured image for “THE JAXSON | List: The urban core’s largest historic public parks”
December 6, 2022

THE JAXSON | List: The urban core’s largest historic public parks

Jacksonville is one of largest cities by area in the contiguous U.S., covering 747 square miles of land area. It…

Featured image for “THE JAXSON | The first Thanksgivings on the First Coast”
Fort Caroline under construction. Engraving by Theodor de Bry, said to be based on a lost original painting by Jacques le Moyne.
November 22, 2022

THE JAXSON | The first Thanksgivings on the First Coast

Five decades before the Pilgrims celebrated their feast at Plymouth, Massachusetts, French and Spanish colonists held feasts of celebration on…

Featured image for “OPINION | The ‘resign to run’ trap”
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, center, and Jax Chamber of Commerce CEO Daniel Davis, left, rub shoulders in 2018. | WJCT News
November 20, 2022

OPINION | The ‘resign to run’ trap

I’ve written about politics in this town for many years and expressed my share of frustrations, including with candidates running…

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State Archives of Florida
November 15, 2022

THE JAXSON | LaVilla’s Railroad Row in color

Between 1890 and 1920, more than 20 million immigrants arrived in the United States. Many found Jacksonville’s LaVilla neighborhood as…

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November 8, 2022

THE JAXSON | The last days of Adventure Landing

For 27 years, Jacksonville Beach’s Adventure Landing has been one of the most popular attractions for kids and their families…

Featured image for “Trailblazer Dr. Charles B. McIntosh paves path for clinic, community center in Northwest Jax”
Dr. Charles B. McIntosh became Jacksonville's first Black pediatrician to open a private practice in 1958. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
November 7, 2022

Trailblazer Dr. Charles B. McIntosh paves path for clinic, community center in Northwest Jax

A smile slowly crept across Dr. Charles B. McIntosh’s face as he watched the unveiling last week of a rendering…

Featured image for “THE JAXSON | 5 mid-century modern neighborhoods in Jax”
November 1, 2022

THE JAXSON | 5 mid-century modern neighborhoods in Jax

Covering nearly 875 square miles, Jacksonville is a diverse community with a wide collection of neighborhoods appealing to different lifestyles.…

Featured image for “THE JAXSON | Jaxlore: Alpha Paynter, ghost of TacoLu”
October 25, 2022

THE JAXSON | Jaxlore: Alpha Paynter, ghost of TacoLu

Before it was TacoLu, the iconic log cabin off Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville Beach was home to the famed Homestead…

Featured image for “OPINION | Molly against the machine”
Duval County sheriff candidates T.K. Waters, right, and Lakesha Burton, left, participated last month in a debate hosted by Jacksonville Today. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
October 23, 2022

OPINION | Molly against the machine

Dozens of endorsements are flying, and most of them are of the “Well, it would be news if they didn’t…

Featured image for “State law should protect Nassau Gullah/Geechee cemeteries, but lawmakers didn’t close loopholes”
Madelyn Dinkins-Smith says it’s become near impossible to access her family’s burial grounds, even though she’s allowed to under Florida law. | Claire Heddles, Jacksonville Today
September 21, 2022

State law should protect Nassau Gullah/Geechee cemeteries, but lawmakers didn’t close loopholes

This is Part 2 of a two-part Jacksonville Today series. Read Part 1.  For decades, Madelyn Dinkins-Smith’s family members have…

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September 13, 2022

THE JAXSON | The 7 historic districts of Jacksonville

Founded in 1822, Jacksonville is home to 107 properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Of…

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The Sixth Avenue South pier after its opening in 1963.
August 30, 2022

THE JAXSON | 6 First Coast beach stories

Jacksonville and the rest of the First Coast are home to some of the best, most accessible beaches in a…

Featured image for “Civil rights conference faces Jacksonville’s past, present and future: ‘It’s in your hands’ ”
Rodney Hurst Sr. was among those who were beaten on Ax Handle Saturday, Aug. 27, 1960. Hurst served as master of ceremonies for the inaugural Jacksonville Civil Rights Conference. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
August 28, 2022

Civil rights conference faces Jacksonville’s past, present and future: ‘It’s in your hands’ 

The inaugural Jacksonville Civil Rights Conference this past weekend explored how the city can move beyond its segregated history and…

Featured image for “THE JAXSON | Jacksonville’s surviving historic theaters”
July 12, 2022

THE JAXSON | Jacksonville’s surviving historic theaters

The Jaxson Magazine takes a look into the history of Jacksonville’s nine oldest surviving theaters.…

Featured image for “OPINION | Remembering David, Jacksonville’s trailblazing gay magazine”
Photo: Houston LGBT History
June 28, 2022

OPINION | Remembering David, Jacksonville’s trailblazing gay magazine

From 1970 to 1974, Jacksonville was the headquarters of the first magazine to serve Florida’s gay community. In honor of…