What if Jacksonville suddenly woke up?

[Stephendare]

Sometime I wonder what it would be like if this were a city that didnt hate itself.....led by people who look down their noses at its achievements?


Here are a few things that I think would have happened in New York, Rome, London Paris, Seattle, or San Francisco, if they and the leaders that made them into Great Cities had been given our city and history.


The Southern Fried Rock Hall of Fame would be open and full to capacity somewhere in downtown. Molly Hatchet, Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers would have exhibits there and a history of the southern fried rock movement would be known to all the music afficianados.

A statue of Ray Charles would stand in the perfectly preserved and popular bar where he first played soul piano and blues in the South.

There would be another museum of Black Film commemorating the achievements of black film makers here in Jacksonville.

Peterbrookes, The Loop Pizza and the Chicken Coop would all have gigantic headquarters in the center of town that rivalled the marooned Cruise Ship of a Building that Preston Haskell's company erected to itself on Riverside Avenue. There would be standing lines for tours of Sally Industry.

Blaire Woolverton would have her own cable show and Jake Godbold would have a cookbook.

Ray Mason would have an Institute where international finance and arabic trade principles were taught, studied and debated. People would know who Raymond Mason was, and have no fucking clue who Craig Van Horn was.

When the Jacksonville Film Festival opened every year, Josh Skierski and Chad Hendricks would be the Emcees and Rita Manyette would be the Gala Hostess.

Mandarin would have a trolley tour of the famous writers who lived there over the past century. And even white people would know that Zora Neal Hurston lived here.

People would know who Zora Neal Hurston was.

There would be tours of the Confederate monuments and rubbings over the gravestones at the Confederate Graveyard in the Old City Cemetary.

People would be patriotic about Maxwell House. It would have a string of successful cafes all over town.

Matt Carlucci would have been Mayor and John Peyton would be president of the Chamber of Commerce.

There would be a Maritime Museum on the riverfront celebrating the many Nautical elements of Jacksonville's History.

Old Stanton would be a Music Conservatory which offered a scholarship in the name of the writer of "Lift every Voice and Sing" The River City Band would be housed there.

The Jewish Center and graveyard would have signs on the bridges and highways to point out the gigantic and culturing effect that Jewish people had on Jacksonville, their unexpectedly tolerant and welcoming home in a time and country that met them everywhere else with fear and loathing.

Brochures would direct people to the bohemian district in Five Points, the Gay mecca at Park and King and the real cracker cooking in the nationally rated southern restaurants of the Northside.

Noel Freidline would be a rich man with a big Jazz Club that he owned somewhere on the Riverwalk.

Marabanong would be a famously discussed historical feature on the jacksonville tour.

Someone would have said "Thanks" to John Currington for resurrecting San Marco.

Or Lex Hester.

There would be a monument and perhaps a college marking the Landing of Protestant French Huegonots, and you could buy well researched books about their history here.

There would be reenactments of pirate clipper attacks on the ortega river, and the locals would brag about which french or english pirate they were descended from.

The architecture wouldnt have to be studied from old postcards and books with crossed out black and white photos with the word "demolished" stamped across them.

Downtown would be full of Papparazzi following the exploits of Jacksonville's unbelievably accomplished Spoken Word Royalty.

Al Letson, Liz Straight, David Pugh Allan Justiss, Jon Reich, Valerie Anthony, Christina Wagner, Lee Harvey, and Iain Mairs would be household names. The Mayor would know them all, and they would be able to make a living with speaking engagements.

But we don't have those things.

They are too 'low class', too 'black' and too 'southern'.

Instead we have consultants telling us how to appear more like indianapolis or louiseville.
But we don't have those things.

[RADIO TALK SHOW HOST]

Steve for mayor

[Stephendare]

Feel free to add the things Jacksonville is stupid for not celebrating about itself.

[RADIO TALK SHOW HOST]

mentioning the OLD FULLER WARREN BRIDGE

best view of the river best vantage point

biggest waste to tear it down

I am extremely proud to have fought for it

[thelakelander]

Here's a few more:

One wouldn't have to travel hundreds of miles to Beale Street, Auburn Avenue or Harlem for a decent blues and jazz scene. Instead people would flock from around the country to visit the " Great Black Way" (Ashley Street), while staying in the old room of Duke Ellington at the historic Richmond Hotel on Broad Street.

The city's urban park system's trophy would be the sparkling Hogan's Creek balustrade, that attracts preservations and Architects from across the world to see the works of Henry Klutho in person.

One could catch the state-of-the-art commuter rail line from historic St. Augustine, travel up to downtown Jax for a minimum fare to spend the day at the Jacksonville Silent Film Museum.

La Villa would be known as the South's premier Farmer's Market district, with renovated historic warehouses converted into a mix of uses making the market district just as popular as the Strip District in Pittsburgh and Ohio City in Cleveland.

Downtown would be a hub of activity, partially due to the large cruise terminal located at the Shipyards. While docked tourist could take the riverwalk over to Metropolitan Park and tour the USS Saratoga.

Cecil would be on its way to being the South's premier industrial center with FED Ex's massive freight hub and Toyota's newest assembly plant as economic cornerstones.

[Stephendare]

The Great Black Way would have curio shops and little plastic bubbles with glitter in them swirling round Duke Ellington and Billy Holiday performing at the Ritz, and Klutho's Balustrade would be lit at night so that lovers could walk past the moonlit canal along Hogan's Creek.

Nice Lake.

[Stephendare]

How about our roots as the first movie capital. Why don't we have ANYTHING celebrating that?

How about a bronze statue of the Creature from the Black Lagoon, Bill Pickett (the famous black cowboy from Norman Studios in Arlington), Tom Mix and Oliver Hardy (of Laurel and Hardy) on the Riverwalk instead of the goofy jogger?

[Claude91098]

The Creature flick was shot in Silver Springs...wasn't it?

Many of the Tarzan flicks were shot in Silver Springs as well as Jerry Lewis in Don't Give Up The Ship...(some underwater scenes anyway!) :-)

Jax's film desirability IS returning though...how many have been shot in and around Jax in the past...say 5 years?

[Stephendare]

Yeah it was, but Jacksonville claims it anyways because of the amount of work that went into that production that was based in Jacksonville.

[Claude91098]

Stephen...are you at work now? Or sitting at home? LOL

[Stephendare]

Both.

[Claude91098]

Being retired and disabled, I spend a lot of time surfing a few forums, including this one. But you seem to LIVE here! (LOL)...Not a bad thing mind you....I was just curious since you always seem to be here.

Perhaps the wife and I will come check out your place one of these days.
What is the name of it again? Address? (I know it's near Hemming Park! he..he..he) :-D

[Stephendare]

Lol. Boomtown.
140 west monroe street
Jacksonville Florida.
632-0099

Let me know and Ill see if I can get some pawpaws sent down. Always have corn meal mush, real indiana heritage tomatoes, (With some spicy home made salsa) and home baked pies available with a little notice.

(i dont do the peas and carrots in jello tho)

Add to the list of things Jacksonville would celebrate if it had vision:

There would be a big BarbeQue festival on Main Street every year and people would come from miles around to check out a hundred million recipes for ribs and collard greens.

[thelakelander]

There would be a big BarbeQue festival on Main Street every year and people would come from miles around to check out a hundred million recipes for ribs and collard greens.

BBQ fest? Mmmmm.... Memphis has done a great job of taking a local food that most Southern cities (including Jax) can rightfully claim as their own and promoted it in a fashion that people do just that.

[Charles Hunter]

A side trip ...

Originally Posted by Claude91098

The Creature flick was shot in Silver Springs...wasn't it?

Many of the Tarzan flicks were shot in Silver Springs as well as Jerry Lewis in Don't Give Up The Ship...(some underwater scenes anyway!) :-)

Jax's film desirability IS returning though...how many have been shot in and around Jax in the past...say 5 years?

According to the IMDB, Creature (1954) was shot all over north Florida, including Jacksonville, Silver Springs, Marineland, and Green Cove Springs.

Revenge of the Creature (1955) included Marineland, St. Augustine, Silver Springs, and Jacksonville. There was a scene filmed at a restaurant that used to be under the south end of the Acosta Bridge - before the Diamond Head restaurant/bar - and a scene in San Marco (near the lake), among others.

Also, according to the Internet Movie Data Base, some 150 movies and TV shows or series have been filmed here. A movie history museum is a great idea. And I love the idea of a "Creature" statue on the Riverwalk - preferably, the Southbank, near where some of the scenes were filmed.

[Stephendare]

and King Kong.

[Claude91098]

The movie history is GREAT stuff!!!
A museum of the past movie making would be a great idea!
The festivals and other celebrations DT should utilize the river as a method of people attending too!
Any of you ever been to the Outback Crab Shack when they are really busy? A 1,500 to 2,000 foot floating dock and the boats are two deep from one end to the other. Everything from 40+ footers to 18 foot ski boats.
The city has lots of dock space down by the Met Park area doesn't it? Security for the boats would be nice and a shuttle to take folks to places away from Met Park...eh? It's a thought! (Maybe already in practice??) :-)

[danno]

Oliver Hardy did a series playing a character called Babe Hardy in the Bungles Series.

"Bungles Enforces the Law"

"Bungles Lands a Job"

I saw a these at a film festival in Leeds, when I lived over there. They were pretty entertaining. At the time I had no idea they were filmed here.

[johnmeeks1974]

When you think of other cities, you think of specific character...

New York - a corporate city infused with lots of culture
Boston - and old money kind of place with intellectual capital
Chicago - a very ethnic, working class city that loves its sports
Los Angeles - very chic, trendy place where nobody walks
Baltimore - lots of crabcakes and john waters films
Miami - gateway to latin america with lots of partying
New Orleans - we all know what makes them special, throw some beads out!
Orlando - Disney, conventions, and tourists all over

Jacksonville - what is our 'personality?'

[thelakelander]

Good question and a very tough one to define. For me, its always been Florida's only major blue collar city with a huge focus on the maritime industry (naval, shipbuilding, port, shrimping, etc.).