Jacksonville, Florida – My Hometown!

I was born here.  Jacksonville has been my home for over fifty years, and I honestly cannot imagine living anywhere else.  My hometown and I have grown up together, and those who knew us then may not easily recognize either of us now.  Progress has ushered in the demolition of buildings in which I made fond memories.  These have been replaced with larger buildings that can accommodate Jacksonville’s growing population. Sadly, a few of my favorite comfort food restaurants have closed through the years, but I enjoy the varied cuisines the new restaurants offer.  Although the general landscape of 1970’s Jacksonville remains, its landmarks, stores, and restaurants have drastically changed.

As a child, I thought the few bridges crossing the St. John’s River in downtown Jacksonville were magnificent silver, metal structures.  They seemed so tall!  I would catch a glimpse of them when we went to the Veterans Memorial Coliseum for the circus or Ice Capades.

That  building with its crowds of people, and rows upon rows of seats, made me feel so small. Even so, it was the Gator Bowl that seemed so massive to my young eyes.

I could not imagine anything larger than that football stadium!

Shopping was also an exciting adventure, though most of the time it was at the Cedar Hills Shopping Center in my neighborhood. That little strip mall consisted of only about six stores! Since many moms made clothes for their families, Cloth World was the most popular store there.  The walk-through window display at Lerner was fascinating to me! Occasionally, we went to Roosevelt Mall, where there was a pond area right in the middle of it with geese that honked loudly and continuously.  My little brother and I thought they were so funny, and we spent a lot of time standing on tiptoe to peer over the metal bars that surrounded them.  I suppose nothing beat the experience of visiting the downtown Sears and Roebuck store at Christmastime, though.  When the Christmas Wish Book came out, the catalog department there was a buzz of activity that was very exciting to watch!  My mom was a great cook, but trips to town often included dining out.  Sometimes we would drive through the Milligan’s Beefy Burger window and take our food home to eat.  Other times, we would enjoy a sit-down meal at Bonanza, a very popular steak house where food was ordered in a buffet line, then brought to the table.   My absolute favorite family dining experiences were Sundays after church at S&S Cafeteria, where we would eat with several of our friends.  The food was delicious, and the conversation left us all smiling.  I look back on those days with a fondness I cannot articulate.

Today, Jacksonville boasts several other bridges that allow access across the river, and their industrial metallic hue has been replaced with varied colors that add life to the city’s skyline.  The lights on them at night turn the bridges into beautiful works of art.  People from all sides of the city use them for access to the new and improved downtown entertainment complexes, which are massive!  I have attended events in the new Memorial Arena and can hardly believe how vast it seems compared to the coliseum I knew as a child.  As an adult, I still feel small walking through the doors there.  TIAA Bank Field is an incredibly impressive structure as well, capable of holding thousands and thousands of people drawn to football games and other events held there.   Another of the most noticeable growth spurts of my fair city, since the 70’s, is the increase in places to shop!  The St. John’s Town Center expanded the idea of my childhood’s little outdoor shopping center, building it to include an incredible number of stores.  Small malls have given way to two-story establishments, like The Avenues Mall, with a wide variety of stores aimed to satisfy any shopper. My daughter and I can spend an entire Saturday there!

It is a bit sad to me that there are no buzzing catalog departments – no Christmas Wish Books to anticipate.  Items ordered online are usually shipped to a customer’s home, but they can also be picked up at small, quiet counters inside major department stores.  Excursions for entertainment or shopping still include dining out, but now the options seem almost limitless.  Food courts are available for fast convenience in the malls, and nearly every type of ethnic cuisine is represented in restaurants lining major roads.  Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, and Kyodai (Sushi Rock) are among my family’s favorites. For elegant dining, Ruth’s Chris cannot be beaten.

Though the cafeteria-style dining of the 70’s is almost obsolete, I do enjoy the combined shopping and family dining experience offered by Cracker Barrel. The store there sells many toys and candies that were popular long ago. The nostalgia they stir up in me is sweet.

I often ride through the streets of Jacksonville giving a bit more than a passing glance to the familiar structures that remain and remembering their former glory.  I miss some of the sights, sounds, and tastes of those days.  In many ways I wish younger generations could have experienced the simplicity of the era when Jacksonville’s landmarks, stores, and restaurants were smaller and fewer in number, and time moved a bit slower.  Someday, future generations who know Jacksonville as their hometown will view today as part of their historic past.  I wonder what changes they will see when this year becomes yesteryear in Jacksonville.