I've been -to- and -through- Jax but I've never heard of Jacksonville being a fun destination. None of my friends or family have ever gone to JAX for vacation.. So I'm wondering if there are suggestions what to do, where are the party sites (like downtown Nashville). Where will the 'Sea of Blue' congregate?
The prognosticators are saying UK/GaTech to Taxslayer, so....
- Thread starter AirRaidFan_rivals164446
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We are staying at Omni Amelia Island Plantation. About 45 min from JAx. We hope
GO CATS
GO CATS
There is a craft beer trail, river walk center with bars and restaraunts within walking distance of stadium and hotels. Hotels like Marriott are less than mile from stadium and 5 minute walk from river walk plus you can stay on other side of river and take water taxi anywhere. Beach is 15 minutes away, fishing, etc... Believe me if you don't have fun its on you!
When I was flying with Northwest Airlines, I would hear pilots saying they couldn't have fun on their lay-over, there was no where to go. I've always said,"If I go to a town and can't have fun, I'll move there and open a bar or restaurant, so people can have a place to go and have fun."
I never laid over in a bad town, even though some cities were better then others. I always found some place to enjoy myself.
OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!
I never laid over in a bad town, even though some cities were better then others. I always found some place to enjoy myself.
OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!
If you can't have a good time in Jacksonville, Fl or surrounding beaches Lord help. Somebody better check your pulse. it is a Navy town. Enough said.
Lifetime Jacksonville resident and Cats fan, figured I would give a high level breakdown of our town. First thing you need to know is that Jacksonville is a huge area. So huge that the city is somewhat segregated into multiple "cities" within the city:
Beaches:
Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jax Beach and Ponte Vedra Beach. Probably the best and most fun "party scenes" but a 25-35 minute drive/Uber downtown to Everbank arena. One Ocean is a primo hotel on the Atlantic, pricey but if you can swing it, this would be my recommendation. Tons of fantastic restaurants and bars and everything is walkable, Ocean, etc.
St Johns Town Center:
The fastest growing area in Jacksonville. It's got all the shopping and eating (more chain places than local eatery) you'd ever need. But again, still about a 15-20 minute drive to downtown. Several nice (new) hotels in this area as well. TopGolf also just opened in this area so that's a nice bonus activity. Don't really get the full Jacksonville experience here but a fun place to be nonetheless.
Downtown:
Jacksonville's downtown scene only really comes alive on Gamedays (Gator bowl, Fla/Ga, Jaguars games, NCAA tournament etc.). The Omni, Hyatt and Doubletree are without question your best hotel options. Decent food options downtown but fine dining downtown is actually quite limited. Hop across the river (5 min Uber ride) though into San Marco and you'll find some great fine dining spots. Downtown party scene is centered around "The Landing". It's basically a riverfront amphitheater of restaurants, bars, etc. The Landing is typically "the spot" to be during big Jax sporting events. You'll see concerts, radio shows, etc here. It will be the "unofficial" Gator Bowl party hub for sure. Locals tend to frown upon it, but for big events like this, it can be a lot of fun as this is where most fans will congregate.
Riverside/Avondale
Would equate this area to Buckhead as it compares to Atlanta (except closer). Great bars, restaurants and breweries. This is not only the prettiest area of Jax but it's also fastest growing spot for the 25-35 year olds in Jacksonville. No real hotel options in this area but great places to eat and party. About 5-10 minutes from downtown.
Let me know if you have any specific questions about destinations etc. Would love to help. GBB.
Tons of great golf in Jax and the surrounding areas! Jacksonville is so spread out that St Augustine, Amelia Island, St. Simons and Jekyl Island are also great options for lodging, etc. so long as you only plan to drive in to Jax for the game itself.
Thank you ShadyCAT! Very good information and much appreciated! Thumbs UP!
ShadyCat, Jacksonville is a great city to have a bowl game. I think our fans will be pleased. And the locals have a Southern accent so a true UK fan will not have a problem with the language.
Out of the three of:
Ritz at Amelia Island
One Ocean
Ponta Vedra Inn & Club
Which would you recommend? Thanks
Can't really go wrong with any of the three. They are literally the three best places to stay in the greater Jacksonville area. All three are on the ocean and are first class hotels. Really all depends on what your looking to do from an activities perspective.
One Ocean offers so much more than the other two from a "party" perspective. It's located in the heart of Atlantic Beach, which is home to some of the best bars and restaurants in the area. You'll never have to get in a car, except to go to the game.
PV Club and Ritz at Amelia are amazing resorts but are much more isolated. If you're looking to do things away from what the resort provides (golf, spas, etc.), than One Ocean is the play for sure. Getting to any restaurants or bars outside of these resorts would require a cab/uber (where One Ocean is all walking distance).