Jacksonville FL Moving Companies

Jacksonville, Florida

If you’re thinking of moving to Jacksonville, you’re not alone. The city’s low cost of living, business-friendly laws and high quality of life make relocating to Jacksonville a popular choice.

What keeps the Jacksonville moving companies so busy? Aside from the excellent opportunities for starting a business or finding work, Jacksonville is known for its vibrant culture. Whether you like a quiet stretch of white sandy beach or a bustling downtown festival, you’re sure to find fun in this exciting Florida city.

Economy:
The centerpiece of Jacksonville’s economy is its 38-foot-deep port, which rivals New York for the position of the top vehicle-handling port in the United States. Jacksonville also boasts four airports, three seaports, three railroad companies and connections to three interstate highways. This excellent infrastructure makes it one of the transportation hubs of the South.

Jacksonville is a “right to work” city, with very few union employees, which has drawn the interest of several major manufacturers. Toyota and General Motors both have important distribution centers in the city. Georgia Pacific and Smurfit-Stone Paper are also key players in the local economy, as are U.S. Gypsum and Florida Rock Industries.

But autos, paper and construction goods manufacturers aren’t the only businesses to base their operations in Jacksonville. Aircraft manufacturers, beer brewers, tobacco distributors, film studios, soft drink makers, importers and exporters have all helped to make Jacksonville one of the most prosperous cities in Florida.

History:
The first European to visit Jacksonville was Ponce de Leon in 1513. He found it already populated by native people who were known as the Timucua. Unfortunately, the Timucua succumbed to disease soon afterward, and they were probably completely gone from the area by 1763.

The Timucua had named the area Wacca Pilatka, which the Europeans translated to Cowford. In 1822, the town petitioned the U.S. Secretary of State to recognize it as an official port of entry. In the petition, the area was renamed Jacksonville, in honor of Andrew Jackson. Jackson was soon to become President of the U.S. but had already been the first governor of Florida after Spain ceded the territory to the United States.

For a southern city, Jacksonville fared reasonably well during the Civil War, because although it was occupied by northern troops several times, no major battles were fought there. After the war, the residents renovated the downtown area to make it a famous tourist attraction. The downtown area remained vital despite a terrible fire in 1901, and it wasn’t until the 1970s that the area saw a slump due to the rising popularity of suburban homes. In the 1980s and 1990s, city leaders made persistent efforts to revitalize the Jacksonville downtown area. Local property owners also colluded to create the city’s first Downtown Improvement District. These efforts paid off by making Jacksonville the exciting town that it is today.

Tourism:
The heart of Jacksonville is the downtown area, which lies on the shore of the Saint John’s River. Check out this list of the attractions that you’ll find in the downtown area:

• The Hemming Plaza Market takes place every Friday. Visitors can buy baked goods, fresh flowers, homemade crafts and seasonal goods while listening to live music.
• On the first Wednesday of every month, local businesses and galleries stay open late to host an Art Walk.
• The historic Treaty Oak Park offers free outdoor movies in the springtime.
• Just before Christmas, ten historic downtown churches offer a self-guided tour.
• On the second Thursday of each month, local restaurants and nightclubs host a “Downtown Straight Up!” happy hour.

Downtown isn’t the only place to look for fun. Be sure to visit the Jacksonville Beach, which offers miles of white sand stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Intra-Coastal Waterway. The Jacksonville Beach community offers excellent shopping, municipal golf courses, oceanfront hotels and family-friendly festivals.

Colleges/Universities:

• Webster University
• Edward Waters College
• Florida State College at Jacksonville
• University of North Florida
• Jacksonville University

Interesting Facts:

• If measured by area, Jacksonville is the largest city in the United States.
• Jacksonville is the most populous city in Florida.
• “The Open Boat,” a famous short story written by Stephen Crane, was inspired by a harrowing shipwreck that he experienced en route from Jacksonville to Cuba in the 1890s.