The Jaxson
@thejaxsonmag.bsky.social
Multimedia project by Modern Cities and WJCT Public Media, covering history, culture and urban issues in Jacksonville and the First Coast. linktr.ee/thejaxsonmag
Another major Downtown project is here. An extension of the Southbank Riverwalk that runs back into the marsh, RiversEdge Parks is a chain of new parks and amenities on the former site of the JEA Southside Generating Station.
Sights and Scenes: RiversEdge Parks
Sights and scenes from the November 24, 2025 ribbon cutting at RiversEdge Parks. Considered to be an extension of the Southbank Riverwalk, this chain of new parks is located on the site of the former ...
www.thejaxsonmag.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Another major Downtown project is here. An extension of the Southbank Riverwalk that runs back into the marsh, RiversEdge Parks is a chain of new parks and amenities on the former site of the JEA Southside Generating Station.
The Halloween season means teenagers and young adults from all over the First Coast go legend tripping — the rite of passage of visiting spots associated with danger and creepy legends. Here’s a look at four of the most popular local legend tripping spots.
JAXLORE | 'Legend tripping' on the First Coast | Jacksonville Today
From Fernandina’s Wiccademous grave to Brooklyn’s famous Devil’s School, here’s a dive into four of the most famous local places to go legend tripping.
jaxtoday.org
October 30, 2025 at 4:46 PM
The Halloween season means teenagers and young adults from all over the First Coast go legend tripping — the rite of passage of visiting spots associated with danger and creepy legends. Here’s a look at four of the most popular local legend tripping spots.
The Jaxson’s Bill Delaney spoke to Erik Avanier of News4Jax about the folklore and reality of Jacksonville’s most famous haunted place: Annie Lytle Elementary, also known as “The Devil’s School.” Check it out here:
The urban legends of Public School Number Four, a local historical landmark nicknamed ‘The Devil’s School’
Public School number 4, which is formally known as Annie Lytle Elementary, is often referred to as 'The Devil’s School' thanks to made-up horror stories that have been passed down from generation to g...
www.news4jax.com
October 23, 2025 at 6:55 PM
The Jaxson’s Bill Delaney spoke to Erik Avanier of News4Jax about the folklore and reality of Jacksonville’s most famous haunted place: Annie Lytle Elementary, also known as “The Devil’s School.” Check it out here:
Join The Jaxson's Mike Field for a guided walking tour of Ortega, one of Jax’s most enduring historic neighborhoods. Mike lived in the neighborhood for over a decade and offers both a historian's and insider's perspective of the area. Get tickets here:
Historic Ortega Neighborhood Walking Tour
Join us for a guided walking tour of Ortega, and discover the history and beauty of one of Jacksonville's most iconic neighborhoods!
www.eventbrite.com
October 15, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Join The Jaxson's Mike Field for a guided walking tour of Ortega, one of Jax’s most enduring historic neighborhoods. Mike lived in the neighborhood for over a decade and offers both a historian's and insider's perspective of the area. Get tickets here:
50 years before Rosa Parks, a Jacksonville pastor sat down in a streetcar’s whites-only section, endured the legal consequences, and forced the courts to blink. His name was Andrew Patterson, and his blueprint traveled across the Civil Rights Movement.
LaVilla’s Forgotten Freedom Fighter
Before Rosa Parks and Montgomery, a pastor on Ashley Street sat down on a Jacksonville streetcar, refused bail, and forced the courts to blink. His name was Andrew Patterson, and his blueprint travele...
www.thejaxsonmag.com
October 15, 2025 at 3:41 PM
50 years before Rosa Parks, a Jacksonville pastor sat down in a streetcar’s whites-only section, endured the legal consequences, and forced the courts to blink. His name was Andrew Patterson, and his blueprint traveled across the Civil Rights Movement.
Reposted by The Jaxson
Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Jaxsons! This my favorite of the 16th century Fort Caroline engravings depicting the Timucua, the Indigenous people of Northeast FL. It shows a Timucua family in down time, swimming over to a “most delightful island” for a picnic.
October 13, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Jaxsons! This my favorite of the 16th century Fort Caroline engravings depicting the Timucua, the Indigenous people of Northeast FL. It shows a Timucua family in down time, swimming over to a “most delightful island” for a picnic.
A brief history and look at the legacy of the Boylan-Haven School, an institution of Black education in the Historic Eastside from 1910 to 1959. A brief history and look at the legacy of the Historic Eastside’s Boylan-Haven School.
The Legacy of the Boylan-Haven School
A brief history and look at the legacy of the Historic Eastside’s Boylan-Haven School.
www.thejaxsonmag.com
October 9, 2025 at 4:52 PM
A brief history and look at the legacy of the Boylan-Haven School, an institution of Black education in the Historic Eastside from 1910 to 1959. A brief history and look at the legacy of the Historic Eastside’s Boylan-Haven School.
A brief history and look inside the historic Maceo Elks Lodge #8, the last surviving institutional building in LaVilla connected to Jacksonville’s early Jewish community and now a cornerstone of the city’s Black civic life.
The Maceo Elks Lodge #8: A Legacy of LaVilla
A brief history and look inside LaVilla's historic Maceo Elks Lodge #8.
www.thejaxsonmag.com
September 29, 2025 at 3:45 PM
A brief history and look inside the historic Maceo Elks Lodge #8, the last surviving institutional building in LaVilla connected to Jacksonville’s early Jewish community and now a cornerstone of the city’s Black civic life.
In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month: from the early Floridano colonists to 19th-century Cuban cigar factories to the diverse and growing communities of today, Jacksonville’s Hispanic history is hundreds of years deep. It’s time they got their due. www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/viva...
Viva Jax: Jacksonville's Hispanic heritage
Though less well known than those in South Florida or Tampa Bay, Jacksonville’s Hispanic community has roots that are hundreds of years deep, and it’s helped shape all aspects of life in the city throughout its history. It’s high time Jacksonville’s Hispanic heritage got its due.
www.thejaxsonmag.com
September 22, 2025 at 5:10 PM
In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month: from the early Floridano colonists to 19th-century Cuban cigar factories to the diverse and growing communities of today, Jacksonville’s Hispanic history is hundreds of years deep. It’s time they got their due. www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/viva...
Reposted by The Jaxson
Ennis’s and my piece on Jacksonville’s Hispanic heritage, from the Floridanos of the colonial era to Cuban cigar factories to the booming diversity of the present day, is up on Jacksonville Today: jaxtoday.org/2025/09/16/t...
THE JAXSON | Viva Jax: Jacksonville’s Hispanic heritage | Jacksonville Today
Though less well known than those in South Florida or Tampa Bay, Jacksonville’s Hispanic community has roots that are hundreds of years deep.
jaxtoday.org
September 19, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Ennis’s and my piece on Jacksonville’s Hispanic heritage, from the Floridanos of the colonial era to Cuban cigar factories to the booming diversity of the present day, is up on Jacksonville Today: jaxtoday.org/2025/09/16/t...
Goodbye Homerdome, hello Pub Subs: Gateway Jax has announced that Publix is coming to the burgeoning Pearl Square district in the Downtown Northbank. It's the latest addition to Gateway Jax's major Downtown development plans. www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/nort...
Northbank Renaissance: Publix coming to Pearl Square
Goodbye Homerdome, hello Pub Subs: Gateway Jax has announced that Publix is coming to the burgeoning Pearl Square district in the Downtown Northbank. It's the latest addition to Gateway Jax's major Do...
www.thejaxsonmag.com
September 4, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Goodbye Homerdome, hello Pub Subs: Gateway Jax has announced that Publix is coming to the burgeoning Pearl Square district in the Downtown Northbank. It's the latest addition to Gateway Jax's major Downtown development plans. www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/nort...
Done right, moving the Duval County Public Schools HQ off the Southbank waterfront could be a boon for the district and taxpayers. However, if the School Board abandons Downtown entirely for expensive digs in Baymeadows, it’ll be a blow to taxpayers and Downtown.
Will DCPS's move waste a golden opportunity?
Done right, moving the Duval County Public Schools headquarters off the Southbank waterfront could be a boon for both the district and Jacksonville taxpayers. However, the School Board may abandon Dow...
www.thejaxsonmag.com
August 27, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Done right, moving the Duval County Public Schools HQ off the Southbank waterfront could be a boon for the district and taxpayers. However, if the School Board abandons Downtown entirely for expensive digs in Baymeadows, it’ll be a blow to taxpayers and Downtown.
Reposted by The Jaxson
moving the DCPS offices away from downtown is ridiculous. Especially to Baymeadows?! if i remember where the proposed building is, it's a nightmare of traffic, not where you would want to be a pedestrian or taking the bus. And trying to get there from the Northside? yikes no.
Duval County Public Schools may finally leave the Downtown Southbank. But in moving to an expensive, poorly accessible Baymeadows office building wasting a golden opportunity?
THE JAXSON | Will DCPS's move waste a golden opportunity? | Jacksonville Today
The School Board now faces a pivotal choice: strengthen Downtown’s resurgence or contribute to its decline.
jaxtoday.org
August 22, 2025 at 3:41 PM
moving the DCPS offices away from downtown is ridiculous. Especially to Baymeadows?! if i remember where the proposed building is, it's a nightmare of traffic, not where you would want to be a pedestrian or taking the bus. And trying to get there from the Northside? yikes no.
Duval County Public Schools may finally leave the Downtown Southbank. But in moving to an expensive, poorly accessible Baymeadows office building wasting a golden opportunity?
THE JAXSON | Will DCPS's move waste a golden opportunity? | Jacksonville Today
The School Board now faces a pivotal choice: strengthen Downtown’s resurgence or contribute to its decline.
jaxtoday.org
August 22, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Duval County Public Schools may finally leave the Downtown Southbank. But in moving to an expensive, poorly accessible Baymeadows office building wasting a golden opportunity?
Located about 25 miles northeast of Jacksonville, Fernandina Beach is a historic city of 13,000 residents that spans the northern half of Amelia Island. Here are five fascinating facts about this vibrant walkable community.
Five historical facts about Fernandina Beach
Located about 25 miles northeast of Jacksonville, Fernandina Beach is a historic city of 13,000 residents that spans the northern half of Amelia Island. Here are five fascinating facts about this vibr...
www.thejaxsonmag.com
August 18, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Located about 25 miles northeast of Jacksonville, Fernandina Beach is a historic city of 13,000 residents that spans the northern half of Amelia Island. Here are five fascinating facts about this vibrant walkable community.
Rerouted, channelized & even buried underground for decades, McCoys Creek is currently undergoing restoration to return it to its natural state as part of the Emerald Trail. These City of Jacksonville photos from 1926 offer a glimpse of this important tributary 99 years ago.
A tour of McCoys Creek in 1926
McCoys Creek is a tributary of the St. Johns River, flowing eastward from the Murray Hill neighborhood before emptying into the river near downtown Jacksonville. Over the years, the creek has undergon...
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August 12, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Rerouted, channelized & even buried underground for decades, McCoys Creek is currently undergoing restoration to return it to its natural state as part of the Emerald Trail. These City of Jacksonville photos from 1926 offer a glimpse of this important tributary 99 years ago.
Guest writer Marcus Nelson tried out JTA’s $60 million U2C project. Is it a viable transit solution or… not?
Experiencing NAVI: The “Ultimate Urban Circulator”
I decided it was important to see what all these years of work and millions of taxpayer dollars had gone into, and I figured there’s no better way to do that than to get up close and personal, so I to...
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August 5, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Guest writer Marcus Nelson tried out JTA’s $60 million U2C project. Is it a viable transit solution or… not?
Evans Rendezvous, a prominent oceanfront venue on the Chitlin' Circuit, operated from 1948 to 1980 in the Black resort town of American Beach. Last week we had the opportunity to get a sneak peek inside this iconic historic landmark:
American Beach's Evans Rendezvous
Evans Rendezvous, a prominent oceanfront venue on the Chitlin' Circuit, operated from 1948 to 1980. Last week, during the annual Preservation on Main Street conference in Fernandina Beach, we had the ...
www.thejaxsonmag.com
August 2, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Evans Rendezvous, a prominent oceanfront venue on the Chitlin' Circuit, operated from 1948 to 1980 in the Black resort town of American Beach. Last week we had the opportunity to get a sneak peek inside this iconic historic landmark:
Sushi, steaks, South African cuisine and more: Downtown Jax has struggled to maintain a consistent evening dining presence, but that will soon change as more concepts build out that could turn the area into the hottest dining destination in Northeast Florida. www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/five...
Five Restaurants Coming Downtown
Downtown Jacksonville has struggled to maintain a consistent evening dining presence, but that will soon change as more concepts are currently under construction that will turn the area into the hotte...
www.thejaxsonmag.com
August 1, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Sushi, steaks, South African cuisine and more: Downtown Jax has struggled to maintain a consistent evening dining presence, but that will soon change as more concepts build out that could turn the area into the hottest dining destination in Northeast Florida. www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/five...
A brief look into the history of an early Jacksonville’ Paxon Shopping Center, one of the early suburban plazas to challenge Downtown as the city’s retail epicenter.
When Paxson Was the Place to Be
A brief look into the history of an early Jacksonville suburban shopping center.
www.thejaxsonmag.com
July 25, 2025 at 3:32 PM
A brief look into the history of an early Jacksonville’ Paxon Shopping Center, one of the early suburban plazas to challenge Downtown as the city’s retail epicenter.
Located 18 miles southeast of downtown Jacksonville, Bayard is a historic community with a rich cultural story. Here are five fascinating historical facts about Bayard that you might not know.
Five things you didn't know about Bayard
Located 18 miles southeast of downtown Jacksonville, Bayard is a historic community with a rich cultural story. Here are five fascinating historical facts about Bayard that you might not know.
www.thejaxsonmag.com
July 15, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Located 18 miles southeast of downtown Jacksonville, Bayard is a historic community with a rich cultural story. Here are five fascinating historical facts about Bayard that you might not know.
Did you know that Downtown Jax’s highest rents were once in LaVilla's red light district? This 1939 map by the Federal Housing Administration is colored coded by rental rates for each city block, revealing economic conditions in the City prior to World War II.
1939 Jax rental rates colored coded at block level
A 1939 map prepared by the Research Division of the Federal Housing Administration colored coded by average monthly rental rates for each city block. Did you know that Downtown's highest rents were in...
www.thejaxsonmag.com
July 15, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Did you know that Downtown Jax’s highest rents were once in LaVilla's red light district? This 1939 map by the Federal Housing Administration is colored coded by rental rates for each city block, revealing economic conditions in the City prior to World War II.
Reposted by The Jaxson
This is pretty neat!
and Angie Nixon!! I knew of her work before she ran for office, and she was pretty cool then. She's a great state rep now, too.
and Angie Nixon!! I knew of her work before she ran for office, and she was pretty cool then. She's a great state rep now, too.
Founded by Florida state rep Angie Nixon, Cafe Resistance on Soutel Dr. is a bookstore, coffee shop and community hub that highlights African American authors and banned books. Guest writer Jalicia Lewis tells the story behind this Northwest Jax hotspot.
One year of Cafe Resistance
Founded by Florida state representative Angie Nixon, Cafe Resistance on Soutel Drive is a bookstore, coffee shop and community hub that highlights African American authors and banned books. Here’s the...
www.thejaxsonmag.com
July 9, 2025 at 3:06 PM
This is pretty neat!
and Angie Nixon!! I knew of her work before she ran for office, and she was pretty cool then. She's a great state rep now, too.
and Angie Nixon!! I knew of her work before she ran for office, and she was pretty cool then. She's a great state rep now, too.
Founded by Florida state rep Angie Nixon, Cafe Resistance on Soutel Dr. is a bookstore, coffee shop and community hub that highlights African American authors and banned books. Guest writer Jalicia Lewis tells the story behind this Northwest Jax hotspot.
One year of Cafe Resistance
Founded by Florida state representative Angie Nixon, Cafe Resistance on Soutel Drive is a bookstore, coffee shop and community hub that highlights African American authors and banned books. Here’s the...
www.thejaxsonmag.com
July 9, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Founded by Florida state rep Angie Nixon, Cafe Resistance on Soutel Dr. is a bookstore, coffee shop and community hub that highlights African American authors and banned books. Guest writer Jalicia Lewis tells the story behind this Northwest Jax hotspot.
Reposted by The Jaxson
We’re celebrating #IDigJax with a scavenger hunt! We’re hiding 5 miniature Rexies all over the city. Stay tuned to our social media channels for clues to find the first one. If you find him, post it on social media with the hashtags #IDigJax and #RexMarkstheSpot. Happy hunting!
July 7, 2025 at 8:02 PM
We’re celebrating #IDigJax with a scavenger hunt! We’re hiding 5 miniature Rexies all over the city. Stay tuned to our social media channels for clues to find the first one. If you find him, post it on social media with the hashtags #IDigJax and #RexMarkstheSpot. Happy hunting!