Downtown Neighborhoods

Downtown is made up of eight neighborhoods, flanking the River’s Northeastern curve on both sides: Brooklyn, LaVilla, City Center, NorthCore, Cathedral Hill, Sports & Entertainment, Working Waterfront and Southbank. Each area offers a unique, captivating history.

Brooklyn

Modern and colorful, Brooklyn connects LaVilla and City Center to the historic Riverside neighborhood and Five Points shopping and entertainment district. Home to major corporate headquarters such as Haskell, Black Knight Financial and FIS, Brooklyn offers an ideal location for businesses and residents alike. The district has a mix of uses, including riverfront office, multi-family housing developments, condominiums, restaurants, retail and light industrial. The community enjoys plentiful river access, and with various major projects currently underway and strong economics, the Brooklyn district is well-positioned for continued growth and success.

Amenities

LaVilla

East of City Center, LaVilla is home to a rich cultural heritage. As Jacksonville’s oldest suburb, LaVilla was known as the Harlem of the South and the epicenter of Black culture and commerce in Northeast Florida. The neighborhood also was home to an wide array of immigrant communities attracted by the economic potential of LaVilla’s role as Jacksonville’s railroad hub. LaVilla’s vibrant music and entertainment scene attracted many nationally renowned artists who came to play at the local clubs on and off Ashley Street. In 1929, the Ritz Theatre opened, becoming both an important stop on the Chitlin’ Circuit and LaVilla’s primary performance venue. Following a decline in population and quality of life in the 20th Century, the River City Renaissance (RCR) Plan aimed to revitalize the area in the 1990s, making room for future development through the acquisition and clearing of many acres. Recently, redevelopment has returned in the form of new workforce housing and transportation projects. The 2019 LaVilla Neighborhood Development Strategy calls for a LaVilla Heritage Trail that will engage and educate the public on LaVilla’s rich history and a Water Street road diet to connect the historic district to the riverfront. 

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City Center (formerly Central Core)

City Center encompasses many of Downtown’s office towers, government services, regional non-profits and various art and cultural centers, making it the most concentrated area of focus for economic development on the Northbank. City Center’s small walkable blocks are filled with historic architecture, cultural amenities and public art. The City of Jacksonville was founded on the riverbank of City Center, and iconic cultural centers like the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Florida Theatre are located in City Center. Today, work is underway to re-establish key riverfront properties and enhance Jacksonville’s iconic skyline. The availability of several unique and historic properties provide significant opportunities for adaptive reuse.

Amenities

NorthCore (formerly Church)

Situated along the northern boundary of Downtown between City Center and the historic Springfield neighborhood, the NorthCore is on the threshold of a major transition. The area is experiencing a resurgence thanks to numerous adaptive reuse projects aimed at preserving the rich, historic building stock and at bringing residential, retail and a hotel to the district.

Cathedral Hill

Anchored by five historic churches, Cathedral Hill connects City Center to the Sports & Entertainment District and is home to Billy Goat Hill, the highest point in Downtown Jacksonville. Beginning in 2016, the area has been championed by Cathedral District Jax-Inc. (CD-J), a nonprofit organized to foster growth as Jacksonville’s Downtown neighborhood. CD-J created a master plan for the area to support development and revitalization efforts, including the continued support of the senior residents who call the district home via affordable, quality housing and amenities.

Amenities

Sports & Entertainment

Sporting the biggest concentration of entertainment venues in the area, the Sports & Entertainment District is home to the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars and other sports teams, major concerts and much more. The district was once home to a thriving maritime industry, its riverfront lined with shipyards. Today, major mixed-use developments are under construction to bring residents, employees and visitors to the area..

The Cathedral District and the Sports & Entertainment District were designated as “Opportunity Zones ” that offer investors tax breaks designed to encourage economic development in economically distressed areas created as part of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

Amenities

Working Waterfront

The Working Waterfront sits on the eastern edge of Downtown beyond the Sports & Entertainment District. Home to the North Florida Shipyards, the district primarily supports industrial waterfront uses with a special district zoning overlay to accommodate the needs of shipping, lumber, concrete and oil businesses operating there.

Southbank

Home to tall riverfront office and residential towers, the Southbank sits between the St. Johns River and the San Marco neighborhood to the south. It features a wealth of hotels and premier medical campuses including Baptist Medical Center, Wolfson Children’s Hospital, MD Anderson Cancer Center and Nemours Specialty Care center. The community enjoys plentiful riverfront access via the Southbank riverwalk, a boat ramp, kayak launch and River Taxi stops.

Amenities