Questions: Jacksonville/Bowl Game Travel
December 7th, 2010 at 3:11 PM ^
I'm going to be staying downtown near Jacksonville Landing with some other students. What are the nightlife options like? Are there good spots in walking distance from the Jacksonville Landing area?
December 7th, 2010 at 3:31 PM ^
I'll be driving up from Tampa with grill etc in tow. If anyone flying in is interested in sharing the grill just let me know... Have not yet picked a parking area but will post it if anyone is interested in tailgating.
December 8th, 2010 at 5:04 AM ^
Wish I could be there.
December 8th, 2010 at 2:37 PM ^
I have lived in Jax for the last 3 years. This city is actually pretty fun; definitely more family oriented but still some cool places. Jax is a city of neighborhoods, so you'll have to venture out of Downtown to find some good pockets of places to hang. However, within 5-10 minutes of Downtown (or in Downtown) I would definitely recommend the follwoing places:
Downtown:
- Dos Gatos (speakeasy type bar) - across from the FL Theater
- The Sinclair (hole in the wall artsy bar - lots of live events)
- The Pearl (on the edge of Springfield - the biggest hipster/scenster crowd in Jax - most nights it's 18+, for those coming with a younger crowd - expect a huge but fun NYE crowd)
- TSI (also a big draw for the indie rock/hipster crowd - walkable to and from the Stadium - will have the best NYE party for the rock crowd - bands, DJ's, etc)
- Mark's (more updscale lounge)
Riverside (westside/just out of Downtown): probably the "coolest" non-beach area in Jax for the 20-something crowd - only about 5 minutes (max) from Downtown
- Underbelly (behind a clothing store called Anomaly - hard to find (on purpose) - pretty much locals only but all would be welcome, think Brooklyn indie scene meets sothern outdoor bar)
- Birdies [formerly Starlight] (cheap drinks, lot's of 20-something scenesters)
- Lomax Lodge (grundge/punk/rock crowd with a killer beer selection - best "dive" bar in Jax)
- Walker's Wine Bar [King St. District] (NY/Boston styled wine bar - very hip with late 20's early 30's)
- The Rogue [King St. District] (hole in the wall bar - rock/indie crowd, owned by owner of Walker's - right next to The Loft and across the Street from Kickback's)
- The Loft [King St. District] (small but very hip - pulls a big crowd of Jax hipsters that think cover charges, lounges, bottles (i.e., Jersey Shore) are lame)
- Kickback's Gastropub [King St. District] (over 200 beers on tap, and another 500 in bottle - killer food also served 23 hours a day - saw Guy Fieri of Triple D eating and having a beer here while in town shooting a show about another place)
- There are alos 2 great local breweries in the King St. District - Intuition Ale Works and Bold City Brewery. Both breweries put out some great stuff and have tours and a tap room. You can score a growler for the game pretty cheap. [Bold City will be on tap all over town, but they over special kegs only found on site - check it out - could make for a fun few hours].
Avondale: wealthy enclave just past Riverside. Homes remind you of the north (think Grosse Pointe). Small shopping district with high-end restaurants and boutiques.
- Town (an American tapas restaurant with a cool but small bar - they have truffle tater tots and pork belly popcorn as bar snacks - enough said)
- Casbah (hookah lounge with pretty decent middle eastern food - draws the scenster crowd for food before a night out - live belly dancing - heatied outdoor patio)
- The Brick (great restaurant with a 30-40 something martini/craft beer crowd)
- Eclipse [past the Shoppes of Avondale on St. Johns Avenue] (small but cool dance club with an awesome old wave night for anyone that is a big Depeche Mode/Cure fan)
San Marco: wealthy enclave on the "south" bank of Jax (opposite side of the river from the Stadium). Mansions and historic homes. Another small shopping district with high-end restaurants and boutiques.
- Square One (nice lounge/dance club popular for all crowds from 20's-40's - expect a well dressed, fun mixed crowd around NYE)
- BB's (on Hendrix Ave - walkable from south bank hotels) (my favorite restaurant in Jax - has an awesome wine/beer selection)
- Taverna (very nice Spanish tapas restaurant with a killer wine selection)
December 8th, 2010 at 4:22 PM ^
I go there every friday night. Live hip hop, great beer. OBERON ON TAP What what???!!! And that's my stompin' ground as i work a block from Lomax, so if anyone is down for some Oberon and good hip hop (not radio shit) get at me & we'll make it happen the friday before the game!
December 8th, 2010 at 4:23 PM ^
I go there every friday night. Live hip hop, great beer. OBERON ON TAP What what???!!! And that's my stompin' ground as i work a block from Lomax, so if anyone is down for some Oberon and good hip hop (not radio shit) get at me & we'll make it happen the friday before the game!