Daryl Atkins Watson Realty Corp.

Jacksonville was founded in 1791 as Cowford because of its location on a narrow section of the St. Johns River where cattle once crossed. In 1822 it was renamed in honor of President Andrew Jackson. Jacksonville became the largest city in the continental United States in 1968 after the boundaries of the city where expanded to include almost the whole of Duval County and the city and county governments were consolidated. With such a large land area, Jacksonville has an area to almost any lifestyle.

Amelia Island, one of the top resort areas in the country, is located in Nassau County, Jacksonville's neighbor to the north. Amelia Island is the name of the entire landmass, and at the same time, the name of a community on the island. Another well known community on Amelia Island is Fernandina Beach, a quaint historic fishing village. Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach provide two more distinct lifestyles and community personalities on the First Coast. Click here .

Arlington is surrounded by water, with the St. Johns River curving around it on the west and north, and the Intracoastal Waterway bordering the area to the east. The community enjoys easy access to downtown, the beaches, and now, points north, with the completion of the Dames Point Bridge, one of the city's most beautiful landmarks. Much of Arlington was developed in the 1950s and 60s, as families looked for new suburban communities with easy access to the city. As Jacksonville grew, so did Arlington, until the region became one of the most popular suburbs. Today, new construction is available along with resales of those older homes, in a wide range of prices and styles. And with water on so many sides, it's not surprising that Arlington has quite a bit of waterfront property as well. Click here .

Avondale, Riverside & Ortega enjoy the historic architecture and waterfront views of Avondale, but with a more urban flavor. The site of Jacksonville's bohemian mecca, Five Points, Riverside has a distinctive "artsy" feel. Five Points features art galleries, coffee houses and unique shops which cater to a young, hip crowd. For the more conservative, Jacksonville's premier art museum, The Cummer Gallery of Art, is located in Riverside, with its beautiful sculpture garden overlooking the St. Johns River. Click here .

Atlantic Beach is one of the communities lining the Atlantic Ocean, part of what locals often lump together under the title: "the beaches". But this moniker actually can refer to any of the three beachfront communities in Duval County: Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and Jacksonville Beach; or Ponte Vedra Beach, located just south in St. Johns County. All three of the Duval County communities are separate municipalities with their own elected officials; however, they are all also part of the incorporated Duval County. Each community has its own personality and style, but they all center around what their residents treasure most - the Atlantic Ocean. Click here .

Jacksonville Beach, another part of "the beaches" is home to the Seawalk Pavilion where festivals, live music, movies and more are held. Click here .

Neptune Beach is located between Atlantic Beach to the north and Jacksonville Beach to the south. Town Center, where Atlantic and Neptune Beaches meet, is home to lively restaurants and shopping. Click here .

Ponte Vedra Beach is a beach community in St. Johns County, just south of Jacksonville Beach. In recent years, Ponte Vedra Beach has become one of the most prestigious addresses on the East Coast. Ponte Vedra Beach has also become almost synonymous with golf, as the home of the PGA TOUR national headquarters and the site of the annual The Players Championship tournament held each year at the TPC at Sawgrass. Click here .

Beauclerc, San Jose & San Marco are older, established communities that run along San Jose Boulevard, parallel to the St. Johns River. South of Downtown, on the Southbank of the river, San Marco was founded in the 1920s and was named after San Marco square in Venice. Click Here. South of San Marco and north of Sunbeam Road are Beauclerc (pronounced Bo-claire ) ( Click here ) and San Jose ( Click Here ). The drive through these neighborhoods is one of the city's most scenic, with large mature trees and some of Jacksonville's most notable landmarks along the way.

Intracoastal West is a relatively new area of Jacksonville that extends east from the Southside to the Intracoastal Waterway. The construction of J. Turner Butler Boulevard, which extends from Phillips Highway to the beaches, opened up construction in this area, and it hasn't slowed since. Some used to refer to the area as East Arlington, but today residents prefer to call their community Intracoastal West, reflecting the area's proximity to the water and the beaches. Click here .

Mandarin is, for many families, the place to be in Jacksonville. A convenient location, quality housing selection and strong community spirit typify this Duval County community. Mandarin is located at the southern end of the county, bordered by water on its southern and western sides (Julington Creek and the St. Johns River), with Phillips Highway to the east and Sunbeam Road to the north. San Jose Boulevard is its major thoroughfare, featuring a wide variety of restaurants and retail centers. Click here .

North Jacksonville is considered by many to be Jacksonville's new frontier, and it's not hard to see why. With many other areas of town reaching their development peaks, North Jacksonville is poised for takeoff. Easy access to other parts of the city and points north, waterfront views and plenty of undeveloped land are just a few of the reasons that developers and home buyers are beginning to take note of North Jacksonville. Click here .

Orange Park, south of the Duval County line on the Westside, is a popular suburban community. While many of Orange Park's residents work in Jacksonville's Duval County, Orange Park is situated in Clay County, and maintains a separate school system and township government. Click here .

Middleburg is said to be one of the oldest settlements in the state of Florida. The un-incorporated community of Middleburg lies in the vicinity of Black Creek, a tributary of the St. Johns River in Clay County. During the early 1800's this community served as a port of entry for the Florida interior. Settlers developed cotton and tobacco in addition to harvesting timber. Middleburg served as a junction point between Jacksonville and St. Augustine which in turn caused the town to thrive. Click here .

Southside is used to describe a huge, widespread area, stretching from Mandarin on the west and Arlington to the north, down to the Duval County line. It's also something of a misnomer, since it really isn't the south side of anything. Nonetheless, Southside is well established as one of Jacksonville's most popular areas. Click here .

Switzerland and Fruit Cove are lovely communities on the other side of the Julington Creek, just south of the Duval County line. Until recently, this area south of Julington Creek from Jacksonville's Mandarin neighborhood was a sleepy, rural region. But Switzerland and Fruit Cove have become hot areas for new housing developments, most lining State Road 13, the continuation of San Jose Boulevard when it crosses the Julington Creek Bridge. Click here .

"The Westside is the best side," proud residents claim. And they have a lot to be proud of. Friendly family-oriented neighborhoods, affordable housing, and a convenient location are just a few of the benefits of this Jacksonville community. Click here .

In February of 2012, there were 968 residential homes sold at an average price of $116,500. The highest priced home selling for $3,275,000 and the lowest priced selling for $0,900. There are many wonderful homes in this area, but you need a local market expert to help you. Watson Realty Corp is a locally owned company with over 40 years experience selling homes in the area. Call the Watson experts at 800-257-5143.