9 Reasons to Build A New Home in Northeast Florida

If you haven’t had a chance to see all of Florida, you might not realize just how diverse the state’s various regions are. Northeast Florida is always a great surprise for first-time visitors who discover how much the Jacksonville area has to offer. If you’re considering relocating to our part of Florida, here are nine reasons to buy or build a new home here.

1. The Mild Climate

Unlike the southern portions of the Florida peninsula, Northeast Florida actually has distinct seasons. And unlike many other parts of the U.S., those seasons are never too extreme in terms of temperature. As Visit Jacksonville puts it, “perfection” is the one word to describe the weather here.

Our temperate climate lets us get outside year-round: The average annual temperature is a comfortable 70 degrees, with the average annual high at 78 and the low at 62. Most of our rain comes in the summer, so from fall through early springs, we enjoy sunny, dry weather. You may need a heavy coat on some winter days, but you’ll never need a closet full of them!

2. Big-City Options and Small-Town Living

Do you prefer the faster pace of a city or is small-town life more your style? You can have either—or be near both—in Northeast Florida. Jacksonville, the most populous city in the southeastern U.S., has a population nearing 900,000 but all of those residents are spread across more than 870 square miles. Add in adjacent counties and cities, and it leaves a lot of room for sparsely populated rural areas, density in suburbs and downtown hubs, and everything in between. It also allows for dozens of very diverse neighborhoods and communities, many of which are almost towns in themselves.

At SEDA New Homes, we have communities throughout Northeast Florida that give buyers their choice of lifestyle in different settings, including Oceanway on Jacksonville’s northside, Fernandina Beach in Nassau County, Middleburg in Clay County, and St. Augustine in St. Johns County.

3. Arts and Culture

Business Insider’s 2014 article entitled “The 20 Best U.S. Cities for Culture” shows Jacksonville coming in at #11 on the list put together by PropertyShark, a research website. The list includes the 20 cities with the highest number of activities dedicated to recreation and culture per capita. Jacksonville earned its spot for having one cultural attraction for every 2,483 people.

So where can you find arts and culture in Jacksonville and Northeast Florida? It’s always just around the corner! Here are a very few of our favorites:

Museums:

• The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, Jacksonville
• The Ritz Theatre and Museum, Jacksonville
• Amelia Island Museum of History, Fernandina Beach
• The Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville
• The Oldest House Museum, St. Augustine
• The Museum of Science and History, Jacksonville
• Lightner Museum, St. Augustine

Galleries and exhibit venues:

• Butterfield Garage Art Gallery, St. Augustine
• Southlight Gallery, Jacksonville
• First Street Gallery, Neptune Beach
• Island Art Association Gallery, Fernandina Beach
• University of North Florida Gallery of Art, Jacksonville
• The Haskell Gallery at the Jacksonville International Airport
• St. Augustine Art Association
• Art on Centre, Fernandina Beach

Festivals and fairs:

• Isle of 8 Flags Shrimp Festival, Amelia Island
• St. Augustine Art and Craft Festival
• Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair
• Mandarin Art Festival, Jacksonville
• Railroad Day Festival, Callahan

Concert and performance venues:

• Atlantic Beach Experimental Theatre
• The Florida Theatre, Jacksonville
• Orange Park Community Theatre
• Players by the Sea, Jacksonville Beach
• The Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts
• Ponte Vedra Concert Hall

Art Walks:

• Jacksonville Art Walk (first Wednesday of each month)
• North Beaches Art Walk, Atlantic and Neptune Beach (third Thursday of each month)
• St. Augustine Art Walk (first Friday of each month)
• Artrageous Artwalk, Amelia Island (second Saturday of each month)

4. History

History buffs stay busy here! Northeast Florida has a rich history, with plenty of historical sites and attractions throughout the area.

The most prominent history is centered in St. Augustine, founded in 1565 and recognized as the oldest continuously occupied settlement by Europeans in the contiguous U.S. You’ll need more than one visit to cover everything the “Ancient City” has to offer, including the Castillo de San Marcos coquina fortress which was built by the Spanish in the years from 1672 to 1695. Stop by the 1565 Mission of Nombre de Dios, the Spanish Military Hospital Museum, and the Oldest House, a National Historic Landmark from the 1700s.

In other parts of Northeast Florida, notable historical sites include the 46,000-acre Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, where you can tour Kingsley Plantation, the oldest standing plantation in Florida, and the Fort Caroline National Memorial.

5. Outdoor Activities

Jacksonville and surrounding areas have very diverse ecosystems. That not only makes it a great habitat for wildlife—it also offers almost endless options for outdoor activities for residents and visitors.

With the ocean, rivers, lakes and miles of waterways that wind throughout the area, you’ll never run out of choices of things to do on the water. You can swim, fish inshore or offshore in saltwater or fresh, or go boating, sailing, kayaking or surfing. If you prefer more relaxing activities, you can still enjoy the water with scenic cruises and guided boat tours that offer glimpses of our area’s most beautiful natural features not often seen.

On land, take your pick from hiking or biking through marshlands and maritime forests on designated trails throughout the area, camping on one of dozens of campgrounds, or visit one of our city, state or national parks. Jacksonville is home to the largest urban park system in the U.S., which includes two national parks, gardens, arboretums, and more.

6. Shopping and Dining

Whether you’re a bargain hunter or your taste runs more toward upscale boutiques, Northeast Florida has several shopping hotspots. St. Johns Town Center in Jacksonville offers a unique outdoor mall experience and has all of the top brands you’d find in any big city. Spend a day at the outlet malls in St. Augustine, or comb through antique shops along the “Florida Antique Trail” that takes you on a journey across north Florida.

7. Sports

Like every great American city, Jacksonville has its share of professional sports teams and sporting events. It’s home to the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, the Southern League’s Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp baseball team, the Jacksonville Icemen hockey team, Jacksonville Armada soccer league, the Jacksonville Sharks National Arena League team, and more. College-level sporting events are held on the campuses of the University of North Florida and Jacksonville University, and the city is also the site of college bowl games.

Northeast Florida also plays hosts to premier events such as The PGA Tour’s Players Championship at Sawgrass and the Women’s Tennis Association’s Bausch & Lomb Championships at Amelia Island Plantation.

8. Beaches

The miles of Atlantic shoreline may be our area’s biggest draw. From the barrier island of Amelia Island and the collective “Jacksonville Beaches” (these include Jacksonville, Neptune, Atlantic and Ponte Vedra Beach in most locals’ minds), down to Anastasia Park and St. Augustine Beach, visitors and residents can always find an uncrowded spot to stake a claim on the sand for an afternoon. Most beaches are hard-packed sand, which makes walking, biking and running a breeze, but any area beach is great for shelling, sunning, swimming or just watching the world go by.

9. Business and the Economy

If all of the reasons above aren’t enough, the Jacksonville area is also a healthy business center. Ranked #7 Best City for Job Seekers by Money magazine and the top Florida city in which to start a business, according to Business.org, Jacksonville is home to the headquarters of Fortune 500 companies and industries from tech to healthcare. A cost of living below the national average and affordable housing make Northeast Florida an excellent choice for singles, families, and retirees.

Local Home Builders in the Jacksonville Area

SEDA New Homes has built communities in every county in Northeast Florida, so we know what makes our area a top choice for those looking to buy brand-new homes here. We invite you to visit one of our model homes or contact us to learn more about area neighborhoods and the Northeast Florida lifestyle.