southside

The Southside is the latest up and coming section of Jacksonville and it's blossomed into a bustling business center. The Tinseltown area is hopping with a movie theater, restaurants, specialty shops, and thriving nightlife. The area is also home to the large yet elegant Avenues Mall, as well as the St. Johns Town Center - a 1.1 million-square-foot, open-air lifestyle center offering innovative new retail, residential, hotel, and dining choices for Jacksonville shoppers.

Named for the Mandarin orange in 1830, this neighborhood on the St. Johns River just south of San Marco was once described as “a tropical paradise” by Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Both Harriet Beecher Stowe, and painter Lee Adams once lived here. Mandarin is characterized by its magnificent oak trees hung with dramatic Spanish moss and boasts some of the best views of the St. Johns River in greater Jacksonville. Once an important river port for shipping oranges and other citrus fruit northward, today Mandarin is a blend of residential areas and shopping centers. Don't miss the Mandarin Museum and Walter Jones Historical Park. The 10-acre riverfront site is home to an 1876 farm complex with picnic areas as well as a citrus grove.