Downtown Jacksonville is no longer on the verge, but is actually undergoing a transformation. This transformation is not a rapid one, but rather the thoughtful type of renewal that it has long needed. It’s understandable if you’re cynical about it. Jacksonvillians have long heard mayoral campaign promises about downtown, but the banter has only served to turn optimism into what feels like an end-of-the-rainbow type hunt—but even the most avid skeptic can’t ignore the seeds that have begun to sprout. Downtown’s has become one of the city’s landmark recurring events. is making strides with regular events and has become a …

  By name alone, PorchFest conjures images of jug bands, old men in rocking chairs alongside their old hound dogs, and one hell of a hootenanny once the hooch sets in. It’s entirely possible that one or all of those things may be found on November 7th during  in Springfield. However, I don’t want to misrepresent the event or lead you completely astray—this is a family friendly event. PorchFests are held annually across the United States and Canada. They were started in Ithaca, New York, in 2007. The underlying idea was to bring local musicians and neighborhoods together to create …

It always struck me oddly when the bubbled up as a suggestion of where to take out-of-town company. The view is picturesque, and it’s one of the most prized pieces of commercial real estate in the area, but it has never really had a cohesive cultural offering. There have always been restaurants, nightclubs, and live entertainment, but not really anything that struck me as a unique, wholly Jacksonville experience. While there’s nothing particularly wrong with a pitcher and wings at Hooters, it certainly isn’t essential on the things you have to see in Jacksonville tour. However, the tide is changing, …

  is relatively new in name, but their ethos, practices, and location have roots that reach far into the area’s past. The business operates with a tenacious sense of place, an exacting emphasis on quality, and a circuitous conscience that results in their distillers grains getting turned into soil or when they are fresh, fed to livestock. The concept is multifaceted and is one that is meeting the challenge of creating a celebrated entity among locals and a sought-after attraction for tourists. The only thing that , Co-Founder and CEO, talks about as glowingly as the distillery, is . “I …

If reclaimed wood is your thing, well then partner, have I got some exciting news to share with you. The team at has recently salvaged a large load of heart pine beams from the historic building in downtown Jacksonville. The building, constructed in 1904, was the first skyscraper built in Jacksonville after the . The wood is estimated to be more than 200 years old and has an exquisite natural patina, echoing the many years of history that it’s witnessed. If you need a specific size, a craftsperson at Eco Relics will be glad to cut it for you. The …

As Tycho hit the first note of their opener, “Adrift,” a girl in the audience leaned over to me and said, “I can’t tell you how many times this shit brought me out of a panic attack.” While I was glad that Tycho’s music had helped this stranger that shared such a personal anecdote with me, I was more seized by the energetic live sound of the band. I had not seen perform before and went out to with an assumption that the evening would deliver a more lulling experience, but it was far more sublime than it was serene. …

LaVilla has an incredibly rich and interesting history, and there are many who are passionate about sharing that and making the neighborhood everything it could once again be. One of those individuals is , the CEO of , a custom sign fabrication company with a prominent list of national clients. Steve is “obsessed with the neighborhood and its history” and has put his money where his mouth is, purchasing property that he envisions being a multistory mix of art, retail, dining and residential spaces. He wants it to be an incubator of sorts for young businesses that share a vision …