Springfield

Sweet Pete's

Springfield is a nationally designated historic neighborhood located immediately north of downtown Jacksonville. It was established in 1869 and is one of two historic districts in Jacksonville, along with Riverside Avondale. Springfield was the city’s first subdivision and one of its most desirable places to live after the Great Fire of 1901 left much of downtown in ruins. Historic Springfield still retains much of its historic character and contains some of the best examples of late 19^th and early 20^th century architecture that the city has to offer. Common architectural styles in the district are: Colonial Revival, Queen Anne, Victorian, Prairie School, Mediterranean, and Bungalow.

Three Layers Coffee House

The neighborhood went into a decline in the mid 20^th century, but has made an amazing turnaround in recent years. So much so that Southern Living Magazine named Springfield one of the Top 10 comeback neighborhoods in the South in its December 2009 edition. A great deal of Springfield’s revitalization can be attributed to an influx of new businesses and residents to the neighborhood. The old adage goes that “retail follows rooftops” and that has certainly been the case in Springfield. Many new restaurants have recently opened in Springfield and been quite successful. Three Layers Coffee House and Wine Cellar, Sweet Pete’s-Pure Simple Sweets, Uptown Market, Wafaa & Mike’s Cafe, and City Kidz Cafe are incredibly popular, as is the Fusion Art Wine Jazz bar, which just celebrated its first year of great music and good times.

Modern-day Springfield is one of the most attractive neighborhoods in Jacksonville to live in, due to its beautiful architecture, gridded streets, walkability, shady parks, eclectic nightlife and restaurants, proximity to Downtown Jacksonville, and friendly neighbors. It is said that residents of Springfield move to the neighborhood for the beautiful homes, but choose to stay because of the sense of community. In Springfield, you know your neighbors, and not just those on your block, but the ones who live all over the historic district.

There is still plenty of work to be done to restore Springfield to its former glory, but it is well on its way. This can be attributed to Springfield’s residents and organizations, who are passionately committed to preserving the historic architecture of the district, keeping the neighborhood safe and clean, and creating a vibrant community. Come and see what makes Springfield such a unique place. Sample food and drink at the local restaurants, take a stroll down its tree-shaded streets, admire the magnificent architecture, and get to know its friendly residents. They sure don’t make neighborhoods like this anymore . . .

A front porch community

One Response to “Springfield”

Crissie Cudd December 17, 2010 at 11:35 am #

All the intown neighborhoods are great but none are quite as special as Springfield. We may not have as many local businesses yet, but the ones we have are the best of the best. If you want to die while saying “yum” you can do it at Sweet Pete’s. If you want to run into your neighbors and play Trivia or attend a wine tasting or listen to good live music or most anything else, you’ll be at Three Layers. I could go on and on!

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What’s it mean to GoLO?

When you GoLO, you're making a conscious choice to think "outside the box," avoid the malls and instead patronize the locally owned, locally operated businesses in Jacksonville's historic urban core neighborhoods. These local "Indie" stores play important roles in our communities. They help sustain appealing, compact, walkable neighborhoods, enshrine diversity and choice, and promote a vibrant local economy.

Fortunately, going LO isn't hard. Because that's also where you'll find the city's best boutiques, restaurants and bars--not to mention communities with unique character, friendly faces and unparalleled style.

Whether it's Five Points, San Marco or Springfield, Avondale, Murray Hill or Downtown, our city's original Town Centers have stores--and stories--you won't find anywhere else. Please support your Locally Owned, Locally Operated businesses. GoLO.

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