[djmcmath]

Just got back from two weeks on business there. It looks like the recession has taken a real toll on the place. Not that it was ever a legitimately hot spot, but it's wholly dead now. We visited the downtown area (Jax Landing) on a Wednesday night and struggled to find any signs of life. Most of the businesses had closed, and even the Hooters was deserted. We followed up with a visit to Amelia Island the next night, and the story was the same. The big bars -- Palace Saloon and Green Turtle -- were both empty, all night long. Many of the restaurants, even the good ones, had closed. The people that I talked with were mostly struggling to survive. The ones who were winning were foreclosure realtors and entrepreneurs who were only hoping to win, but hadn't yet. Most other people seemed to be in pretty dire straits.

There are some signs of life, however. Bold City Brewery is attracting real crowds and is growing. It's not great beer, but it is the best beer in Jax. St. John's Town Center, on the southside, is crowded at any time of day or night. I even saw some Porsches there.

The neighborhoods are all across the board, as far as crime goes. I lived in a pretty decent neighborhood when I was there, but there was a shooting less than a mile from my apartment. As far as I could tell, the money was migrating generally south and towards the beach, but I only had two weeks on site this visit, so it's a little tough to tell.

Good luck.

Dan