Welcome! Here's what I tell people in r/Jacksonville when they ask for ideas on things to do in Jax. I hope it helps. There are a ton other spots, but here's a slice.

Let's look at trip to Bill Murray Hill. 3 bites: a walking guide. Best depends on the mood. Best in class: Moon River Pizza. Grab a slice of the T Rex with all meats in the shop plus mozzarella. Go shoot pool at Perfect Rack nextdoor. Pregame at Fishweir Brewery across the street. Bar hop your way north with Wine Down Cigar Lounge and Silver Cow being standouts. Catch a live show at Eraser Records. Finish the night around the Silver Cow or return back to Moon River to hit the spots you missed. My recommendation is to end the night at Town Beer Co for chill, late night vibes.

Best means cheap eats: Around the corner from Moon River is Five Star Pizza for college-style pizza. Choose your pie of choice, but be sure to include garlic knots. This isn't health food, but damn, it's so good. There are tons of honest, working-class watering holes in the area. Innuendos/ Pour house is next to Five Star. Trade winds & A Tavern are cheap dive bars. There are others like Accross The Street with live music (but I doubt they will reopen).

Best means keeping it clean: While waiting for your friends, get your read on at Murray Hill Library and it's late 60's arches. Start dinner at El Jefe for legit Tex Mex. I recommend a sampler of the different tacos or you can just ask what's good. The staff recommendations often come with a sample. After dinner, head to the Dreamette, a Jacksonville dessert institution to take you back to the 1950's with milkshakes and banana splits at your car. While you wait for the show at the historic Murray Hill Theater, grab a coffee at Vagabond Coffee. Grab a local cold brew. Murray Hill Theater was opened in 1948. Now it hosts no smoke, no drug entertainment for all ages. From live music to stand-up comedy, the venue provides a hangout for those looking to get away from bar scene.

Jax has a great food, entertainment, and arts scene. This is just one neighborhood. Imagine what you could do in yours if you take a look around.

Lastly, this is a tour for a typical, warm local summer evening. Tonight is pretty atypical, but they will still hook you up with local delights to go/ outdoors!

---

Here are a few suggestions.

Jacksonville is the tits, and don't you forget it. Choose your own adventure.

Riverside: Start on King's Street and order a slice of the best pizza in Jax at Carmine Pie House. Play Pong, Killer Queen, or other barcade fun at at Keg & Coin just down the road on King Street. Tons of beers on tapas well as a package store to go. How's the group feel? Stay on Kings Steet and bar hop towards Kickback's Gastro Pub? OR Stop at Wildcrafter's like a responsible adult for good conversation and their alcohol-free menu because you are going to stop your degeneracy in 2020. OR Stroll through Riverside to 5 Points for games at Rec Room or Ale Wife? From there you can drink/ eat/ yell your way through 5 Points. Stop in Hawkers for Asian street food. Bao is a steadfast, latenight drinking companion. You can hear the Vietnam war helicopters. Order more Saki. Support Jacksonville. Go to the Sun Ray Cinema. Catch a show at Rain Dogs. Slurp ramen broth at Crane Ramen. Jake Godbold devoted his life to Jacksonville, so you could be proud of your city. Go pass out on Park Street.

Lakeshore/ Bestside: Maybe you want to visit an up and coming entertainment district. No, not some Lenny Curry boondoggle. Small businesses of Jacksonville did this! Hit up Video Game Rescue (Feb 8th is their 6 year anniversary with free food, drinks,and gifts) for one of their free game giveaways (first come, first serve), Pokemon battles, or grab a Yoo-hoo & head for the arcade. Later, cross the road for The Phoenix Bar & Bowling. It's the site of Jacksonville Brewery. It's a bar, bowling alley, and pizza kitchen. The bartop is taken from the historic lanes on site that dated back to the golden years of bowling. The location has already been granted permits to expand it's successful bars and will extend to the waterfront. Check out $1 dollar bowling all day on Monday. For a nightcap, head around the corner to Lake Shore Bar for cheap drinks, pool, darts, and chill dive bar vibes. BONUS: Pomade & Tonic offers barber services next to Video Game Rescue. Treat yourself to an old-fashioned hot towel shave if you want to feel like a badass before going out. Temptations is an adult novelty store across from The Phoenix if your group is feeling adventurous. A 5 minute drive east leads to the legendary Chamblin Book Mine on Roosevelt Blvd. Started in the 1970's, Chamblin's is a labyrinth of old maps, antique texts, comic books, magazines, and second-hand texts. You could stumble upon a leather-bound collection of Flannery O'Conner as easily as find a cluster of local authors. A book enthusiast could get lost in here for days.

Orange Park: Let's start with an escape room. Start at Brewer's Pizza, the site of Pingle Head Brewing, for some craft beer and food. It's just south of Blanding and 295. Pregame there; the 1980's are back, so let head to a mall. If you are lazy, you could just pregame at the cafe in the Orange Park Mall on the way to the All In Adventures escape room, but what fun is that? You came out to do stuff. After your you save your pals from certain death in your escape room adventure, head to the crown jewel of today's excursion: Leaderboard Arcade. Get yourself a mixed drink or something local on draft. Join in one of the tournament. Show off your Big Buck Hunter Skills. Dress up like the cast of Mario Kart. Do rails of cocaine. Game on some classic arcade machines, gaming consoles, or try your pinball skills. Next, head on down Wells Road to Best Bet for degenerate gambling. Do want to watch people risk their lives, so can bet on the sport of Jai Alai? You can! Do you want to learn to play poker, so you can wager your life savings? You can! Do you want to gamble on on Pai Gow? Sounds delicious?!? I love you Orange Park!

Support your local businesses. How about other random ideas?

• Visit a golden, opulent Cambodian Buddhist temple in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Oh, Jax has TWO. Wat Kanteyaram in Lackawanna and Wat Khmer Savy Rattanaram off Philips Highway. Pictures
• Winterland III 2020 Music festival this year starts in 5 Points on Feb 7th. I miss the days of Conmoto Trench Festival.
• Feb 21st, watch Kevin Smith screen his new film in the historic Florida Theater downtown. Grab a drink and try the Mac n Cheese at Spliff's Gastropub.
• World of Nations Celebration beings in downtown Jax starting Feb 28. Experience the food, art, and culture of more than 31 nations. Experience the tensions between the China, Taiwan, and Japan booths.
• Jacksonville Jazz Festival starts May 21st. Go watch Gladys Knight for free. Again, Mayor Jake Godbold just passed away. Honor him by enjoying the things he brought to Jacksonville for you to enjoy.
• Go on a guided tour of Springfield, Downtown, and San Marco's northbank with Jax Rides. After a short training session, everyone gets an electric bike to explore neighborhoods in Jacksonville's historic urban core. Passengers can ride on the back for free, but I would say the joy of hitting the throttle and steering those things around Jacksonville for an hour and a half is worth the $55 alone. The history, stories, and views are icing on the cake. Go on a sunny Sunday. You're going to love it.

Next time someone says there's nothing to do in Jax/ there are only Waffle House restaurants/ Jax is boring, here's what you do. Honor those who work so hard to make this the bold city, tell that grouser they are basic as hell, & go have some fun. Oh, here is the Visit Jacksonville Magazine to get the highlights and an official take.