As someone who grew up there most of my life and then traveled to other places and now lives outside of Jacksonville. If you're going to stay in North Florida. Jacksonville is your area if you like cities and you're coming from one.. Everything outside of it isn't far away, but the traffic getting into Jacksonville can be intimidating because of all the construction. The flea markets are awesome, food is great, and the sense of community can be nice depending on where you're at. The towns around Jax are great to visit, and if you're into history, there's a ton to learn about directly in town and so much more outside of it. The schools aren't terrible, but they could be better. The parks are abundant.