Charter Point - Jacksonville, FL

Charter Point is located in the Arlington area of Jacksonville, which was among the first U.S. areas visited by Europeans. In 1564 it was home to the French Fort Caroline, destroyed just a year later by the Spanish. When the Matthews Bridge opened in 1953, providing easy access from Charter Point to downtown Jacksonville, the neighborhood bloomed and Arlington as a whole experienced more growth.

For a dose of culture within Arlington, visit the Alexander Brest Museum and Gallery on Jacksonville University’s campus. Annual festivals include the Jacksonville Jazz Festival in downtown Jacksonville.

A number of unique casual dining spots and bars in and around Charter Point let you enjoy dining and nightlife right in your own neighborhood.

Ever tried a double decker sandwich? Take one bite of the Super Club Sub at the Blue Boy Sandwich Shop and you’ve embarked on a tasty journey that might last you two or three days. Casual though it is, some patrons make quite the drive out to this spot for its sandwiches, which are epic in terms of both size and variety.

If a wing craving kicks in, head to the Wing Depot where they get it right — nice and crispy, and not those oversized wings that look like they’re on steroids. The Wing Depot has plenty of inventive flavors to choose from — definitely try the Steak Dust.

You might not think to order a salad at a barbecue joint, but the barbecue salad at Bono’s Pit Bar-B-Q is a whole different ballpark. Choose to top it with the “3 Meat option” — barbecue beef, pork, and turkey. With brick walls and accordion steel paneling, the atmosphere fully evokes the Deep South.

The Golden Rooster provides a laid-back atmosphere for locals to mingle, and the barn-look red walls make for a comfy southern feel. Pool tournaments, live band performances and karaoke nights keep you coming back for more fun times.

If you’re a pool shark, practice your shooting at Safar Sports Bar & Grill. They also have a hookah lounge, a poker table and tournaments, and darts. Keep an eye open for upcoming rock band tours at Brewsters Roc Bar, as shows in the past have included everything from the local to big names like Hoobastank and Fuel.

If you want to get dressed up and go for cocktails or dance the night away at a night club, just head into downtown Jacksonville. The Loft, one choice of many, has multiple dance floors, as well as an upper floor with comfy couches; its unique ambiance includes vintage commercials projected on the walls.

Most people in Charter Point drive. Close enough to be convenient but far enough to keep Charter Point peaceful, U.S. Highway 295 and the Arlington Expressway are each about a 10-minute drive away.

Public parking is free and plentiful in Charter Point. In downtown Jacksonville, you can park in one of more than 40,000 public parking spaces including garage parking and metered street parking. Metered spots cost 25 cents per 30 minutes between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays, but are free during nights and weekends.

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority maintains a large number of bus routes throughout Jacksonville. A one-way bus fare costs $1.50, a day pass is $4 and a monthly pass will run you $50. Downtown Jacksonville sports a free skyway as well as a $1.50-per-ride trolley.

Uber provides service to Charter Point, making for a cheap way home after partying at a nightclub downtown. A ride from downtown on UberX only costs $9 to $12 during regular hours. While you can pretty easily hail a taxi in downtown Jacksonville, you'll probably need to call ahead if you're trying to find a cab in Arlington.

Although there are few bike lanes, streets in Charter Point are fairly quiet and safe. You can usually find a sidewalk on at least one side of the street and a fair amount of green space between the sidewalk and the edge of the street.

Many excellent parks dot Arlington and greater Jacksonville, but you can find one, the 102-acre Reddie Point Preserve, right in Charter Point. Reddie Point provides over a mile of hiking trails as well as picnic tables, a launch for canoes and kayaks, and a fishing pier with floating docks, all with spectacular views of the St. Johns River and downtown Jacksonville. Access to the park is free, and leashed dogs are welcome. Though smaller, the nearby Blue Cypress Park is similar and allows fishing right on the shoreline, where you might be lucky enough to see a dolphin.

Connect with Mother Nature at the Tree Hill Nature Center, also in Arlington, which has boardwalks and paths through the enchanting trees as well as a butterfly house. The annual Butterfly Festival raises money for science and nature education in Jacksonville.

Living in an area like Charter Point comes at a slight premium, though not as much as you might think. You can expect a cost of living just 4 percent higher than the rest of Jacksonville, and the price of gas hovers around 3 percent above than the national average. On the other hand, you can throw back a beer at a local bar for as little as $2.50, and the average rental rate of $620 for a one-bedroom apartment is quite affordable.

Shopping options abound in every direction from Charter Point. Shoe lovers will definitely want to check out Gabrisa Shoe Fashion and its eye-catching selection of lacy, bejeweled and colorful footwear. If you have a little dancer in the family, check out the Dance'n Stuff Boutique. The store is small, but their selection of leotards, tutus, ballet shoes and more is huge, and the staff is always willing to special-order anything they don't currently have in stock.

The local Regency Square Mall has a limited number of stores but includes department stores like JCPenney and Dillard's. The two-story Avenues Mall and the St. Johns Town Center are also within driving distance.

Chain store Publix serves as the neighborhood's primary grocer, but on Saturdays you can also head into downtown Jacksonville and Riverside for the farmers market options at the Riverside Arts Market, which hosts performances throughout the day and offers fresh produce.