Holiday Hill - Jacksonville, FL

Holiday Hill arose from the suburban expansion of the city of South Jacksonville. Sited on the east bank of the St. Johns and home to settlers long before the growth of Downtown Jacksonville to the west began, the early community developed around the operations of the Cowford Ferry and the nearby 18th century plantations. After the Civil War, the plantations began to give way to the residential developments of South Jacksonville.

South Jacksonville was annexed by Jacksonville in 1932, and the neighborhood along the east bank of the river came to be known as San Marco. Suburban residential growth gradually pushed east to include what is now the Holiday Hill subdivision. While the neighborhood remains purely residential, residents of Holiday Hill enjoy easy access to San Marco and Downtown Jacksonville, where events such as the San Marco Art and Craft Festival and the Riverside Arts Market anchor a lively cultural scene.

Most Holiday Hill dining and nightlife options are located along Atlantic Boulevard to the north of the neighborhood or on U.S. Highway 90 East/Beach Boulevard to the south. For a taste of the exotic in Jacksonville, just head a couple of miles east from Holiday Hill on Beach Boulevard to find Sahara Cafe & Bar. Mediterranean cuisine, hookahs and a full bar pack in a young crowd on weekends. Expect a line to get in, but weeknights provide a more relaxing atmosphere. Choose a Mazza plate for an assortment of cheese, olives, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes and Greek peppers to go with lamb or chicken kabobs or a beef or chicken shawarma platter.

Blue Bamboo combines Asian flair with the comforts of down-home Southern cooking to earn local number one ratings. Operated by executive chef Dennis Chan, Blue Bamboo provides a place where you get hip Asian comfort food like Panko sweet and sour chicken or authentic Cantonese treats at the once-a-month dim sum Sunday lunch.

The Mudville Grille has operated as Jacksonville's favorite family sports bar and grill since 1994. The full liquor bar and daily food specials attract grownups, and kids enjoy the video games. Locals and visitors alike order the fried conch fritters for a real Florida treat, and the fried pickles merit a try as well.

At night, head to Taverna Yamas, where the drinks are strong and the hookah comes in a variety of flavors. Watch a sports game or listen to music while you enjoy the lively atmosphere. Stop by at happy hour frequently, and enjoy half-price appetizers. Locals say this place is the bomb.

You can also go to New Neighborhood Tavern for live music on the weekends and a touch of biker atmosphere. Upscale drinkers should try Aromas for the largest cigar bar in the state, specialty martinis and cold beers served at the only ice bar in town. Live music and Latin dancing make Aromas a top local fun spot.

Most Holiday Hill residents rely on cars for their transportation needs, and 81 percent of them drive to work alone in a private automobile. Free parking in most of the retail districts near the neighborhood makes shopping or errands easy. Close proximity to the junction of Routes 115 and 113 gives quick access to downtown Jacksonville, the Atlantic beaches or Interstate 295 for trips out of the area. Several local taxi companies serve the Holiday Hill neighborhood on a call basis. Uber and Lyft also operate in the Jacksonville area.

Jacksonville Transportation Authority buses serve Holiday Hill. The Regency Square Mall just to the northwest of the neighborhood at the junction of State Routes 115 and 113 houses a regional Transit Hub. All buses provide free bicycle transport facilities in the form of front-mounted bike racks, and several different monthly pass and discount fare programs allow frequent riders to cut costs.

Jacksonville does not rank highly as a walking- or cycling-friendly city due to the hot weather, a lack of bike lanes and the driving habits of Florida motorists in general. However, quiet residential streets in the interior of the Holiday Hill neighborhood and relatively close access to retail and commercial activity along Atlantic Avenue make biking a possibility for local neighborhood transportation.

The City of Jacksonville maintains America’s largest urban park system, which includes more than 337 parks comprising 80,000 acres of recreational space. Holiday Hill residents can enjoy two neighborhood parks with different amenities. Glynlea Park caters to baseball players and fans with its two baseball diamonds. This park also features tennis and basketball courts and ample off-street parking. Holiday Hill Park, which sits adjacent to Holiday Hill Elementary School, also has a baseball diamond, a large field area and basketball courts.

The Southside Seahawks Pop Warner youth football teams practice and play at Adolph Wurn Park to the south of Holiday Hill. The park features fan amenities such as bleachers, off-street parking and a concession stand. Playground equipment, a swimming pool and a lighted basketball court provide off-season fun.

Just 6 miles south of Holiday Hill down Route 115, the privately operated Dog Wood Dog Park pampers pets with 42 acres of off-leash romping room. The first dog costs $11, with additional dogs only $1.25 each. Dogs can run free in 25 fenced acres, swim in the 2-acre lake and enjoy the Frisbee and ball-playing fields. Other amenities include 10 acres of natural woods with trails, a separate area with a swimming pond for small dogs, a full agility course and a dog shower.

Holiday Hill residents enjoy a cost of living that dips about 4 percent below the average for the Jacksonville metro area and nearly 14 percent below the U.S. average. Rent for a one-bedroom apartment averages $483 per month. Gas prices run about 1 percent lower than the national average, and a one-way bus ticket to downtown Jacksonville costs $1.50. A pint of domestic draft beer goes for $3.50, whereas a bottle of import costs $5.00.

The Regency Square Mall and an extensive associated retail/commercial district in the northwest corner of the neighborhood comprises the major shopping hub for Holiday Hills. Grocery shoppers can choose from Winn-Dixie, Publix Supermarket, Rowe’s IGA and a Wal-Mart Super Center. Numerous ethnic specialty markets also dot the area: Mi Tierra Mexican Grocery, Amar European Grocery Store, the Dae-Ho Oriental Food Store and Apna Bazar. Both Freshfields Farm south of Holiday Hill along State Route 109 and the Jacksonville Farmers Market just west of downtown provide area residents with access to farm-fresh produce.

Most specialty shops are located along the major thoroughfares that bound the neighborhood. For the hottest new bikes, motorsports enthusiasts head a little farther east along Atlantic Boulevard to Cycles of Jacksonville where a full lineup of Triumph and Honda motorcyles along with used bikes and plenty of help for new riders can be found.

Dick and Jane’s Sportscards has served Jacksonville hobbyists since 1989. It features a list of more than 7 million collectible sports cards, related collector supplies and more than 400 board games and table-top card games.

To the east of Holiday Hill near Interstate 295, Extreme Truck Stuff provides Jacksonville truck owners with a full line of truck and SUV accessories. Beginning as a small sprayed bedliner application shop, this family-owned business attracts locals with custom off-road truck builds and an extensive selection of custom wheels.