The Best of the First Coast

Just about every city/regional magazine publishes a "Best Of" issue, where the editors, with tongue only slightly in cheek, rate everything from nightclubs to politicians to newscasters. It's an unscientific process, bound to cause controversy, but "Best Of" issues are always fun to read and sell like hotcakes on newsstands.

Could a typical real estate magazine do the same thing, sticking to housing-oriented topics? Probably not. But as longtime readers know, Jacksonville Homebuyer isn't a typical real estate magazine. So we decided to give it a go.

The following "winners" were selected by our staff, based on our knowledge of the market and in consultation with an array of industry insiders who agreed to give us their off-the-record opinions.

We don't claim that this compilation is anything other than subjective, and certainly our selections in any of the categories are open to debate. Still, if you're considering a move to the area and are shopping for a home, you'll at the very least find it an interesting starting point and an impetus to find out more.-Penelope Geismar, Publisher

BEST PLACE TO HAVE FUN

This was a tough category, since Northeast Florida has so many master-planned communities designed for families. So we're calling it a tie between Eagle Harbor, OakLeaf Plantation and Fleming Island Plantation, all located in burgeoning Clay County. Eagle Harbor boasts a spectacular waterpark (see "Best Waterpark") as well as an on-site day-care center and such family activities as a Buffet Night (build your own burgers!) at the clubhouse. OakLeaf Plantation also gets kudos for its waterpark, part of a 30-acre Athletic Center connected to the neighborhoods by walking bridges, and for its on-site county library. Not to be left out, Fleming Island Plantation has a waterpark and a ton of other family-friendly amenities, including an on-site YMCA. All three communities encompass schools within walking distance, lots of athletic and recreation facilities and nature preserves.

BEST ATTENTION TO DETAIL

Tom Spence, director of land development for Taylor Woodrow, was having dinner at a St. Augustine restaurant when he noticed a painting on the wall of a French street scene. That painting, which Spence promptly bought, was the inspiration for the infrastructure, amenities and common areas in St. Johns Forest, an upscale community located in St. Johns County. Although the homes are built in a variety of architectural styles, the developer meticulously and lovingly carried out a French Country theme everywhere else, starting with the community's Old World arched entryway and extending through its intersections and even its streetlights. It's that kind of care that indicates a quality development-and a quality developer.

BEST COMMUNITY WATERPARK

You might think you've taken a wrong turn and ended up at Disney World when you see the resort-style waterpark at Eagle Harbor in Clay County. Actually, there are three waterparks within the community, but the most spectacular is the one near the entrance, dubbed the Swim Park. There you'll find the eye-popping "Superpool," a 185,000-gallon whopper that boasts a 110-foot "Screaming Eagle" slide, one- and three-meter diving boards, competition swim lanes, a separate kiddie pool and even a beach with volleyball. Eagle Harbor has been around for more than a dozen years, but its waterpark remains the standard by which all others are judged.

MOST UNUSUAL AMENITY

It's getting to where just about everywhere has nature preserves, fitness centers, waterparks and the like. But how many communities have IMAX theaters? We can think of just one-World Golf Village in St. Johns County. On this massive screen-the biggest in Northeast Florida-you can catch an ongoing program of science and nature films made specifically for this oversized format. It's a real sensory treat. The IMAX theater is part of the World Golf Hall of Fame complex.

BEST HISTORIC DISTRICT

Because it's an old city, Jacksonville is blessed with more bona fide historic districts than its counterparts to the south. The biggest is Riverside/Avondale, a three-mile-long swath of vintage homes ranging in style from Colonial Revival to Tudor and Georgian to Queen Anne-with even some homages to Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie School scattered here and there. We like the homes and the funky shopping districts nearby, such as eclectic Five Points.

BEST THEMED COMMUNITY

Palencia, in St. Johns County near St. Augustine, pays homage to the region's legacy by adopting beautiful Spanish-Colonial architecture, with tile roofs, coquina, terra cotta walls, tall towers and wrought-iron accents highlighting both the homes and the community buildings. And it's all impeccably executed, down to the last detail. The 1,450-acre project, nestled along the western bank of the Intracoastal Waterway, has won a Smart Growth Community award from the National Association of Home Builders for "protecting and providing access to the natural environment, using land in an efficient and innovative manner, respecting local design traditions, providing housing choices, being pedestrian friendly and delivering a genuine sense of place." We couldn't have said it better ourselves.

BEST UPGRADE

We're not sure how many actual grannies live in so-called "granny suites," but we like the concept of this new twist on the old-fashioned garage apartment. In addition to grannies, the spaces are ideally suited for graduates who have come home to roost, visiting friends and relatives and even game rooms and retreats where no visitors are allowed. Check out this emerging trend at Isles of the World in World Golf Village, Brylen Homes' offerings in Palencia and Amelia Park and St. Joe's Park Avenue model in St. Johns Golf & Country Club.

BEST COMMUNITY NATURE PRESERVE

Most master-planned communities these days have nature preserves or conservation areas. Sometimes, frankly, such areas couldn't be tampered with on anyway for regulatory reasons. But Amelia Island Plantation in Nassau County got under way more than 30 years ago, back when you could plow under environmentally sensitive land with impunity. Still, developers planned the entire community to protect the tidal marshes and conserve oceanfront dunes, grasslands and savannahs that grace this fragile barrier island. If there's an award for environmental stewardship that this stunning community hasn't won, we'd like to know what it is.

BEST RIVER VIEW

There are other high-rise condominiums on the drawing board for downtown Jacksonville, but for now you can't beat the views of the mighty St. Johns from elegant Berkman Plaza, a 21-story tower on the Northbank. The project, which anchors the northern terminus of Jacksonville's much ballyhooed "billion-dollar mile," offers equally expansive views of the city's booming urban core. In addition to the views, residents can enjoy a 24-hour concierge desk and an array of pampering amenities, such as a fitness center, an indoor squash court and two lighted tennis courts.

MOST ANTICIPATED NEW COMMUNITY

There are several huge projects proposed for the region, particularly in St. Johns County. But RiverTown, a 4,170-acre master-planned community from St. Joe Towns and Communities, is perhaps creating the most buzz. That's partly because St. Joe, based in Jacksonville, has a reputation for creating incredible themed developments with lots of amenities. And it's partly because the location, on pristine land fronting the St. Johns River, has raised the hackles of environmentalists and sportsmen. But St. Joe's plans indicate that RiverTown will do the area proud, with plenty of parks, nature trails and conservation areas. Naturally, there'll be a golf course and a village center, modeled after Mayberryesque small Southern towns. There'll be 4,500 homes in RiverTown at buildout, which means it's only a fraction of the size of another contender in this category, Nocatee, which has just gotten under way. It will eventually encompass 14,200 homes.

MOST ANTICIPATED MULTIFAMILY COMMUNITY

San Jose is one of Jacksonville's most desirable established neighborhoods. Old San Jose, by McGarvey Residential Communities, is inspired by its surroundings, with timeless Mediterranean-style architecture and dramatic river views. It's rare that a multifamily project of any kind could fit in so seamlessly in an established neighborhood of single-family homes, but this one truly respects tradition. Townhomes and condominium flats will be available beginning this summer.

MOST INNOVATIVE THEMED COMMUNITY

If you have fond memories of summer camp, you'll love Heritage Landing at World Golf Village. The amenity center, "Camp Heritage," is a rustic-chic place where you can tell ghost stories around a campfire, watch a movie on an outdoor screen or play horseshoes, bocce ball or volleyball. The buildings are Old Florida-style structures made of pine with clapboard siding, cedar shake finishes and natural stone accents. The site was originally explored in 1774 by William Bartram, America's first native-born naturalist. We think he'd be comfortable here.

BEST EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD

It was also a contender in the "Best Historic District" category, but we like San Marco because it seems less like a historic district and more like an idyllic, self-contained small town that dropped out of a Frank Capra film and landed on Jacksonville's Southbank. The San Marco Square business district boasts some of the region's finest restaurants, and the surrounding homes, many of which were built in the 1920s, encompass all manner of architectural styles. Plus you've got churches, schools, parks, a community theater and a library within walking distance for many residents. San Marco, in short, is what the neotraditional, master-planned communities strive to be.

BEST EMERGING NEIGHBORHOOD

No question about this one-Springfield is on the comeback trail. First platted in the 1880s, Springfield was once a prestigious address and home to many of the city's elite. But beginning in the 1950s, urban blight set in and many of the neighborhood's 1,800 majestic old homes were abandoned or taken over by slumlords. Now the once-forlorn 22-block commercial district, bisected by a renovated Main Street, is home to some of the city's hottest restaurants and clubs. And old homes are being bought and restored to their former glory. Plus, companies such as SRG Homes & Neighborhoods are building new, historically accurate homes with all the modern bells and whistles.

BEST INTRACOASTAL VIEWS

There isn't much developable property left along the Intracoastal Waterway, so the highly desirable location alone makes MiraVista at Harbortown special. But this nautical-themed condominium community has a lot more going for it, including beautifully designed, elevator-equipped three-story buildings overlooking the water and located just steps from a marina. And there are lots of other amenities, including a community pool and a clubhouse.

BEST OCEAN VIEWS

This was a tough one, since there are so many oceanfront condominium developments along Northeast Florida's coastline. But we've always thought that some of the most breathtaking ocean views are south of Jacksonville in Flagler County. For example, in amenity-rich Hammock Dunes, several high-rises offer equally majestic vistas, including WCI's Cambria, which is complete, and Tuscany, LeJardin and Arezzo, which are under way. You also get a nice look at the Atlantic from one of one of the community's two award-winning golf courses, the Links Course, designed by Tom Fazio. It helps that Flagler County's oceanfront is still relatively pristine and uncrowded.

BEST SPA

The PGA Tour Spa Laterra in World Golf Village is the first-ever spa to bear the PGA Tour name. To experience it fully, check into one of 72 beautifully appointed condominiums with views overlooking nature preserves, lagoons, courtyards and fairways. Then enjoy any number of treatments for mind, body and spirit, including aromatherapy, hydrotherapy, facials, massages and scrubs. The outdoor Garden Sanctuary, the spa's signature space, features alfresco showers, a private patio overlooking a koi pond and a large reflecting pool with three floating wooden cabanas that are outdoor treatment pavilions. There are also an array of beauty services and golf-enhancement programs. You'll think you died and went to heaven.

MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS BUILDERS

Collins Builders has been at the forefront of initiatives to protect the environment and conserve energy in new homes. In addition to working toward Energy Star compliance in all its homes, the company is also adopting Water Star, a pilot conservation program created by the St. Johns River Water Management District. Collins will use Water Star standards in its new development, Black Wood Forest, to assess how consumers respond to the extensive use of indigenous plants for landscaping and to the benefits, aesthetic and economic, inherent in water conservation. Beazer Homes also deserves kudos for its "Environments for Living" program, through which advanced building technology is used to ensure energy efficiency, combustion safety and healthy indoor air quality. Beazer and Collins are also among the first builders to participate in the Northeast Florida Builders Association's new green building initiative (see story in this issue).