Northeast Florida Getaways 2008 - (Page 10) jacksonville on the rise By Lisa M. Moten What did I know about Jacksonville? On the surface, I knew of Jacksonville as a center for business, medicine, professional sports and perhaps the Navy. On a journey to dig deeper and discover what gives the city its flavor, I packed a bag and headed there for the weekend. And what did I find? Jacksonville, a hard-working hub of the Southeast, has a casual side that lives just beneath the mirrored shells of its office towers. If a city is about business, then downtown Jacksonville is the place to start. This city is known for being a business hub, home of the headquarters of Fortune 500 companies including the railroad CSX and the computer firm Modis, which occupies the odd mirrored office tower with a pyramid-shaped base that dominates the skyline. But in recent decades, there has been a push to make the city and its St. Johns riverfront as attractive to visitors as it is to business. It’s working. Today, pith-helmeted Downtown Ambassadors (in orange shirts) help visitors and direct them to the city’s attractions. It’s a downtown worth seeing. Lucky for me, the city undertook a massive project to build boardwalks on both sides of the river. My first stop? The Northbank Riverwalk, where I spot manatees in the river. I also cannot miss the Jacksonville Transit Authority’s Skyway, a theme-parkworthy eight-station people mover and monorail that offers a dramatic trip across the river. Take the Skyway (a deal at 50 cents) over, and the $3 S.S. Marine Taxi back. On the Southbank Riverwalk along St. Johns River, I stop in at “MOSH,” the Museum of Science and History (San Marco Station), which overlooks the St. Johns River and boasts a planetarium and ultra-cool marine life exhibits. In downtown about four blocks from the Riverwalk, Jacksonville’s Museum This page, Jacksonville at night. Above, sailing on St. Johns Bay. Opposite page top, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens; bottom, Museum of Science and History. MOSH photo by Scott Brownell for MOSH. Skyway and sailing by Open Florida Team, VISITFLORIDA.com. http://VISITFLORIDA.com
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