Tonight, Mrs. Mosley and I leave for Greenville, Mississippi to spend Thanksgiving with her family. The town of Greenville makes Jacksonville look like a veritable Disney World of activity in comparison. And even though I'm sure we'll find enough to keep us occupied in our four days there, I thought I'd use this opportunity to name off ten things I'm thankful for in Jacksonville:
The Dreamette - This legend of Murray Hill, the Westside neighborhood where I grew up, still stands and serves the best chocolate dipped cones in town. Inexpensive, too.
The San Marco Theatre - Pretty much the last of the old, old movie theaters still in operation. This is close to our house, and Mrs. Mosley wants to make it a point to give them our business as much as possible, which I have no problem with. We saw Good Night, and Good Luck. several weeks ago and will be seeing the latest Harry Potter there when we get back.
Five Points - Every healthy town needs it's own little corner of Bohemia. For all our town's faults, at least we have that.
Chamblin Bookmine - Hands down the best used bookstore in town. In recent years, it has become the business equivalent of the Katamari Damacy: It rolls around and picks up every item in its path. This includes books both used and new, CD's, VHS tapes, DVD's and, with the continuing expansion plans, buildings.
Kuhn Flowers - I have memories of visiting this floral shop during the holidays and seeing the big Christmas displays they have in their tall windows. I introduced Mrs. Mosley to this last year and, judging from her reaction, it's safe to say that it will become a tradition.
The Beaches - I'll admit to not enjoying this aspect of Jacksonville as much as other people; I never was into the whole sun-worship thing. However, for sunset strolls, it can't be beat.
The Docking Station -This is half legitimate affection/half shameless plug. One of my oldest friends co-owns this place and I like to throw him any recognition I possibly can. It's Jacksonville's longest running cybercafe (going on 5 years now) and really is a great place to drink coffee, surf and game.
The University of North Florida - It's my local alma mater and, with the combination of my student and work years, the place where I spent the most time during the 1990's. In addition, it continues to have one of the best jazz programs in the country. For the 1992-1993 season, I saw the likes of Ramsey Lewis, Joe Williams, Arturo Sandoval and Cassandra Wilson. Unforgettable.
St. Augustine - Alright. I'm stretching things a bit, here. Although technically not a part of Jacksonville, our locations just thirty minutes north of the oldest city in the country is a great convenience. For those who have never been, it's the perfect place to spend a weekend.
The New Downtown Library - Did I mention it's huge? Did I mention it's the biggest in the state? Did I mention it has WiFi? Did I mention I get to work in it five days a week?
See you folks next Tuesday. And, as Crow T. Robot would say, go forth and consume enough L-tryptophan to knock you on your sorry Thanksgiving ass.
1 comment:
Including St. Augustine really isn't that much of a stretch, because, while it's not part of Jacksonville proper, it is part of Jacksonville's Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). So statistically speaking, it's in Greater Jax!
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