Why Jacksonville?

I am from the Northeast and will be moving to the South in the summer. Our first choice is Jacksonville(st john%26#39;s county), but I am trying to make sure this a good move. I%26#39;ve considered Austin, but the air quality is not good for kids(asthma), because of dirty air. I also looking at San Antonio which has cleaner air and VERY affordable houses, the drawback is no ocean and palm trees compared to Jax. I am looking for opinions on why Jacksonville would be better. Nightlife, quality of life, education, network engineering jobs, any opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

Why Jacksonville?

Remember that proximity to the ocean, palm trees, etc. in Florida also means the threat of hurricanes. Are you ready to live on edge for 4-5 months of the year, wondering if the new storm at sea has your name on it? If you%26#39;re going to own a home, Florida property insurance rates are skyrocketing, and this year, there%26#39;s an 8% surcharge to all homeowners policies to help bail out Citizens, the state run insurer of last resort. You would have a big problem finding a major carrier to underwrite your homeowners policy; the big companies are hardly writing any new policies in Florida, because of the hurricanes.

As far as palm trees are concerned, unless things have changed, San Antonio has palm trees, and probably pretty much the same selection of palm trees that Jacksonville has (mostly palmetto, etc.). If you like palm trees, I%26#39;d recommend Orlando or Central Florida away from the coast, as they have more different types of palm trees there (though not as many as South Florida). Also being a little inland, its a little safer from hurricanes, but within an hour drive of the beach. But the problem with Orlando is that home prices have jumped up quite a bit; you%26#39;d have a hard time finding even the most basic SFD in a decent area for less than 200,000-250,000, though I wonder if a reduction is in order. Might want to take another look at San Antonio; you%26#39;d still be within 2 1/2 hours of the beach, perhaps, but safer from hurricanes.