A Handbook to assist while posted to Naval Station, Mayport Florida  Updated by:  LEUT Fiona Southwood, RAN 

Jacksonville (Mayport), FL Guide August 2008 A Handbook to assist while posted to Naval Station, Mayport Florida Updated by: LEUT Fiona Southwood, RAN Daniel Anderson 1
Jacksonville (Mayport), FL Guide August 2008 Naval Station
Mayport
NAS Jacksonville
ADS(W) Note: The information in the guide is strictly local. Any N. American general information has been removed and put into the G’Day guides for the benefit of people across N. America. None of the information in this regional guide is endorsed by ADS(W). Ranked fourth among large cities for liveability by Money Magazine in 1998, the Jacksonville area is commonly known as Florida’s “First Coast.” Jacksonville is rich in history, mild in climate, and bursting with entertainment to fulfil a myriad of individual tastes. Jacksonville exudes a relaxed southern hospitality combined with the opportunities provided by a brimming local economy. Populated by more than one million people, this culturally diverse, family‐friendly city is a naturally beautiful place to live, work and play. Jacksonville’s climate is ideal for a range of recreational and outdoor activities all year long. The summers are warm, winters have mild temperatures while autumn and spring stay cool. The average annual temperature ranges from 19‐24 C. The coolest months are December, January, and February 2
Jacksonville (Mayport), FL Guide August 2008 when temperatures average in the teens. Rain generally falls in the more humid summer months with afternoon storms a regular occurrence. Sea breezes from the Atlantic generally keep the summer heat from becoming too oppressive. Jacksonville is set on St Johns River – unique in the continental United States for being the only major river that runs from south to north ‐ and offers a wide range of experiences. There are theatres, arts, sporting teams, parks, and many other attractions. Good local content websites to visit prior to arrival are http://www.hellojacksonville.com/ and http://www.jacksonville.com/. Travel from Jacksonville is easy. Jacksonville International Airport (JIA) is located at the northern outskirts of the city and provides flights to multiple destinations throughout the United States and around the world. If driving is more your style, Jacksonville is located at the junction of two of the busiest Interstate highways in America – the I‐10 which is a 3958km highway extending east/west from Los Angeles to Jacksonville, and the I‐95, a 3091km highway extending north/south from Houlton, Maine to Miami – making travel by car similarly easy. Always dreamed of taking a Caribbean cruise? Carnival Cruises (http://www.carnival.com/) operates from the Port of Jacksonville offering very reasonably priced cruises extending in length from 3 to 7 nights. Jacksonville is 2.5 hours drive from Orlando (home of Sea World, Disney World and, Universal to name a few) and the Kennedy Space Centre (seeing a Shuttle launch is an absolute must), 5 hours from Miami and Atlanta and about 8 hours from New Orleans. Getting around Jacksonville by car is quite easy. The city is flat, so main roads are conveniently gridded north/south and east/west. So long as you know the main roads, you’ll never get lost. Unfortunately, public transport is near non‐existent, but hey when you only need pay $US20,000 for that European sports car you’ve always wanted and petrol is cheaper, what’s the problem? History Naval Station Mayport was commissioned in December 1942. The basin, dredged to 29 feet, was originally used by patrol craft, rescue boats, and jeep carriers. Reclassified as a Naval Sea Frontier Base in 1943, Mayport added a landing field and a fuelling facility for submarines. Decommissioned at the end of the war, Mayport reactivated in 1948, and by 1955 added a master jet runway. As a naval station, Mayport served as an advance staging area during the Cuban missile crisis. Station ships have been involved in operations off the coasts of Lebanon, Granada, and in the Persian Gulf. Helicopters at the Naval Air Facility, established in 1982, joined the fleet at Mayport Naval Station in 1992. 3
Jacksonville (Mayport), FL Guide August 2008 As chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower, Representative Charles E. Bennett worked to turn Mayport Naval Station (a surplus military facility when Bennett was elected to Congress in 1948) into an aircraft carrier homeport and the second largest such port on the East Coast. In addition, he successfully secured three naval air stations in Jacksonville. In 1990 the Congress directed the Secretary of Defense to submit to Congress a plan for upgrading Mayport to provide the naval station with the capability to be able to service nuclear‐powered aircraft carriers and otherwise to serve as a homeport for nuclear‐powered aircraft carriers. This was consistent with the Navy's plan to retire conventionally fuelled aircraft carriers and to deploy nuclear‐
powered aircraft carriers, under which the Navy had a requirement for a second East Coast homeport for nuclear‐powered aircraft carriers (in addition to the existing homeport of Norfolk, Virginia). In 1992 the Secretary of the Navy was directed to submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the Navy's plan for developing a second East Coast homeport for nuclear‐powered aircraft carriers. The report was to include a schedule, by fiscal year, for funding the development of a second homeport for nuclear‐powered aircraft carriers on the East Coast of the United States. Naval Station Mayport Today Naval Station Mayport today is a thriving base located at the mouth of the St Johns River, some 15 miles from downtown Jacksonville. It was the homeport to the conventionally powered aircraft carrier USS JOHN F. KENNEDY (CV‐67) until March 08. Homeported ships now included 4 Ticonderoga Class Aegis Cruisers (CG), 3 Arleigh Burke Class Aegis Destroyers (DDG), and 11 Oliver Hazard Perry Class Frigates (FFG). In addition to the surface fleet, Mayport is also home to the Helicopter Anti‐Submarine Light (HSL) Wing for the US east coast. The Wing currently consists of one fleet replacement squadron (HSL‐40), four fleet squadrons (HSL‐42, HSL‐44, HSL‐46 and HSL‐48), and one fleet reserve squadron (HSL‐60). In all, 72 SH‐60B Seahawk helicopters operate out of Mayport. Overall, there are some 14,000 active service military, 45,000 family and retirees and 1,500 civilian employees making up the Mayport family. The base itself covers approximately 13 square kilometres and is the third largest naval facility in the continental United States. You will need to really think about what to bring with you, what you cannot live without for the two years that you are posted to Jacksonville, and perhaps more importantly, what you are going to need when you get home. Remember, the bulk of your items will be surface shipped back to Australia and you may need to live without them for a couple of months upon your return. 4
Jacksonville (Mayport), FL Guide August 2008 Electrical The American power grid provides 100V/60Hz electricity, compared to the Australian standard of 240V/55Hz. In spite of this, you may be surprised how much of your electrical equipment will work over here. Check your appliances, and as long as they show a voltage range of 100‐240V, you are good to go. Items we have been able to use include computer and camera equipment, electric razors, portable DVDs – even our baby monitor! BEFORE YOU LEAVE, make sure you buy some Australia to US conversion plugs. You can pick them up at Tandy or Dick Smith for about A$8.00 each. Video equipment – including your legally purchased Australian DVDs/videos – will provide you with a challenge. Even if you can get around DVD region coding, if your videos are formatted PAL, you are going to be out of luck. Everything in the US runs on NTSC, and unlike Australian video systems, American systems will not give you the option of switching between NTSC and PAL. You can however pick up a DVD player that operates on both 110 and 240 volts and will play both PAL and NTSC DVD for around $50 (from the Navy Exchange). Household You will need to have your pots and pans, baking trays, plates, coffee cups, glass wear, but remember that if you want to update anything this is the time to do it. We have taken the opportunity to update all of our non‐electrical kitchen goods to ‘top shelf’ brands at about half the cost that they would be in Australia. Bring your own bedding, towels, cookbooks, and some A4 paper, as it is not used and quite difficult to purchase in the USA. Letter‐sized (US standard) paper should fit your printer just fine and is good for everyday use but if you need to do any official RAN work from home (e.g. SPAR/NOPAR) A4 is best. You can’t bring your own furniture (e.g. lounges, beds, whitegoods), but we found that bringing all of our photographs, memorabilia and ‘knick‐knacks’ made our house in Jacksonville seem more like ‘home.’ Negotiate with the OAC and your removalist what items you can bring with you – you may be surprised. Previous people have travelled to the US with a 4‐month‐old baby, and were allowed to bring their own cot and change table from home. Clothing We have found that this has been a great chance to get a stack of new clothes. Shopping is great and very cheap. We are lucky to have great outlet malls close by (see shopping section in this guide) and with all the sales you can always pick up a great deal. Bring what you think you will need at the start then buy as you go. We have completely updated our entire wardrobe since being here at a fraction of the cost we would pay in Australia – for example, Levi jeans are around $28 a pair. 5
Jacksonville (Mayport), FL Guide August 2008 Make sure that the service member brings all of their uniforms with them! You never know what you will need, or when you will need it. The USN regulations on wearing uniforms at certain times of the year are a lot less rigid than in the RAN – you could just as easily find yourself wearing S‐1s to a retirement ceremony in the middle of winter and vice versa! Uniform of the day for USN Officers and Senior Enlisted is ‘khakis’ both in summer and in winter. Australian service members should expect to wear S‐8/W‐7 (or ARA/RAAF equivalent) on a daily basis, or coveralls with PPE as appropriate. Uniform changeover dates in North Florida are usually the first week of December for winter, and the first week of April for summer. We found that the ordering process for uniforms was quite simple through the ADFA Clothing Store in Canberra, but it can take 2‐4 weeks for those items to arrive through service mail. Remember – you may be able to get suitable uniform items (e.g. black shoes/pants) through the NEX Uniform Store on base. Do remember to bring a supply of warm clothing. Winter temperatures, although generally mild, can drop below freezing at night and occasionally linger below 10 C during the day. You do not have to travel too far north in the winter time to find snow, either! Telephone It is STRONGLY recommended to establish an internet phone service with your family before leaving. These systems will allow you to speak to anyone in the world for free. This may sound daunting, but is really simply. We have used a program called SKYPE which is a free download, and allows you to call anyone else running Skype for free. It also allows for Streaming video so you can see your family at home talking to them. For a small fee, you can call from Skype to any phone in the world, landline or cellular. All it requires is a webcam and a USB phone that you can pick up on e‐bay for about $15. Prior to departing the US we bought USB phones and cheap webcams for all our family members and told them how to download Skype. Half of our family used Skype and it saved us a HEAP of money and is great because we can see them when we talk to them, so it really reduces the effects of distance from Australia. Food, Food, Food! Get used to the idea that your diet is about to change! Although staple foods such as meats and fresh fruit and vegetables are similar (if not the same) to what you would get in Australia, there are many foods that we take for granted at home that are difficult (but not impossible!) to buy in the US. Although you may find your first few trips to the grocery store daunting (if not downright frustrating!), as you gain confidence to experiment, you will find yourself some tasty morsels and wonder why we don’t have them at home! Some things that you may struggle to find straight away and may want to consider bringing with you include tea and coffee (particularly if you like Nescafe Gold or Moccona), Vegemite, Tim‐Tams and 6
Jacksonville (Mayport), FL Guide August 2008 Mint Slices. Be sure to declare any foodstuffs to US Customs on arrival, but as long as you stick to processed foods such as these, you should be right. Once you are here and settled in, check out http://www.simplyoz.com/. This company, which operates out of Washington state, stocks a wide range of mail order Australian grocery items, including all of the above as well as Gravox, Cadbury chocolates and pavlova mix to name a few. Locally, the Walkabout Café at 13245 Atlantic Blvd, and also Beach Blvd (Tel: 904‐221‐8222) sells a smaller range of Aussie groceries (not to mention a pretty decent sausage roll), or you can also try the World Market chain. Alcohol is cheap and readily available, but if you are a Port or Bundy Rum drinker you may want to consider picking some up duty‐free on your way out of Australia as they are not available in the US. Australian wine is hugely popular in the US, but is limited mostly to mass‐produced brands. Just remember to nod and smile when the Americans tell you what a wonderful drop Lindemans is! If it’s Aussie beer that you’re after; you may have a little trouble. A few stores have started selling James Boag, Coopers and Tooheys New, but most people won't have heard of that and will just talk about Fosters ‐ and even that is brewed and bottled in Canada! The most diverse range of alcohol can be found at Total Wine and Spirits at the St Johns Town Centre. Australiana Bring a good range of Australian music, a flag, and reference books to aid in answering all the questions you will be asked by your new American friends. And you can’t forget a football or cricket set! Try to get your hands on some ADF paraphernalia before you leave if you can. If you want to purchase some mementos to give away as official presentations, you may be able to be reimbursed via Representational Funds. Check with ADS(W) if you have any doubts. Australia picture books make great gifts, although they are easily purchased on Amazon.com whilst you are here. Toys (for those with kids) You will need to judge what children’s toys you need to either put in your removal, bring with you for the trip, or leave at home in storage. Again, remember, you are about to land in the biggest consumer economy in the world. Toys – just like about everything else – are as cheap as chips, and you will find the temptation to buy up big for your kids difficult to resist! 7
Jacksonville (Mayport), FL Guide August 2008 Jacksonville Beach You have made the long trip to the other side of the world, you have jet lag, you find yourself feeling geographically embarrassed and trying hard to drive on the wrong side of the road (or so it would seem)! Unfortunately, the time you have to settle and do your handover is short, so be ready for a full on two weeks. This is what we suggest (in no particular order). 1. Banking. There are some options to set up banking before you arrive, and this may be a good option. Otherwise you can establish a cheque account with the Bank of America, with a debit Visa card and cheque book. You can also order a Bank of America credit card with up to $5,000 limit, however, we found that because we have no credit history in the US, it took 9 months for approval. You will need to spend a fair bit of money in the first few months, so I would make sure you have a Cirrus enabled credit card, and talk to your Australian bank to work out the cheapest way to transfer money to your newly created American account once you arrive. This is important because it will take some time for your first pay to come through to the American account as you will have to change your pay point first. This is one of the advantages of setting up your bank account before arriving. 2.Housing. Although you will be given up to four weeks in temporary accommodation, start your search for housing as soon as you can. Good quality rental properties within the rental ceilings can be difficult to find, exacerbated by the fact that most rentals are done privately, meaning that you will need to do plenty of research and legwork driving house to house making appointments as you go. If your predecessor is living in a good house that will suit your family, give serious thought to taking over their lease. Not only will this give you an instant mailing address, it will save you hours of frustration looking for your own place. You can also be assured that it will be vacant before you need to move from your temporary accommodation! If you do need/want to find your own house, your predecessor should be able to make appointments on your behalf to look at some homes in the first 8
Jacksonville (Mayport), FL Guide August 2008 day or two that you are here to give you a better idea of what is on offer, and what areas are more suitable. A cautionary note for people with young families. Without wanting to mince words – most of Florida is reclaimed swampland only a few feet above sea level. In order to keep the ‘gators out of your living room, the swamp water is drained into more visually appealing retention ponds before housing estates are built around them. Although the thought of ‘lakeside’ living may sound appealing, most of these ponds have no fencing and therefore pose a danger for small children. Apart from the obvious danger of drowning, these lakes are often home to snakes (such as the venomous Cottonmouth) and alligators – even in urban areas! You will need to watch your kids closely whenever they are outside – remember, most American homes are unfenced, so even if you are not living directly on the pond, your kids may still be able to get to them unimpeded. 3. Arrange furniture. There are a number of companies used by the ADS(W) for furniture rental. Some let you go into a warehouse and pick furniture off the floor, whilst others will send you a laptop with photographs to choose furniture from. Talk to your predecessor and other Aussies in the Jacksonville area before making your decision about which company to go with. We elected to go with CORT furniture and they were amazingly helpful. 4.Find a car. You will have the use of a rental car for only two weeks upon arrival, so you will want to get your search started as quickly as possible. Car shopping is one of the joys of living in America. The sky is the limit! Whether you want a European sedan or sports car, a big American pick up truck, or a standard family sedan/SUV, you can look forward to paying a vastly reduced amount to comparable cars in Australia. Remember, if you are coming as a family, be prepared to buy two cars. Public transport in Jacksonville is woeful, and it is the biggest city in area in the continental US. Having a car for each adult is practically a necessity. A major inconvenience when purchasing a vehicle in the US is arranging registration and insurance. Remember that in the US, suing is a way of life and insurance premiums are commensurably high. Add to this the fact that US insurance companies do not generally recognise your Australian driving history, and you are looking at a significant sum of money (think $US2000+ per year). Comprehensive motor insurance is compulsory in the Florida, and proof of insurance must be carried in your vehicle at all times. The good news is that there is a company in the US that deals specifically with foreign diplomats and military living in the US, offering reduced rates. Go to http://www.sunriseworldwide.com/ for more information. Sunrise also provide free coverage for any rental cars (which saves a lot of money if your intend to travel, and also covers visiting relatives for free as long as you provide them with notification). If you buy your vehicle from a dealer, they will arrange your registration for you and generally issue you a temporary ‘tag’ (license plate) for 30 days. If you purchase privately, you will need to go to the 9
Jacksonville (Mayport), FL Guide August 2008 County Tax Collectors office to arrange transfer of title and issue of tags. You will normally need to pay state sales tax (7%) on the purchase price as well as the registration fee ($25‐$50 depending on the size of the vehicle). In either case, you will need proof of insurance before the vehicle can be registered. 5. Get your Social Security Number (SSN). It is possible to get by for two years without a SSN, but it will probably make your life easier for you to get one. Whenever you are applying for a good or service that requires regular payment (e.g. utilities, cable TV, cell phone) you will be asked for your SSN. The SSN is so deeply ensconced as a personal identifier in American society, that not being able to provide one when asked will inevitably lead to delays, and possibly result in your having to pay substantial security deposits for some services. There are only two Social Security offices in Jacksonville, so be ready to set aside a significant chunk of your day standing in line to arrange this. You will need any documentation that you can get your hands on – posting orders, passports, visas etc – to prove that you are in the US legitimately and working for the United States Navy. If after having waited 4 hours to be seen by a Clerk they are not satisfied with your paperwork, you will need to start the whole process over again! In short, it is better to take too much documentation than too little. When all is said and done, it will take 3 ‐ 4 weeks for your application to be processed and your Social Security card to be issued. If you are coming accompanied, spouses who want an SSN must obtain their employment authorization document before they can apply for a Social Security number. Forms are available on the Defence website or can be provided by your admin officer. You must fill out the application exactly as directed (i.e. ink colour and dimensions of photo) or your application will be sent back to you. If there are no complications, you can expect to receive your card within 6‐8 weeks. Unfortunately you can’t start the process before you arrive because you need to have the I‐94 document, which immigration staples into your passport. Once you have your SSN, protect it with your life! Identity Theft has reached plague proportions in the US – if a fraudster can get his hands on your SSN your life will quickly become a misery. Only give out your SSN when you KNOW the bonafides of the person you are giving it to. If you receive correspondence that quotes your SSN, either file it or destroy it – never just put it in with your household rubbish. 6. Get a Drivers License. This is optional – you are not obligated to get a drivers license, however it can come in handy as many places serving alcohol will not allow Australian Drivers licenses and will accept only passports, so it can be helpful to have a Florida Drivers license. This is not really an urgent requirement and does not need to be done in the first two weeks. You will need to pass both a theory and practical test before you will get a Florida Driver’s License. You can download a copy of the State Drivers Handbook from http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/. Don’t assume that you will get by on your knowledge of Australian road rules – there is plenty that’s different over here apart from driving on the wrong side of the road, and you are only allowed to get 1‐2 questions incorrect in each section of 1
Jacksonville (Mayport), FL Guide August 2008 the test. The practical test, on the other hand, is not overly strenuous, in fact you don't leave the car park of the DMV. A few days experience gaining confidence driving on the right‐hand side of the road should see you through. 7. Do Your Handover. Although this is very important, there is very little that you are going to retain in the two weeks that you have with your predecessor. US Navy practices and procedures are so vastly different, that you will probably need six months in the job to even start feeling vaguely comfortable. Make sure that you give priority to getting your family settled as quickly as possible. You are going to be busy enough at work learning how to do your job without having the extra worry of dealing with an unhappy family. Try to get ahead with your handover by liaising with your predecessor and getting through as many SOPs/Instructions as you can before you arrive. These suggestions are all nice areas located on the eastern side of downtown Jacksonville. The rental ceiling for Jacksonville is currently set at US$1,600 per month up to LEUT (RAN) or equivalent. Ponte Vedra – Right on the coast, this area is considered very much to be the ‘high‐class’ part of town. In the past it has proven to be very popular with Aussies; however, it’s association with Jacksonville’s rich and famous comes at a cost – literally! Housing prices have risen dramatically in this area in the past few years, and as such you will find it very difficult to find a good house here under the rental ceiling. It is located 30‐35 minutes drive south of NS Mayport. Beaches – Not quite as ritzy as Ponte Vedra, the primary attraction of these areas (consisting of the suburbs of Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach and Jacksonville Beach) are the world‐class beaches and proximity to the Naval Station (10‐20 mins). You may find a house under the ceiling, but these areas are quite similar to the Rockingham beachfront – one house might be a mansion, the next a fishing shack. Hodges and San Pablo Roads – There are some nice communities in both these areas to the south‐
west of the Naval Station, and you will find some that fit inside the rental ceiling. This area is very 1
Jacksonville (Mayport), FL Guide August 2008 popular with US Navy personnel and their families. Both are close to schools, shops and approx 15‐20 min drive to Mayport. Kernan/Wonderwood Roads – Similar in age, quality, price and amenities to the Hodges/San Pablo area, but more to the direct west of the Naval Station, you should be able to find housing within the ceiling in this area. Approximately 10‐15 min drive to Mayport. Deerwood – this is a nice area and close to all major shopping centres, supermarkets, and schools. The area provides a good mix of apartments and full‐sized homes within the rental ceiling, and is conveniently located midway between NS Mayport (25mins) and NAS Jacksonville (30 mins). Naval Station Mayport
Kernan/Wonderwood
Beaches
Hodges/San Pablo
Deerwood
NAS Jacksonville
Ponte Vedra
The following advice is provided for information based upon our experience only, and does not serve to endorse any particular companies. One thing you will quickly learn in America – it pays to shop around! Phone 1
Jacksonville (Mayport), FL Guide August 2008 Bell South or Comcast are the best bet for your home phone. You must nominate a telephone company to provide each of your local, long distance and international services. You can separate your bills and maybe save money if you want to, but for convenience sake, we found it easier just to get the one bill a month from a single provider. You can also bundle satellite TV and internet service from Bell South or Comcast (Cable TV) if you want, and get a discount off of your total bill. As you have no credit history, be prepared to pay a security deposit before your phone service is connected (approx. USD$100). You can contact them on: 1‐888‐757‐6500 or http://www.bellsouth.com/. Another option is to simply use a Cell (Mobile) Phone for all your requirements in the US and not establish a Landline. The only benefit of a LandLine is that local calls are free (or covered in you monthly rate, even to Cell Phones). However read the section below on Cell Phones. Utilities Electricity, water and sewage in North Florida are provided by JEA. To arrange connection once you have found your permanent accommodation, call 904‐665‐6000. For more information, go to http://www.jea.com/. Television There is free‐to‐air television in the United States. The problem is, if you look carefully, one of the first things you will notice about the US is that no one has a TV aerial! You need to be hooked up with either a cable or satellite television company to see TV ‐whether it is free‐ or pay‐TV. Be prepared to pay between US$50‐$100 per month depending on the level and type of service that you want. We recommend that you go with the cable provider, Comcast. Although satellite TV is available, you will need to install a receiver dish, which may or may not cause angst with your landlord. Most modern homes, on the other hand, are built ‘cable ready.’ Comcast also provides an excellent high‐speed Internet service at about 4‐6 megabytes per second. This is very useful when watching the news from home on abc.net.au! We were not required to pay a security deposit for either service. (If you take over our accommodation, the basic Comcast package is included in the rent which will save you about $50 a month, or $600 a year!). Comcast ‐ 904‐374‐8000 or 1‐800‐266‐2278 or www.comcast.com The Dish Network – 1‐800‐856‐3655 or www.thedish.com DirecTV – 1‐888‐777‐2454 or www.directv.com Cellular Phones First, the bad news. Your Australian GSM handset will not work in the US unless it is quad‐band. If in doubt, check with your local mobile telephone store before you leave. 1
Jacksonville (Mayport), FL Guide August 2008 Now for the good news. Forget the high prices you have been paying at home for mobile telephone service. There are numerous companies in the US vying for your business, and there are many great deals to be had. The main companies include: AT&T – http://www.att.com/ Verizon – http://www.verizon.com/ T‐Mobile – http://www.tmobile.com/ Nextel – http://www.nextel.com/ Sprint – http://www.sprint.com/ AllTel – http://www.alltel.com/
Most plans operate by assigning you a number of on‐air minutes to use per month. The more you pay, the more minutes you get. BEWARE! – minutes are accumulated on incoming as well as outgoing calls. Most companies have specials offering ‘free minutes’ for phones on the same network or the same bill, so it is probably worth it to stick with one company for all your family’s needs. Some companies also allow you to ‘rollover’ your unused minutes every month. It definitely pays to shop around. We went with AT&T, simply because the work phone we were issued was with that company, and so we were able to use free minutes between those phones. Also, your AT&T phone account can be linked to your Bell South account, so you only get one bill. Be prepared to pay a hefty security deposit to set up an account – we had to pay $500 USD just to get a phone!!! Alternatively, ADS(W) has negotiated special deals for members posted to the US with AT&T and T‐
Mobile. Go to http://www.adsusa.org/, enter the Pers Services section (username: aussie password: oioioi) and then drill down to the Cell Phones link under Newsletters and Resources for more information. We strongly recommend doing this – it will save you heaps of cash, and probably won't need to pay the security deposit. Bottled Water The tap water in Jacksonville is perfectly safe to drink, and tastes fine. However, if you would like bottled water there are two companies in Jacksonville that will home deliver bottled water: Zephyrhills – http://www.zephyrhillswater.com/; and Crystal Springs ‐ http://www.water.com/. One family of two adults and two children used about 25 gallons of water per month, at a cost of US$30‐$40. Schools and Day Care 1
Jacksonville (Mayport), FL Guide August 2008 If you are bringing school age children with you for your posting, one of the biggest considerations in finding a place to live is whether or not the schools in that area meet a high standard. Fortunately, the State of Florida puts each and every public school through a rigorous standards test annually. You can find the results of the previous years tests for every school in Florida by going to http://schoolgrades.fldoe.org/
Unlike Australia, schools are run at the County (or local government) level. Most of Jacksonville is in Duval County, and schools are governed by the Duval County Schools Board (http://www.educationcentral.org/). If you decide to live in Ponte Vedra, you will be living in St Johns County, where schools are governed by the St Johns County Schools Board (http://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/). In either case, if your child is 5 years or older on 1st September of any given school year, they will be required to attend full time schooling. The school year runs from the first week of August through until late‐May. There is usually a two‐week Winter Break over Christmas, and a two‐week Spring Break in early‐April. There are three levels of public schooling in Florida: ‐ Elementary: Kindergarten through Year 5 ‐ Middle: Years 6 through 8 ‐ Senior: Years 9 through 12 In addition to public schooling, you can receive 5 half‐days of subsidized private pre‐schooling for kids 3 years or older. Day Care Centers in the Jacksonville are numerous, although we have struggled to find one up to the same high standard you can expect in Australia. For example, student to teacher ratios seem a lot higher, and playgrounds are not ‘sun‐safe’ and tend to be built in sand or wood chips. Having said that, the standard was adequate for our requirements. Public Transport Public Transport in Jacksonville is woeful. Buses are provided by the Jacksonville Transit Authority, but are sparse and irregular. Buy a car instead. Sadly this is a trend across most of the US with the exception of some of the big name cities such as Washington DC, New York, San Francisco etc Medical ADS(W) will arrange private health insurance for you and your family with CIGNA. Make sure you have ADS(W) confirm that your insurance is activated as soon as you arrive in‐country. Finding a doctor with CIGNA is easy – just go to their provider directory at http://www.cigna.com/. It is important that you book an appointment with a Doctor once you arrive in country. For new patients there is usually a waiting period of 5‐6 weeks, however once you are an established patient you can see a Doctor as you would in Australia. 1
Jacksonville (Mayport), FL Guide August 2008 Pharmacies are also easy to find. Most supermarkets and discount chain stores have an attached pharmacy, or you can go to pharmacy chains such as Walgreens or CVS. Collecting your prescriptions via the drive‐through window is a must, just to say you’ve done it! Service members are 100% covered for prescriptions, whilst family members will normally have to make a $5‐$15 co‐payment. For the service member, remember that you can claim reimbursement on non‐prescription medications (e.g. Tylenol, Sudafed) through ADS(W). 1
Jacksonville (Mayport), FL Guide August 2008 Alltel Stadium – Home of the Jacksonville Jaguars Shopping Now that you’ve settled in, you’ve got some wheels and a place to live, you’ll no doubt want to relax with some retail therapy. There is just about nothing you can’t buy in the United States, and with a consumer economy so vast and competitive, you can be assured that almost everything is cheaper than what you are used to. A few things you’ll want to experience are: The Navy Exchange/Commissary. The Navy Exchange (NEX) is a department store set up for military members, war veterans and their dependants. The beauty of shopping in the NEX is that it is tax‐free, and there is almost nothing that you can’t buy in the NEX that is not available in civilian department stores. There are three NEX locations in the Jacksonville, with the largest being at NAS Jacksonville, and on Mayport Rd just outside NS Mayport. There is a smaller NEX on base at Mayport that houses the Fleet Uniform Store. The Commissary is a tax free supermarket co‐located with the NEX. The savings here are also pretty good, but most significantly you can buy very good quality meat for the best prices in town. Commissaries are located at Mayport Road and NAS Jacksonville, both adjacent to the NEX. Malls. The shopping malls in Jacksonville are relatively small by Amercian standards, but are still fairly impressive! The four main malls (with excerpts from their websites) are: a. The Avenues. Treat yourself to the best, while discovering the joy of shopping. If sophistication is what you are after, look no further. The Avenues has more than 20 exclusive stores in the Jacksonville market and is Northeast Florida's newest super‐
regional shopping centre. The Avenues is a multi‐level shopping centre with 5 department stores including Belk, Dillard's, JCPenney, Parisian and Sears, plus more 1
Jacksonville (Mayport), FL Guide August 2008 than 150 of the most exciting stores in Northeast Florida. Stores include Abercrombie & Fitch, Aeropostale, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Build‐A‐Bear Workshop, Coach, Origins, Pottery Barn, Talbots and Williams‐Sonoma. What's not to love? b. St Johns Town Center. St. Johns Town Center is Jacksonville's newest and most talked about shopping destination. Shop, dine, live and entertain in one beautifully designed life‐style centre. St. Johns Town Center offers 1.1 million square feet of unique shopping and dining including many new stores you won’t find anywhere else in Jacksonville. Relax and enjoy the Village Park Green, attend community events, or have dinner at one of our fine restaurants such as, P.F. Chang's, Cheesecake Factory and Maggiano’s Little Italy. This place continues to grow and grow and grow. We found it to be nice, but somewhat more expensive than most places to shop. c. Regency Mall. Experience great shopping at North Florida's largest shopping center! Featuring Old Navy, Dillard's, Belk, Sears, JCPenney and more than 170 of your family's favourite stores! d. Orange Park Mall. Friendly, comfortable, and lively, a shopping trip to Orange Park Mall is like taking a trip home. Orange Park Mall features Belk, Dillard's, JCPenney, and Sears. The mall also boasts a Books‐A‐Million, Old Navy, and a state‐of‐the‐art AMC 24‐
screen theatre. Grab a quick bite to eat in the 400‐seat Food Court, or relax while the kids play in our Children's Play area. Get all your shopping done in an environment that makes you feel good. You're bound to find what you need at Orange Park's 120 specialty stores. You love it? We got it at Orange Park Mall! Wal‐Mart. If you have never had the pleasure, just a few steps into a Wal‐Mart Superstore will change your life (and your credit rating) forever. Think your local K‐Mart and multiply it by 10. Check out their website at http://www.walmart.com/. Other popular discount chains include Target and K‐Mart. Outlet Malls. This behemoth of a shopping centre is about 40 minutes south down I‐95 to the St Augustine Outlet Malls. Here you can find outlets for all of the major clothing retailers, including Banana Republic, Gap, Tommy H., Polo by Ralph Lauren and Nike (to name a few) at prices up to 70‐
80% off retail. When there are sales on, it is not uncommon to find brand labelled clothes from $5 for shirts and $10 for handbags and shoes (all brand label). The Nike Outlet is great – shirts costing $70 in Australia can be picked up at $10 in sales. The Burlington Coat Factory. If you like a bargain and are willing to look through racks of clothes, you won't be able to beat Burlington Coat Factory (and it sells a lot more than coats). Here you can find name brands like Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren etc at much cheaper prices than even the outlets. It is not uncommon to find designer shoes here for $10 a pair. The stock is continually changing and sometimes you will find bargains everywhere you look, other times you won't find much you like. 1
Jacksonville (Mayport), FL Guide August 2008 Restaurants and Night Life Dining out is a way of life in the United States, but you are more likely to see the larger chain restaurants such as TGI Fridays, Applebee’s and (the truly awful) Outback Steakhouse in your local neighbourhoods. To experience more gourmet restaurants, bars and cafes in Jacksonville, the main nightlife areas are on the Beaches, San Marco and (to a more limited extent) Downtown. We have found the dining to be a little disappointing in Jacksonville as there is a real shortage of unique family owned dining places. The options are mostly generic franchise places that serve the same type of food. However, if you look around and speak to the locals there are a few gems to be found. Remember that in bars and restaurants it is customary to tip your bartender/waiter. As a rule of thumb, you should add 15% to the total bill if you have had a satisfactory level of service or 20% if you feel they have gone ‘the extra mile.’ A 10% tip will normally indicate that you have not been satisfied with the service. You should never leave no tip at all. For large groups or on special occasions (e.g. holidays, Mothers Day etc), there may be a standard tip automatically added to the bill – it is up to you whether you want to add extra on top of this. You can tip by adding the amount to your credit card invoice; however, most Americans seem to prefer to leave cash on the table, even if they have paid the main bill by credit card. Good websites to visit include http://cityguide.aol.com/jacksonville and http://www.jaxbars.com/. Morale, Welfare and Recreation – Information, Travel and Tickets (MWR‐ITT) Now that you have shopped until you’ve dropped and enjoyed Jacksonville’s finest cuisine, you will want to spread your wings a little further and do some sightseeing. An essential first stop is the MWR‐
ITT at Building 414 on Massey Avenue, NS Mayport. MWR‐ITT is open Monday through Friday 0900‐1700 and offers deeply discounted hotel reservations, cruise bookings and tickets to most major attractions in Florida and Georgia. Some examples of tickets offered include Disney World, Six Flags Over Georgia, Universal Studios, Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay and Sea World just to name a few. It is also worth noting that Military personnel received free access to Seaworld in Orlando and Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay once a year on the date of your choosing. See this website for details http://www.herosalute.com/cavatx/index.html. Sports You can’t leave the United States without enjoying some of the finest sporting events America has to offer. The most popular sports are: a. NFL (Grid Iron) Football. The NFL is far and away the most popular sporting phenomenon in the United States. Jacksonville has its very own NFL franchise, the 1
Jacksonville (Mayport), FL Guide August 2008 Jacksonville Jaguars, so seeing a game is very easy. Tickets start at $8 through the MWR‐ITT on base. The season runs from September, culminating with the Super Bowl in early‐February. Go to http://www.jacksonvillejaguars.com for more information. College football is also remarkably popular in the US. The University of Florida “Gators” play their home games in Gainesville, approximately 110km away from Jacksonville. To give you an idea of the popularity of college football, the Gators’ home stadium can seat over 88,000 spectators! The season extends from September to January. b. Basketball. The nearest NBA franchise to Jacksonville is the Orlando Magic (http://www.orlandomagic.com). If you want to travel a little further, you can see the Miami Heat (Shaquille O’Neal’s current team) or the Atlanta Hawks. The NBA season runs from November to June. Again, college basketball is very popular. University of Florida fields a competitive basketball team that plays its home games in Gainesville. The season begins in November and culminates in the “March Madness” tournament featuring the top 64 teams in the country in a knockout competition. c. Baseball. Jacksonville has a minor league baseball team affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Home games are played at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville and are a popular (and cheap) form of family entertainment. Go to their website at http://www.jacksonvillesuns.com for more information. $1 beer night on Thursday is the best time to go to a game! To see Major League Baseball, you are looking at a 300km drive to see the nearest team, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (http://tampabay.devilrays.mlb.com/). Again, if you are willing to take a longer trip, you can see the Florida Marlins in Miami, or the Atlanta Braves. The baseball season is from April to October. d. Ice Hockey. The Jacksonville Barracudas are a minor league ice hockey team playing home games at the Jacksonville Memorial Arena. If you want to see NHL hockey, again you are looking at travelling to Tampa, Miami or Atlanta. Golf If you are a keen golfer, stand by for the best two years of your life. Florida is the golfing capital of the world. For spectators, The Players Championship is played every year at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. This tournament is considered to be ‘the fifth major’ and is keenly contested by the world’s best golfers every March. 2
Jacksonville (Mayport), FL Guide August 2008 For players, the sky is the limit. You can go from playing cheap golf (US$22 including electric buggy) at the MWR‐owned courses at NS Mayport and NAS Jacksonville, to the insanely extravagant (a round at TPC Sawgrass will set you back about US$500!) and everything in between. Go to http://www.floridagolfguide.com for more information. To top it all off, the World Golf Hall of Fame is located at the World Golf Village in St Augustine, a short 25‐minute drive down I‐95. Who could ask for more? Things to Do There are a range of amusements and activities in the Jacksonville area suitable for the whole family. Check out the following websites: http://www.jaxparks.com ‐ Jacksonville recreational parks http://www.jaxzoo.org ‐ Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens http://www.themosh.org/ ‐ Jacksonville Museum of Science and History http://www.nps.gov/foca/ ‐ Fort Caroline National Memorial http://www.adventurelanding.com ‐ Adventure Landing Water Park http://wildadventures.net ‐ Wild Adventures Theme Park, Valdosta GA http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com ‐ Kennedy Space Center (see a Shuttle launch!) http://www.seaworld.com ‐ Seaworld, Orlando http://www.universalorlando.com ‐ Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, Orlando http://www.disneyworld.com ‐ Disney World, Orlando http://www.buschgardens.com ‐ Busch Gardens Amusement Park, Tampa Bay http://www.sixflags.com ‐ Six Flags Over Georgia, Atlanta GA Travel Although travel through American airports can be quite frustrating in the wake of September 11, air travel remains enormously competitive, and as such you can regularly fly for prices only dreamed about in Australia. For example – want to fly to Vegas for a weekend? No problem – a little over US$200 return and you are there. Even a return trip to Europe will cost you less than US$500. Check out the following websites for some great deals: 2
Jacksonville (Mayport), FL Guide August 2008 The best website we found to use overall is www.bookingbuddy.com which provides a link to a whole series of websites used for travelling. For flights we found www.kayak.com to consistently be the cheapest option, and if you want a bargain in hotels, you cannot beat www.priceline.com which actually lets you bid the price you want and based on location and quality will search hotel databases to see if any will accept you price. We have had some great bargains on this site like staying in 3‐Star hotels in Orlando for $40 per night, or the Marriott in New Orleans for $70 per night. Other websites you should be aware of are the Armed Forces Vacation Club website http://www.afvclub.com/ which offers military personnel access to all RCI time share accommodation. This means you can get a week of five star accommodation in over 5000 resorts around the world for about $300 per week!!! This is an amazing deal because the accommodation is usually 2‐3 bedroom apartments with full kitchen facilities and a lounge room. We stayed in a 3 bedroom apartment for a week long skiing trip to Montana with another 2 couples so our accommodation cost only $100 for the week!! However, it is only really good value if you are staying somewhere for an extended period of time and you are holidaying rather than travelling. Another great place to check for accommodation is the Military Lodge system (check all services). In some places the Navy owns prime real estate and you can stay in the lodges which are the equivalent of 3 Star accommodation for about $30 ‐ $50 a night. We used this when we travelled to San Diego and New Orleans. Check them out at https://www.navy‐lodge.com/
Finally, if you go to New York, you will find accommodation to be frightfully expensive. Whilst there is a Navy Lodge, it is on Staten Island and can be somewhat inconvenient. We recommend the Soldiers', Sailors', Marines', Coast Guard and Airmen's Club right in the heart of New York city. It is fairly basic accommodation, but clean and comes with breakfast, and you cannot beat the location. Check it out at http://www.ssmaclub.org/
We hope that this has provided you with a good idea of what to expect when you get to Jacksonville. The best part; however, is getting here and finding new things out for yourselves. The best advice we can give is to get over here, get settled in, and get amongst it as quickly as you can. Plan things well in advance, because that two years is going to be over before you know it! We hope you enjoy your experience just as much as we have! 2