Riverside is the kind of neighborhood where the sidewalks tell stories \u2014 from murals that brighten the streets to little local boxes filled with handmade treasures. It\u2019s a place where creativity and connection come together, making this walkable community feel even more like home.<\/p>\n
In the heart of Riverside, art isn\u2019t just seen \u2014 it\u2019s shared. From painted walls to park corners, every detail reflects neighbors shaping the space they love.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the goal of placemaking \u2014 turning everyday spaces into gathering places that bring people together.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlacemaking is making places feel more like home for the community, and it\u2019s a place for creativity, community and connection,\u201d said Kandice Clark, who helps lead the Riverside Placemaking effort.<\/p>\n
Clark and her team have reimagined everything from parks and roundabouts to overlooked corners of Riverside and Avondale \u2014 adding lighting, playgrounds, and local art depending on what the community says it needs.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can be as simple as putting trash cans there or adding art and playgrounds,\u201d she said. \u201cIt just depends on the needs and wants of the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
That focus on connection is what makes Riverside stand out. Even small projects, like The Little Local Box, help neighbors share and discover handmade goods and art.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s our effort to bring the community and artists together,\u201d Clark said. \u201cYou give and you take \u2014 and people have really invested in making sure it\u2019s filled with great things.\u201d<\/p>\n
Walk through Riverside and you might find honey for sale on a neighbor\u2019s porch \u2014 even if no one\u2019s home \u2014 or a free book that\u2019s old but new to you. It\u2019s that sense of belonging that keeps the neighborhood\u2019s character alive.<\/p>\n
\u201cI still remember trick-or-treating all around this area,\u201d said Mike Morgan, a former resident. \u201cThere was always a sense of community. We would walk everywhere \u2014 not everybody had two cars per family.\u201d<\/p>\n
For new residents, that same walkable charm is part of what draws them in.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe minute I stepped off the plane my first visit, I couldn\u2019t get over how relaxed and friendly it felt,\u201d said Becky Caesar, who now calls Riverside home. \u201cIt\u2019s very safe and very walkable \u2014 with restaurants this way, and Five Points over in Avondale.\u201d<\/p>\n
Old memories meet new energy here \u2014 a neighborhood where creativity thrives and community comes first.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy overall goal for this neighborhood is to make it a better space for people who live here, but also people who love it here,\u201d Clark said.<\/p>\n
In Riverside, connection isn\u2019t just an idea \u2014 it\u2019s a way of life.<\/p>\n
Copyright 2025 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Riverside is the kind of neighborhood where the sidewalks tell stories \u2014 from murals that brighten the streets…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18315,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[15216,116,118,117,5436,15217,7909],"class_list":["post-18314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-jacksonville","tag-4yourneighborhood","tag-jacksonville","tag-jacksonville-headlines","tag-jacksonville-news","tag-morning-show","tag-rap","tag-riverside"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18314","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18314"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18314\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18315"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18314"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18314"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}