Residents and business owners in Riverside’s Five Points historic district are fed up with garbage on their streets and sidewalks.
The arts and entertainment area, about two miles from downtown Jacksonville, is filled with charm: trendy restaurants, eclectic shops and the centerpiece -- the Sun-Ray Cinema.
“We see every mix of every kind of person and I think that’s what makes Five Points so wonderful," Cindy Barfield, co-owner of 5 Points Vintage, according to WJCT News partner News4Jax.com.
But outside the well-kept, locally-owned small businesses is something less friendly.
“Cans, cigarette butts,” said Tammie Faircloth, manager of Midnight Sun. “Empty pizza boxes, sandwich boxes -- everything. I found a wig in my doorway last week.”
She said she has been in the area for decades and sees trash every day, noting it’s worse after the weekend because the area is also a nightlife hotspot, plus it’s home to a large homeless population.
“The city owns the sidewalk,” she said, adding that residents are forced to clean it up. “I’d say a lot of merchants and do-gooders.”
Jamee Yocum, the owner of Bark on Park, shared disgusting photos on Facebook Monday morning, prompting dozens of comments. They show waste overflowing from cans and garbage picked through and thrown on the street.
Read the rest of the story, including the city's response, on News4Jax.com.