Arlington has a reputation that does not reflect the actual atmosphere and reality of the neighborhood. That’s what residents told WJCT at our “Beyond the Core” listening session in March at Jacksonville University.
Though people who don’t live in Arlington might think of crime or blight, they said, they’re proud of positive attributes, like the area’s small-town feel, its quality senior centers, and its mid-century modern architecture.
Once one of the most prosperous neighborhoods in Jacksonville, Arlington attracted flocks of young families between the 1940s and the 1970s.
Many of their houses built during the 1950s and 60s are still standing today. They reflect the culture of that bygone era through sharp edges and sloping roofs that acted as angular blows against the status quo of architecture at the time, according to Old Arlington, Inc., an organization focused on the preservation and restoration of historic neighborhoods.
Old Arlington, Inc. offers tours of the mid-century modern homes.
Editor's Note: This story is part of WJCT’s Beyond the Core project, a listening tour designed to help us get to know the community and to help our audience get to know each other.
Beyond the Core stories are based on what we hear at listening sessions. Please visit our Beyond the Core page for more information and to find out whether we’ll be in your neighborhood soon.
