New Town is a
neighborhood
A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town, suburb or rural area, ...
of
Jacksonville, Florida. A primarily residential neighborhood, it is located in Jacksonville's
Urban Core, immediately northwest of
Downtown
''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...
.
History
New Town was developed in the early 20th century for African-American workers in the railroads and industrial areas to the east, south and west. The neighborhood is home to
Edward Waters College, Florida's oldest
historically black college.
By the 21st century, the neighborhood show considerable signs of urban decay, with residents plagued by crime, failing schools, health problems, and endemic poverty.
Success zone
In 2008, Jacksonville mayor
John Peyton and other parties established the ''New Town Success Zone'', modeled after
New York City's
Harlem Children's Zone
The Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ) is a nonprofit organization for poverty-stricken children and families living in Harlem, providing free support in the form of parenting workshops, a preschool program, three charter schools, and child-oriented ...
, which provides comprehensive social and educational programs and services to children in the neighborhood.
Habitat build
In 2012 a completed
HabiJax
HabiJax of Jacksonville, Florida, is one of the larger affiliates of Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) in the United States. Habijax was named the 8th largest homebuilder in the United States by ''Builder Magazine'' for 2009.
The program ...
home was furnished and decorated by a local interior designer as a model for the revitalization of the neighborhood. The project, which constructed more than 100 new homes, was completed in 2012.
Location
New Town is located in the city's
Urban Core, immediately northwest of
Downtown
''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...
. It is bounded by King Street to the north,
I-95 to the west, Seminary Street to the east, and Beaver Street to the south.
References
External links
New Town Success Zone
{{Neighborhoods of Jacksonville
Neighborhoods in Jacksonville, Florida
Vernacular architecture in Florida
Westside, Jacksonville
Historic districts in Jacksonville