Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville is a city located in Duval County, Florida, USA. It is the county seat of Duval County {{GR|6}}. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 777,704 .

Tourism and recreation

Jacksonville is home to a number of professional sports teams:

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• Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League
• Jacksonville Suns, a Southern League minor league baseball affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers
• Jacksonville Barracudas of the SPHL ice hockey league

Jacksonville was named as the site for Super Bowl XXXIX, becoming the third city in the state of Florida (Miami and Tampa being the others) to host the event. The game was held on February 6, 2005 and featured halftime entertainment by former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney. Due to the milder climate and lesser amount of hotel space, many media critics decried Jacksonville as a sub-standard host for a Super Bowl, although local leaders felt the criticism was unwarranted. The game itself was played under ideal football weather (about 55 degrees Fahrenheit), and the New England Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-21.

Related Topics:
Super Bowl XXXIX - Miami - Tampa - February 6 - 2005 - Beatle - Paul McCartney - Fahrenheit - New England Patriots - Philadelphia Eagles

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The Jacksonville area also boasts many excellent golf courses. In Ponte Vedra lies the Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass, one of the most famous golf courses in the world and home to the annual PGA TPC (The Player's Championship) tournament. Nearby St. Augustine is home to the World Golf Village and World Golf Hall of Fame.

Related Topics:
Ponte Vedra - Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass - PGA - St. Augustine - World Golf Village - World Golf Hall of Fame

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Professional tennis is in town each year when the WTA holds the Bausch & Lomb Championships at Amelia Island Plantation near Fernandina Beach, just north of Jacksonville. Other sports events include the annual Kingfish Tournament held in July, the Florida-Georgia football game, commonly known as "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" held every October, the ACC Championship, and the Gator Bowl held in early January. University of North Florida, Jacksonville University and Edward Waters College also field athletic teams in a number of sports.

Related Topics:
WTA - Bausch & Lomb - Amelia Island - Fernandina Beach - July - Florida - Georgia - The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party - October - ACC Championship - Gator Bowl - January - University of North Florida - Jacksonville University - Edward Waters College

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The city's biggest cultural event is the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, an annual event featuring many of the biggest names in jazz. Jacksonville also features two art museums, the Cummer Gallery of Art and the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art. The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra makes regular performances at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts near downtown. The newly built Veterans Memorial Arena has quickly grown in popularity with many acts as within the two years since it has been built KISS, Aerosmith, Elton John, Green Day, Metallica, Britney Spears, and many other acts have performed there.

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Jacksonville also has significant natural beauty from the St. Johns River and Atlantic Ocean. The city center includes the Jacksonville Landing shopping center and the Riverwalk. Downtown Jacksonville has a memorable skyline with the tallest building being the Bank of America Building, constructed in 1990 with a height of 617ft (188m). Other notable structures include the Modis Building (once the defining building in the Jacksonville skyline, owned by Independent Life) with its distinctive flared base and the Riverplace Tower, which is the tallest pre-cast, post-tension concrete structure in the world.

Related Topics:
Bank of America - 1990 - Independent Life

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In addition, the Jacksonville Zoological Gardens boast the second largest animal collection in the state, only behind Disney's Animal Kingdom. The zoo features Elephants, Lions, Jaguars (which the local NFL team are named for), a multitude of Reptiles houses and free flight aviaries, and many other animals.

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