Jacksonville, FL: Top Things to Know About Storage
Tons of Events
If you’re a resident of Jacksonville, you’re probably busy the whole year because of all of the events going on in the area. Even if you’re not attending all of them, at least you have somewhere to go when you’re bored. The Pecan Park Flea & Farmer’s Market is Jacksonville’s largest flea market and is open every Saturday and Sunday from 8AM to 5PM, rain or shine. This market has more than 750 storefronts so you’ll definitely find something of interest to you when you go there. Because this flea market is open year round, vendors need a place to store their stuff. The event takes place every week, so no one is willing to take all of their things back and forth on a weekly basis, especially those bulky stalls. Depending on what these vendors have in store for you, they probably take up a lot of the climate controlled units in the area. The event takes place about 15 miles north of downtown Jacksonville, so they’re likely to store in the area.
Beautiful Art
Jacksonville is definitely a consistent city. Downtown Vision, Inc. hosts the First Wednesday Art Walk on the first Wednesday of every month. This event showcases artwork, visual, and performing arts of artists in the area. The art walk stretches across the heart of downtown, and you’ll get to meet artists and buy and appreciate their work. On average, 10,000 people attend the event every month to see the 250 art exhibits. Given the frequency of this event, it’s common for artists to store their artwork and other items that they display in nearby storage facilities. Because of the severe humidity in Jacksonville, artists need to keep their artwork in climate controlled units to avoid damage to their masterpieces. Not only are storage units in the area filled, but there is also a lot of traffic during this event. If you don’t want to be stuck in traffic for long periods of time, avoid going through downtown from 5PM to 9PM on the first Wednesday of every month. You’ll surely be trapped in rush hour traffic and the thousands of guests who are attending the event.
A World United
Jacksonville is one of the few cities that hosts an annual multi national cultural event. The World of Nations Celebration is an event in which people of different backgrounds come together to represent their respective nations. People showcase their food, fashion, dances, music, and traditions. This event lasts three days and takes place at the end of April. As you can see, a lot of preparation goes into an event like this, with having to set up booths and stalls, providing electricity, and tons of other things. The hosts of the event start storing things in facilities in the area as early as the end of March so you can expect to have some trouble finding a storage unit around this time. Be careful to plan around this event in order to ensure that you can get a unit at the end of spring, especially if you’re a student who needs to store your things over the summer.
Jazz
Yet another festival that takes place in the heart of downtown is the Jacksonville Jazz Festival. This event takes place on Memorial Day weekend and is one of the largest jazz festivals in the country. There are three stages for live entertainment, food vendors, and drinks for guests to enjoy. Entertainers that frequently attend this festival include Snarky Puppy, the Yellow Jackets, Generation Next, and many more! This is actually a street festival, giving it a very authentic touch; it also takes up about 15 blocks of downtown. Talk about a celebration! The festival inevitably causes multiple road closures and tons of traffic in the area. If you’re planning to go on an RV trip for Memorial Day, make sure you get your things from your storage unit before the festival begins or you may not make it to your unit until the end of the weekend.
Natural Moisturizer
Jacksonville has a humid subtropical climate, meaning mild winters and hot and humid summers. Rainfall is also concentrated in the warmest months, usually lasting from May to September. Summer thunderstorms are common, so residents know to carry around umbrellas or to face the wrath of the rains. The city also frequently experiences hurricanes or hurricane-like conditions during the summer, so be prepared for that as well.
In terms of storage, try to find a facility that has covered loading and unloading zones so you’re not caught in the rain when you’re trying to pack up or empty out your storage unit. You might want to consider renting out an indoor storage unit so you can avoid this altogether, especially if you’re storing smaller items that can easily be carried inside. You should also store your things in a climate or humidity controlled unit, so things like your wooden items, metals, electronics, and books don’t get damaged by the heat. And lastly, find a storage facility that is located more inland. Jacksonville is a coastal city, so the high salt content in the ocean’s air can be harmful to things that are lying around untouched for long periods of time. Don’t let the beach lure you in—its air is not good for your stuff!
