Murray Hill & Lakeshore – Character, Community & Jacksonville’s Best Bungalows
I’ve been selling homes in Murray Hill since before the restaurants and boutiques arrived – back when the neighborhood’s best quality was its bones and its people. I’ve watched friends, first-time buyers, and savvy investors discover what locals already knew: buying a home in Jacksonville’s Murray Hill neighborhood rewards people who know what to look for. If you want someone who understood this neighborhood’s value before it was obvious, you’ve found her.
Murray Hill is the historic neighborhood I point buyers to when they want character, walkability, and genuine community at a price that leaves room in the budget for life. It delivers on all three in a way that still surprises buyers who come in with lower expectations. Lakeshore, just to the southwest, offers a quieter, more suburban alternative for buyers who want older homes and established surroundings at an even more accessible price point.
Murray Hill
Murray Hill developed in the 1920s and 1930s as Jacksonville expanded westward. Its character was working-class and middle-class from the beginning. This was not where Jacksonville’s wealthiest families built their homes. Instead, it was where a machinist or a schoolteacher or a small business owner could afford a well-built cottage with a front porch, a backyard garden, and neighbors they would know for decades.
The housing stock reflects that origin – Craftsman bungalows on modest lots, Colonial Revival cottages with tidy symmetry, and occasional Tudor Revival houses with steeply pitched rooflines. The construction was honest and functional. Not grand, but solid. The old-growth heart pine floors in a Murray Hill bungalow built in 1928 are the same material as the floors in a Springfield Victorian built for a banker in 1905.
Murray Hill is not on the National Register of Historic Places and is not locally designated, which means no Certificate of Appropriateness process for exterior changes. The community’s norms strongly favor preservation. However, buyers have more renovation flexibility here than in Springfield or Riverside-Avondale.
The Revival
Murray Hill’s revival is one of Jacksonville’s best stories. Through the 1980s and 1990s the neighborhood was quiet, undervalued, and largely invisible to buyers chasing Riverside or San Marco. That changed in the early 2010s when young buyers priced out of Riverside, small business owners looking for affordable commercial space, and artists and creatives seeking community found Murray Hill and recognized what it was. The investment followed.
Edgewood Avenue
Edgewood Avenue is Murray Hill’s main commercial corridor and one of Jacksonville’s most interesting small business streets. The independent shop and restaurant density is real – local coffee roasters, multiple restaurants that draw from across the city, a brewery, galleries, and some of the best pizza in Jacksonville. The scene reflects the neighborhood’s character: unpretentious, locally oriented, genuinely creative. Also, homes within walking distance of Edgewood Avenue and 4 Corners Park consistently command a premium.
The Front Porch Culture
Murray Hill’s front porch culture is its social infrastructure. On a warm evening people are on their porches, and the conversations that happen between front porches are how neighbors become friends. Furthermore, the neighborhood is compact enough – you can walk from one end to the other in about 20 minutes – that this actually works.
Pricing & Market
Murray Hill is one of Jacksonville’s most accessible historic neighborhoods. Entry level starts in the low $100s for fixer opportunities, with most move-in ready bungalows in the $200s to low $300s. Fully renovated or larger homes go higher. The appreciation trajectory has been strong and well-priced homes move quickly. Therefore, the real trick is getting your offer in as soon as something lists.
Murray Hill Preservation Association
The Murray Hill Preservation Association is an active organization with real resources including contractor referral lists based on actual community member experience. Getting involved before you buy is genuinely useful. For this reason, the knowledge you gain will affect your offer and renovation plans in concrete ways.
Resources for Historic Home Buyers in Murray Hill
If you’re considering a historic home in Jacksonville, my complete buying guide covers everything you need to know – architecture styles, what to look for in an inspection, financing, renovation planning, and neighborhood-by-neighborhood breakdowns.
- Buying Guide to Historic Homes in Jacksonville – download my free guide
Lakeshore
Lakeshore sits southwest of Murray Hill and offers a different kind of appeal. Where Murray Hill is walkable, vibrant, and urban-adjacent, Lakeshore is quieter and more traditionally suburban – the kind of neighborhood where you need a car for most errands but get more space, more privacy, and lower prices in return.
The homes here are older and established, built primarily from the 1940s through the 1960s, but they are not considered historic in the formal sense. You will find ranch homes, modest bungalows, and brick cottages on tree-lined streets with mature landscaping. It is a solid, unpretentious neighborhood with a loyal long-term resident base.
For buyers who want an older home with character at a price well below Murray Hill, and who don’t need to walk to coffee shops to feel at home, Lakeshore is worth a serious look.
Pricing & Market
Lakeshore is one of Jacksonville’s most affordable established neighborhoods. Entry level starts in the low $100s, with most single-family homes in the $150s to $300s. It offers genuine value for buyers who prioritize space and affordability over walkability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the difference between Murray Hill and Lakeshore?
A: Murray Hill is walkable, vibrant, and historic – built in the 1920s and 1930s with strong bungalow character and an active independent business scene on Edgewood Avenue. Lakeshore is quieter and more suburban, with older homes from the 1940s-1960s and a more traditional car-dependent layout. Furthermore, Murray Hill is for buyers who want neighborhood energy. Lakeshore is for buyers who want established surroundings at a lower price point.
Q: What does it cost to buy in Murray Hill?
A: Entry level starts in the low $100s for fixer opportunities, with most move-in ready homes in the $200s to low $300s. Fully renovated or larger homes go higher. Additionally, homes near Edgewood Avenue and 4 Corners Park command a modest premium.
Q: What does it cost to buy in Lakeshore?
A: Lakeshore is more affordable than Murray Hill. Most single-family homes range from the $150s to the $300s, making it one of Jacksonville’s most accessible established neighborhoods.
Q: Is Murray Hill a historic district?
A: Murray Hill has a strong historic identity and an active preservation association, but it is not on the National Register of Historic Places and is not locally designated. This means no Certificate of Appropriateness process. As a result, buyers have more renovation flexibility than in Springfield or Riverside-Avondale.
Q: Who typically buys in Murray Hill?
A: A wide range – first-time buyers attracted by the price point and character, buyers priced out of Riverside who still want a historic neighborhood, creatives and small business owners drawn to the community vibe, and relocators from cities with strong neighborhood culture who recognize Murray Hill immediately for what it is.
Q: How do I get started buying or selling in Murray Hill or Lakeshore?
A: Call or text me at 904-710-5702 or use the contact form on this site. I know both neighborhoods well and would love to help you find the right fit.