Want to know what neighborhood has become popular in recent years among investors, well today we are going to talk about Lincolnville. Located in the southwest corner of St. Augustine and steeped in history
Lincolnville was originally a plot of land where freed slaves gathered and built homes, but these freed slaves were not free to roam the city except to go to work so this plot of land became their neighborhood and it flourished. The residents opened businesses like restaurants, movie houses and grocery stores and they established a strong middle class. How wonderful is that. The area also played a pivotal role in the civil right movement and Dr. Martin Luther King frequently visited and joined in demonstrations to end segregation.
Lincolnville is a true front porch neighborhood where the people that live there know each other, stop to say hello and meet for a chat on their porches. Full of victorian homes, cottages, big oak trees and narrow streets, it is the quintessential southern town.
On the southern end of the Lincolnville you will find Eddie Vickers Park, which has a walking/running track, baseball field and the Community Garden which houses a welcoming group of gardeners from the area who love creating a beautiful space to share their passion gardening with each other and the local community.
Further south you will find Freedom Park which is a wonderful park that shouldn’t be missed, it represents history and hope. This park honors Dr. Robert B. Hayling, one of the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement in St Augustine. The park is 9 acres, with a circular walking path, benches and a picnic table overlooking the San Sebastian River. People are encouraged to play the Freedom Chimes, which are heartwarming and lovely and children’s drawings are caved into the stone benches surrounding the chimes.
This neighborhood became popular among artists and Flagler students but today the neighborhood is a popular area for tourists. Since there is so much history here, you will find historical markers located at notable sites as you walk around and there is a walking tour you can do that will take you to the points of historical interest in the area.
Over the last 5 years, many of the older homes in the area have been renovated or torn down and new homes have been built in their place. Prices have increased and now a 2 bedroom small cottage will go from $300k and up but the biggest change in the area has been the vacation rentals. The increase in tourism had investors eyeing this area which is walkable to all the historic sites. This has changed the dynamics of the neighborhood frustrating some of the residents. The city has increased regulations changing the timeframe for rentals to a 7 day minimum but I think the residents would prefer a restriction on the number of vacation rentals instead. Who knows maybe it will happen. In any case, the location to the historic district and the feel of the neighborhood still makes it popular one among home buyers and investors and I can see why.
If you are interested in learning more about buying a home in the historic district, feel free to give me a call at (904) 747-0183 or email me at [email protected].
If there is a certain St.Augustine neighborhood or community you’d like to learn more about let me know in the comments below, maybe I’ll do a video on it for you.
If interested in learning more about owning a vacation rental and the new restrictions in place, check out my next video.
I really appreciate you tuning in and I’ll catch you on the next one.