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In Jacksonville this weekend - need help

Fort walton Beach...
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136 posts
93 reviews
48 helpful votes
In Jacksonville this weekend - need help
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Hi!

We will be in Jacksonville this weekend accompanying our daughter to a Thespians competition. The hotel was prearranged through her school and is the Holiday Inn Express on Commonwealth Avenue. From the map, this hotel looks to be just off of I-295, just north of I-10. I've already read some unfavorable reviews on Trip Advisor but there's nothing we can do.

My big question is that my husband and I would like to go Christmas shopping while our daughter is with her school team doing activities. I'm willing to drive quite far from the hotel if needed and will have the morning. We need to be at the Lavilla School of the Arts by noon to watch our daughter's performance.

I'm looking for a really good area of Jacksonville that ideally has both a Toys R Us and a Best Buy. Any ideas? I'm open to drives as long 45 minutes if needed.

Thanks for the help.

Jacksonville...
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for Jacksonville
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381 posts
23 reviews
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1. Re: In Jacksonville this weekend - need help
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We have two Toys r us locations, both near malls - Orange Park Mall, with a Toys-r-us and Best Buy down the street. Or the St. John's Town Center offering both as well. The Town Center is our newest outdoor pedestrian mall. I recommend going there, but I think it might be further from your hotel. Here is a link that will give you a map of both locations. You will need to enter your hotel address on the search bar.

http://www9.toysrus.com/store/index.cfm?tru=1&sa_referral=

Vero Beach, Florida
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for Vero Beach
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10,341 posts
212 reviews
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2. Re: In Jacksonville this weekend - need help
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The Orange Park Mall area has ample shopping. Note that Blanding Boulevard is a huge ultra-multi lane road in that area.

Your hotel is, unfortunately, sort of out in the middle of nowhere.

Jacksonville, FL
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5,750 posts
41 reviews
59 helpful votes
3. Re: In Jacksonville this weekend - need help
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I think that the St. Johns Town Center is your best bet. You can definitely get there in 45 minutes (depending on traffic). Here's a link with mapquest directions from your hotel to the St. Johns Town Center...hope this helps!

http://www.mapquest.com/maps?1c=Jacksonville&1s=FL&1a=6802+Commonwealth+Ave&1z=32254-2222&1y=US&1l=30.33567&1g=-81.759679&1v=ADDRESS&2c=Jacksonville&2s=FL&2a=4663+River+City+Dr&2z=32246-7429&2y=US&2l=30.258558&2g=-81.525357&2v=ADDRESS

Let us know if we can recommend restaurants or any other things you'd like to do while you're here. Good luck to your daughter!

Vicki

Jacksonville, FL
Level Contributor
5,750 posts
41 reviews
59 helpful votes
4. Re: In Jacksonville this weekend - need help
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Wow! That's a huge link! I guess you can wipe the whole thing and paste it into your browser. If not, you can easily Google the addresses for the hotel and the St. Johns Town Center.

Vicki

Jacksonville...
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335 posts
51 reviews
35 helpful votes
5. Re: In Jacksonville this weekend - need help
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I agree that the St. Johns Town Center is your best choice. Toys r Us and Best Buy are right next to each other. It's in a seperate shopping center from the rest of the outdoor mall but just a few minutes away. There are LOTS of great shops and restaurants all over this area. It's beautifully decorated right now for Christmas too. Have fun!

Jacksonville
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226 posts
8 reviews
7 helpful votes
6. Re: In Jacksonville this weekend - need help
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I add my vote for St Johns Towncenter - much nicer mall than Orange Park, imo, and lots of nice restaurants when you need to take a break. However, it is an open air mall and the weather is not the best this weekend. If it's raining, you can always drive 4 or 5 miles from St Johns to the Avenues Mall which is a traditional, enclosed two story mall with all the usual stores. If you like outlet shopping, drive approx. 30 miles south on I-95 to St. Augustine Outlet Mall, adjacent to I-95.

7. Re: In Jacksonville this weekend - need help

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