Short answer: Springfield is Jacksonville's grand old historic district just north of downtown: blocks of restored Victorian and early-1900s homes, a growing Main Street of restaurants and breweries, and a community proud of both.
The feel. Springfield's architecture is the best surviving collection in the city, and walking it is a history lesson with porches. The revival is real and visible: renovated homes next to works in progress, and a main street adding something new every year.
Who it suits. People who love old houses enough to own one, want to walk to dinner, and like being minutes from downtown. It rewards buyers who see a neighborhood for what it is becoming as well as what it is.
Day to day. The Main Street corridor carries the neighborhood's /directory/?cat=Food+%26+Drink and a growing share of its nightlife, with the downtown riverfront and the stadium district a short hop south. The parks that stitch the district together host markets and porchfests that define the social calendar; /events keeps track.
Worth knowing. Historic district rules protect the architecture and shape renovations, so read them before you buy a project house. Insurance and restoration costs on century-old homes deserve honest numbers up front.
Next step. Compare Springfield in our /neighborhoods guide, and check the /directory with the Northside and downtown zones for what is around the corner.