Guide · July 15, 2026 · Avondale
A Slow Day in Avondale
The Shoppes of Avondale, done unhurried — boutiques and flowers on St. Johns Avenue, antiques up Park Street, and a long dinner at one of Jacksonville's best independent tables.
Avondale is the prettiest stretch of historic Jacksonville — brick streets, 1920s architecture, live oaks, and the St. Johns River a block behind it. The Shoppes of Avondale along St. Johns Avenue are made for exactly one kind of day: unhurried. Here’s how to spend it.
Browse St. Johns Avenue
Start on foot. Jane Doe Boutique on St. Johns Avenue is a good first stop for the racks, and a few blocks west St Johns Flower Market is worth walking into even if you weren’t planning to buy flowers — it’s that kind of shop.
Take your time. The Shoppes stretch is short enough to double back and long enough to fill a morning.
Detour up Park Street for antiques
Avondale’s best antiquing is a few blocks up Park Street toward Riverside, where two of the city’s most serious vintage stops sit close together. Southern Crossing Antique Mall is a multi-dealer maze of furniture, glassware, and oddities — plan on losing an hour. The Looking Glass is the tighter, more curated counterpart a door or two away, heavy on estate finds and mid-century pieces.
Pick up something for later
Pinegrove Market and Deli on Pine Grove Avenue is the neighborhood’s old-school market and butcher counter — the place locals go for steaks, sandwiches, and the sort of advice a grocery chain can’t give you.
Stay for a long dinner
Avondale’s tables are the reason people drive across town. Blue Fish Restaurant and Oyster Bar and Brick Restaurant sit nearly shoulder to shoulder on St. Johns Avenue — one for seafood and the raw bar, the other for a from-scratch American menu that’s been drawing a neighborhood crowd for years.
If you want the full occasion, Restaurant Orsay around the corner on Park Street is the French-leaning room Jacksonville sends people to when it’s trying to impress. Book ahead.
Every stop is independently owned. Avondale rewards the slow version of the day — take it.
Places in this guide
Jane Doe Boutique Jacksonville Fl
Jane Doe is an independent women's boutique on St.
3576 St Johns Ave
St Johns Flower Market
St Johns Flower Market is an independent florist and plant shop on St.
4015 St Johns Ave
Southern Crossing Antique Mall
Southern Crossing is a multi-dealer antiques and vintage mall on Park Street in the Riverside–Avondale shopping district, packed with booths of furniture, glassware, records, and curiosities.
2718 Park St
The Looking Glass
The Looking Glass is an independent antiques and vintage shop on Park Street in Avondale, stocked with estate finds, mid-century pieces, and one-of-a-kind decor.
2748 Park St
Pinegrove Market and Deli
Pinegrove Market and Deli is a longtime independent butcher shop and deli in the Avondale area — a locals' source for cut-to-order meats and a well-known lunch counter.
1511 Pine Grove Ave
Blue Fish Restaurant and Oyster Bar
Blue Fish is an independent restaurant and oyster bar in the Shoppes of Avondale on St.
3551 St Johns Ave $$
Brick Restaurant
Brick is an independent, upscale-casual restaurant on St.
3585 St Johns Ave $$$
Restaurant Orsay
Restaurant Orsay is a French bistro in the Shoppes of Avondale, pairing Parisian technique with Southern ingredients and a well-regarded bar program.
3630 Park St $$$
Frequently asked
What are the Shoppes of Avondale?
It's the commercial heart of the Avondale historic district — a genteel stretch of St. Johns Avenue lined with independent boutiques, restaurants, and salons. It's walkable end to end and almost entirely locally owned.
Where should I eat in Avondale?
Blue Fish and Brick sit nearly side by side on St. Johns Avenue — Blue Fish for seafood and the oyster bar, Brick for a from-scratch American menu. Restaurant Orsay, around the corner on Park Street, is the French-leaning choice for a longer dinner.
Is Avondale good for antiquing?
Yes, though the best of it is a short drive up Park Street toward Riverside, where Southern Crossing Antique Mall and The Looking Glass sit within a block of each other. Pair them with the St. Johns Avenue boutiques for a full day of browsing.