Hey,
Luke Newcomer here, and this week Sadie and I went on a tour of one of our favorite neighborhoods, Lincolnville.
We want to thank St. Augustine Bike Rentals. They were gracious enough to hook us up with a cart for our tour so that we could visit more of the beautiful area. Hop on the cart over on Youtube, or keep reading, and join us as we tell you about our perfect day in Lincolnville.
If you have ever visited St. Augustine, you might have noticed a large concentration of Victorian era homes just southwest of other recognizable landmarks like the Bridge of Lions and Flagler College. This is Lincolnville, a historically African-American neighborhood in America’s oldest city.
Formed by St. Augustine’s freed slave population after the Civil War, Lincolnville was home to a thriving middle class African American community during a period of legalized segregation in the early 20th century. Today we know Lincolnville as an eclectic, vibrant, up-and-coming neighborhood that offers a true taste of what St. Augustine is all about. This is the history that comes with the territory.
The area is very walkable and filled with great restaurants, beautiful architecture, and friendly faces. Around every corner, on every street, you’re gonna find something new you’re gonna really love.
We stopped by The Collector Luxury Inn & Gardens, which is arguably one of the most beautiful boutique hotels here in Lincolnville. The Collector offers so much, to more than just guests. Even if you’re not staying with them, they’ve got an awesome spot for cocktails called The Well Bar. The property runs between St. George Street and Cordova.
One of our favorite breakfast and lunch spots is in the heart of Lincolnville. Blue Hen Cafe is a must stop that’s known for their southern comfort food. You have got to try their biscuits and gravy, blue crab quiche, and one of their watermelon lime mimosas. They also serve their iced coffee with coffee ice cubes to really get you jacked up for the day.
Healthy food at a fast pace is what Crave food truck is all about. The owners of this food truck believe in French inspired, vibrant, fun flavors that support a healthy lifestyle and all-around good vibes. If you’re looking for the best smoothies, fresh salads and wraps, you’ve gotta try Crave out. Located in the shipyard off Iberia street, you can’t beat being on the water. It’s one of the best food trucks you’ll ever try.
For a more upscale dining experience you can visit Preserved Restaurant. It features a bed and breakfast upstairs and is located on the corner of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Bridge Street, again, in the heart of Lincolnville. This restaurant takes pride in highlighting Southern cuisine, while pushing an ingredient driven menu. They showcase local farmers and community southern heritage. This restaurant is located in one of the oldest standing buildings in Lincolnville, the Jefferson House, which was built between 1865 and 1885. This structure is now a focal point of Lincolnville.
Oasis Boatyard and Marina is a full-service boatyard that specializes in custom work and offers over 40 years of combined experience to take care of all of your boating needs. They are a do-it-yourself boat yard for customers who want to maintain their own boats. They also have a 45 slip marina with power, water, and Wi-Fi available. Oasis Boatyard offers daily, monthly, and annual slip rentals to conveniently suit all of your boating needs.
The Corazon Cinema and Cafe is a local art house that specializes in events, weddings, and films. This independent movie theater is located in the oldest brick building that is still standing in St. Augustine. Check online to see which movies they are featuring and the show times.
The Lightner Museum, formerly known as the Alcazar Hotel, was built in 1888 by Henry Flagler. It was an exclusive hotel, where many affluent people from the Northeast came during the early winter months to escape the cold. This hotel was home to the largest indoor swimming pool at the time. The hotel closed during the Great Depression, then was purchased in 1947 by Otto Lightner who turned the building over to the city of St. Augustine.
Now the Lightner Museum features five floors of an eccentric collection of Arts from the 19th century, and is home to the government offices for the city of St. Augustine. The grounds of The Lightner Museum are beautiful and worth walking around. Stop to feed the koi fish and snag some great pics for the ‘gram.
Our final stop of the tour was Ice Plant Bar, a vintage bar and restaurant and one of our favorite stops in Lincolnville. They have awesome cocktails and great food. They serve specialty cocktails and classic southern dishes with a modern twist. Each cocktail has a designated Ice shape that highlights the uniqueness of the drink.The food and cocktail menu changes seasonally.
When you step inside the Ice Plant, you instantly feel as though you are stepping back in time. The establishment got its name from the actual building, an old ice factory that dates back to 1907. On the inside you’ll find the original bridge crane on rails that was used to pick up huge blocks of ice that were then broken down and sold to locals and fishermen to preserve their catch.
The one-and-only distillery located in St. Augustine Florida, St. Augustine Distillery occupies the other half of the old ice plant. Inside, they produce whiskey, rum, vodka, and gin. They use locally grown sugarcane, wheat, corn, and citrus to create their fine quality spirits. The distillery is open to the public, and visitors can take a tour of the facility, visit the gift shop, and try the spirits themselves.
That wrapped up our tour of the Lincolnville neighborhood here in St. Augustine, Florida, but truthfully we only scratched the surface of all the amazing things this neighborhood has to offer. You’ve got to come check it out for yourself.
If you want to learn more about Lincolnville, and experience the neighborhood and the real estate market, please let us know how we can help.
Thanks for joining me
Luke Newcomer