By: Lorelys Rea

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Grace Salon by Anais, is a salon in the Southside area of Jacksonville that offers more than your typical hair salon. They have an in-house café where clients can enjoy a cup of coffee while getting ready. This salon is designed to make self-care more comfortable and convenient.  

The salon has a variety of services, including hair coloring, hair extensions, braiding, nails, skincare, makeup, and head spa services. The salon was created to bring clients a different experience where they can relax and enjoy themselves.  

The Puerto Rican owner, Anais Serrano, said that building Grace Salon required a lot of determination to turn her dream into a reality. Anais has trained with several international professionals such as Mounir in Dubai, Gabriel Samra, Lisa Hernandez and Everton Miller, to learn more about her craft. She specializes in hair coloring and balayage. 

“The idea came to life, definitely working hard, being consistent with what I wanted, working hard every single day, focusing on what I wanted,” she said. “I’ve been working without stopping, and I think that’s how it came to life.”  

Coffee and Grace is their in-house café that offers specialty drinks such as matcha lattes, cortados, cappuccinos, chai beverages, and iced coffee. It also serves small bites, like croissants, allowing clients to stay and enjoy a drink and snacks during their visit without having to leave the salon.  

Eunice Serrano, a hairstylist, says that the environment at Grace Salon creates a positive experience for clients and for the staff working there.  

“Definitely a place where you can come, make other people feel happy, like transform their hair, and we are also a full salon, where clients not only come to get hair done, they can do nails and get some coffee,”—Serrano said.

Coffee and Grace provides a space where people can meet with their friends, work remotely, or simply relax during or after beauty services. By having multiple experiences in one location, Grace Salon makes self-care feel more enjoyable for the Jacksonville community. Anais wants to continue creating a space where clients can feel welcome and confident during their visit.  

Grace Salon by Anais is located at 3546 Saint John’s Bluff Rd. South unit 104. For more information, you can visit their Instagram page @gracesalonbyanaisoffical.  

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By: Ryan Luke

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Across parks and fields in the city of Jacksonville, one local organization is changing what it means to socialize as an adult.  

Jax Fray, a social sports league for adults 21 and over, is giving people the opportunity to stay active, while building friendships and providing a much-needed break from the stress of their daily lives. 

For many participants, the appeal of the league starts with its alternative environment, where they are substituting drinks at a bar for kickballs, soccer balls and time at the beach.  

One kickball player named Addie Hall, who is a mother, loves this change and thinks that it is an important shift from the typical night out that centers around going to a bar for drinks.  

“This is a nice alternative to that because it’s a way to do something that’s more active and healthy,” Hall said.  

While the leagues offer a physical outlet, the effects and impact that the organization has on the players extends far beyond the game itself. Many people describe the experience as a way to step away from the stress of everyday life and reset during the week.  

“Whether I am in a good mood before I get here, usually I am in a good mood when I leave, so it doesn’t really matter what the day brought me or what the work week has afterwards,” Patrick Dunne said. Dunne is a former host of the leagues and has said that not only is the experience rewarding for the players, but for the staff as well.  

Another key aspect of the league is the way that it has provided a platform and a place for people new to Jacksonville to grow their social circles and make connections with people that they may have never met without the league.  

Dylan Johnson is an example of this, as he joined Jax Fray after moving to Jacksonville in August, and found a soccer team with people that he really bonded with. “We started with 10 people on my team, and it grew over time, and everyone on my team I love. They’re great people,” Johnson said.  

Skyler Roman, who is new to the River City and plays beach volleyball with Jax Fray, said it has left a huge imprint on him and provided a group he looks forward to spending time with each week. “We have a lot of memories. I mean they are my best friends now; I go out with them all the time and communicate with them all the time. I couldn’t ask for anything else,” Roman said. 

Those who are already familiar with Jacksonville, like Hall, are thankful for the connections they’ve made because of how much it’s permeated their lives.

“I’ve had thanksgiving with some of these people, I’ve met lifelong, and we’ve been with each other through the ups and downs,”—Hall said.

With players from different backgrounds, careers and stages of life coming together, Jax Fray continues to create a diverse environment full of support and community, while reshaping how people connect in Jacksonville.

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By: Sasha Koresh

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The Ritz Theatre and Museum stands as a centerpiece of African American history and culture
in Jacksonville, preserving the legacy of the LaVilla neighborhood.

Located west of downtown, LaVilla was known in the early 20th century as the “Harlem of the
South,” a hub for Black business, music and entertainment during segregation.

The original Ritz Theatre opened in 1929 as a movie house and performance venue, drawing
crowds to the vibrant district. Though the area declined in the decades that followed, the site
was revitalized in 1999 with the opening of a new theater and museum complex.

“The purpose the theater serves in the the community today is to be able to showcase and put
on the exhibits for individuals to see what happened in the past, the present, and the future,”
said Shaun Powell, an employee at Ritz.

Today, the Ritz Theatre and Museum serves both as a performing arts venue and an
educational space. The 400-seat theater hosts concerts, plays and community events, while the
museum features exhibits on African American life in Northeast Florida and the broader
diaspora.

“We also give independent artists an opportunity to showcase their work here as well,”—said Powell.

The museum includes artifacts, photographs and interactive displays that highlight key figures
and moments in local history. Among those remembered is James Weldon Johnson, a
Jacksonville native known for his contributions to literature and the civil rights movement

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photo courtesy of Shaun Powell