Eight years ago, Alexandria Rudnick moved to the neighborhood sight unseen. Originally from Jupiter, she’d just spent a decade after college working across the country with nonprofit Teach for America. She decided to return to Florida, but knew she wanted to settle in North Florida, drawn by its rich history and character.
“I love that you get a little bit of everything here,” said Rudnick. “It’s got historic elements, it’s got the beach, it’s got Downtown.”
She accepted a teaching job in Jacksonville and landed near the confluence of Riverside and Avondale after asking around for walkable neighborhoods. Locals pointed her toward Park and King, and she took a leap – renting a carriage house apartment without ever stepping foot inside.
After a few years of living in the mother-in-law suite, she bought the entire home when the owners decided to move. She lives very close to Willowbranch Park, which she says feels like an “extension of her home.” That proximity sparked her involvement with Riverside Avondale Preservation (RAP). She joined the parks committee, then the board, and will become RAP’s board chair in 2026.
Her passion for public spaces is mirrored by her commitment to public education. She cites her grandfather, a teacher, as a personal inspiration of hers. Rudnick is the executive director of Genesys Works, a national nonprofit that launched its Jacksonville chapter in 2025. The program partners with Duval County Public Schools to prepare high school students for college and careers.
“Students leave school early and go to internships for half a day,” Rudnick explains. “It’s pretty in-depth, a lot to manage, but we really love it because it can make a really big difference in a student’s life.”
The first cohort of students began in June and now includes students working 20 hours a week in professional settings across the city. Rudnick says the program is designed to give young people both technical skills and confidence, helping them see themselves as capable of thriving in professional environments.
Rudnick also holds a master’s degree in history. She works with 904ward and co-chairs the Duval Community Remembrance Project, which partners with the Montgomery, Alabama-based Equal Justice Initiative to commemorate victims of racial violence.
“I really feel passionately about history and history education,” she said. “When I realized that that work was happening locally, I reached out to get involved.”
Alexandria enjoys horseback riding in Northwest Jacksonville.
When she’s not working or volunteering her time, Rudnick can be found walking her dog through the park, grabbing ice cream at Screaming Cat, or riding horses on her friend’s property in Northwest Jacksonville.
Rudnick is engaged to be married in the spring to her fiancé; their first date was at Fishweir Brewing in Murray Hill. Along with her fiancé’s two sons, they enjoy camping adventures and trying new neighborhood restaurants. Rudnick says those everyday rhythms – walking to Boone Park or simply cooking dinner – are what make life in Riverside and Avondale feel so special.
Alexandria and her fiancé, Jordan. | Photo: CWP Photography
“Every time I walk around the neighborhood, I think, ‘I love it here.’ I don’t want to leave,” Rudnick said.