During my active military service I had the opportunity to live in and visit many different cities. Of all the cities I have lived in, I spent the most of my military time in Charleston, South Carolina and Jacksonville, Florida. Charleston and Jacksonville were similar in size, geography, and population type, but differed greatly in history, climate, and the general attitudes of its residents. If I had to choose between the two cities as a place to call home, it would undoubtedly be Charleston, S.C. Charleston and Jacksonville were both considered large port cities, each with a portion of the population made up of military families. Although Jacksonville had a larger area than Charleston, people living in the Charleston area considered James Island, Johns Island, Mount Pleasant, Sullivan's Island, Isle of Palms, and North Charleston to be part of the Charleston metropolitan area. The inclusion of these areas made Charleston appear similar in size to Jacksonville. Charleston and Jacksonville had a constant flow of merchant ships and container ships. Ships accessed Charleston Harbor via the Cooper River, while Jacksonville Harbor was accessed from the St. John's River. Both port cities shipped and received automobiles, food, bulk products, and containers of miscellaneous goods. Another similarity between these two cities was the existence of military installations, which brought large numbers of military families to these cities. The U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and U.S. Air Force all had bases in Charleston, while Jacksonville was home to the U.S. Coast Guard, a U.S. Naval Air Base, and the Florida Air National Guard. Despite the similarities between the two cities, there were also many differences. Charleston and Jacksonville... in the center of the card... something that is common in big city life. I will admit that both Charleston and Jacksonville are beautiful cities when taken at face value, but only Charleston had this small town feel that made me feel like I was at home. If I were to call any place home, unlike where I live now, it would be Charleston, cited by SCWorks as "The Greater Charleston Area." Charleston Real Estate - Luxury Guide to Charleston SC. Network. March 30, 2011. .The Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT). Network. March 30, 2011. "Charleston Harbor Home." Ports of South Carolina. Network. 01 April 2011. "History of Jacksonville, Florida." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Network. 01 April. 2011. .