A primarily residential neighborhood, it is located in Jacksonville's Urban Core, immediately northwest of Downtown.

New Town was developed in the early 20th century for African-American workers in the railroads and industrial areas to the east, south and west.

By the 21st century, the neighborhood show considerable signs of urban decay, with residents plagued by crime, failing schools, health problems, and endemic poverty.

In 2008, Jacksonville mayor John Peyton and other parties established the New Town Success Zone, modeled after New York City's Harlem Children's Zone, which provides comprehensive social and educational programs and services to children in the neighborhood.

[1][2] In 2012 a completed HabiJax home was furnished and decorated by a local interior designer as a model for the revitalization of the neighborhood.