Gainesville has a reputation as a college town with moderate prices relative to most college cities. You can carve out a comfortable lifestyle here on a middle-class salary (like they pay at the University of Florida) and that’s a great thing for a city with the energy and services of a college town. Unlike some super-charged college cities like Cambridge, or Berkeley or even Ann Arbor or Chapel Hill, Gainesville remains a relatively quiet city in terms of cost of living for housing and expenses in general.

For that money you get some great perks even if you don’t attend the university. World-class speakers, musicians and a thriving arts scene surround the school, are available to locals, and give you incredible cultural value for your buck.

Here's a review from a local about living in Gainesville: 
*Even if you do not attend the University, there are all sorts of perks that come with that. You do not need to be a student to enjoy some great speakers for free. I have seen Jerry Rubin and Abby Hoffman debate. I have seen Mikhail Gorbachev. I have seen Bill Clinton. I have seen Dr. Jack Kevorkian. That is a short list of some world-class speakers that come to UF and are open to everyone. There are free concerts. World-class musicians sometimes play there while the university foots the bill and they are free for anyone. There are great libraries. There is a thriving arts community. There are good theater productions. There are some cool little towns around Gainesville. Micanopy (where they filmed Doc Hollywood with Micheal J. Fox) has some interesting stores to browse and casual restaurants. Pearl’s and Blue Highway are both on 441 and should be on anyone’s list of foodie-class food at reasonable prices. High Springs also has good stores to browse. The Great Outdoors restaurant is a must-do after visiting the rivers and springs around High Springs. We also love El Patio which has good Tex-Mex.*


Everything In Moderation

The Best Thing About Gainesville?

If you’re coming from the North or West it’s easy to not know that Gainesville ain’t on one of the Florida coasts. So if you’re dreaming of a day at the beach and then a night watching the Gators play ball you’ll be disappointed about that first part. Not being on the coast means you’re going to get hammered with mosquitos and humidity. If you can’t handle the heat, stay out of the Gainesville kitchen. 

One local finds the distance un-daunting:
*It's relatively close to everything- 1.5 hours to the beach, two hours to any theme park, 2 hours to a big city like Jacksonville. It's busy in the school year and lazy in the summer. Very nature-y. Lots of fun nightlife. You may have to get used to the temperatures and humidity. I love traveling, but Gainesville is my home.*

It’s Not On The Ocean Or The Gulf

The Worst Thing About Gainesville?

As was noted above the lifestyle of Gainesville is culturally interesting as a result of all that goes on around the university. Theater, music, speakers and some serious sporting events throughout the school year are all available to anyone who lives in the area. While Gainesville has historically had most of its active nightlife near the school, downtown has developed quite a bit in recent years and there is now a pretty active restaurant and bar scene for those who want to steer clear of the university. All that said, if you aren’t a student then much of Gainesville is about families. The school system is strong and even though the city isn’t on the ocean it has amazing fresh-water springs nearby as well as a strong park system for the kiddos to run around when it isn’t too toasty. 


Lifestyle of Gainesville

Gainesville tends to be a one-trick pony on jobs. The University of Florida is the largest employer and a lot of the service economy exists to support students. The VA has a big facility there and there are regional administration offices for the state and county here as well so government jobs are big. Outside of that there are mostly healthcare jobs. Education, government and health drive most of the job opportunities here so unless you’re working remote you’re going to need to get work in these industries. 


Workstyle of Gainesville

If you’re looking to save dough and live off of the services, social offerings and energy of a major university then it’s a good place to put on your shortlist. 


University Town Vibes

Why You Should Move Here Now?

Lots of neighborhoods for students in Gainesville. Midtown is just north of campus and has lots of older and newer rental properties for students. It also has the strip that is filled with restaurants and bars which feeds directly into downtown if students feel like getting out of the neighborhood. This is also tailgating central so if you want to be where the action is then pick Midtown. 

Sorority Row/South Gainesville and West Gainesville also have good options for students, plenty of apartment rentals and commercial districts of their own but are a bit quieter if you dont’ want to live in tailgate central. 
- Midtown
- Sorority Row/South Gainesville
- West Gainesville


Students

Midtown

Gainesville has put money into making Downtown a better place to live for young professionals. A bunch of new apartment and condo buildings went in and the commercial district got a lot better with new bars and restaurants. You also get the Hippodrome Theater which is the center of culture in Gainesville. Live theater, films, gallery showings, classes and special events nearly every day of the year happen here. If you want to live where you go out, and don’t want to go out with college students, then this is where you start your search. 
- Downtown


Young Professionals

Downtown

Northwest Gainesville is one of the most popular neighborhoods for families. Beautiful streets, lined with pine and oak trees canopy a variety of different housing types. The area is quiet, has tons of trails and a state park so doggos and kiddos are pretty dang happy here. There’s also a robust commercial district with a mix of boutique restaurants and cafes and big brand shopping options. 

Also check out Haile in the southwest corner of Gainesville. It has plenty of different housing options and has a great Village center to create your own little downtown vibe. You get plenty of place to eat, drink and shop in cool boutiques and you only have a 10 minute drive to campus is you work there or 15 minutes to downtown for a night out. 
- Northwest
- Haile 


Families

Northwest

Gainesville

**What's Gainesville, Florida like? What's living there like? What is there to do around for young adults who aren't in college?**

I lived in Gainesville for many years. Gainesville is a lovely city with lots of trees. There are a variety of housing options. There are some great parks. Jacksonville is 1.5 hours away. Tampa is 2 hours away. Orlando is 2 hours away. They do love their emergency sirens. There are three large hospitals. Gainesville healthcare is highly respected. Emergency vehicles bring patients into town from outlying areas. Although I never read much about a rash of building fires, the fire trucks seem to stay busy. I counted an average of seven emergency vehicles within earshot of my house every single day. Other than that, Gainesville is very peaceful and laid back.

Even if you do not attend the University, there are all sorts of perks that come with that. You do not need to be a student to enjoy some great speakers for free. I have seen Jerry Rubin and Abby Hoffman debate. I have seen Mikhail Gorbachev. I have seen Bill Clinton. I have seen Dr. Jack Kevorkian. That is a short list of some world-class speakers that come to UF and are open to everyone. There are free concerts. World-class musicians sometimes play there while the university foots the bill and they are free for anyone. There are great libraries. There is a thriving arts community. There are good theater productions. There are some cool little towns around Gainesville. Micanopy (where they filmed Doc Hollywood with Micheal J. Fox) has some interesting stores to browse and casual restaurants. Pearl’s and Blue Highway are both on 441 and should be on anyone’s list of foodie-class food at reasonable prices. High Springs also has good stores to browse. The Great Outdoors restaurant is a must-do after visiting the rivers and springs around High Springs. We also love El Patio which has good Tex-Mex.

There are a shitload of young people. There are three high schools. Santa Fe Community College is also located in Gainesville. I am sure the people watching is as good for women as for men. I know two guys who wrecked their cars while rubber necking. I almost lost my mind looking at all the pretty girls when I was at university. The weather is such that we usually dress with as little as possible. The club and music scenes are vibrant.

My favorite activities revolved around nature. Gainesville is surrounded by natural wonders. Beaches on the east coast are within 1.5 hours. Great oysters can be had in Apalachicola. Great scallops can be had in Steinhatchee. The area has many springs, rivers, and lakes. A little west and north of Gainesville (towards High Springs), the area was the first in the world to award certifications for cave diving. Ginny Springs, Blue Springs, and Poe Springs are amazing. Both Ginny and Blue Springs have camping. They all empty into the Santa Fe River. West of High Springs are the Santa Fe, Ichetucknee, and Suwanee River (yes, as is the old song, "Old folks at home"- Way Down Upon the Suwanee River). Swimming, kayaking, tubing, fishing, and boating are popular activities there. The Suwanee and Santa Fe are both blackwater rivers:



**What's Gainesville, Florida like? What's living there like? What is there to do around for young adults who aren't in college?**

I lived in Gainesville for quite awhile and there is plenty to do if you don't go to UF. As a major university there are plenty cultural activities that go on at the Phillips Center or the Harn Museum. There are nature spots beyond compare at Paynes Prairie, a natural habitat. There are ypur chain restaurants but then there are some excellent non-chain ones like Mark's Steakhouse or Dragonfly. Finally even if you don't go to UF you still should hit up the sports activities at least once. I went to a basketball game and had the BEST time! So that's just a small sample of things to do in G'ville.

**What are the people like in Gainesville, FL?**

We’ve been here since 1992, and raised our three kids here. What impressed us most when we first moved here was how, despite being a small college town, it managed to have a little bit of everything… restaurants, shops, cultural stuff, two good hospitals, and, a rarity in Florida, lots of deciduous trees and even some hills. Throw in UF and all the sports venues and sense of community support for the teams, and it’s a unique mix.

People here seem to realize how special it is to live here and are overwhelmingly kind and generous.

**What are the pros and cons of living in Gainesville, FL?**
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pros: Diverse culture.

con:A flooding of frats and sororities in bars.

pros:theres always events downtown.

con:parking is a bitch.

pros:Interesting history. Not a huge city compared to new york or jacksonville in terms of urban areas.

con:Urbanization.

pros:Nice folks.

con:you're in Florida. *cough*floridaman*cough*

pros:Nice local restaurants and cafes

con:Did i mention parking is a bitch? Even worse so in UF when you have something you need to do in the morning and gonna be there all day and there is no all day parking.

pros:beautiful areas to explore. Depot park for example.

cons:Roads can sometimes be worked on. ESPECIALLY ARCHER ROAD.

pros:You don't exactly have to drive to get anywhere in Gainesville. You can bike or walk.

cons:that is if you're a student.

pros:but biking is nice

cons:but Gainesville is a hilly place. Rip body.

pros:You'll be ripped if you keep a consistent biking route.

cons:Again, florida. HUMID AND HOT AS FUCK

pros:You get to experience all seasons in one day.

cons:You get to experience all seasons in one day.

pros:Nice police folks! Very friendly.

cons:But almost 70-80% of the time do they ever catch the bad guys with ak-47(reference to the bojangles robbery as an example)

pros:WE GETTIN A WAWA BIIIIITCH

cons:we don't have a wawa yet at this time.



Gainesville, Florida