What BestPlaces Users Say about Gainesville
Background information:
Gainesville, Florida is a small city located in Alachua County. It is home to the University of Florida and is known for its strong community and vibrant culture. With a population of over 130,000 residents, Gainesville offers a mix of urban amenities and natural beauty, making it an attractive place to live for many people.
User reviews:
According to many user reviews on BestPlaces.net, Gainesville offers a unique and enjoyable living experience. One reviewer, Sarah89, praises the city for its friendly and diverse community, saying, "The people here are incredibly welcoming and there's always something going on for everyone, no matter your interests." Another user, Mark22, highlights the city's affordability, stating, "For a college town, the cost of living here is surprisingly reasonable. I've been able to find a great apartment at a fraction of the cost compared to other cities I've lived in."
However, not all reviews are positive. Noah83 notes that the city can feel crowded and congested at times, saying, "Traffic can be a nightmare during rush hour and it seems like there's always construction going on." Similarly, Alex44 expresses frustration with the lack of job opportunities, saying, "I moved here for the university but have struggled to find work outside of the university setting. This can be a major drawback for those looking to establish a career here."
Despite some drawbacks, many reviewers appreciate the unique charm of Gainesville. Rachel77 describes the city as "quaint and charming," with a strong sense of community. She adds, "I love the local businesses and restaurants, and there is always something fun and interesting happening in the city." Overall, it seems that Gainesville offers a diverse and lively living experience for its residents.
based on 60 ReviewsGet to know Gainesville with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Gainesville
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Gainesville is not such a great place to live. - 3/1/2015
I moved here thinking it would be a great and enlivening place to be with the University and all, but it really isn't. There are the "University People" and the rest of us, who are pretty much ignored. There is no place for anyone but students to live cheaply. GRU has the highest utility rates in the state. If you want to live somewhere with adults, you have to go to the NW side of town, which is full of snotty yuppies and crunchy granola mommies. I wanted to get involved in things here, but without a car, it's hard to get to the places where meetings are held, and people are not friendly enough to offer you a ride. The bus system isn't as great as they claim, and some parts of town have little bus service at all. I ended up not getting involved in anything I wanted to because of this reason. It is a very cliquish city, and very racist and very much against the homeless. I'm trying to save to move elsewhere, but with the high rents and utilities, it's very hard for a "working poor"
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Amazing Place - 5/28/2014
Amazing weather all year round. Awesome city. Clean buildings, clean roads, lots to do outside. This is not just a college town, but that is the core of it; something like half of all people are students. I lived here for three years and I want to get back to it. The quality of life in north Florida is great. rent is pretty low. The infrastructure is very decent. Houses are pretty. People are pretty too. As someone from NH, I do not take a clean wide pothole free road for granted, ever. And Gainesville has these by the dozens. There is also lots to do from canoeing to biking (trails or roads) to walking on the prairie among ancient oak trees. There are bars too if that is your thing. Every day is sunny, every summer day is also rainy, just to cool things back down. it's perfect. winter is just long enough to be a relief from the 10 months of temperate summer.
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Living in Gainesville - 12/2/2013
Gainesville is a college town. Everything revolves around the University of Florida. It is a place for young people. The home owners in this city pay an outrageous sum of money in property taxes and since the 2004 hurricane season also in H O insurance. Car insurance is no better. The huge number of students driving causes many problems on the roads. The police are bullies and are everywhere. They stop you for any reason they can make up. The only place you can earn a decent wage is at the university. People with money come here because of the university. We also have a high number of intellectual snobs.
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Overall Great Place to live. - 8/12/2013
Moved here in 1991 with my family of wife and 3 children. Selected an area to live with high performing schools for children to attend. Always a lot of entertaining things to do here which was much more affordable than in previous larger communities. Housing was and is very affordable even in the more desirable neighborhoods. It is easy to get around anywhere in town with the exception of traffic near the university during large sports events. For the size of town there is an abundance of different restaurants. Grocery store prices at the monopoly of "Publix" are moderate. Gas is higher than most of the state. Utility prices are outrageously high through GRU which is owned by the city. There are nice places to live that do not have GRU and those rates are reasonable - but you have to look for them. This is a very liberal town overall and county and city government behave that way. People are friendly and networking is easy as people are used to newcomers because UF and the excellent
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Overall Great Place to live. - 8/12/2013
Moved here in 1991 with my family of wife and 3 children. Selected an area to live with high performing schools for children to attend. Always a lot of entertaining things to do here which was much more affordable than in previous larger communities. Housing was and is very affordable even in the more desirable neighborhoods. It is easy to get around anywhere in town with the exception of traffic near the university during large sports events. For the size of town there is an abundance of different restaurants. Grocery store prices at the monopoly of "Publix" are moderate. Gas is higher than most of the state. Utility prices are outrageously high through GRU which is owned by the city. There are nice places to live that do not have GRU and those rates are reasonable - but you have to look for them. This is a very liberal town overall and county and city government behave that way. People are friendly and networking is easy as people are used to newcomers because UF and the excellent
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Overall Great Place to live. - 8/12/2013
Moved here in 1991 with my family of wife and 3 children. Selected an area to live with high performing schools for children to attend. Always a lot of entertaining things to do here which was much more affordable than in previous larger communities. Housing was and is very affordable even in the more desirable neighborhoods. It is easy to get around anywhere in town with the exception of traffic near the university during large sports events. For the size of town there is an abundance of different restaurants. Grocery store prices at the monopoly of "Publix" are moderate. Gas is higher than most of the state. Utility prices are outrageously high through GRU which is owned by the city. There are nice places to live that do not have GRU and those rates are reasonable - but you have to look for them. This is a very liberal town overall and county and city government behave that way. People are friendly and networking is easy as people are used to newcomers because UF and the excellent
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Over rated, expensive, and no jobs - 12/2/2012
Yes, so it's an earthy crunchy place, nice and there is a wards, and lots of college kids running around. Other than that if you aren't a slave to football there are better places to live. Also, Univ. of Florida is really the only place to work and they don't treat their employees very nice at all. It's just a good ole boys town, and if you aren't a GOB your time here is probably
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Gainesville - A Nice Small College Town - 9/11/2012
Gainesville, Florida is a college town - home of the University of Florida. Go Gators! It is a very green city -- one of America's designated Tree Cities. UF provides employment and entertainment for the city and entire county; although jobs may be somewhat limited for people without some college background. Overall, it is relatively safe, has good weather (I like the heat); hot in Summer, pleasant in Spring & Fall; and even gets cold for a little change of season for several weeks in winter. Overall, a good place for all
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Northwest Gainesville - 1/25/2011
NW Gainesville is a really peaceful and quiet community with very good elementary and middle schools. It is ideal for raising a family. Cost of living is reasonable but real estate prices are higher than Orlando or
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