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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Can't Wait to Move Back! - 2/3/2010
I moved to Gainesville with a friend right after graduation, and fell in love with the area. The people are incredibly friendly--which was a little unnerving after living in cold-shouldered north. The cost of living is low, with good apartments readily available, and the town is visually beautiful. With the university in town and all the forest preserves and historical sites around it, there's lots of sight-seeing venues. There are also many cultural events available in the town and through the university. The shopping is good, for both specialty items and plain old groceries. I've lived all over the country, and Gainesville had the best deals on food (particularly meat) I've ever seen. I really miss going to the grocery store, buying crab legs for $2lb, and having them steamed for me while I shop. Which reminds me, if you're passing through Gainesville, stop at David's Barbecue. They make the best BBQ I've ever eaten. I still special order bottles of their sauce.
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Small MEAN Town - 8/10/2009
GAINESVILLE IS HOOORIBLE!! I was born in Tallahassee, Florida , The state capital. And I Moved to Gainesville at 16 and I lived there for 2 years , im 19 now , we moved back to Tallahassee and I am now attneding Florida State University, Now , when I lived there , there was NO Growth , no night life , the mall closed at 7:30 on weekends , everyone was MEAN , schools were rated Horrible, and when I moved back to Tallahassee , I was Amazed about the new High Rise buildings that ere constructe din such little time , so thats why we moved back , want to move to Gainesville? THINK
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Education - 7/29/2009
University town gives community high standards for education. Good private and high
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Gainesville Florida - young and old mixed in woods - 7/20/2009
Gainesville has a young student population, lots of fresh young faces. Gainesville also has an older population that resides here. The town is surrounded by woods, lakes and rivers.
Sunshine state is the mama, Gainesville is the
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College Town - 6/10/2009
This is a major college town so you can guess what comes along with that. Lots of young people, lots of parties,
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Qaulity of life - 10/4/2008
I moved to Gainesville Florida from Philadelphia Pa. I have a degree in sociology, and currently working with the university. I have found gatorville to be your typical racist southern college town. If you are of european descent this is like heaven, otherwise stay far north of Alachua county. I am English with many ethnic students and friends. I have seen first hand how minorities are treated in this
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Traffic in Gainesville, FL - 6/23/2008
Get anywhere in town in less than 30 minutes by car, even during rush hour (which is still only about an hour long). Only exception is on game days, when it might take 45 minutes crosstown if you're going by the University.
Bonus: Get anywhere in town by *bicycle* in less than 1 hour, regardless of traffic.
Add'l bonus: Though somewhat unreliable, city buses are free for students, faculty & staff of the University of
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I LOVE Gainesville and don't ever plan to leave. - 5/27/2008
After living in South Florida for 18 years, my daughter and I moved to Gainesville and we LOVE it here. Yes, the city revolves around the University but it doesn't have to overtake your life. If you are a Gator fan, you'll love it here. If not, they you can live in the NW or SW of town and never have to set foot on campus or cross paths with a single student. The terrain is beautiful with softly rolling hills and big leafy trees. The climate is relatively mild, although the summers can be hotter and more humid than many Northerners can stand. What the schools lack in resources is more than made up for with low student-teacher ratio. Housing is NOT expensive and the growth has been nicely controlled. This would be a nice area to retire - stable housing market, good health care, moderate climate, and nearly every weekend has some kind of folk, music, art or produce festival going on nearby. I don't know how big of a retiree community there is here, though. There are a few large
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Gainesville from a 30-year resident's perspective - 4/22/2008
Gainesville has pretty regularly been in a number of top 10 or top 100 type lists of US or US/Canada places to live over the past decade or so. In 1995 it was Money Magazine's #1 in USA, and Gainesville was recently selected the #1 city in north America by Cities Ranked and Rated, 2nd edition (2007).
You get Florida living with less hurricane danger, drive to either coast in about 90 minutes. Good health care and schools, including the University of Florida and Santa Fe Community College (which also has upper division degrees via acting as a satellite campus for St. Leo University). Although a town of just over 100 thousand, UF has a Center for the Performing Arts, there is a professional regional theatre (the Hippodrome), Florida's oldest community theatre (Gainesville Community Players) which just opened a new facility a couple years ago, a couple smaller theatres (including Acrosstown Repertory Theatre), a natural history museum and an art museum (on UF campus) and
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