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
Dumbest College Town In The Country - 3/26/2008
If you are not 100% a Gators fan, you will find no one to talk with since the natives know nothing else.
If you think you accelerate through green lights and brake for red lights,you will have a great number of accidents in Gainesville, FL. If you think gas prices are high elsewhere, you will discover that when the state, county and city can all add tax to fuel whenever the mood strikes them, you ain't seen nothin' yet! If you've been taught to use turn signals for turning or changing lanes, you will make yourself a target. The natives will tell you it's the youth and inexperience of the college students, but the problems exist even when the university is virtually empty.
If you expect service in the stores and restaurants, you will be sadly disappointed.
If you are not in the business of medicine or education, finding work here will take a very long time -- and the cost of living far exceeds the pay. If you're saving for retirement, you'll stop
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My Hometown - 2/3/2008
Gainesville, or Hogge Towne as we locals sometimes call it, is a lovely place. I was once told by a new resident that he had moved there based on his first trip to our city one spring – one look at the azalea’s and wisteria in bloom and he was hooked. We are a “Tree City.” When flying in and out of Gainesville it is very difficult to pick out familiar spots as Gainesville is covered in a canopy of green. We are an outdoorsy community with bike trails, freshwater springs, many outdoor festivals and several nature parks.
We are also a university town so we are sport city and a bit of a party city. Many who go to college here stay here. The job market is swamped with over educated folks that just can’t seem to tear themselves away. Thanks to The University of Florida we get an annual homecoming parade, many cultural events, occasional free outdoor concerts, world class speakers, and a diverse population.
So you ask what is the downside? If you are in search of
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Lisa: 2007 ratings - 8/20/2007
Interestingly, Gainesville was recently selected the #1 city in America by Cities Ranked and Rated. There must be something good about Gainesville. Why is it that only people "with an axe to grind" seem to post summaries
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Gainesville sounds great to those of us in Boston - 8/17/2007
I know a couple in Boston making 200k+/yr with no children and no expenses other than mortgage, car payment, prop taxes, cable, utilities, vacations, etc. They think some of the complaints about Gainesville are silly. A 2000 sq ft, 4 bd-room for $350k is a steal. In Boston and nearby area you would need $1,000,000+ to get that. Gainesville, if you can come close to the salaries we make in Boston, we will move there in a heartbeat. I will trade the cool summers here for the warm summers there in a heartbeat. Yee
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What was Money Magazine Thinking? - 6/26/2007
Money Magazine once rated Gainesville as one of the best places to live, I'm not sure what criteria they use but they got it wrong. Gainesville is a college town through and through so if you are a college town lover well this might be your place. For the rest of us though, it’s not all roses in Gator town. For a smallish place traffic is terrible, there is a large homeless population and you can't drive down a street in this town without seeing and hearing someone begging for money. If you rent things will be even worse, there is no place in town without a large college age crowd and late night parties and cars parked every which way are the norm. Rent is not crazy but is expensive if you have any standards. There is one major shopping area in town and it can be a cluster if you go at the wrong time. There are a couple great community theaters in town, but not much else unless you like to be swarmed by groups of Frat boys. It is also impossible to go out for a meal in this
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#1????? - 6/17/2007
If Gainesville is the best place to live in America then this country has gone downhill and is never coming back!!! If you are a minotiry, homeless, or a communist liberal then this is the place for you. You have to drive two hours to get to an airport. The housing is way too high. The city is run down. Homeless on every corner begging for money. The downtown plaza is covered with homeless who urinate and deficate all over the place. No decent restaurants. Everyone hates the police. I can go on for hours about how much this city stinks. Whatever you do don't move here. This is not Florida. trust
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UF & Shands - 5/25/2007
This area has the best medical care in the state and is among the best regions in the Southeast due to the fact that Gainesville is home to the University of Florida College of Medicine and to Shands UF, a tertiary care center and Level-One Trauma
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Number 1? Seriously? - 5/17/2007
I live in Gainesville. The nicest time of the year is the summer when most of the students leave and the traffic lets up a little! Very college student/bar hopping oriented! Other than that there is very little to do here. Bad shopping, hardly any arts or culture(everything is FOOTBALL!), the housing prices are very high. Great place if you're a student or if you work in the medical field; other than that no decent paying jobs. The information listed on this site is all outdated: Median housing price is $216,000 and you cannot get an apartment for less than $750.00 unless you want to live in a shack without air conditioning! The new thing is that they keep building all these ugly high rise apartment buildings downtown with $300,000 condos for the rich students...
I don't get the hype about Gainesville....Can't wait to
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health care in gainesville - 5/14/2007
The quality of health care in Gainesville - and especially at Shands Hospital - is outstanding. There are multiple research studies in progress, and as a teaching hospital it is without
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Florida weather - 5/9/2007
Coming from the North, I'm a bit ambivalent about Florida weather. The winters are a nice relief (although I sometimes miss the snow :( ) Spring is also quite warm and pleasant. However, it gets really hot and muggy in the
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