A Quickly-Growing City Filled with Rich Culture
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3/23/2017
The city of Gainesville, FL has significantly changed over the past several years. Once a town defined only by the University of Florida, its amazing natural landscapes, unique history, and quickly-expanding business scene have begun to put Gainesville on the national radar of extraordinary, one-of-a-kind cities.
Gainesville is the perfect place to live for someone in any stage of life. Although it is small and centralized, there’s always something to do! The city has a rich culture which often remains undiscovered to travelers solely visiting for the University of Florida.
There is a stigma that Gainesville is only a good place to live for college students, which couldn’t be any further from the truth! While hosting a major public university with top-ranked academic and athletic programs means that the Gators are a large part of the city’s lifestyle, it also means that it’s constantly growing. The city has completely revitalized itself since I moved here in 2012. There has been plenty of construction recently, but it is slowing making way for new businesses and town center-areas generally only developed in big cities.
The Gainesville retail and business industries are beginning to compete with larger Florida cities such as Tampa or Jacksonville, however Gainesville residents benefit from less traffic! Innovation Square, an incubator for startup businesses working on high-tech research, has made Gainesville one of the premier startup hubs in Florida.
There is never a dull moment in this beautiful city! Whether you’re watching a Gators athletic event, drifting down one of the many beautiful nearby springs, such as Ginnie or Ichetucknee, watching wild horses walk by in Paynes Prairie, or visiting the Harn Art Museum on campus, you will always find an exciting adventure.
One of my personal favorite aspects of Gainesville is the food scene. There are so many unique local restaurants, such as Satchel’s Pizza, The Top, Manuel’s and Reggae Shack, all which put an innovative and delicious spin on their food. There are also two breweries, Swamp Head and First Magnitude, which are great to visit on a night out.
Not only is Gainesville a great place to visit, but it’s a great place to live. I would truly recommend visitors check out the city!
Genevieve | Gainesville, FL