Gainesville is not the Florida you see on Twitter! It’s is a big small town that is centered around the University of Florida and is certainly a college town, but with ~140,000 people, it has plenty to do, eat, and see. It has an under-the-radar food and craft beer scene, and a lot to do outdoors, both on land and in the water. Unlike a lot of other major cities, its an affordable place to live. Plus, if you need to get out of town and get to one of those major cities, Gainesville is an easy drive from Orlando, Jacksonville, and Tampa Bay. And the awesome Atlantic beaches in St. Augustine are less than an hour and a half away. If you’re considering joining us in Gainesville, here’s a sampling of why its a great place to live…
Just Minutes From…
Lots of Outdoor Activities
Gainesville is just minutes from natural springs where you can swim, float, and snorkel, nature preserves where you can gator watch, and miles of trails to hike and cycle. The great weather makes the city bike-able and walk-able year-round and there is a farmer’s market open somewhere in the city almost everyday. And every Friday night there is a free outdoor concert downtown at the Bo Diddley plaza.
A Growing Food and Craft Beer Scene
The food and craft beer scene in Gainesville is growing rapidly. The city now features five microbreweries within minutes of UF that are continuously upping their craft beer game. Also, you won’t be limited to cheap take-out in this college town. Gainesville has a bit of a low-key foodie culture, so you’ll find the city has some fantastic restaurants. Some of my personal favorites are the great Cuban, Cajun-Vietnamese fusion, French patisserie, soul food, and homemade ice cream places in town, and restaurants featuring locally sourced and delicious food.
A Massive College Sports Experience
UF will not disappoint sports fans. Gators football is the main draw, with massive rivalry games against teams like Tennessee, Georgia, LSU, and Florida State. But UF features a ton of other great college sports to take in, with the defending NCAA champion men’s baseball team, a top 25 men’s basketball team, and top 10 ranked teams in women’s lacrosse, tennis, and volleyball.
An Hour and a Half From…
The Space Coast
Ok, so Cape Canaveral and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center are more like two and a half hours from Gainesville, but the extra time is so worth it! You can watch rocket launches on the beach and then visit KSC, where you can see one of the only three Saturn V‘s left, the actual Apollo 14 crew capsule, and the Space Shuttle Atlantis!
The Atlantic and Gulf Coasts
You can be on the beach in St. Augustine on the beautiful Atlantic coast 90 minutes after walking out your door in Gainesville. Prefer the Gulf of Mexico? Check out Cedar Key instead, or drive a bit further down to Clearwater near Tampa for great beaches!
Two International Airports
In addition to the Gainesville Regional airport, the Jacksonville and Orlando International Airports are only an hour and a half to two hours away. You can easily get anywhere in the US and around the world for conferences and vacations with these three options.