Gainesville, FL

Located about 75 miles from both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, Gainesville is frequently ranked as one of the best places to live in the United States. Though widely known for its low cost of living, the city also has a weak local job market and high property taxes. More than 114,000 people call Gainesville home, along with more than 50,000 college students who attend the University of Florida and other area institutions.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

In the 1970s, many of Gainesville retail businesses moved to the large malls being built at the city's western edge. The older neighborhoods surrounding downtown, such as Duckpond, Southeast, and Pleasant Street areas, were preserved and restored as historical districts. Many of the Victorian and Queen Anne houses have been restored and are being used as bed and breakfasts.

Grove Street is an eclectic neighborhood in the downtown area with a bohemian reputation. Developed in the 1930s and 1940s, the area is made up of single-family homes in a variety of styles, including several fine examples of the deep-porched Florida Vernacular style. The community garden called the Dreamers' Garden is the emotional heart of the neighborhood.

Springhill is a pedestrian-oriented community within walking distance of downtown that includes portions of the Downtown Connector Rail Trail and the Depot Avenue Rail Trail.

The neighborhoods of College Park, Hibiscus Park, and Golf View were built in the 1920s and 1930s in the area around the university.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Gainesville originally grew as the center of a flourishing agricultural region, dependent on phosphate mining, cotton, and vegetable production. When the phosphate and cotton industries collapsed after World War I, the relatively new University of Florida helped the city survive. The university has been the primary employer in Gainesville since the 1930s.

The region around Gainesville is still largely agricultural, so many residents work for federal agricultural agencies, headquarters of the Florida Farm Bureau, and University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Services. Other major employers include Shands HealthCare System, a regional healthcare network that is a partnership between the University of Florida and the private sector; Regeneration Technologies, a biotechnology firm; and the regional office of Nationwide Insurance.

SHOPPING

• Thornebrook Village: An open shopping area of boutique shops, art galleries, and antique dealers, Thornebrook is known for its covered walkways and cozy alcoves, as well as for its annual art festival that showcases the work of local artisans.
• Oaks Mall: This mall is anchored by a few department stores and has many specialty stores. It features an interior food court as well as a number of restaurants in and around the mall.
• Butler Plaza: Located one mile from the University of Florida in southwest Gainesville, Butler Plaza is home to specialty, clothing, and discount stores, as well as two supermarkets and a movie theater. More than ten popular restaurants can also be found in the plaza.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

• Florida Museum of Natural History: Established in 1891, this museum houses a number of collections with more than 25 million specimens, objects and artifacts. The museum offers public exhibits that include a butterfly rainforest, a Florida fossil exhibit, a paleontology art exhibit, a Florida mangrove forest, a Native American gallery, and a giant estuary.
• Fred Bear Museum: With big game from around the world, the museum showcases the lions, buffalo, bears, and elephants that the expert bow hunter Fred Bear hunted during his lifetime. The museum also houses Native American tools, weapons, and other artifacts.
• Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art: The University of Florida's art museum has permanent collections featuring African, pre-Columbian, American, and Asian art, and it often hosts lectures, workshops, and performances.
• Kanapaha Botanical Gardens: A 62-acre botanical garden, Kanapaha has 14 major collections and annually hosts the Spring Garden Festival and the Winter Bamboo Sale. Run by the North Florida Botanical Society, Kanapaha also has one of the nation's largest herb gardens.
• Gainesville Raceway: Built in 1969, the Raceway is home to the National Hot Rod Association's four-day Gatornational, which attracts about 135,000 race fans to Gainesville every March. The Raceway also hosts amateur car, motorcycle, and Jr. Dragster drag races.

EDUCATION

• University of Florida: The third-largest university in the United States, the University of Florida is located in southwest Gainesville on a sprawling 2,000-acre campus. Founded in 1853, the university is a major research institution that contributes hundreds of thousands of dollars to the local economy every year. The university has an average enrollment of more than 51,000 students, offers more than 200 graduate degrees, and is home to the popular, championship-winning Florida Gators football and basketball teams.
• Santa Fe College: One of the largest state colleges in the nation, Santa Fe College has a student enrollment of more than 16,500 annually and offers associate's and bachelor's degrees in the arts and sciences, as well as technology and applied sciences. The college also has a number of popular athletic programs and sports teams.

LOCAL MEDIA

A variety of local, regional, and national media serves the Gainesville area, including 5 television and 13 radio stations. Local PBS and NPR stations are affiliated with the University of Florida.

Local publications include:

• The daily newspaper The Gainesville Sun
• Two weekly papers, The High Springs Herald and The Record
• The Independent Florida Alligator, the largest student-run newspaper in the country