[dexxxza]

Hi, my husband and I are thinking about relocating to Gainesville and I am nervous about the heat and humidity, the job prospects, the sense of community, things to do and the cost of living. Can anyone please tell me some good things about the town on any level? Thanks in advance, I appreciate your help.

[crazynip]

Gainesville is a college town, so:

1. there is very little sense of community
2. there are few jobs, all are low paying
3. the town revolves around the university, everything is geared towards the students for the most part
4. cost of living is higher than average because they the transient population (students) higher. Gas tax and other taxes make cost of living artificially high
5. town is very segregated. Which may or may not be a plus for you. Eastside is very black and very poor.
6. things to do? very little for the adult population

That said, there are some very nice areas, parts of the town anyway. Stay away from everything East of 13th street and pretty much anything south of university ave/newberry rd

As far as the heat, it's ****ing hot in the summer in the whole state. Is it too much for you? Visit and find out for yourself.

[gypsychic]

Agree with crazynip's post above. Also, Gainesville is in Alachua County, which has some of the highest property taxes in the state. Why are you relocating to Gainesville, do you have jobs there?

[Mr.Kurtz]

Gainesville can be a strange pleace. Good and bad. Thousands of college kids, liberals and extreme conservatives. One of the highest suicide rates per person in the world. I know five friends that killed themselves in Gainesville. Aged 23 to 48. The city has a vibe or unwritten code that if don't succeed, you're nothing. People get ' stuck ' and it's hard to move on. Far form anywhere. One must drive two hours for decent adult style entertainment. A lot of people want out but they get stuck and can't move because of debt or family obligations. However, if you're a 9-5 person and you like working at Tire Kingdom the rest of your life. You have a 3.5 kids and attend a church three times per week then it might be for you.

I heard or read once that Ocala / Gainesville / Lake City, the most humid area in the world.

[Crane's Rooster]

Heat and humidity is horrendous anywhere in FL during the summer but Gainesville is actually very nice in the fall and winter. Gainesville is just far enough north to experience a noticeable change in seasons. Beginning about late September-April it turns into sweater/jacket weather where more southern parts of the state have a very short break from the heat. So the weather there is definitely a positive.

[Mr.Kurtz]

Like Crane Rooster said. Exactly.

[Hieronymus Bosch]

Winters can have some very cold snaps. The dead of summer is hideously oppressive, much worse even than places further south on the coast. Most of the housing stock is not equipped for either.
Economically, it's very weird- awesome place for somebody with a fat pension or a pile of cash or a sweet university job, terrible for pretty much everybody else.

Incidentally, I am one of the thousands of people who live east of 13th street. I live in the southeast, and I am, last I checked, well-educated, very poor, and undeniably white. The east side is mostly black and mostly blue collar, but not exclusively so on either count. Rather than categorically insult a side of town I don't particularly care for, I'll just say that I'd be very unhappy if I lived west of 13th.

[Hieronymus Bosch]

Oh yeah, something good: if you like nature and wildlife, it can be downright awe-inspiring at times. It is surrounded by and shot through with some fascinating natural areas.

[crazynip]

Originally Posted by Hieronymus Bosch

Incidentally, I am one of the thousands of people who live east of 13th street. I live in the southeast, and I am, last I checked, well-educated, very poor, and undeniably white. The east side is mostly black and mostly blue collar, but not exclusively so on either count. Rather than categorically insult a side of town I don't particularly care for, I'll just say that I'd be very unhappy if I lived west of 13th.

Obviously a generalisation. It's too much work to go through specific pockets.

Incidentally I used to live off of NW 9th street in one of the more ghetto pockets in what was technically NW Gainesville (according to the grid). It was that area North of University inbetween 13th street and Main street that was mostly ghetto / hood people. My house was a OLD duplex, no air, gas radiator heat. HOT in the summer, cold in the winter, full of roaches, but dirt cheap rent. More than once I was robbed, once at knifepoint. This was in the 90's, and i know it's not better now.

[Mr.Kurtz]

Gainesville Sucks. Period.