Gainesville questions, esp. apts. (Tampa, University: luxury, for sale, apartments)

[creativename]

I will likely be moving soon, as I have a desire to try something new and have family in Fla. and have liked it when visiting over the years.

I've read tons of posts that have been very helpful on Gainesville and Fla. in general. Thank you for sharing all of the info.!

Can anyone comment on specific apt. complexes or areas in Gainesville? It seems that a lot of them are SW of UF...is that a good area? Preferable to just north of campus? ...or NW, where there are less complexes?

How far is too far if you need to be on campus? How close is to close? (I don't need a lot of noise from drunken people wandering back from the bars.)

Is it a bad idea to live near Butler Plaza? (Noise, vagrants??) I'm currently looking into Windmeadows and Windsor Park.

Thank you very much for any specific or general comments.

[creativename]

I think this topic is probably too specific, but any general thoughts on apts. in Gainesville?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

[sunrico90]

For those in Gainesville or familiar with the locale, please provide an update.

Thank you.

[creativename]

Thank you, sunrico.

[TXann]

I had graduated from Univ of Florida some years back. Windmeadows is great place. I stayed in a place on that Road callled Spanish Trace Apts. They were nice not luxury but safe nice lots of students. AVOID SE GAINEVILLE its a drug high crime area, right across from campus you got the student ghettos in back of Burger King not too bad if dont live alone but not too far down street crack houses. Pretty much all around the campus on 2 sides is kinda rough neigborhoods at night due to students rented houses in close proximity to poor low income welfare type people who dont work or attend college. I have lived in Ganesville 6 years and the SW is best dont know much about NW area by mall isnt bad You can easily bike from that area to class.

[creativename]

Thank you V1-P and TXann for your very helpful posts!

When referring to SE, SW, etc. are people considering UF the center...or is the city to the east of campus the center? (I was referencing UF as the location from which things are east or west.)

Does anyone know anything else specifically about Windsor Park, by any chance?

Merry Christmas, everyone!

[ucfjtm]

Alright, I lived in Gainesville from '97-'02 while I was in college, so here's my take. Keep in mind that I have no idea what rent runs there today, so you'll have to look into that. I lived in 5 different complexes in 6 years, including two stints at Oxford Manor on Archer Road.

Gainesville is laid out very easily. It's basically a grid, with downtown at the center (Main St & University Ave). When people refer to northeast and southeast, they usually are referring in relation to the University & Main intersection downtown. Most of the clubs and bars are along University Ave from Campus at NW 16th St all the way downtown. For the most part, you won't have to worry about drunks wandering by your apartment and vagrants in town except for this area. Expect panhandlers to approach you as you're pulling $20's from the ATM here. Butler plaza is a frequent shopping trip, but I never had a problem with vagrants there, except for the occasional guy scrubbing my windshield with newspaper and windex as I came out of the movie theater.. then offering his service for money as he's partway finished smearing newsprint everywhere. Honestly, you'll just have to get used to panhandlers in Gainesville. When I was in school there, an article in the paper had interviews with some of the homeless, who claimed to make $8-15 / hr asking for change from students. They stated that's their motivation to not bother with getting a job, even going so far as to calling the students 'suckers' in the interviews.

Back to living -
Decent apartments can be found along SW Archer Rd - Oxford Manor was one of the quieter and nicer places that was still close to campus, which is why I moved back there for my last year in town. Check out complexes off SW 34th St south of Archer Rd. Stonehenge (or Stonebrook?) was a nice and new place when I was there. SW 20th Ave all the way through SW 62nd Blvd also had a string of nice places starting just west of the intersection with SW 34th St. Generally, stick with apartments west and southwest of campus. Visit the complexes to try to get a feel for the sort of people living there. For the most part, it'll be mostly students. The UF bus system was fantastic, and they have routes to cover all these apartments every 10-15 minutes or so.
There aren't as many apartments in the northwest part of town - it's mostly a decent suburban area, but there are a lot of houses to rent.

[mquintana]

I lived in Gainesvile for a few years and I knew that place like the back of my hand so I can help you there. I also leased apartments there as well.

Originally Posted by creativename

I will likely be moving soon, as I have a desire to try something new and have family in Fla. and have liked it when visiting over the years.

I've read tons of posts that have been very helpful on Gainesville and Fla. in general. Thank you for sharing all of the info.!

Can anyone comment on specific apt. complexes or areas in Gainesville? It seems that a lot of them are SW of UF...is that a good area? Preferable to just north of campus? ...or NW, where there are less complexes? The only down fall is most residents are students, so don't forget you will be dealing with a lot of students...Gainesville is a college town-everything revolves around UF, and if UF wasn't there, Gainesville would be a hole in the wall....
***Try these***
*Spyglass
*Hidden Lake
*Brookwood Terrace
*Georgetown
*Whisperwood
*Sante Fe Trace

--These are all in the NW part of town, just make sure you steer clear of the SE part of town, it's not a good area.

How far is too far if you need to be on campus? How close is to close? (I don't need a lot of noise from drunken people wandering back from the bars.)
You can make it anywhere in Gainesville in 15 mins. I would suggest around the mall on Newberry or closer to Sante Fe CC, it's a different world out there away from the greeks, lol.

Is it a bad idea to live near Butler Plaza? (Noise, vagrants??) I'm currently looking into Windmeadows and Windsor Park. Truth be told, being off of Archer Rd. you are going to get most of the UF students who mostly are more roudy and noisy. Watch out for how they drive, I was scred out of my mind when I was living there and pregnant thinking the kids would kill me! I used to live off of SW 16th and I moved out off of Newberry Rd a year and a half later...

Thank you very much for any specific or general comments.

I personally don't like Gainesville, it is a hard place to get out of, unless you are students and you parents are paying. Jobs suck there, most of the college kids have them because the owners know they can under pay them and get away with it.

[mquintana]

Originally Posted by ucfjtm

Alright, I lived in Gainesville from '97-'02 while I was in college, so here's my take. Keep in mind that I have no idea what rent runs there today, so you'll have to look into that. I lived in 5 different complexes in 6 years, including two stints at Oxford Manor on Archer Road.

Gainesville is laid out very easily. It's basically a grid, with downtown at the center (Main St & University Ave). When people refer to northeast and southeast, they usually are referring in relation to the University & Main intersection downtown. Most of the clubs and bars are along University Ave from Campus at NW 16th St all the way downtown. For the most part, you won't have to worry about drunks wandering by your apartment and vagrants in town except for this area. Expect panhandlers to approach you as you're pulling $20's from the ATM here. Butler plaza is a frequent shopping trip, but I never had a problem with vagrants there, except for the occasional guy scrubbing my windshield with newspaper and windex as I came out of the movie theater.. then offering his service for money as he's partway finished smearing newsprint everywhere. Honestly, you'll just have to get used to panhandlers in Gainesville. When I was in school there, an article in the paper had interviews with some of the homeless, who claimed to make $8-15 / hr asking for change from students. They stated that's their motivation to not bother with getting a job, even going so far as to calling the students 'suckers' in the interviews.

Back to living -
Decent apartments can be found along SW Archer Rd - Oxford Manor was one of the quieter and nicer places that was still close to campus, which is why I moved back there for my last year in town. Check out complexes off SW 34th St south of Archer Rd. Stonehenge (or Stonebrook?) was a nice and new place when I was there. SW 20th Ave all the way through SW 62nd Blvd also had a string of nice places starting just west of the intersection with SW 34th St. Generally, stick with apartments west and southwest of campus. Visit the complexes to try to get a feel for the sort of people living there. For the most part, it'll be mostly students. The UF bus system was fantastic, and they have routes to cover all these apartments every 10-15 minutes or so.
There aren't as many apartments in the northwest part of town - it's mostly a decent suburban area, but there are a lot of houses to rent.

I lived there from '01-'04---Gainesville will never change, but you are right, pretty simple layout...

13th St./US 441, Archer Rd, Newberry Rd., SW 16th, Main St., NW 39th and so forth are the most common streets---most traveled and the typical main rds. Cost of living is low and pay is lower....

[mquintana]

Let's see....the name didn't ring a bell till I googled it, it is formerly known as cambridge-Looks like they went condo (apartments going condo--AKA--condo conversion craze was a thing here in Fl) so looks as though they are for sale, but they could possibly be renting-if they flopped as they did here in Tampa, they are renting....but it looks as though they are just selling....