[jds]

I have been strongly looking into Gainesville for a while now. Im curious what are the pros and the cons of the city! What are some of the things to do in leisure time, crime, weather as far as year around, housing costs, renting, hoi, car insurance...... . etc

[Gatornation]

My wife and I just got jobs at UF and are moving back there from NC. Our main appeal to Gainesville is we both went to UF and our families live two hours away. We've always planned to live in a college town so we enjoy all the cultural advantages that brings.

That being said if we didn't have ties to UF we probably wouldn't be moving there.

[jds]

so gainesville not a good place to be.... or what are you getting at...

[Gatornation]

Originally Posted by jds

so gainesville not a good place to be.... or what are you getting at...

What I'm saying is a lot of the activities are centered around UF. If you are not willing to embrace UF then you might be limited in things to do.

[mquintana]

I HATE Gainesville! I lived there for almost 3 years and it's a straight up college town. The kids party all the time, they are rowdy-they can't drive for anything. There are no jobs because they take them, and when there is a job you don't get paid as much and you get treated like crap because they can with the college kids. I would never suggest anyone to go and live there unless they were college students. It's unfortunate, but the truth.

[Gatornation]

Originally Posted by mquintana

I HATE Gainesville! I lived there for almost 3 years and it's a straight up college town. The kids party all the time, they are rowdy-they can't drive for anything. There are no jobs because they take them, and when there is a job you don't get paid as much and you get treated like crap because they can with the college kids. I would never suggest anyone to go and live there unless they were college students. It's unfortunate, but the truth.

There are plenty at UF and in the medical field.

[NSX1990]

I've lived here for four years doing the college thing, and here's what I have to say:

PROS
+ Great sports culture, both participant and spectator
+ Cheap rent; I'd be hard pressed to name a place for over $800/month (at least around the school, not sure about Gainesville west of I-75)
+ Lots of opportunities for outdoor activities, from canoeing on Lake Wauburg to archery ranges and hiking in the woods
+ UF attracts lots of big names in music and comedy, which the public can also pay to attend

CONS
- Traffic on Archer and University (two biggest roads) are insane during the work week, and college drivers are bad
- 90% of nightlife revolves around people 18-24, so if you're not in that age group or grew tired of the college scene (like me), good luck
- The only mall in town is small and sucks (who shops at Belks for God's sake)
- Gainesville Police are a little too vigilant with their drunk traps and ticketing, but who can blame them with all the college students
- If you have nothing to do with the school, you might feel left out- so much of Gainesville revolves around UF and Gator sports/politics/events
- There is nothing around Gainesville to see for miles and miles but tiny backwater towns and woods

[lagoon7]

Originally Posted by jds

I have been strongly looking into Gainesville for a while now. Im curious what are the pros and the cons of the city! What are some of the things to do in leisure time, crime, weather as far as year around, housing costs, renting, hoi, car insurance...... . etc

Pros:
-College atmosphere, if you're into that
-Variety of things to do (Not that Gainesville is the end all, be all, but there are a lot of people doing a lot of different things here.)
-The women are gorgeous, and everywhere.
Cons:
-Rental costs are fairly expensive, as this is a college town
-The weather is generally hot and humid. "Winter" lasts from December through February, then it's right back to Summer.
-Congestion. Lots of traffic. Gainesville is not big, but has massive amounts of people for it's physical size.

-Watching the forests around town continue to fall as they build more and more apartments.

[Strel]

Originally Posted by jds

I have been strongly looking into Gainesville for a while now. Im curious what are the pros and the cons of the city! What are some of the things to do in leisure time, crime, weather as far as year around, housing costs, renting, hoi, car insurance...... . etc

It is a small college town, whatever that means to you. As college towns go, it's a good one.

If you are a college student or plan to work for UF, you like like Gainesville. Otherwise you will be bored and annoyed.

[sominfun]

I'm a Florida native who has lived in Tallahassee, Jacksonville, rural Florida (we're talking 2 stoplights), Albany, NY and Providence, RI. I am almost 30, married and have a 1 year old. We've lived in Gainesville for a year and love it. I'm not sure where you live now, but here are my thoughts.

Pros:
+ It's a small college town with a very large university, which means that there are lots of college events - sports, arts, lectures, and lots of students. Some college events like lectures are free! And there is a pleasant sort of buzz about town during important football games.
+ There are a number of families - most of whom do work for the university or in the health care industry. We've found it easier to make friends here than we have elsewhere.
+ There are a fair amount of mom and pop type businesses.
+ If you love warm weather and outdoor activities, Gainesville has lakes, biking, and hiking. Maybe because of the students, much of Gainesville is bike-able.
+ Once you learn back roads and alternative routes, driving isn't a challenge and nothing is farther than fifteen or twenty minutes away. Also once you learn the general street numbering/naming convention, you can find most addresses without a GPS or the internet.
+ There are a variety of different playgrounds and school options (private and charter) for children.
+ A pro of living in FL vs other states - no state taxes!

Cons:
- It is a small college town with a large university. There are lots of students. Traffic on gamedays can be hairy. The SW section of town until 75 is crowded.
- If you aren't open to a town that's heavily influenced by a college, then don't live here.
- It's much more convenient to own a car.
- High property taxes relative to other counties in FL.
- Public schools are fair - some better, some worse.
- Job opportunities outside of the university and healthcare system are limited.
- Like many parts of the rural south overt and covert prejudices based on class and race are a social problem.

There are a lot of college related crimes (typical for any college community) like petty theft, but if you are careful with your things it's not a problem. Our car insurance and renter's insurance is cheaper than in RI or NY. Housing prices and rentals are reasonable but vary greatly from different parts of town. Weather is mostly warm to really hot year round. Windows are open and ceiling fan is on now. Compared to Jacksonville I think there's more variety of things to do in our leisure time here in Gainesville, and we can always drive to Jax (about 1.5 hours away) to take advantage of "big city" shopping, the zoo, cheap airport, etc. Orlando is about 2 or 2.5 hours away. Daytona Beach is 1 hour away (or so I'm told). The gulf is about 1 hour away (or so I'm told). With lakes, springs, nature trails, adequate shopping, college activities (including plays, lectures, museums, and a variety of sporting events), and lots of different parks and playgrounds I think Gainesville has a lot to offer if one can make a living here.

Good luck!