Life in Gainesville

Gainesville is located in North Central Florida within Alachua County. The city is home to The University of Florida and Santa Fe College. In addition to the Shands teaching hospital, North Florida Regional Medical Center is located just a few miles from the University of Florida campus. Gainesville is just over an hour away from the beaches of Florida and sits just north of the Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park.The city is flooded with large numbers of non-residents each fall when fans of the Florida Gator football team come to town on Saturdays.

Where to Live / Where Not to Live
Closest to Shands: Closest to Hampton Oaks: Closest to Dauer Hall Graduate and Family Housing: This type of housing is for graduate students and their family to have the opportunity to live on or near campus at an affordable price. You have to be a registered graduate student to live in one of the following villages/ complexes. Each Graduate and Family Housing complex has their own rental rate and amenities. But most of the villages/complexes include basic cable and internet with laundry facilities on site. Pets are welcome at some of the villages/complexes.
 * Campus Edge Condominiums
 * Summit House
 * Country Gardens
 * Williamsburg Village
 * Hampton Oaks Apartments
 * Fairmont Oaks
 * Spyglass Apartments
 * Lakewood Villas Apartments
 * The Pavilion on 62nd
 * College Park Apartments
 * Looking Glass Apartments
 * The Graduate II Apartments
 * College Manor
 * Corry Village
 * Diamond Village
 * Maguire Village
 * Tanglewood Village
 * University Village South
 * The Continuum

To find out more about the University of Florida's Graduate and Family Housing, follow this link:

http://www.housing.ufl.edu/gfh/choices/

Groceries
Depending on where you live in Gainesville, there are multiple options for grocery shopping. The most prevalent grocery store is Publix, but Walmart and Trader Joe's are among the others.

Natural, Organic Produce Markets: Earth Fare, Lucky's Market,  Ward's Supermarket,  The Fresh Market

Multicultural Markets:  La Aurora Latin Market, India Bazaar, Oriental Food and Gift Market

Entertainment / Places to Go
Gainesville is known for having a great music scene and has produced many well-known musicians including Tom Petty and Sister Hazel. For those interested in a younger bar/club scene, there are a large number of bars off of University Avenue just across from the University of Florida Campus. Should you be more interested in sipping on a drink and taking in some live music, downtown Gainesville and Town of Tioga are great options. The Hippodrome and Gainesville Playhouse are local theaters that put on weekly shows for the community.

Along with attending University of Florida sporting events, the university has entertainment options for free and at a charge. The Harn Museum of Art, the Florida Museum of Natural History, and the Butterfly Rainforest are all worth the price of admission. The Bat House is free to all and allows spectators to watch as thousands of bats leave at dusk in search of food.

Recommended Restaurants
The Swamp Restaurant is a staple to Gainesville as well as the University of Florida student and alumni. Overlooking the campus, this locally owned restaurant is a great place to unwind and enjoy a relaxing atmosphere.

http://www.swamprestaurant.com/