Welcome To Gainesville

(A Guidebook For Newcomers)

Version: 0.91-C

This document is definately under construction. Feel free to report any glaring errors, typos, mis-information, etc. I will probably not respond to input simply to save time. You can email your feedback to riffer@afn.org

This document is intended to a comprehensive guide for those just moving to Gainesville. Reading this guidebook should help you find out what you need to do to find a place to live, get your vital services turned on, how to get to UF, etc.

You may either browse this entire document, or check the contents for particular topics.

Gainesville Layout

Where Gainesville is located, how to get here, and how to get around the city once your here.

Getting To Gainesville

Follow the smell... No wait, that's for Jacksonville, sorry.

Generally speaking, the easiest way to get to Gainesville (assuming you're in the continental US) is to get onto I-75, keeping South and East. Once you're in Florida it's pretty easy, as I-75 runs right smack into Gainesville (which probably did more for us than UF did, but we're not fickle!). There are a number of exits but you'll most likely want to get off on the one that puts you onto Newberry road, located near lots of restraunts, gas stations, and a Holiday Inn.

Please note that once you're off I-75, traffic will most likely get worse for a while, especially the first few weeks of Fall semester at UF. For your own safety, and others as well, drive the speed limit, signal all turns, keep your safety belt buckled, etc.

Maps

Some on-line maps for Gainesville and related areas.

General Street System

Gainesville uses a pretty standard grid system for it's road and street lay-out, with the exceptions generally being either the older parts of town, or areas that geographically were not friendly to the idea. This makes it fairly easy to get aroud, as you can generally take a number of different routes to get to a particular point.

There are very few streets with names. Instead, we use a numerical system with compass direction modifiers (I.E., N.W. 14th Avenue), which is fairly easy to navigate once you familiarize yourself with it. First, remember this:

East-West North-South
========= ===========
Avenue Street
Place Terrace
Road Circle
Lane Court

A simple way to memorize this is just to think of APRIL being East&West. If the road isn't one that starts with a letter in the word "April", it's going to run North-South (or it's going to be a private road and can do whatever it wants).
The center of our system is the intersection of University & Main. As you move from the center, street numbers increase. If you move towards the center (or torwards just University or Main), the street numbers will decrease. So, the road N.W. 14th Avenue is closer to the University & Main intersection than the road SW 34th Street, though they run in opposite directions.

One thing that can be confusing though: There can be two streets in a row with the same number, but a different designation. For example, N.W. 17th Street may not be followed by N.W. 18th Street, but by N.W. 17th Terrace. This can be a bit confusing to some people, especially folks from Tallahassee (who live in a city with no concept of the grid system). But these occurences should always be clustered, I.E. you will not encounter an 18th Street followd by a 19th Terrace and then an 18th Terrace.

Major Roads

These are the primary roads in Gainesville you should familiarize yourself with.

Transportation

While many people have their own motorized vehicles, some individuals rely on their own power (walking, biking, etc.) to get around. If you live near campus and are a student or staff member, that's fine.

But for everyone else, there's public transportation. Currently, Gainesville only offers one form of public transit: The bus system. The city has a contract with Regional Transport Systems (RTS for short). The bus system runs only in the day time (a few hours after sunset during the winter), buses are often late or overcrowded, and the price tends to be unreasonable ($1 minimum fare). But it can get you where you're going, in most cases. The campus bus system, also maintined by RTS, is a bit better as the prices are lower (25 cents minimum fare), and they even offer front-mounted bike racks for students with bikes.

Contact Information:

  • Phone (Administration): (352)334-2609
  • Phone (Route Info): (352)334-2600 / (352)334-2614
  • Phone (TDD): (352)334-2602
  • Address: 100 S.E. 10th Avenue
  • ZipCode: 32601
  • Homepage: Gainesville RTS bus routes

    • The Environment

    For many people, Gainesville is just another Florida town. But for a significant (and growing) percentage of UF students, this maybe your first time living in Florida (if not in the USA itself). So you might want to familiarize yourself with what the environment is like here. 

    Weather

    Florida is hot. And wet. For those coming to UF and Gainesville during the summer, you will quickly find just how hot. And while it's relatively dry most of the year, it will indeed rain like the dickens during the summer.

    Current Weather Conditions

    Rain

    Gainesville doesn't get as much rain as some parts of the US, but we have our share. Generally, North-Central Florida is not hit as hard during droughts, and thunderstorms are quite common during the summer.

    In fact, on July 7th of this year (1996), Gainesville broke the previous record for the most rainfall on that day (3.16" in 1924). A local creek flooded, causing serious damage for the homes of a small number of people. No more than five sinkholes opened up in Gainesville and the surrounding areas, including a 20 foot wide, 15 feet deep sinkhole underneath a local apartment complex. More on Sinkholes in a later part of the Environment section.

    It is a good idea to buy an umbrella or two. While you won't need them most of the year, during summer it will prove to be worthwhile. Umbrella's are also useful for shading yourself from the intense sunlight when it's not raining.

    Lightning

    Florida is the Lightning Capitol of the world, having more lightning stikes per hour year-round than any other state in the US, or in fact any other country in the world. In fact, the University of Florida hosts a Lightning Research Labratory at the Electrical Engineering College, where lightning strikes are monitored and the effects and qualities of lightning are studied.

    If you own computer equipment, you must get a good surge protector to protect the equipment. When you hear thunder and/or see flashes of Lightning, you should unplug all the computer equipment. This includes disconnecting phone lines from modems.

    Heat Lightning

    A phenomenon common to Florida and the Gainesville area, heat lightning is not real lightning. Rather than bolts of electrical energy leaping from clouds to the ground, heat lightning is the result of mixtures of certain gasses in the atmosphere which ignite. There is never any thunder from these occurences, nor any visible bolts. Just flashes of light, always in the horizon.

    Florida has a great deal of swamps, forests, and other areas where rotting vegetation and other wastes quickly produce mixtures of various semi-volatile gasses. These mixtures may go off in silent explosions of white light. They become more common during the summer when the excess heat and dampness encourage high levels of decay.

    Heath lightning is completely harmless.

    Hurricanes

    Hurricanes form every year starting in Spring. They are storm systems that are created by the combining of warm, moist with cool, dry air. The hurricanes that come near Florida generally start life out near Australia, and rip their way across the ocean, generally tracking across the Carribien.

    Fortunately, Gainesville is in North Central Florida. Hurricanes that hit land immediately start to lose strength, so very rarely do we get ones this far inland. Even when Hurricane Andrew pounded Miami (and nearly bankrupted AllState as well as several other major insurance companies), Gainesville experienced little more than heavy storms for a few days straight. The last hurricane to actually hit Gainesville was back in the mid 70's, and the damage caused by that storm was relatively minor (I.E. no homes obliterated). However, many of the major roads were flooded out for weeks to even months afterwards.

    Even so, you should not take it lightly if a Hurricane is said to be heading directly for this area. Take all the appropiate precautions, and don't feel afraid to leave town.

    Cold, Freezes, Frost, Snow, etc.

    Despite the very hot summers with extreme humidity, it does get very cold in Gainesville during the winter. By the months of January and Febuary, expect it to routinely get at least a little bit below freezing (if not dipping into the teens) during the night. Generally, the day tempatures are better, with tempatures hovering anywhere from the 40's (fairenheit scale) to the 50's. Sharp, bitter winds are not uncommon either. Good winter clothing should include long-sleeved thick shirts, sweaters, a good windbreaker (trenchcoat's are excellent winter wear in Gainesville), and of course gloves. Michigan folks will probably be content to stroll around in their shorts and T-shirts, commenting about what a nice brisk day it is while the Floridians shiver in misery.

    With the freezes come frost. This will kill just about any houseplant, so when freezing weather is predicted, bring all your houseplants inside. Same goes for any pets you may have. If you can't keep a pet inside for whatever reason, you have no business owning that pet.

    And yes, it does snow in Gainesville on occasion. In my 28 years here, I have personally seen it snow three times. Other reports of local snowfalls have supposedly occured, but there are only three I have witnessed.
    It is vital to remember that if it snows in Gainesville, DO NOT DRIVE YOUR CAR! The roads are not designed to deal with snow, and most people don't have snowtires or even chains to put on the tires. And of course, most people don't know how to drive on ice-slicked roads, which makes it extremely dangerous to venture out in such conditions.

    Wildlife

    Florida is host to a startling array of unique animal and plant species, perhaps the state with the most diverse wildlife in all of the US. Most of them are non-threatening, but there are a few dangerous animals you should be aware of. While deaths from these animals is extremely rare in Gainesville, the accidents that have happened have almost always been due to ignorance.

    Snakes

    There are several snakes you'll find in Florida, and yes sometimes even in parts of Gainesville, that are fatally poisonus. Note that you'll most likely never see any of these unless you're in the habit of tramping around in wooded areas.

    (Snake photos courtesy of the Florida Museum of Natural History.)

    Rattlesnakes:
    Three different kinds of poisonous rattlesnakes are native to Florida. If you encounter a snake and it makes a rattling noise, leave it alone! Move far away from the snake and if necessary, call Animal Control.
    Some snakes that rattle are not poisonous, but simply imitators. But you should always assume that a rattling snake is a danger, for your own good.
    Copperhead:
    Copperheads are not native to Alachua County, and are found exclusively in the pandhandle. They are found in swamps, rivers, etc.
    Coral snake:
    Coral snakes are easy to spot because of their coloring, which consists of red, black, and yellow rings around the body. Dangerously poisonus, the bite of a coral snake can be fatal in as little as 5 minutes. However, they can note bite very effectively except between toes and fingers.
    Cottonmouth:
    Like copperheads, cottonmouth snakes live primarily in and near water, such as streams, riverbeds, swamps, etc. Cottonmouth bites are very dangerous, second only to Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake bites. Cotton mouths do not hang from tree limbs and drop onto people, despite what you may here.

    You can also peruse a complete, detailed guide to venomous snakes in Florida for more details on how identify these snakes, where they are most commonly found, etc.

    Alligators

    Most of the alligators in Gainesville live in Lake Alice, though there are other lakes and ponds that occasionally harbor alligators. However, these reptiles generally do not leave the water for very long, and tend to stick to the edges of the lakes. A wandering alligator is very rare, and probably only does so because of desperate hunger.

    If you see an alligator, don't go near it. Don't feed it, don't try and touch it or hit it with anything. Just leave it alone, and if necessary get far away. Alligators can and will kill if they feel threatened, or have been harassed. And they can run quite fast when motivated. The safest place from an alligator is up a tree or in a securely locked vehicle.
    Alligators can and will eat pets, even large dogs. More than a few people have lost a favored cat or dog to an alligator. Proper care of a pet includes keeping it inside or in a secured yard.

    Here is a very informative homepage about Alligators at UF. Recommended reading.

    Insects

    There aren't any really dangerous insects in Gainesville, but you will discover a plentiful supply of mosquitoes, roaches, palmetto bugs, love bugs, and no end of spiders. I strongly advised to move into a complex that pays for pest control, and to thoroughly bug-bomb your place before moving in. Unless your an Entomology major.
    Note: Palmetto bugs look like very large cockroaches. They are commonly many inches in diameter and length. While they are not dangerous to humans, they can be quite intimidating.

    Oh, and that loud buzzing you hear in the summer evenings aren't frogs or birds, but cicidas. Harmless insects that like to buzz a lot.

    Spiders
    Two species of highly poisonus spiders live in Florida. The infamous Black Widow Spider, and the not-so-infamous but just as dangerous Brown Recluse.

    Black Widow bites can be fatal if treatment is not obtained quickly, but fortunately that is rarely a problem. Brown Recluse bites are rarely fatal, but can be extremely painful and cause severe, permanent scarring. Both spiders should be treated as very dangerous.

    Moving In

    How to find a place to live, getting your utilities turned on, etc.

    Finding A Place

    There are lots of places to live in Gainesville. The cost of living around here is pretty cheap ($400-$480 for largish, 2-bedroom apartments), so for those of you already renting an apartment somewhere else, chances are good you'll experience a significant price drop. of course, if your living at home... Well, no one said college life was going to be all fun.

    UF Student Housing

    For UF students, there is housing on campus. Advantages are:
    1. It's about as cheap as you can get.
    2. You get to live right on campus. Very useful if you don't have any transportation.
    3. It's very secure.
    Disadvantages are:
    1. It's difficult to get into UF Housing.
    2. You will have to deal with roommates.
    3. You don't get a lot of space, unless your in Married Housing.
    4. Lots of rules and regulations to follow.
    5. You must move out during the major semester breaks. No exceptions.
    6. Continued, semester-to-semester housing is not guaranteed.
    Contact Information
  • Phone: (352)392-2161
  • FAX: (352)392-6819
  • Address: P.O. Box 112100
  • ZipCode: 32611-2100
  • E-Mail: houinfo@neufhou.mail.ufl.edu
  • Homepage: http://www.ufsa.ufl.edu/Housing/Housing.html

    • Apartments

    By far the most common place to live, apartment complexes are plentiful in Hogtown, ranging from the extremely run-down and dingy to the ultra hi-tech and super-expensive. Most apartment complexes will pay for water, sewage, and trash removal. Those three items combined will average approximately $20 to $40 a month on your Utility bill if you have to pay for them all yourself.

    Most apartment complexes will want to run a credit check on you before even showing you a lease. It is not uncommon to be charged for this as well, though the charge is usually credited towards your rent if you pass. If not, the money is forfeit. Average security deposit for a 2 bedroom apartment runs around $200 to $250, depending on the complex. Those apartments that allow pets often charge a non-refundable pet deposit, or a monthly fee for the pet.

    Being near a major bus route can be helpful, but the bus system in Gainesville is sub-standard. Buses tend to be overcrowded in the mornings. Being within walking/biking/skating distance to campus is quite possibly more useful.

    There are several primary resources you can use to find an apartment suitable for your needs:

    Classified Ads
    Check all of the classified ads you can find in the local papers. You may be able to get copies of these papers in your area if your lucky, or pick up a few issues while visitng Gainesville.
  • The Gainesville Sun
  • Phone: (352)378-1411
  • SunDial: (352)335-3500
  • Address: P.O. Box 147147
  • ZipCode: 32614-7147
  • E-Mail: sun@afn.org
  • Homepage: http://news.jou.ufl.edu/
  • The Independent Florida Alligator
  • Phone: (352)376-4446
  • Address: 1105 W. University Ave
  • ZipCode: 32601
  • E-Mail: ifa@afn.org
  • Homepage: http://www.afn.org/~ifa/
    • Newsgroups
    Another resource is to check the appropiate local newsgroups:
  • uf.housing
  • afn.marketplace.household
    • Note: Not all news servers will have access to the above groups, though many do. Even so, you should still be able to search the groups using a Usenet Search service such as DejaNews or Alta-Vista. The articles you find will not be as up-to-date, however.
    Apartment Locating Services
    Finally, there are several different apartment locating services you can try. These are free services where you fill out a form and based on the information you give, the business tries to help you find an available apartment that fits your needs.
  • Apartment Hunters
  • Phone: (352)336-9349
  • Address: 1702 W. University Ave
  • ZipCode: 32603
  • Apartment Finders
  • Phone: (352)335-0872
  • Address: 1702 W. University Ave
  • ZipCode: 32603
  • G'ville Junction Apartment Finders
  • Phone: (352)338-8211 or 1-888-349-1605
  • Address: 1108 SW 2nd Ave
  • ZipCode: 32601
    • You may also want to check out these sites:
  • http://www.gainesville-rent.com/ - Gainesville Renter's Resource
  • http://www.col1.com/gville/apartment/index.html - Apartment Guide on Colony One On-Line (Gainesville)
  • http://www.rent-usa.com/ - Apartment Guide of Florida
  • http://www.txdirect.net/irent/ - InterRent, On-Line Apartment Magazine
  • http://www.rent.net/ - Rent-Net

    • Houses

    There are a lot of houses for rent in Gainesville, and if you can find enough roommates, it's not too hard to rent a three or four bedroom house not far from campus. The total rent is higher, but the individual cost can end up being lower.

    Advantages:

    1. Lots of space, big rooms.
    2. Backyards, gardens, etc.
    3. Usually no parking problems
    Disadvantages:
    1. You have to deal with all of the utilities, garbage, etc.
    2. You either must have roommates, or be very well off.
    3. Landlords are almost always in another city (or state).
    In terms of resources to find a house to rent, all of the above listed ways to look for an apartment apply to houses as well. If you are interested in buying a house in Gainesville, you should consult with your local realitor agent that has a branch in Gainesville. 

    Plugging In

    How to get your basic services turned on, connected, etc.

    Electricity/Water/Etc.

    Your electricity, water, and sewage services will come from Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU for short), which is a municipal resource. So while they can screw up sometimes, you generally don't get reamed in terms of prices.

    Contact GRU well in advance to have your utilities turned on. Try and get it done before the regular student rushes (beginning of Fall semester in August, and the beginning of Spring semester in January). Check with your complex to make sure they don't handle the power turn-on for you, as some of the newer and fancier complexes offer such services.

    Contact Information:

  • Phone: (352)334-3400 or 1-800-818-3436 (Florida only)
  • Address: P.O. Box 147051
  • ZipCode: 32614-7051
  • E-Mail: gru@afn.org
  • Homepage: http://www.afn.org/~gru/

    • Telephone

    Your telephone service will be BellSouth. Average cost for a standard, single residential cost will be about $20 a month. Getting hooked up will cost you at least an extra $100 though, for the deposit, line installation, etc. However, you can have those charges split-up across multiple bills.

    Contact Information:

  • Phone: (352)780-2355 or 1-800-753-2909 (Outside of Florida)
  • Address: 400 S.W. 2nd Ave
  • ZipCode: 32601

    • Cable

    The only choice for Gainesville residents for TV cable service is COX Cable. They are notoriously shoddy in their service and outrageous in price (you'll pay about $30 a month for basic cable, which includes maybe one permium channel (Disney) and a total of 40 channels, half of which are worthless). When tighter restrictions were placed on cable companies in terms of what they could charge, things improved a little bit, but thanks to the Telecommunications Act of '96, they can pretty much bugger everyone all they want. Note: If you're going to live on campus, you will have access to campus cable, which is much better, and free. Enjoy!

    Contact Information:

  • Phone: (352)377-2123
  • Address: 6020 N.W. 43rd St
  • ZipCode: 32653

    • Internet Access

    And of course, if your reading this, you're most likely interested in how to maintain your Internet access once you're in Gainesville. Well there's a number of local ISP's, and of course if you are a student you'll be able to get Internet access through the University of Florida.

    Check the Gainesville ISP List as maintained by Alachua Freenet for a complete, unbiased listing of ways to gain Internet access within Gainesville.

    Local Laws & Regs

    Of course Gainesville has the usual laws that you find in most parts of the US in regards to theft, murder, assault, rape, etc. But there are some laws that can cause you problems if you aren't aware of them, and that aren't found in many different cities and states.

    Last Modified: November 20th, 2000
    Jeff The Riffer aka Jeff Mercer / riffer@afn.org