This is a comprehensive guide for those moving to Gainesville. Reading this guide 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 around UF, and provide many other helpful tips.

Maps

On-line maps for Gainesville and related areas.

• Gainesville, Florida - A Gainesville map you can zoom and pan to find the location.
• The University of Florida - A useful map you can zoom and pan for an accurate location on campus.

General Street System

Gainesville uses a standard grid system for its road and street lay-out, with exceptions in the older parts of town, and areas that geographically were not friendly to the idea. This makes it fairly easy to get around.

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

A simple way to remember this is just to think of APRIL being East & West. If the "road type" starts with a letter in the word "April", it runs East-West. 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 towards 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 is there can be two streets in a row with the same number, but a different "road type." 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. These occurrences should always be clustered. You will not encounter an 18th Street followed by a 19th Terrace and then an 18th Terrace.

Major Roads

These are the primary roads in Gainesville.

• University Avenue (runs East-West) - This road is the center mark for Gainesville's North/South division, and is a major artery running through the center of the whole city. After West University Avenue intersects with 34th Street, it becomes West Newberry Road (a change in name only). University Avenue is a road all college students will become very familiar with, since it leads to many central shopping centers, eateries and entertainment.
• Main Street (runs North-South) - Main Street is the other divider for Gainesville. It is the center division of the East and West segments of the city. The intersection of University Avenue and Main Street marks the center of Gainesville's addressing system, and is the oldest part of Gainesville. You will find some historical buildings in the Downtown section of Gainesville.
• 34th Street (runs North-South) - This "street" is rapidly turning into a major highway, at least through parts of Gainesville. It runs North-South, parallel to Main Street, about 40 blocks West of it. The Northwest segment of the road is a two-lane that runs through mostly residential areas. The Southwest portion has been expanded into a six-lane highway. A large number of major apartment complexes are situated on one side of 34th Street, the other side is bordered by the University of Florida campus.

Transportation

Currently, Gainesville offers one form of public transit: The bus system. The city has a contract with Regional Transport Systems (RTS). The campus bus system, also maintained by RTS, is free to UF students, staff and faculty. Each campus bus has front-mounted bike racks.

Contact Information:

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

Climate

As a peninsula, Florida receives breezes from both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Abundant sunshine, large bodies of water and 60 inches per year of rainfall contribute to Florida's hot-humid climate.

Current Weather Conditions

• Local weather report (updated hourly)
• Weather Radar Map

Rain

The rainy season runs from May 1st or earlier to as late as November. During these months north Florida receives just under 60 percent of its annual rainfall. The frequency and intensity of thunderstorms usually peaks in July or August.

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

Lightning

Florida is the Lightning Capitol of the U.S., having more lightning strikes per hour year-round than any other states in the US. In fact, the University of Florida hosts a Lightning Research Laboratory 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

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.

Hurricanes

Hurricane season is from June 1st to November 30th of each year. Hurricanes are storm systems that are created by the combining of warm, moist air with cool, dry air. The hurricanes that come near Florida typically start out near Africa, and make their way across the ocean, generally tracking across the Caribbean.

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. However, you should not take it lightly if a hurricane is said to be heading directly for this area. Take all the appropriate precautions, and don't hesitate to leave town.

Cold, Freezes, Frost, Snow, etc.

Despite the very hot summers with extreme humidity, it does get cold in Gainesville during the winter. During the months of January and February, expect it to get at least a little bit below freezing during the night. The day temperatures are better, with temperatures hovering anywhere from the 40's (Fahrenheit 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 (trench coat’s are excellent winter wear in Gainesville), and gloves.

With the freeze, comes frost. This will kill just about any houseplant. When freezing weather is predicted, bring all your houseplants inside. It is also important to protect your pets form freezing. And yes, it does snow in Gainesville on occasion. 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 snow tires or chains to put on the tires. All of this makes it extremely dangerous to venture out in such conditions.

Finding A Place

There are lots of places to live in Gainesville. The cost of apartments in the area about $500-$900 for a roomy, 2-bedroom apartment. There are rental agencies throughout the city if you need help finding an apartment or roommate.

UF Student Housing

For UF students, there is housing on campus. The advantages of living on campus are:

1. It is about as cheap as you can get.
2. Very useful if you don't have any transportation.
3. It is 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 you’re in married housing.
4. You must move out during the major semester breaks. No exceptions.
5. Continued, semester-to-semester housing is not guaranteed.

Contact Information

• UF Housing Phone: (352)392-2161
• FAX: (352)392-6819
• Address: P.O. Box 112100
• Zip Code: 32611-2100
• E-Mail: houinfo@housing.ufl.edu
• Homepage: http://www.housing.ufl.edu/housing/

Apartments

By far the most common place to live, apartment complexes are plentiful. Some 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 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 an application fee, 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 is approximately one month’s rent, 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 being within walking/biking distance to campus also 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 you’re lucky, or pick up a few issues while visiting Gainesville.

The Gainesville Sun
• Phone: (352)378-1416
• Address: P.O. Box 147147
• Zip Code: 32614-7147
• E-Mail: CustomerService@gainesvillesun.com
• Homepage: http://gainesvillesun.com/
  

The Independent Florida Alligator
• Phone: (352)376-4446
• Address: 1105 W. University Ave
• Zip Code: 32601
• Homepage: http://www.alligator.org/

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 meets your needs.

Apartment Hunters

Rent.com

Gainesville Apartment and Condominium Guide

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 be 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, water, etc.
2. You either must have roommates, or be very wealthy.
3. Landlords are almost always in another city (or state).

All of the above listed ways to look for an apartment apply to finding a house as well. If you are interested in buying a house in Gainesville, you should consult with your local realtor that has a branch in Gainesville.

Electricity/Water/Etc.

Your electricity, water, and sewage services will come from Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU), which is a municipal resource.

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 complexes offer such services.

GRU Contact Information

• Customer Service Phone: (352)334-3400 or 1-800-818-3436 (Florida only)
• Address: P.O. Box 147051
• Zip Code: 32614-7051
• E-Mail: Click Here
• Homepage: http://www.gru.com/

Cable

The only choice for Gainesville residents for TV cable service is COX Cable. If you're going to live on campus, you will have access to campus cable, which is included in your fees. Enjoy!

COX Contact Information

• Phone: 1-888-269-9693
• Address: 6020 N.W. 43rd St
• Zip Code: 32653

Internet Access

There are a number of local ISP's, and if you are a student you'll be able to get Internet access through the University of Florida.

Check the Gainesville ISP List for a complete, listing of ways to gain Internet access within Gainesville.