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University of Florida - Local Atmosphere - Local Atmosphere - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.85

Local Atmosphere

B+
Where does this grade come from?View all Local Atmosphere rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

Comparable Schools' Local Atmosphere Grades:

Quick Stats

Fun Local Trivia
  1. Gainesville has been named Florida's most livable city and is generally ranked among the nation's top places to live.
  2. Gainesville is where the band Sister Hazel got started. The members named their group after a nun who worked at St. Francis House, a homeless shelter in downtown Gainesville.
  3. Gatorade was invented in Gainesville in 1965, when a team of scientists was searching for a beverage that would help prevent dehydration. The researchers tested it out on the Gator football team, which suffered fewer heat-related problems than it had in the past (when you find out what it feels like at the bottom of the stadium in September, you'll understand why that was so impressive).
  4. Several movies have been filmed here, including "Parenthood" (1989) with Steve Martin, which was filmed partly on UF's campus, and "Doc Hollywood" (1991), starring Michael J. Fox.
Notable Natives
  • Less Than Jake – band
  • Tom Petty – rock musician
  • Joaquin Phoenix – actor
  • River Phoenix – actor
  • Sister Hazel – band
  • Maya Rudolph – comedienne from "Saturday Night Live"
Points of Interest
  • Devil’s Millhopper
  • Florida Museum of Natural History
  • Gainesville-Hawthorne State Rail-Trail
  • Ginnie and Ichetucknee Springs
  • Harn Museum of Art
  • Kanapaha Botanical Gardens
  • Lake Wauburg
  • Paynes Prairie State Preserve

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Gainesville has frequently been voted one of the best college towns in America. Headquarters of "the Gator Nation," Gainesville bleeds orange and blue from every street corner, from local pizza joints to college bars. Gainesville is the University of Florida, and the University of Florida is Gainesville. Take a stroll down University Avenue, a street that is frequently lined with thousands of students after a national championship win, to fully experience UF culture. Don’t ever attempt to return to Gainesville on a Saturday during a home football game—the exit ramps are backed up for miles. Gainesville is a small town with a big heart. Everyone has pride in the school, and you’ll notice that as soon as you step foot in the heart of the Gator Nation.

Of course, this town resembles neither New York City nor the backwoods of Alaska, so if you’re looking for the extremes in population, setting, or events that go with those kinds of places, Gainesville may not be the ideal location for you. However, if you’re willing to settle in just a bit, you can have the wondrous pleasure of hearing the Boston Pops Orchestra play your school fight song in the O’Connell Center on campus and go buffalo- and alligator-watching at Paynes Prairie the next day.

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Florida Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Local Atmosphere at University of Florida

Smoothnsly34

Mass Communication '12

4.2
A-

Top

It's nationally acclaimed and recognized as one of the best college towns in the country, for student living and for the general population. It's been named best city to live in, and in there's a lot nearby for college kids to enjoy to.

May 17, 2012

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Local Atmosphere at University of Florida

kmon913

Food Science '14

5.0
A+

Cultural Cuisine

Gainesville has many unique "hole in the wall" little restaurants that offer a taste of another culture. I've been here 6 years and still have plenty of restaurants left to explore!

Apr 30, 2012

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Local Atmosphere at University of Florida

chelsea517

Economics '16

5.0
A+

YAY

FLORIDA IS AWESOME. I LOVE IT SO MUCH. PARKING IS HORRIBLE.

Apr 26, 2012

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Page 1 of 31
User rating for University of Florida - Local Atmosphere is 4.6 out of 5 based on 91 user reviews.

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate the local atmosphere on the following topics

What is the local atmosphere like at your school?

What is the proximity to other universities? Is there much interaction?

Can you see yourself living here after graduation?

Facts

Shopping Centers
  • Butler Plaza
  • Oaks Mall
Major Sports Teams
  • Jacksonville Jaguars: NFL
  • Orlando Magic: NBA
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers: NFL
  • Tampa Bay Lightning: NHL
City Web Sites
Distances to Nearest Major Cities
  • Jacksonville, Fla.: : 1 hour, 30 minutes
  • Miami: : 5 hours
  • Orlando, Fla.: : 2 hours

Movie TheatersWhat's This?

Regal Gainesville 14
3101 SW 35th Blvd.
Gainesville
(352) 336-0408

Regal Royal Park 16
3702 W. University Ave.
Gainesville
(352) 373-4277

Become a Contributing Author Learn more »

Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Chris Kirschner
Hometown
Bronx, NY
Major
Journalism
Grad Year
2014

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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How do we get our information? Find out here or report an error here. The statistics on our site are from the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS database.
We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
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