Guide to Gainesville: how to get there and where to stay, what to see and where to go in the evening. The best things to do in Gainesville: fresh reviews and photos, places to see, branded entertainment and shopping.
According to toppharmacyschools, Gainesville is the largest city in North Central Florida. The state university is located here, and in 2007 the city was declared the #1 place to live in North America. That same year, it was named one of the “Best Places to Live and Play” in the United States by National Geographic Adventure. The university plays an important role in shaping the cultural life of the city. There are many institutions on its campus that attract not only students, but also citizens and guests of the city – this is a theater, a botanical garden, a museum, exhibition grounds and sports arenas.
Devil’s Millhopper State Geological Park is one of the region’s most famous curiosities. It is located in the northwestern part of the city and is a bottle-shaped cavern about 35 m deep, in which a miniature rainforest grows.
How to get to Gainesville
The nearest international airports to the city are in Orlando and Jacksonville. In addition, the city has a regional airport. By car, you can get to the city by Interstate number 75. In addition, regular buses run to Gainesville from Jacksonville, Ocala and Tallahassee.
A bit of history
According to archaeological data, these places were inhabited by Paleo-Indians 12 thousand years ago. Then the Timucua Indians lived here, later the Spanish colonizers appeared. The founding date of the American city is considered to be 1853, although Gainesville officially became a city only in 1869. Despite the subsequent development of industry and the opening of the university, Gainesville was and still remains a predominantly agricultural city, supplying fruits to almost the entire state.
Popular hotels in Gainesville
Gainesville Events
The city is known as a cultural center for visual arts. Every year, the Spring Arts Festival is held here (usually in early April) under the patronage of Santa Fe College. It is the first of the city’s three largest annual events and the festival is renowned for its first-class exhibitions.
The nationally renowned Downtown Festival and art show takes place in the fall with the support of the city authorities. Honored artists perform at this event, and usually more than 100,000 people gather to watch it.
One of America’s premier alternative music festivals takes place in Gainesville. Its program is predominantly punk, with hundreds of punk bands performing over three days at eight or more venues.
Not so large and not so significant, but, without a doubt, a very pleasant annual event is a fair of old books in the second half of April. Here, true bibliophiles can spend dozens of hours (the fair lasts 10 days) delving into an unimaginably huge number of books given away for free, each of which is sold at a price of about 1 USD. Books for the fair are donated by the Alachua County Public Libraries.
In addition, the city hosts the four-day Gainesville Improv Festival, which brings together young talent in the field of sketch improvisation, and the Hoggetown Medieval Fair, which has been running for over 20 years.
Neighborhood Gainesville
The small town of Micanopy is the second oldest European settlement in Florida, and if you count only the mainland, then the oldest. In this place, less than 20 km from Gainesville, time stopped centuries ago. Old buildings and ancient magnolia oaks, plenty of antique shops and pretty little restaurants, heartfelt southern hospitality… It’s easy to spend an entire day in Micanopy doing nothing but romantic strolls. Those who need something more exciting are advised to visit the historical museum of the city: it is also very small, but here it is easy to imagine what the town was like at its very beginning.
Ichetuckney Springs State Park is famous for its hot springs. Here, the water maintains the same temperature all year round, and in the reservoirs in the park you can go kayaking and even diving. In addition, Ginny Springs, in High Springs, has over 100 camping sites with electricity and water, and 300 more primitive, “natural” sites. The park is located about 60 km northwest of the city, and people like to come here for a few days to take a break from the metropolis and admire the stars.
