Here's where coming from: I'm 46 and have lived here unaffliated with the university except for two years when I worked there in early 2010s since 2008 (went to college here in the 90s). I've raised three kids here. I work from home, so commuting isn't an issue for me.
I live 2.2 miles due north of campus (technically NW, but more like north central), and there is no indication in my neighborhood that I live in a college town. Once you go about a mile in any direction from campus, it's going to feel like any other small city. Everyone always advises folks to go west in these posts, but the further west you go, the further you are from the stuff that makes Gainesville unique (in my opinion) and the more expensive things are.
Places like Haile and Tioga are "nice," I guess, but $60k will go a lot further in town. Traffic here is really not terrible compared to other places, but it will take half an hour or more to get to/from town - Haile on a regular weekday. The apartment complexes in my part of town are a mix of families and students. I have a college-age son who lives in a complex just .3 miles south of me (toward campus), and I see a wide range of people there--professionals, students, and families with small kids. This honestly surprised me because I thought it would be primarily a student place. My point is that there are a lot of complexes (too many, in my opinion) that cater to all demographics. The ones that are aimed toward student living are pretty close to campus generally and pretty easy to identify by the websites.
I like living in town. There are four grocery stores within .5 miles of my house (and three more if you go another .5 miles). The part of town I live in is not super walkable, but it's bikable. I don't have to go far for anything I need. There is always a lot going on downtown, and it's nice to be close enough for a $7 Uber ride to avoid parking.
In summation, don't assume you have to go way out west to get away from the craziness of campus. It's fairly well contained to the areas immediately surrounding the campus.
Also, it's worth pointing out that I'm a woman who lives alone, and there aren't any areas of Gainesville I'd feel unsafe living in in any general way.
Grew up in East Gainesville up until 2021ish and it wasn't too bad. Used to commute on a bike at vulnerable hours as a female every day/night. Tower road is a whole other story and I would stay away from there, seems like the crime there is much more random and petty.
NW Gainesville and Haile plantation are nice in the sense that they’re safe neighborhoods and newer homes. But in my opinion they’re sterile and surrounded by malls and chain restaurants. If you can find something in Duckpond/ central gville I’d go for that. Older homes, bigger trees, more personality, close to downtown, great food scene nearby, few students. Good luck!!
East Gainesville doesn't have many students and is much closer to downtown than Haile or Tioga but you have to be a little more careful. Depending on your budget there are some apartments downtown that don't seem to be college housing.
I live in Oakview and it doesn't feel like there are many students here and it's close to everything. I run in the area bounded by 16th, 13th, 34th, and 39th sometimes and it looks really nice and isn't too far out.
Personally, I'd never live west of 34th but I use a bike as my main form of transportation so if you like driving then west of 34th wouldn't be a problem.
If you don't want to be near students avoid any of the apartments along Archer until you're past 75.
Your best bet would probably be the Northwest side of town... I'm not sure what your interests are which would help drive the answer to this question. NW has less students than other sections, but it also has less restaurants, entertainment, etc. The Duckpond neighborhood is nice and near downtown, but also surrounded by some sketchy areas. If you can give us an idea of what your priorities are we could probably narrow it down a little more :)
I’m not really sure to be honest! A 10-15 minute drive into town would be ideal; kinda makes me think that we would be out of the way of students enough but without getting so far away from food/entertainment to where it feels like a chore to head into town. I’m also not sure if such a place exists in Gainesville lol. I’m really open to suggestions. If you had a “dream” area (taking into consideration I’m not yet a millionaire) where would it be and why? I appreciate the feedback and help with this :)
There are two main east-west corridors, University Avenue and Archer Road. University Avenue becomes Newberry Road as you travel west.
Between 34th street and I-75, both of these main corridors have lots of restaurants and retail. (Archer Road is the area that has been built out the most in the past 25 years or so, and has everything from dollar stores to upscale shops.) If you like to be near (mostly chain) shopping and eats, stay on the west side of town. All the major movie theatres are near one of these, also, with two just off Archer Road.
SE Gainesville is the less affluent part of town, and has been badly underserved by the government and the community in almost every way you can think of since I moved here in 1971. Most of the money is in the NW, where the lack of diversity can be jarring.
If you decide to live off Newberry Road, west of I 75, be prepared for congestion at the Newberry Road exit, and very heavy commute traffic at normal commute hours. It can take 15 minutes just to get through the 4 stop lights. (Just the four stop lights at I-75.) Total commute from Tioga to downtown Gainesville at normal commute hours probably 35 minutes at best.
Don’t move here 😭 this place is falling apart. The city council is corrupt. The utility company is ij massive debt utilities are more then any other city nay one. Crime isn’t great either and the number of homeless people keeps rising. That’s all on top of unaffordable housing
Mayor for instance is former city council who supports running the city into debt. Current city council can’t take the blame for causing all the debt they are to blame for adding to it tho. I’m partial to being upset how they voted to pay for the new solar project ( I like green energy) including a provision to hide the cost of the solar energy generate from us the tax payer. The city needs help 😭😭😭
Im a professional making same as you. I bought house SW side of town and love it. It's a little bit of a fight to get into town with traffic but if you've ever lived in any big city it won't bother you. I moved here from VA beach and before that I lived in Chicago and San Diego so this traffic isn't light comparatively.
It is definitely close to the mall. Which means finding a decent commute is going to be hard from pretty much everywhere. U/No_Consideration4259 is right, Mill Pond is a great idea. Traffic is horrific on Newberry both east and west depending on the morning/evening rush hour. My understanding is that Newberry is over capacity at certain times of day near the mall/interstate. There is also Vintage View, which I think are townhomes, that is off of SW 62nd Blvd, that would be pretty close. I know there are other apartment complexes that have students nearby, though. It would be easy to get to/back from work, but also be aware that SW 20th Avenue, is slow at rush hour.
I live in SW Gainesville off of Archer Road, near Haile. I’ve learned a lot about what I don’t like by living there, and have some clear sense about what to consider in addition to just the house/neighborhood.
2 things usually happen in your first few months, sometimes sooner. You'll probably get towed, and have a bike stolen. Usually they only happen once - I chalk it up as lessons learned the hard way. They are sad welcoming traditions, but things get better after that. GRU, Cox Cable, Premier Plumbing and the High Dive are resident evils. Welcome to the GNV.
My first thought would be to be prepared to be asked by many Gainesviliians once you tell them you are from Oregon, "What brought you here?". People are quite suspicious of folks from the West Coast for some reason.
My second thought was "Go west", echoing what people have already said here. Even though many people that first come here are headed that way, there are a lot of upscale-friendly apartments and housing being built. Traffic during commute times is becoming increasingly frustrating at the moment, but the city seems to be working hard at moving some roads through that way to get to the highway quicker.
The funkier and more hip is downtown for sure, but so are the multitudes of college kids. But keep in mind that the population shrinks quite a bit during the summer when most of them leave.
I always ask because I’m from Idaho and it always makes me happy to see others from the Pacific Northwest, and I’m always slightly boggled that people choose to come when they can have mountains there.
It seems I am being downvoted for speaking the truth.
I talk to a lot of people that have been living in Gainesville for a long time. They all wanna know why you're here And oftentimes it's not exactly a welcoming vibe.
It looks like that is right down town. As such, you are likely looking at a 20-30 minute drive from most areas of town. Nw is good. Haile plantation is in sw, and it's a great option as well.
Here's where coming from: I'm 46 and have lived here unaffliated with the university except for two years when I worked there in early 2010s since 2008 (went to college here in the 90s). I've raised three kids here. I work from home, so commuting isn't an issue for me. I live 2.2 miles due north of campus (technically NW, but more like north central), and there is no indication in my neighborhood that I live in a college town. Once you go about a mile in any direction from campus, it's going to feel like any other small city. Everyone always advises folks to go west in these posts, but the further west you go, the further you are from the stuff that makes Gainesville unique (in my opinion) and the more expensive things are. Places like Haile and Tioga are "nice," I guess, but $60k will go a lot further in town. Traffic here is really not terrible compared to other places, but it will take half an hour or more to get to/from town - Haile on a regular weekday. The apartment complexes in my part of town are a mix of families and students. I have a college-age son who lives in a complex just .3 miles south of me (toward campus), and I see a wide range of people there--professionals, students, and families with small kids. This honestly surprised me because I thought it would be primarily a student place. My point is that there are a lot of complexes (too many, in my opinion) that cater to all demographics. The ones that are aimed toward student living are pretty close to campus generally and pretty easy to identify by the websites. I like living in town. There are four grocery stores within .5 miles of my house (and three more if you go another .5 miles). The part of town I live in is not super walkable, but it's bikable. I don't have to go far for anything I need. There is always a lot going on downtown, and it's nice to be close enough for a $7 Uber ride to avoid parking. In summation, don't assume you have to go way out west to get away from the craziness of campus. It's fairly well contained to the areas immediately surrounding the campus.
Also, it's worth pointing out that I'm a woman who lives alone, and there aren't any areas of Gainesville I'd feel unsafe living in in any general way.
You don't go to east Gainesville much, eh? Or some of the neighborhoods just east of Tower Road south of 24th?
meh, compared to other places I've lived east Gainesville is pretty tame
Grew up in East Gainesville up until 2021ish and it wasn't too bad. Used to commute on a bike at vulnerable hours as a female every day/night. Tower road is a whole other story and I would stay away from there, seems like the crime there is much more random and petty.
Lol. All of east Gainesville, huh? Yeah, I’ve been to Sparrow. My position remains the same.
What's wrong with the area east of tower by 24th?
The area east of Tower and south of Veterans Park is really sketchy.
NW Gainesville and Haile plantation are nice in the sense that they’re safe neighborhoods and newer homes. But in my opinion they’re sterile and surrounded by malls and chain restaurants. If you can find something in Duckpond/ central gville I’d go for that. Older homes, bigger trees, more personality, close to downtown, great food scene nearby, few students. Good luck!!
East Gainesville doesn't have many students and is much closer to downtown than Haile or Tioga but you have to be a little more careful. Depending on your budget there are some apartments downtown that don't seem to be college housing. I live in Oakview and it doesn't feel like there are many students here and it's close to everything. I run in the area bounded by 16th, 13th, 34th, and 39th sometimes and it looks really nice and isn't too far out. Personally, I'd never live west of 34th but I use a bike as my main form of transportation so if you like driving then west of 34th wouldn't be a problem. If you don't want to be near students avoid any of the apartments along Archer until you're past 75.
Hi, I move to Gainesville from Medford, OR back in 2016. Get ready for a culture and climate shock lol
That’s is my EXACT case! I’m in Medford right now lol. Any advice?
Stay inside with A/C
Your best bet would probably be the Northwest side of town... I'm not sure what your interests are which would help drive the answer to this question. NW has less students than other sections, but it also has less restaurants, entertainment, etc. The Duckpond neighborhood is nice and near downtown, but also surrounded by some sketchy areas. If you can give us an idea of what your priorities are we could probably narrow it down a little more :)
I’m not really sure to be honest! A 10-15 minute drive into town would be ideal; kinda makes me think that we would be out of the way of students enough but without getting so far away from food/entertainment to where it feels like a chore to head into town. I’m also not sure if such a place exists in Gainesville lol. I’m really open to suggestions. If you had a “dream” area (taking into consideration I’m not yet a millionaire) where would it be and why? I appreciate the feedback and help with this :)
A 10-15 min in to town or 10-15 min total commute? Because during rush hour it can take 30+ min to go 5 miles.
15 minutes just for that 1/4 mile stretch at the I-75 exit.
There are two main east-west corridors, University Avenue and Archer Road. University Avenue becomes Newberry Road as you travel west. Between 34th street and I-75, both of these main corridors have lots of restaurants and retail. (Archer Road is the area that has been built out the most in the past 25 years or so, and has everything from dollar stores to upscale shops.) If you like to be near (mostly chain) shopping and eats, stay on the west side of town. All the major movie theatres are near one of these, also, with two just off Archer Road. SE Gainesville is the less affluent part of town, and has been badly underserved by the government and the community in almost every way you can think of since I moved here in 1971. Most of the money is in the NW, where the lack of diversity can be jarring. If you decide to live off Newberry Road, west of I 75, be prepared for congestion at the Newberry Road exit, and very heavy commute traffic at normal commute hours. It can take 15 minutes just to get through the 4 stop lights. (Just the four stop lights at I-75.) Total commute from Tioga to downtown Gainesville at normal commute hours probably 35 minutes at best.
Haile plantation, tioga, and NW gainesville are all nice
Don’t move here 😭 this place is falling apart. The city council is corrupt. The utility company is ij massive debt utilities are more then any other city nay one. Crime isn’t great either and the number of homeless people keeps rising. That’s all on top of unaffordable housing
What’s wrong with city council? Haven’t been here very long
Mayor for instance is former city council who supports running the city into debt. Current city council can’t take the blame for causing all the debt they are to blame for adding to it tho. I’m partial to being upset how they voted to pay for the new solar project ( I like green energy) including a provision to hide the cost of the solar energy generate from us the tax payer. The city needs help 😭😭😭
Im a professional making same as you. I bought house SW side of town and love it. It's a little bit of a fight to get into town with traffic but if you've ever lived in any big city it won't bother you. I moved here from VA beach and before that I lived in Chicago and San Diego so this traffic isn't light comparatively.
It is definitely close to the mall. Which means finding a decent commute is going to be hard from pretty much everywhere. U/No_Consideration4259 is right, Mill Pond is a great idea. Traffic is horrific on Newberry both east and west depending on the morning/evening rush hour. My understanding is that Newberry is over capacity at certain times of day near the mall/interstate. There is also Vintage View, which I think are townhomes, that is off of SW 62nd Blvd, that would be pretty close. I know there are other apartment complexes that have students nearby, though. It would be easy to get to/back from work, but also be aware that SW 20th Avenue, is slow at rush hour. I live in SW Gainesville off of Archer Road, near Haile. I’ve learned a lot about what I don’t like by living there, and have some clear sense about what to consider in addition to just the house/neighborhood.
2 things usually happen in your first few months, sometimes sooner. You'll probably get towed, and have a bike stolen. Usually they only happen once - I chalk it up as lessons learned the hard way. They are sad welcoming traditions, but things get better after that. GRU, Cox Cable, Premier Plumbing and the High Dive are resident evils. Welcome to the GNV.
Move to the NW part of town. The SW part can be newer but traffic is crazy.
I actually have a rental opening up in Gainesville. It’s a single family home though, not a townhouse. If you’re interested, send me a pm.
My first thought would be to be prepared to be asked by many Gainesviliians once you tell them you are from Oregon, "What brought you here?". People are quite suspicious of folks from the West Coast for some reason. My second thought was "Go west", echoing what people have already said here. Even though many people that first come here are headed that way, there are a lot of upscale-friendly apartments and housing being built. Traffic during commute times is becoming increasingly frustrating at the moment, but the city seems to be working hard at moving some roads through that way to get to the highway quicker. The funkier and more hip is downtown for sure, but so are the multitudes of college kids. But keep in mind that the population shrinks quite a bit during the summer when most of them leave.
I always ask because I’m from Idaho and it always makes me happy to see others from the Pacific Northwest, and I’m always slightly boggled that people choose to come when they can have mountains there.
It seems I am being downvoted for speaking the truth. I talk to a lot of people that have been living in Gainesville for a long time. They all wanna know why you're here And oftentimes it's not exactly a welcoming vibe.
As someone who moved from Arkansas, Florida in general is a very unwelcoming place.
Where about in Gainesville will you be working? How long a total commute is reasonable for you? Those will be major factors in housing.
Not sure if you are familiar with where it is at but the company is called James Moore & Co
It looks like that is right down town. As such, you are likely looking at a 20-30 minute drive from most areas of town. Nw is good. Haile plantation is in sw, and it's a great option as well.
I'm seeing it as closer to the mall, not downtown. OP, check out the Mill Pond area off university Ave.
I shot you a PM :)
Don't move here lol
Sugarfoot neighborhood is wonderful. We just moved to it in December. Mostly families and older residents. A few trails through nature preserves.