Mid-Town Gainesville
“Mid-Town” usually refers to the area surrounding the University of Florida campus north of University Ave. It extends from NW 34th Street to NW 6th St. and up from University Avenue until you get to 8th Avenue. This area of town is student-central; you could call it the heart of Gainesville.
Perks: Students at UF will spend much of their time in mid-town already, so living here makes sense. For years, this area has been targeted to everything UF – the Gators play right across the street, and students can be seen flocking to and from class all day. There are tons of great wallet-friendly places to eat and drink, plus lots of rental options for students, from new, larger apartment complexes to duplexes and single-family houses. Mid-town feeds right into downtown Gainesville, so you can relatively quickly get to the downtown scene by bus/bike or even by walking (see below for routes).
Things to Consider: Parking is a major consideration. Make sure your apartment has some kind of parking option if you have a car, or contact the City of Gainesville to inquire about parking on the street. You might not need a car – especially if you like to eat out. Getting to the grocery store isn’t the most convenient, and if you’re looking for more shopping, you’ll have to head to Archer Rd.
Gator game days are major attractions in this part of town, too, so plan to be surrounded by literally thousands of visitors on game day.
How to Get to School: Getting to school is easy; a simple walk, bike or bus ride (if it’s raining) should do the trick. A number of buses service only the UF campus (like the 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 125, 126) and other city routes have stops on or near campus (1, 8, 13, 16, 17, 29, 34. 43 and more). The routes you’ll most likely use are the 5 (which runs east and west on University from the mall to downtown) and the 8 (which runs up and down 13th Street).
Attractions: Obviously, the University of Florida takes the cake in this part of town. Major on-campus destinations like Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, the O’Connell Center (for performances, sports, conventions, etc.) and the Constans Theater next to the Reitz Union (UF’s student union) are a short walk away.
Businesses: Mid-town is great for all sorts of food on the go, plus some great sports bars. Try Pita Pit and Relish (tasty pitas, burgers, smoothies), Mochi (innovative frozen yogurt) and Gator City (billiards, food, sports, drinks). And Domino’s delivers from their 34th Street location just west of campus.
