About 3 months or so ago I posted a question: University of Florida or Florida State University? well, my first choice was UF and even though I was accepted at both places, UF is offering way more money than FSU so the decision is going to be very easy. Therefore here comes my next question: can you give me any advice about where to live down there? any nearby towns? any apartment complexes that I should avoid? right now I am in the Northern Illinois area so it is not that easy to go and check it out in person.
Thanks a lot!
DPC
Live in Gainesville, the traffic at the end of the day is awful down here, the town feels like it was designed for 60,000 people but they crammed 120,000 in anyway (or 300,000 on football gamedays). Avoid east Gainesville it’s pretty sketchy, there are plenty of decent neighborhoods around the school, Haile Plantation seems to be where a lot of people with families live, although there are some quiet neighborhoods north of University Ave. There are tons of decent apartment options catering to students on all sides of campus.
there are plenty of apt complexes near campus. my suggestion also would be to live close to campus. traffic has become a real
problem. i would suggest looking at sw archer road and sw 34th st. there are probably 20 complexes between the 2. i dont think
you are going to want to be on the northwest side of town… and yes east gainesville can be a bit sketchy… i can tell you i lived
in oxford manor and the laurels… both complexes are still there… see link to give you an idea…
http://www.gainesville-rent.com/map.asp
for sw 34th street… look at the places that are just south of sw archer road… pm me if you have any further questions…
go gators…
Like the others have said, east side is sketchy. There are alot of rentals advertising for Aug move in now, check c-list. You can pretty much find anything you want. I would suggest making a trip down to find a place in g-ville, not much in terms of nearby towns. Find a bunch you like then check them out in person. Traffic can be a nightmare, so you might want to keep it within bike distance or endeavor to be out the door between 630-720am every morning. One other thing, don’t even consider driving on campus the first 2 weeks of fall semester unless you have alot of time to waste.
Better stock up on jean shorts, you’re going to need them 
GO DAWGS!
live in the student ghetto (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/21/AR2005102100517.html).
there is no better place to live while attending UF. you’ll be ale to walk to school and dine at nearby affordable restaurants. look at hotpads or craigslist and check out the area between university ave and 16th street. good luck.
There are plenty of apt complexes to live at. Depending if you want to get into the party scene or not. Some if not most, apt complexes throw pool parties, which is a + if you like that sort of stuff. Check c-list and the other links already provided. Also, getting into a house with roommates def. makes things less expensive.