How do you like it? I've only been there for Fest last year and it seemed like a pretty cool place. What is the cost of living like? Is the night life pretty fun? Do most big (in our world big) tours come through gnv?

I live in Tempe, AZ right now and it's great, but I might wanna try something different next year and Gainesville is on my list of potential places to live. I am a teacher and I know teachers don't make a whole ton of money there, but if the cost of living is low, then it is manageable.

If you have anything else to add, feel free.

Thanks!

Although I don't live there anymore I did recently for some time. So I'll answer your questions in the order they were asked.

1.) It would have been a lot better if I wasn't with someone horrible.

2.) The cost of living is pretty decent compared to most places. You can get by pretty easily on a minimum wage job if you never leave town.

3.) The nightlife consists of a lot of the same things all the time. Not much else to do besides bar hopping downtown to be honest.

4.) Most big tours skip Gainesville and go to Orlando. So if you want to see bands larger than No Idea status, you better have a car.


When I moved to Gainsville I had no idea what the Fest was. Just that Hot Water Music was from there and that's where I wanted to be. People who've only been to Gainesville during the Fest get a misconseption of the town. There aren't awesome people all over the place all the time. In fact, they're very hard to find the rest of the year. So going into it thinking it's going to be Fest 24/7 is a bad idea. Because it won't be.

It's also important that you have a decent job to get you through the summer months. Gainesville's a college town that unfortunately depends on UF students for much of the local revenue businesses take in. If you don't have a job by summer, you're almost surely fucked unless you get luck. And if you already do and it's not that great of one, you'll struggle all summer as your hours get cut because no one's coming in. But seeing you're a teacher, summer jobs don't have any bearing.

Another thing is, Gainesville locals are constantly rotating. People come and go all the time. I imagine when I return I won't know much of anyone there anymore. So it's kind of hard to have a social life when your friends are constantly peaceing out on you.

If you need to know anything further or need me to elaborate on anything, feel free to ask.

I live in a college town so I so understand the summer stuff, but it's part of the greater phoenix area so not so bad.

Thank you!

No problem.

This thread just reminded me how much I need a Gainesville do-over.
Someday.....

Gully pretty much nailed that one.

I've lived within spitting distance of Gainesville for most of my life, so while I'm not quite a Gville local, I've got more history with the town than pretty much anyone under 25 who DOES live there. In varying periods I was there at least a couple of times a month.

I'm now at a point in my life where I feel like actually living there would fit me very well, but part of that is that my other option is an even smaller, more boring place, and I have no illusions. The one school year that I did live there (1999-2000), I couldn't get the hang of it, though I did see some awesome shows.

Gainesville is a good city to be active in, but it takes a lot of effort to stay active.

Story of my entire existence in Gainesville, though I've never had trouble making new friends. I sent 4 friends off to California, just this past month.

You do get used to always making new friends. And you end up with some awesome places to visit, if you're good at keeping in touch with out of town friends.

Its not all bad. It is challenging to be single and seeking a serious relationship in your later 20s and on up in this town though.

well I'll probably end up in california to be near family, but I'm weighing options. I hear Richmond is cool, as well as some places in NY. Or Chicago.

I don't think any of us are trying to talk you out of Gainesville.

I love that place so much. I consider it my second home. We just don't want you to get your hopes up thinking it's going to be party time excellent every day of your life there. You'll meet some solid people, and have awesome times is all I can promise.

My honest suggestion is to give it a try. It's not for everyone. But it's not like you're stuck there forever. Try subleasing instead of a year commitment. That way if it doesn't measure up, you're not tied down for that long.

Josh made MANY very good points.

You can not base what you see during the Fest as to how Gville REALLY is. There is the same shit going on in any other college town anywhere in the US. There is a constant change with the fluctuation with students coming and going. It is tough to keep a business going in town due to Spring break, Xmas break, and the Summer. Businesses/venues/bars rise and fall overnight but not as badly as they did a few years back. The Gville economy is slowly growing.

Before you really think abut moving somewhere, you should visit A LOT. It is one thing to visit briefly and another to live somewhere. It is like meeting someone online and thinking you are soul mates because of what you've created in your head. Then you meet and you are bored with one another and have nothing in common.

1.) I have many friends in Gville that are teachers. It is REALLY bad there for them right now. No funding. Some of my friends have moved to teach out of state.

2.) The standard of living is pretty good. Rent isn't too bad and if you settle for food service or bar type jobs you might luck out and find one. But because the town is mostly college students you really have to search like hell for jobs. Makes me wonder if the don't keep the wages lower by not creating a demand.

3.) Nightlife as far as the punk scene goes in Gville: a handful of venues/bars, you see the same regulars everywhere you go, some newer art galleries, good places to eat, etc.

4.) A lot of bands skip FL all together. Touring through FL is tough if you don't book it right you make a loss going there. There has slowly been more country, metal and electric sub-genre bands coming through over the years.

5) You need to be aware of the humidity and pollens too. Very different in FL than out West. The heat out West was much nicer to me. If i ever move again, it will probably be to CO or AZ

RVA is pretty much a bigger Gville.

well I love AZ sometimes, but I feel a need for change. My job is until May so we'll see!

I hardly have any friends leave Gville and you know why? Because they settle for food service jobs and bar life, while they have college degrees. It depresses me. Every once in a blue moon one leaves and i say, "Congrats, and if i ever find you moving back i'll kick your ass." But eventually, everyone comes back. It is the curse of Gville. I certainly have a love/hate relationship with it. And here I am living an hour from there after living there 12yrs. And you know what I want to do? Move closer.

ha, try living in Ocala.

Man, why the HELL do you live there? haha

Place is so bad.

You pretty much run out of options living anywhere for too long