Living in Gainesville, especially outside of the immediate campus bubble, forces one to come to terms with the distance conundrum of a congested, college town. It’s a relatively small city, only about 62 square miles (compare that to Tampa’s 170 or Orlando’s 110) but depending on construction, time of day, and who’s out on the road, getting from point A to point B can take anywhere from five to 55 minutes.
I live on the west side of town by the mall, an area that’s been called “irrelevant” far more times than I’d like to admit. Thus, I’ve taken it upon myself to highlight a cool place in that area whenever possible, in an attempt to save my neighbors the headache of traffic jams and road rage every time they crave a change of scenery.
A little place that I’ve come to love is Cymplify Central, a collective group of family-owned businesses and a Mecca for hippies, vet and med students. Located off Eighth Avenue by Newberry and 55th Street, this friendly group of shops was once Greenery Square, which closed in 2006 and remained vacant until Ken Block of Sister Hazel teamed up with a group of friends to open up Cymplify Central.
I usually pop into CYM Coffee (which stands for “Change your mind,” a Sister Hazel song) for studying, a caffeine fix, and the inevitable glass of craft beer (or three) that follows.
If you’re not a fan of coffee, tea, or craft booze (do you have a soul?), you can still grab lunch at Cymply Fresh for a vegan/gluten-free/raw-friendly array of soups, salads and sandwiches. Much of the menu is actually grown on site, and almost everything else is purchased locally.
Via: cymplifycentral.com
If you’re still not full, stroll over to Cymple Scoops and channel your inner diabetic with a heaping helping of ice cream. Check out Cymple Market, an eclectic gift shop of sorts with a wide range of organic and fair-trade chocolates and candies, among other knick-knacks.
Cymplify is family and pet friendly, with a beautiful outdoor area to roll around in the grass and find your serenity. They host frequent food truck rallys, have yoga on Mondays (first session is free!), and Open Mic Nights on Thursdays.
“It’s like working at Cheers,” said the friendly barista with whom I had the pleasure of chatting, “Especially on Thursday nights when we have all the people for the Open Mic Nights and the craft beer. Everyone knows everyone and it’s a lot of fun.”
I can’t help but see Cymplify Central as a hippie’s wet dream. They pride themselves on their seven core values, which they’ve dubbed “Cymplificons:” Love, Grow, Protect, Play, Create, Connect and Give. Whether you live nearby and are trying to get some studying done in a peaceful, positive atmosphere with a cup of chamomile tea, or are just trying to slow down and escape the madness of midtown for a little while, Cymplify is an oasis of good vibes that has something to offer for everyone.
