“Where are you headed after graduation?”
“I’m staying in Gainesville.”
The looks of shock, disbelief and judgment I receive in response to my answer have become all too familiar. “Why?” people ask, dumbfounded.
I came to Gainesville for the University of Florida. When I was a freshman, trying to justify my decision to go to school in rural Alachua, I’d say, “Yeah, Gainesville is, like, in the middle of nowhere, but I’m cool with being in a college town.”
As graduation day creeps closer and closer, it has become quite clear that I didn’t just build a collegiate resume in Gainesville. I built a life.
This life is an enigma to many of the university students, whose bubble does not extend past campus and the tri-weekly trips to midtown. This life is rich, fulfilling and so uniquely its own, that I’m not ready to leave it behind just yet.
My pining for the beach has been replaced with weekend trips to nature spots whose beauty rivals even the most pristine sandy shores. If you haven’t star gazed from Paynes Prairie, dunked your feet in the questionable waters of Hogtown Creek, marveled at Devil’s Millhopper (it took 10,000 years of rain, erosion and change to carve out that sinkhole), set up a hammock in the Loblolly woods, took the plunge into the crystal waters of Devil’s Den, rode a bike through the Hawthorne Rail Trail, let butterflies land in your hair at the Florida Museum of Natural History or simply sat in silence at the University Gardens, then you haven’t experienced the rejuvenating power of a town intertwined with the lush, natural world.
My longing for a break from the monotony of midtown nightlife has been replaced with evenings playing oversized Jenga at First Magnitude Brewing, deep house and even deeper cocktails at 2nd Street Speakeasy, drinking Jameson to the sound of acoustic guitar at Whiskey House, trading wooden tokens for drinks, laughs and good conversation at the Top on Tuesday nights, sipping slow to the sounds of jazz at the Bull and groovin’ shamelessly to the local music at The Jam or High Dive.
Instead of living off cereal and toast, I’ve learned to cook in Gainesville, with incredible meats from Ward’s, fresh produce from the farmer’s market and an unparalleled shopping experience at Lucky’s Market ($2 pints of local craft beer while you shop? Yes, please). My vices are more than satisfied by the selection of beer, wine and spirits at Dorn’s.
On those days I’m lazy in the kitchen, my cravings for fresh quality eats, romantic dining or a hung-over meal are delighted by the nearly 300 restaurants, offering everything from a classic steak dinner to a warm bowl of pork ramen to the vegan temptations of a tempeh and greens sammie. I have options for incredible pizza, greasy food truck binges, late night Cubans, cheap Mexican and wine-soaked Italian dates.
Mind, body and soul have found equal nourishment in Gainesville. Intellectual growth comes from the many speeches, plays and events held free of charge in tiny classrooms and giant auditoriums alike at UF. Sore muscles and personal fitness come from the stadium, Big Ron’s hot yoga, soccer in the park and total body classes. Inner peace, solitude and liberation come from a meditation center deep in the woods of Alachua.
Sure, I could use better clothing stores, better Indian food and maybe a real nightclub, but alas, no city is perfect.
Gainesville is growing quickly and in all the best ways. It’s fostering a creative spirit that allowed someone like me, sights set on med school, to refocus and build a startup in the soil of a true community (shoutout to Starter Space). It’s a city where the first question isn’t “What do you do?” or “Who do you know?” but instead “What inspires you?” or “What do you love?”
Gainesville is a home base. It’s an old friend that doesn’t judge you for wanting to leave the comfort of its embrace to go explore the world and still welcomes you back with open arms. It’s flush with young, new faces each fall and steady with the faces of ACR’s whose home has been in the Swamp for generations.
Unlike the hipster alleys of Austin, trendy streets of San Francisco or bustling grid of New York City, Gainesville hasn’t tapped into its full potential yet. In a lot of ways, it’s still figuring itself out, which gives you endless room to do some self-discovery right along with it.
You shape Gainesville while it subtly shapes you back, until one day, the town doesn’t seem to be in the middle of nowhere anymore.
And instead of being the person dumbfounded, asking “Why Gainesville?” you’re the person graduating, growing roots here and letting your life bloom.
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