Downtown Gainesville Apartments
The historic downtown area is the center of action in Gainesville. This is where you'll find a variety of restaurants, theaters, shops, bars, pubs, art galleries, entertainment venues and bookstores all in one convenient location. Many apartment complexes in this area allow you to walk to these attractions, and they can give you instant access to the festivals and community events that are held downtown each year. This includes Art Walk Gainesville and the Spring Arts Festival.
You may also want to look for apartments within walking or biking distance of the Union Street Farmers Market. The market comes to town every Wednesday and is a great place to find fresh produce at affordable prices while enjoying live music. The downtown district is also known for throwing open houses, historic home tours and the occasional block party. With live music and discounts from many of the area's small shops and restaurants, these events bring the community together for fun and relaxation.
If you want to live close to the downtown action while maintaining some peace and quiet, consider the Arlington Square Apartments. You'll find this community on SE 2nd Place near the Hippodrome Theater. The apartments are centered around a community swimming pool and provide the feel of a small, private community in the midst of the downtown region. You'll find many other apartment complexes in this general area, but some do cater more to students interested in living off campus.
Cheap Apartments Near Gainesville State Parks
If you enjoy an active lifestyle, look for apartments near some of Gainesville's community parks. Some of the options include Bivens Arm Nature Park, Squirrel Ridge Park, Cofrin Nature Park and the Haisley Lynch Dog Park. You may also want to look toward the eastern edge of the city, which will place you close to Newnans Lake and the Longleaf Flatwoods Reserve. The Morningstar Nature Center is in this area as well. These parks will provide nature trails and picturesque spots for picnics.
The Aviara Apartments and Sun Bay complex will place you toward the southern edge of the city, which is close to the Sweetwater Wetlands Park. In addition to daily walks on the beautiful nature trails, this park allows you to participate in weekly community nature walks and ranger-led tours. It's easy to stay in shape and maintain a peaceful mindset when you're surrounded by nature.
Family-Friendly Gainesville Apartments
To find the most family-friendly rentals in Gainesville, look in areas away from the UF campus. This will remove your home from the late-night action that occurs around a college campus, and it may place you closer to some of the city's public elementary, middle and high schools. You may also want to look for properties that offer playgrounds, dog parks, tennis courts, basketball courts and study centers. These amenities are geared towards children, so the apartment complex is more likely to suit your needs as a family.
For instance, consider the Ridgemar Commons Apartments. This community features a large swimming pool, dog park and internet café, and it's convenient to Interstate 75 and at least one RTS bus route. Shands Hospital and many restaurants are located nearby, and there are some public schools in the area as well.
Living in Luxury in Gainesville
Non-students are often able to afford amenities that many students have to sacrifice. For example, you may need a garage or at least a private parking lot for your car. This is especially true if you're looking at apartments away from UF but will need to commute for employment or studies. You may also want upscale interior features like hardwood floors, granite countertops, vaulted ceilings and in-unit washers and dryers.
If you're concerned about security, you may also look for gated apartment communities or buildings that have around-the-clock security guards. Some apartments also offer electronic keys for all entranceways. These amenities may increase the cost of your rent, but your safety is worth the investment.
Selecting A Non-Student Apartment in Gainesville
As you're looking at the apartments available in Gainesville, take a moment to ask yourself a few questions:
- How do you feel about living close to UF or Santa Fe College? You can expect more traffic and noise the closer you are to these schools, yet you won't want to move too far away if you need to commute there for work or classes.
- Do you need a parking lot or garage?
- How close do you want to live to your place of employment
- How many bedrooms do you need?
- Would you sacrifice space in exchange for lower rental prices? There are many studio rentals and budget-friendly apartments in Gainesville, but they usually have less space than those selling at higher prices.
If you want to know how to tell that an apartment is marketed more to students than non-students, look at the way the floor plans are designed and consider the services offered. Many student apartments offer roommate matching services and collect rent from each tenant rather than per unit. Non-student housing developments are more likely to offer yearly leases with floor plans that feel more like single-family homes than shared apartments.
