Smithsonian.com

I grew up in Gainesville and I think it is the best place in the world. I haven't seen the whole world but to me it was a great place to grow up.

In addition to the museums and performing arts centers, Gainesville is now also home to the Kika Silva Pla Planetarium at Santa Fe Community College. The Kika Silva Pla Planetarium is the newest in the State of Florida and houses not one, but two, state-of-the-art planetarium projection systems. Weekend public shows range from children's matinées, to astronomy, to historic and cultural, to Full-Dome Music Videos. More information is available at http://www.sfcc.edu/planetarium

I'm an Australian (hometown: Sydney) who has been living in and around Gainesville for 15 years, currently serving as Senior Pastor of the historic downtown First United Methodist Church, a church that is coming alive again along with the rejuvenation of downtown Gainesville. Gainesville has it all, including an enriching and diverse cultural life that befits a university/community college town. And the climate is almost as good as Sydney (minus the harbor and the beaches, of course!).

Gainesville has a good quality of life and a vibrant cultural scene. Government agencies and non-profits have done a better job preserving local ecosystems than just about any other place in Florida. Unfortunately, like most US cities, Gainesville has experienced a lot of suburban sprawl over the past several decades. Large parts of the city are not pedestrian and bicycle-friendly due to low population densities, lack of mixed-use development and car-centered transportation infrastructure. This legacy will be hard to overcome and undo in the years ahead, even after personal motorized transportation is no longer viable. The City Commission has recently voted to spend almost $20 million on new traffic management system to accommodate more cars on the roads. Some information in this article seems to be out of date. The Amtrak stop in Waldo was discontinued four years ago. The closest Amtrak stop is now in Palatka, 1 hour drive to the east. Population was about 120,000 in 2006, and probably more than that now. The percentage of retirees has also increased since then.

As a Gainesville resident of 39 years I have seen many great changes in the cultural community. I am delighted to have our city recognizes for its culture and "good living". However, something important has been left out and that is the cultural offerings in which our city and area residents can take part. This is one aspect of our good living. A few examples follow: At 37 years old, the Gainesville Artisans' Guild is the oldest in Florida. It offers original fine art and fine crafts in their gallery which is operated by the artists whose sales commissions pay the rent, etc. Full-time artists and 'week-end' artists belong. The Gainesville Fine Arts Assoc. is a very active organization which runs an art fair every year and presents the members' work in many venues. These groups are very important in that they offer opportunities to have their work shown in public - not an easy thing to do. For people other than artists there is the Community Playhouse; orchestras, musical groups and dance groups they can join. There are classes in many mediums for people to learn or enhance their cultural interests. There are many, many prospects for life-enhancing activities for all ages and interests. We have golf courses too! For many years I have been convinced that the quality of our cultural community was and is amazing for a small city. There's no need to go elsewhere to enjoy wonderful culture or purchase beautiful art. In spite of hot summers, I have loved living here.

We don't need anymore retirees buying houses that are too big for them, driving too slowly, and crowding everything. Stay where you are and get some hobbies.

Retirees add an important element to a city's culture. They provide much needed volunteer hours to the many non-profits in Gainesville. They provide their expertise, at no cost, to these non-profits as well. Retirees seldom buy houses too large for them. They want to cut back, nor are they the one's crowding the roads. The 70,000+ students that converge in Gainesville during Fall and Spring terms, as well as the 80,000 Gator fans on Fall weekends, are responsible for that. Welcome retirees. We need you.

Gainesville is home of the Fighting Gators who won the National Championship in football and twice in basketball. This beautiful atmosphere has so much love and passion especially being a Florida Gator. Don't forget about our Heissman Trophy Winner 2007.

Gainesville also has 4 of of the best hospitals anywhere including the UF Shands Teaching Hospital and a VA Hospital.

Ssshhhhhhhh don't let the secret of Gainesville get out. Born here, lived other places, came back, love it. Summers are hot, but traffic is better because the students have left. 1 hour from either ocean. In Cedar Key you can see the sun rise and set over the gulf. The springs are crystal clear and beautiful. Orlando is only 2 hours away. Whether you want sports, theatre, or nature you really can have it all here.

I too grew up in the Gainesville area, and after living in the Great Northwet, experiencing literally the daily rain and fog of the Seattle Sound area for the past 8 years, I can honestly say that my heart resides in the hills and valleys of Alachua County. The people are genuine with a southern welcome wagon flair of acceptance. The fields and streams are always refreshing,inexpensive and practically in your backyard no matter where you live. Culture and Arts are a short drive downtown, mind the parking spaces are difficult to find, but street parking is free and whats a block or two walk. Go, spend money, live like a local, then take it all back with you wherever you came from. I'll be in town next week.

Gainesville's cultural scene is also enhanced by the University of Florida College of Fine Arts. The college's three schools — the school of art and art history, the school of music, and the school of theatre and dance — present hundreds of artistic performances and exhibits each year in its three galleries and two state-of-the-art theaters.

I was born and raised in Florida and have lived all over the state - from Coral Gables to Pensacola. Florida offers much, no matter where you live, but there's something special about Gainesville. Very few cities in Florida have the sense of community and spirit and pride that Gainesville does; nor do they offer such an eclectic variety of social, historical, and art interests while being so centrally located to the natural bounty and beauty of the state. I love the architecture of the older part of town, and the feel the historical homes give my neighborhood (Northeast Historical/Duckpond). The City of Gainesville has five historic districts which protect more than 1,500 historic buildings and there are ten additional buildings outside the historic districts which individually on the local and national historic registers. www.historicgainesville.com It's a lovely city!

Oops - Correction to above Gainesville link: www.historicalgainesville.com.

Gainesville will be our house for the next 3 years. Everybody wait for me, my husband Jul and our baby Tiger.

"low key living of old Florida" what does that mean about a small town? Perhaps, that it has no industry to speak of except maybe a paper mill or a cement plant or a drill bit factory with limited nice paychecks. Does it mean a bedroom community or agricultural interests wink wink are engaged. Old Florida does it mean limited tax base which is why florida public schools rank in the lowest of the low. Old Florida that nostalgic era be fore the Huge resort of Orlando mushroomed and drew all the tourists wanting a fantasy well hey thats good let them go to Orlando yeah now I know what Old florida means both the highs and the lows of that characterization.