eastcoastdude123 Posted March 10, 2010 Posted March 10, 2010 Just saw where other people were starting topics for other schools, and I thought perhaps I should start one for Florida. Feel free to post!
eastcoastdude123 Posted March 11, 2010 Author Posted March 11, 2010 (edited) By the way, I haven't accepted their offer yet, but I'm 99.99% sure UF is where I'm going. I don't really know much about the area, except that when I went down there for a visit/interview I thought it was beautiful and weather suited me nicely. Anyone have any info on where to live/not to live? Edited March 11, 2010 by eastcoastdude123
mushpuddle Posted March 13, 2010 Posted March 13, 2010 By the way, I haven't accepted their offer yet, but I'm 99.99% sure UF is where I'm going. I don't really know much about the area, except that when I went down there for a visit/interview I thought it was beautiful and weather suited me nicely. Anyone have any info on where to live/not to live? Hey, I'm at UF now. I don't know if I'll still be here next year (keeping my fingers crossed for Pitt), but I'll offer some help nonetheless! Don't do anything through Paradigm properties, and I'd stay away from Trimark as well. A lot of the apartment complexes are FULL of undergrads and are extremely loud/disgusting. Do not stay at the Courtyards. It is cheap and close to campus, but mushrooms started growing out of my friend's carpet bc of how nasty it is. I'd stay away from Gainesville Place, the Estates, and Jefferson 2nd as well. Hope you like football - anywhere around the campus goes nuts on game days (but it's so much fun!!!!) Gainesville is also a little expensive without roommates, but you can find cute little places if you just drive around. I suggest living in the area directly northeast of campus (off 13th st and university ave. Oh, and I don't think it's too easy to get around here without a car. Just sayin.
MinniePup Posted March 14, 2010 Posted March 14, 2010 Thanks for the advice regarding places to avoid, mushpuddle. Are there any apartment buildings/complexes that you would recommend? Do you know which buildings typically attract grad students? Any that are a good deal considering location, living conditions, etc. (as opposed to being dirt cheap...and dirt filled)? By the way, I've been accepted to U Florida's English PhD program. I haven't decided on a school yet and I am not able to visit this one, so any info on the campus or Gainesville would also be appreciated!
eastcoastdude123 Posted March 17, 2010 Author Posted March 17, 2010 Does anyone know the best way to find roommates if you're an out of state student?
SakuraSound Posted March 17, 2010 Posted March 17, 2010 Hey guys! I m currently a Computer Science student @ UF and just got accepted to their M.S. for Computer Engineering. I will agree with the poster regarding most of the housing in Gainesville. Im currently looking for a 1BR in an area that isnt infested w/ noisy undergrads. ,,v. Good Luck! .v,,
eastcoastdude123 Posted March 31, 2010 Author Posted March 31, 2010 (edited) () Edited March 31, 2010 by eastcoastdude123
Lovelyn Posted April 2, 2010 Posted April 2, 2010 (edited) Hey guys! I'll be at UF this fall as a first year Women's Studies MA student! I filled out the application for on-campus housing but it's extremely competitive so I guess I should keep an eye out for off campus places as a back up. For everyone who is still looking for places, definitely register with http://www.apartmenthunters.com. It's free for us, you just tell them what you're looking for and they help you find a place to live that suits your needs! Edited April 2, 2010 by Lovelyn
JGrace Posted April 3, 2010 Posted April 3, 2010 Hi! I also attend Florida, and disagree with mushpuddle on some points. I have lived in a Paradigm property, and it was clean, sunny, and quiet. However, many Paradigm properties attract undergrads because they frequently do individual leases and roommate matching, so they can be noisier. Also, some people say to stay away from Paradigm because they take as much money from you as possible when you move out, but I have yet to meet anybody that that has happened to. I also don't recommend the area north of campus, and especially not northeast of campus. North of campus is called the student ghetto, if that gives you an idea why. Also, parking there is usually on the streets and hard to find. The area northeast of the University/13th intersection is pretty sketchy, and gets worse the further east you go. I actually live on 13th, in the Hidden Lakes complex area. The complex has created something like a pocket of non-sketchiness, but that is mostly because the entire complex is fenced in. Also, south of campus down 13th street/16th ave can be a little iffy. I have known one person to have two of their tires stolen overnight, and another friend had someone try to break into her apartment while she was in it. That area not only features cheaper apartments (which are actually pretty nice inside, for the most part), but also super-cheap motels and the "professionals" that they attract. However, many people live there and are perfectly happy, so it's always possible that my friends are the exceptions. Another area where it gets more undesirable the farther away you go is SW 20th Ave. It's more uninviting than unsafe, though. It's a very dark area because there are so many trees, so that is probably why I have that view of it. However, SW 20th Ave connects to SW 62nd Blvd, which leads to the mall and has a nice bunch of student complexes. Your best bet, especially if you don't have a chance to visit and get a better idea of the areas, is the area southwest of campus. It's pretty much all students. That means that it has more bus routes and more convenient shopping options. Butler Plaza is located southwest of campus along Archer road, and it pretty much has anything you could ever want. Even though it is so far away from me now, I still frequently travel 20 minutes down there just because it is so convenient once you are there. I personally have lived at University Commons and Greenwich Green (both in the SW). I don't recommend University Commons due to the party atmosphere, but I am still rather fond of Greenwich Green (the Paradigm property). There are tons of primarily student apartment complexes along Archer (and old Archer), SW 23rd St, SW 35th Pl, and SW 34th St. I would stay away from complexes that offer 4 bedroom apartments, as those tend to attract the noisier undergrads. That includes places like Gainesville Place and the Estates. Mixed in with the large, typically louder complexes are smaller complexes that attract grad students. One exception is Stoneridge, which also offers 1/1s. It's a huge complex but is surprisingly pretty quiet. As I am looking for apartments, I have been using www.gainesville-rent.com. It includes pretty much all of the apartment complexes in Gainesville (except for the small, privately-owned ones, but those are few and far between), and has tons of information about each complex. It's been especially helpful for me because I have pets, and it can weed out apartments that don't allow pets. I also check Craigslist, because the privately-owned complexes frequently post there; sometimes they even advertise that they cater to grad students. I hope I haven't made all of Gainesville except the SW sound bad. Mostly the areas that I have listed are just comparatively less inviting because the SW is so student-focused. Gainesville in general is actually a really nice place to live, and I have had friends be perfectly happy and feel perfectly safe down 13th St and out 20th Ave. These are just my impressions of the areas, based on things I've heard and seen in the 5 years that I've been here. One last note: beware places on W. University Ave. It is NOT part of University Ave., which runs along the north side of campus. It is actually west of the interstate, off of Tower Rd.
mushpuddle Posted April 18, 2010 Posted April 18, 2010 Does anyone know the best way to find roommates if you're an out of state student? um ya hi, live with me. GONNA BE SO BROKE. Any other takers? PLLLLLZ
britt450 Posted April 19, 2010 Posted April 19, 2010 (edited) Hi all! I attended UF for undergrad, so I can throw my 2 cents in for housing: The Duck Pond Neighborhood is a historic district just NE of downtown that is mostly faculty/families with a few graduate students. The houses are big Queen Anne style beauties, and some of them have been split into apartments. This might be a little pricier than the aforementioned student ghettos that are directly north and directly east of campus, but it's also quieter and probably cleaner. More info here: http://www.gainesvil...21000?p=1&tc=pg http://www.afn.org/~savanna/duck2.htm duckpond apartments (fancy): http://www.regentsparkcondo.net/ (a few of these are listed for rent on craigslist). I lived off campus for 3 years, in 3 different apartments/houses, and never felt like I was in a horrible neighborhood. I also lived across the street from these apartments (http://www.trimarkproperties.com/heritage_oaks_apartments_in_gainesville_florida/) my senior year and would often look at them with envy. Really nice apartments, super quiet cul-de-sac. I think the main thing to keep in mind is that anything cheap and close to campus is going to be A. full of undergrads, and B. not kept up the same way that family housing is. If you're willing to pay more, you can get a nice place that's close, and if you're willing to live a little farther from campus, you can probably find a nicer place on the cheap. Edited April 19, 2010 by britt450
Eagles215 Posted May 27, 2010 Posted May 27, 2010 Just wanted to throw myself in there as a future grad Gator...starting my M.S. in Sport Management at UF in the 2010 Summer B term...if anyone else is starting then, definitely would love to hear from ya!
n4n6906 Posted June 15, 2010 Posted June 15, 2010 WOHOO!!! I got in! My program is Public Health. Can't wait to start in the Fall! GO GATORS!
Qanit Posted June 23, 2010 Posted June 23, 2010 Hi. Is there anyone heading to UFlorida for Fall 2010. I got admitted to MS in MSE. I would like to know more about housing and other details at UFlorida. People who are already there, please feel free to help. Thanks in advance.
n4n6906 Posted July 7, 2010 Posted July 7, 2010 I am! I am living off campus. MPH is what I am going to UF for. Can't wait to meet everyone in Aug! =)
unradis Posted July 10, 2010 Posted July 10, 2010 hi all! i'll be attending UF for a masters in computer engineering like SakuraSound. i'll be staying at stoneridge, which i hear is a decent place. and JGrace's comments have further reassured me good luck to everyone and looking forward to meeting you all soon.
Eagles215 Posted July 15, 2010 Posted July 15, 2010 hi all! i'll be attending UF for a masters in computer engineering like SakuraSound. i'll be staying at stoneridge, which i hear is a decent place. and JGrace's comments have further reassured me good luck to everyone and looking forward to meeting you all soon. Stoneridge looks pretty nice...i've driven by it a few times
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