Gainesville, Florida

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Gainesville
nickname =
settlement_type = City
motto =


imagesize =
image_caption = Downtown Gainesville at Night


flag_size =
image_

seal_size =

---

mapsize = 250x200px
map_caption = Location in Alachua County and the state of Florida
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = flag|United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = flag|Florida
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = noflag|Alachua
government_footnotes =
government_type = Council-manager
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Pegeen Hanrahan
leader_title1 = City Manager
leader_name1 = Russ Blackburn
established_title =
established_date =
established_title2 =
established_date2 =
established_title3 = Incorporated (city)
established_date3 = 15 April 1869
unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes = cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US12&-_box_head_nbr=GCT-PH1&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-format=ST-7 |title=Florida by Place. Population, Housing, Area, and Density: 2000 |publisher=US Census Bureau |accessdate=2007-07-21]
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 127.2
area_land_km2 = 124.8
area_water_km2 = 2.4
area_total_sq_mi = 49.10
area_land_sq_mi = 48.18
area_water_sq_mi = 0.92
area_water_percent = 1.87
area_metro_sq_mi =
population_as_of = 1 July 2007
population_footnotes = cite web |url=http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2007-04-12.xls |title=Annual Estimates of the population for the Incorporated Places of Florida |publisher=US Census Bureau |accessdate=2008-07-11 |format=XLS]
population_note = Census estimate
population_total = 114,375
population_density_sq_mi =
population_metro = 257,099
population_density_metro_sq_mi =
timezone = EST
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
latd = 29 |latm = 39 |lats = 55 |latNS = N
longd = 82 |longm = 20 |longs = 10 |longEW = W
elevation_footnotes = [cite web |url=http://www.wunderground.com/US/FL/Gainesville.html |title=Gainesville, Florida |publisher=Weather Underground |accessdate=2007-07-22]
elevation_m = 54
elevation_ft = 151
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 32601–32614, 32627, 32635, 32641, 32653
area_code = 352
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 12-25175GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0282874GR|3
website = http://www.cityofgainesville.org/
footnotes =

Gainesville is the largest city in and county seat of Alachua County, Florida, United States.GR|6 Gainesville is home to the University of Florida, the largest university in the State University System of Florida and the second-largest university in the United States. Santa Fe College, one of the nation's largest community colleges, is also located in Gainesville.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimated a 2007 population of 114,375. The Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which includes Alachua and Gilchrist counties, has a population of 257,099, according to 2007 Census Bureau estimates.cite web |url=http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metro_general/2007/CBSA-EST2007-01.xls |title=Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2007 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |accessdate=2008-07-11 |format=XLS] The Gainesville MSA was ranked as the #1 place to live in the 2007 edition of Cities Ranked and Rated. [cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/06/realestate/06cov.html |title=The Guy Who Picks the Best Places to Live |author=Tugend, Alina |publisher="The New York Times" |date=6 May 2007 |accessdate=2007-07-22] Gainesville was also ranked as one of the "best places to live and play" in 2007 by National Geographic Adventure. [cite news |url=http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/relocating/best-places-to-live-2007/city/city.html |title=The Best Places to Live + Play: Cities
publisher="National Geographic" |accessdate=2008-04-16]

History

Gainesville's original inhabitants were the Timucua Indians. Spanish colonists began cattle ranching in the Payne's Prairie area using Timucua labor and the largest ranch became known as LaChua. Though the ranch was eventually destroyed by raiders from the Province of Carolina and their Indian allies, it nevertheless gave its name to the Alachua band of the Seminole tribe who settled in the region in the 1700s under the leadership of the great chief Ahaya the Cowkeeper.

Gainesville was founded to place the Alachua County seat on the proposed route of the Florida Railroad Company's line stretching from Cedar Key to Fernandina Beach. County residents decided to move the county seat from Newnansville (and chose the name Gainesville) in 1853, as the proposed railroad would bypass Newnansville. A site on Black Oak Ridge where the railroad was expected to cross it was selected in 1854 and a courthouse was constructed there in 1856. The new settlement was named for General Edmund P. Gaines, commander of U.S. Army troops in Florida early in the Second Seminole War. The railroad was completed from Fernandina to Gainesville in 1859, passing six blocks south of the courthouse. [Rajtar. 21-5]

Gainesville was the scene of small-scale fighting in the Civil War. On February 14, 1864, a skirmish erupted when about 50 Union troops entered the city intending to capture two trains. A portion of the Second Florida Cavalry unsuccessfully attempted to repulse this raid and was itself defeated in a street battle. The raiding party was associated with a larger invasion of Florida that was defeated at the Battle of Olustee six days later. Later that year, the Battle of Gainesville took place on August 17, 1864. Three-hundred Union troops occupying the city were attacked by the Florida Cavalry. The Federals were driven out of town and suffered significant casualties.

For several months following the Civil War, the Third Regiment of the United States Colored Troops were stationed in Gainesviile, which encouraged freedmen to settle there. Black residents soon outnumbered whites in Gainesville, which had had 223 white residents in 1860. The Union Academy was established in 1866 by the Freedmen's Bureau to educate freed slaves. By 1898 the school served 500 students, and continued in operation until 1929. Gainesville was incorporated in 1869. A church building shared by itinerant preachers of several denominations had been built in 1859, but formal organization of churches in Gainesville came in the 1860s and 1870s. [Rajtar. 27-8, 31-6]

Following the civil war, the city prospered as a major citrus growing center, with direct rail access to ports on the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. However, this prosperity ended when the great freezes of 1894 and 1899 destroyed the entire crops, and citrus growing moved permanently south to the Orlando area. Other attempts to replace this lost industry included phosphate mining, turpentine production and tung oil, each of which met with only moderate success.

Gainesville experienced many changes when the University of Florida was created by the Florida Legislature in 1905. Gainesville was chosen, beating out other cities who saw their colleges close, such as Lake City and Bartow. The city had the foresight to construct a modern municipal water, sewer and electric system, and was able to offer these services to a new university location for free. A site was selected at a location then considered about a mile west of town. The first classes were held at Buckman Hall in the fall of 1906.

Over the past century, the university has brought the town a youthful population, cultural opportunities, and world-class medical facilities. The sports drink Gatorade was invented in Gainesville as a means of refreshing the UF football team and UF still receives a share of the profits from the beverage. However, Gatorade's headquarters are now located in Chicago, Illinois.

In April 2003, Gainesville became known as the healthiest community in the United States when it achieved the first and only “Gold Well City” award given by the Wellness Councils of America (WELCOA). [cite web |url=http://www.welcoa.org/news.php?entryid=6 |title=Gainesville Goes Gold! |publisher=The Wellness Councils of America |month=May | year=2003 |accessdate=2008-04-21] Headed up by Gainesville Health & Fitness Centers, and with the support of Shands HealthCare and the Gainesville-area Chamber of Commerce, 21 businesses comprising 60 percent of the city’s workforce became involved in the “Gold Well City” effort. As of March 2008, Gainesville remained the only city in the country to reach the achievement.

Geography and Climate

Gainesville is located at 29°39'55" North, 82°20'10" West (29.665245, -82.336097),GR|1 which is roughly the same latitude as Houston, Texas. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of convert|49.1|sqmi|km2|0, of which convert|48.2|sqmi|km2|0 is land and convert|0.9|sqmi|km2|0 is water. The total area is 1.87% water.

Gainesville is one of the southernmost cities in the United States where deciduous trees predominate, and has been recognized every year since 1982 as a "Tree City, USA". There are deciduous trees farther south, but they are not as abundant as they are from Alachua County northward. The city is also an important way station for automobile travelers, as it is located nearly midway between Atlanta and Miami, five hours from each.

Gainesville is the only city with more than 10,000 residents in either Alachua or Gilchrist County (the two counties in the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area), and it is surrounded by rural area, including the convert|21000|acre|km2|sing=on wilderness of Paynes Prairie on its southern edge. The city is characterized by its medium size, semi-rural location (about 90 minutes driving time away from Jacksonville or Orlando), and is dominated by the presence of the University of Florida, the nation's fourth largest university. [cite web |url=http://www.ufl.edu/facts/ |title=University of Florida Facts |publisher=University of Florida ] Gainesville is informally called "Hogtown" by many residents, after Hogtown Creek, which runs through the city and was the original name of a town nearby, which was eventually incorporated into the growing city.

Climate

Gainesville's climate is defined as humid subtropical. Due to its inland location, Gainesville experiences wide temperature fluctuation for Florida. During the summer season, roughly from May 15 to September 30, the city's climate is the same as the rest of the state, with frequent downpours and high humidity. Temperatures range from the low 70s at night to around convert|90|°F|°C|abbr=on during the day on average.cite web |url=http://www.weather.com/outlook/health/allergies/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USFL0163?from=search |title=Monthly Averages for Gainesville, FL |publisher=The Weather Channel |accessdate=2007-07-22] From mid-October through late April, however, the Gainesville area has a climate distinct from peninsular Florida with occasional freezing temperatures at night and sustained freezes occurring every few years. The all time record low of 10 °F (-12 °C) was reached on January 21, 1985, [cite web |url=http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jax/gnv_records_January.shtml |title=Gainesville Records for January] |publisher=National Weather Service |accessdate=2007-07-21] and the city was struck by a substantial snow and ice storm on Christmas Eve, 1989. In winter, highs average between 66 and 69 °F (19–21 °C), and lows average between 42 and 45 °F (6–7 °C). In average winters, Gainesville will see temperatures drop below 30 °F (-1 °C). [cite web |url=http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/hzm-se1.html |title=USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, Southeast US |publisher=The United States National Arboretum, United States Department of Agriculture |accessdate=2007-07-21] In Gainesville, cold temperatures are almost always accompanied by clear skies and high pressure systems; snow is therefore rare.

The city's flora and fauna are also more distinct from coastal regions of the state, and include many deciduous species, such as dogwood, maple, hickory and sweet gum, alongside palm trees, live oaks, and other evergreens. Due to this, the city enjoys brief periods of fall color in late November and December, and a noticeable and prolonged spring from late February through early April. This is a generally pleasant period, as colorful blooms of azalea and redbud complement a cloudless blue sky, for this is also the period of low precipitation and lowest humidity. The city averages convert|48.36|in|mm|0 of precipitation per year. Summer is the wettest season, with convert|19.51|in|mm|0, while fall is the driest season, with only convert|9.04|in|mm|0 of precipitation.

Cityscape

The North Florida area in which Gainesville is located is known to natives as the "end of the South." This is most likely due to the fact that south of Alachua County, starting somewhere north of Orlando, there are fewer native Floridians (and effectively native Southerners) and the sprawling development that defines South and Central Florida begins.

Suburban sprawl has, as of late, become a concern for the city commissioners. However, the "New Urbanization" plan to gentrify the area between historic Downtown and the University of Florida may slow the growth of suburban sectors and spark a migration toward upper-level apartments in the inner city. The area immediately north of the University of Florida is also seeing active redevelopment.

The east side of Gainesville houses the majority of the African-American community within the city, while the west side consists of the mainly white student and resident population. There are also large-scale planned communities on the far west side, most notably Haile Plantation, which was built on the site of a former plantation.

The destruction of the city's landmark Victorian courthouse in the 1960s, which some considered unnecessary, brought the idea of historic preservation to the attention of the community. The bland county building which replaced the grand courthouse became known to some locals as the "air conditioner." Additional destruction of other historic buildings in the downtown followed, diminishing the city's historic charm. Only a small handful of older buildings are left, like the Hippodrome State Theater, at one time a federal building. After many years of little progress, revitalization of the city's core has picked up, and many parking lots and underutilized buildings are being replaced with infill development and near-campus housing which blend in with existing historic structures. There is talk of rebuilding a replica of the old courthouse on a parking lot one block from the original location.

Helping in this effort are the number of areas and buildings which have been added to the National Register of Historic Places. Dozens of examples of restored Victorian and Queen Anne style residences constructed in the city's agricultural heyday of the 1880s and 1890s can be found in the following districts:
* Northeast Gainesville Residential District
* Southeast Gainesville Residential District
* Pleasant Street Historic District

Historic structures on the Register in and around downtown are:
* Bailey Plantation House (1854)
* Matheson Center Home (1867)
* Thomas Hotel (1928)
* The Old Post Office (now the Hippodrome State Theatre) (1913)
* Masonic Temple (1913)
* Seagle Building (1937), thirteen stories, downtown's only "skyscraper."
* Baird Hardware Company Warehouse (1910)
* Cox Furniture Store (1887)
* Cox Furniture Warehouse (c. 1890)
* Epworth Hall (1884)
* Old Gainesville Depot (1850s)
* Mary Phifer McKenzie House (1895)
* Star Garage (1903)

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there are 95,447 people living within the city limits, 37,279 households, and 18,341 families residing in the city. The population of the metropolitan area as of the censusGR|2 of 2000 was 217,955. The population density is 1,981.0/mi² (764.9/km²). There are 40,105 housing units at an average density of 832.4/mi² (321.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 68.36% White, 23.24% African American, 0.25% Native American, 4.49% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.46% from other races, and 2.18% from two or more races. 6.40% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 37,279 households out of which 22.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.5% are married couples living together, 13.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 50.8% are non-families. 32.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.25 and the average family size is 2.90.

In the city the population is spread out with 17.8% under the age of 18, 29.4% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 26 years. For every 100 females there are 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $28,164, and the median income for a family is $44,263. Males have a median income of $31,090 versus $25,653 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,779. 26.7% of the population and 15.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 24.7% of those under the age of 18 and 9.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line, making Gainesville one of the poorest cities with a large public university. [cite web |url=http://www.cityofgainesville.org/ecodev/common/docs/8-23-04ExhbitB-PeerCities.pdf |title=Peer Cities |publisher=City of Gainesville, Economic Development Department |date=23 August 2004 |accessdate-2007-07-22 |format=PDF]

Economy

Numerous guides such as the 2004 book "Cities Ranked and Rated: More than 400 Metropolitan Areas Evaluated in the U.S. and Canada" have mentioned Gainesville's low cost of living. The restaurants near the University of Florida also tend to be inexpensive. The property taxes are high to offset the cost of the university, as the university's land is tax-exempt. However, the median home cost remains slightly below the national average, and Gainesville residents, like all Floridians, do not pay state income taxes.

This city's job market scored only 6 points out of a possible 100 in the "Cities Ranked and Rated" guide, as the downside to the low cost of living is an extremely weak local job market that is oversupplied with college-educated residents. The University of Florida, the Shands Healthcare system (a private-public-university partnership), and the city government are the only major employers for the city. The median income in Gainesville is slightly below the U.S. average.

Education

All of the Gainesville urban area is served by Alachua County Public Schools, which has some 75 different institutions in the county, most of which are in the Gainesville area. Gainesville is also home to the University of Florida and Santa Fe College. The University of Florida is a major financial boost to the community, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional revenues are created by the athletic events that occur at UF, including SEC football games.

Other educational institutions include: City College (Gainesville campus), P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School, Gainesville High School, Eastside High School, Buchholz High School, Oak Hall School, and Saint Francis Catholic High School.

The Alachua County Library District provides public library service to a county-wide population of approximately 190,655. The Library District has reciprocal borrowing agreements with the surrounding counties of Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Lafayette, Levy, Marion, Putnam and Union. These agreements are designed to facilitate access to the most conveniently located library facility regardless of an individual's county of residence.

Transportation

Gainesville has an extensive road system, which is served by Interstate 75, and several Florida State Routes, including State routes 20, 24, and 26, among others. Gainesville is also served by US 441 and nearby US 301, which gives a direct route to Jacksonville, Ocala, and Orlando.

The city's streets are set up on a grid system with four quadrants (NW, NE, SW and SE). All streets are numbered, except for a few major thoroughfares which are often named for the towns to which they lead (such as Waldo Road (SR 24), Hawthorne Road (SR 20), Williston Road (SR 121), Archer Road (also SR 24) and Newberry Road (SR 26). Streets ending in the suffixes Avenue, Place, Road or Lane (often remembered by use of the acronym "APRiL") run generally east-west, while all other streets run generally north-south.

Daily Amtrak service to and from Waldo, convert|12|mi|km|0 NE of the city, has been replaced with Amtrak shuttle buses which re-connect with the rail system further south. Full Amtrak service is available at Palatka, convert|32|mi|km|0 to the east.

In addition to its extensive road network, Gainesville is also served by Gainesville Regional Transit System, or RTS, which is the fourth largest mass transit system in the state. The area is also served by Gainesville Regional Airport in the northeast part of the city, with daily service to Miami, Tampa, Atlanta, and Charlotte.

Culture

Gainesville is traditionally well-known for its music scene and has spawned a number of bands and musicians including Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Steven Stills, Don Felder and Bernie Leadon of The Eagles, Against Me!, Less Than Jake, Hot Water Music, Sister Hazel, Roach Motel, I Hate Myself, and For Squirrels. It is also currently the location of independent labels No Idea Records and Plan It X Records. No Idea puts on the annual 3 day rock festival known as "The Fest".

Between 1987 and 1992 Gainesville was a big rock scene, with Hollywood star River Phoenix having the local Hardback Cafe as his main base. Together with N-Dolphin, Tone Unknown and many others, River's band Aleka's Attic was a constant feature of the rock scene. [cite web |url=http://www.lawbob.org |title=Hardback Cafe Archive |publisher=Alan Bushnell |month=May | year=2007 |accessdate=2008-07-19] The Phoenix family is still a presence in Gainesville with Rain Phoenix's band Papercranes and Liberty Phoenix's eco friendly store, Indigo. [cite web |url=http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070531/HOUSEHOMEGARDEN/705310307/-1/realestate |title=Liberty Phoenix's Indigo |publisher=The Gainesville Sun |month=May | year=2007 |accessdate=2008-07-19]

During the mid to late 90's, punk and ska defined the local scene and saw the rise of several of the bands listed above.

Today, Gainesville is still known for its strong music community and was named "Best Place to Start a Band in the United States" by Blender Magazine in March of 2008. [cite web |url=http://www.blender.com/TheBestList2008Music/articles/15521.aspx |title=Gainesville named best place to start a band in America |publisher=Blender Magazine |month=March | year=2008 |accessdate=2008-07-19] The article cited the large student population, cheap rent, and friendly venues as reasons why. Furthermore, the University of Florida supports local music by hosting local, regional, and national bands on a regular basis via various student organizations. Starting in 2008, Gainesville will host The Real Big Deal, a two day festival featuring national acts and camping.

Currently, punk has moved aside (while still present) and made room for all genres of music to succeed. Over the past decade, Gainesville has been home to everything from the latin,afrobeat sounds of Umoja Orchestra, the hardcore sound of Cutman, the indie rock Beat Buttons, the psychedelic rock of Morningbell, the epic rock of Liquid Limbs, the electronica, industrial collective Electronic SubSouth, the North Central Florida Blues Society, the alt country Swayze, the reggae sounds of The Duppies, ska staples The Know How, and countless others. [cite web |url=http://www.gainesvillebands.com/bands.asp |title=Current Gainesville Bands |publisher=www.gainesvillebands.com |month=July | year=2008 |accessdate=2008-07-19]

As of summer 2008, the town supports over a dozen music venues, such as The Common Grounds, The Atlantic, Market Street Pub, and 1982. [cite web |url=http://www.gainesvillebands.com/venues.asp |title=Current Gainesville Venues|publisher=www.gainesvillebands.com |month=July | year=2008 |accessdate=2008-07-19]

The music community is well served by the website www.gainesvillebands.com, which is a free open forum for all things music in Gainesville. [cite web |url=http://www.gainesvillebands.com |title=Gainesvillebands.com |publisher=gainesvillebands.com |month=July | year=2008 |accessdate=2008-07-19]

Gainesville's reputation as an independent music mecca can be traced back to October 1984 when a local music video station was brought on the air. The station was called TV-69, broadcast on UHF 69 and was owned by Cozzin Communications. [cite web |url=http://www.afn.org/~riffer/projects/hogtown/TV69.html |title=About Gainesville TV69 |publisher=afn.org |month=October | year=1996 |accessdate=2008-07-19] The channel drew a lot of local media attention thanks in part to its promotion by famous comedian Bill Cosby, who was part-owner of that station when it started. TV-69 featured many videos by punk and indy-label bands and even had several locally produced videos ("Clone Love" by a local parody band, and a Dinosaur Jr song).

Gainesville is known as a supporter of the visual arts, as well. Each year, two large art festivals attract artists and visitors from all over the southeastern United States. The Spring Arts Festival is hosted each year, usually in early April, by Santa Fe College (formerly Santa Fe Community College). The Downtown Festival and Art Show is hosted each fall by the City of Gainesville.

Cultural facilities include the Florida Museum of Natural History, Harn Museum of Art, the Hippodrome State Theatre, Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, and The Civic Media Center. Smaller theaters include the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre (ART) and the Gainesville Community Playhouse (GCP). GCP is the oldest community theater group in Florida; in 2006, it christened a new theater building. [cite web |url=http://www.cityofgainesville.org/about/culture/ |title=City of Gainesville |publisher=cityofgainesville.org |month=July | year=2008 |accessdate=2008-07-19]

The city was the center of the Gainesville Eight case in the 1970s. [cite web |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,907734,00.html |title=The Gainesville Eight |publisher=Time Magazine |month=August | year=1973 |accessdate=2008-07-19] It is known to some as the Berkeley of the South. This nickname was probably afforded to Gainesville because of the presence of a relatively prestigious university, and the liberal tendencies of its voting base. All of the counties surrounding Alachua County vote heavily Republican, while Gainesville votes strongly Democratic.Fact|date=September 2008 In the 2000 election there was a 15% gap in votes in Alachua county between Gore and Bush, while Nader received under 4%. [ [http://www.elections.alachua.fl.us/Archive/elections_and_records/election_results/_raw_results/20001107.html Alachua County Election Results for November 7, 2000] - retrieved 5 September 2008] This liberal lean is attributed to the presence of the University in tandem with the presence of a large black community that consistently votes Democratic.Fact|date=September 2008

The National Coalition for the Homeless cited Gainesville in 2004 as the 5th meanest city for their criminalization of homelessness. [cite web |url=http://www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/crimreport2004/meanestcities.html |title=Illegal to be Homeless |publisher=National Coalition for the Homeless |month=November | year=2004 |accessdate=2007-07-22] The city of Gainesville has a number of ordinances that target the homeless, including an anti-panhandling measure, restrictions on groups that give free meals, and a measure making it illegal to sleep outside on public property. In response, the Gainesville City Commission wrote a 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness. [cite web |url=http://www.co.alachua.fl.us/assets/uploads/images/bocc/%5Bpp.20-35%5DGRACELOGICMODELSCOMPLETE051209.pdf |title=Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness |publisher=Alachua County Commission |accessdate=2007-07-22 |format=PDF]

Gainesville is renowned in the recreational drug culture for "Gainesville Green", a particularly potent strain of marijuana. "Orange and Blue" magazine published a full-length article in Fall of 2003 about the history of Gainesville Green and the local marijuana culture in general. [cite magazine |url=http://www.jou.ufl.edu/pubs/onb/F03/gainesvillegreen.htm |title=Gainesville Green isn't just a color |author=Battey, Brandon |publisher="Orange and Blue" |date=Fall 2003 |accessdate=2007-07-22] In the mid-1990s there were several Gainesville Hemp Festivals which took place outside of the Alachua county courthouse.

Media

Television

Gainesville is the 162nd-largest television market in the nation, as measured by Nielsen Media Research. [cite web |url=http://www.nielsenmedia.com/nc/nmr_static/docs/2007-2008_DMA_Ranks.xls |title=Local Television Market Universe Estimates |publisher=The Nielsen Company |accessdaymonth = 6 September | accessyear=2007] Broadcast television stations in the Gainesville market consist of WCJB, an ABC affiliate in Gainesville, WGFL, a CBS affiliate broadcasting from High Springs, WOGX, a FOX affiliate from Ocala, and WUFT, the PBS station affiliated with the University of Florida in Gainesville. Gainesville has recently acquired a new NBC affiliate dubbed WNBW.

Radio

Arbitron ranks the Gainesville-Ocala market as the nation's 83rd-largest. [Cite web |url=http://www.arbitron.com/radio_stations/mm001050.asp |title=Market Ranks and Schedule |publisher=Arbitron, Inc. |accessdate=2007-09-06] Thirteen radio stations are licensed to operate in the city of Gainesville—five AM stations, six commercial FM stations, and two low-power non-commercial FM stations. Three of the stations (WRUF-AM, WRUF-FM, and WUFT-FM) are operated by broadcasting students at the University of Florida. WUFT-FM is the city's NPR member station, while the WRUF stations are operated as commercial stations.

Print

Gainesville is served by "The Gainesville Sun" and "The Independent Florida Alligator", the student newspaper for the University of Florida and Santa Fe College.

Points of interest

* Gainesville Raceway NHRA Drag Racing
* Florida Museum of Natural History (including the Butterfly Rainforest exhibit)
* Harn Museum of Art
* Kanapaha Botanical Gardens
* The Devil's Millhopper
* Payne's Prairie
* Civic Media Center
* San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park
* Lake Alice
* Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field
* Stephen C. O'Connell Center
* Newnan's Lake
* Santa Fe Community College Teaching Zoo
* Haile Homestead

ee also

* List of people from Gainesville, Florida
* University of Florida

References

*Hildreth, Charles H. and Merlin G. Cox. (1981) "History of Gainesville, Florida, 1854–1979." Alachua County Historical Society. ISBN 0-9672788-4-8
*Rajtar, Steve. (2007) "A Guide to Historic Gainesville." Charleston, South Carolina: History Press. ISBN 978-1-59629-217-8

External links

* [http://www.cityofgainesville.org/ City of Gainesville] - official site
* [http://www.visitgainesville.com/ Visit Gainesville] - official tourism site
* [http://www.gainesvillechamber.com/ Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce] - official site
* [http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/ufdc/ University of Florida Digital Collections] including vast materials from and about Gainesville, FL