<p>I am interested in University of Florida however, I am from the north and was told the southerners dislike many of the northerners. I am a pretty shy person so it's already difficult to open up, I was worried it would make it even harder if people had something against me since I was from the north. I heard the southerners are still angry and upset about the civil war. Any thoughts or experiences with northerners attending UF?</p>
<p>…You’re going to be in Florida, bro. Not Alabama.</p>
<p>Florida ain’t a south (culturally). We mad awesome and number 1 party school. Go crocodiles!</p>
<p>When I read the original post I wasn’t sure if it was for real or not? Just in case it is real and you’re truly looking for reassurance…Being a native Floridian I can assure you that we do not dislike Northerners because we are holding a grudge from the Civil War. Lol. Nor we do dislike Northerners in general…do you know how many of you relocate here? Just as the above posted indicated, while Florida is technically in the South we are not “Southern”. We have so many people here who have migrated from other states very few of us Floridians are “Southerners”.</p>
<p>Not only all of that. But UF has more jewish students than any other public University in the Nation. Many of these students are from the North East: [Top</a> 60 Schools by Jewish Student Population](<a href=“http://www.hillel.org/about/news/2011/aug/31AUG11_Top60.htm]Top”>http://www.hillel.org/about/news/2011/aug/31AUG11_Top60.htm) </p>
<p>Dont forget that Florida is divided by the I-4 interstate corridor. Everything North of the line is consider Dixie and everything South is considered not so Dixie.</p>
<p>Just stay away from Palatka and Lake City you will do just fine. jk</p>
<p>I’ve been to Gainesville multiple times, and it is nothing like the “stereotypical south”. It’s very diverse and has that college town feel.Florida, for that matter, is not too southern.</p>
<p>There are some clubs you ought to stay away from. I forgot the name, but there’s one that is nothing but racist and hates any foreigners of UF. We call em’ the Palukas.</p>
<p>Don’t let anyone here fool you-
Once you leave campus, the surrounding area of Gainesville is a redneck city filled with good all boys who drink their government checks away every night. Within five miles of the school, you have very poor blacks who live in homes that were built in the 1940’s that should have had been torn down 50 years ago and within eight miles of the school; there are several psychiatric institutions that house the most violent psychotic killers known to mankind. That’s Gainesville!</p>
<p>True on that part. Gainesville is actually a hyper-segregated city. Its very unnoticeable to us UF students because this area is extremely diverse. But believe me, every five minutes you spend walking away from UF, the place looks creepier and drunken and you just don’t wanna go to far. Remember, your space bubble!</p>
<p>Unless you have a crazy northern accent, nobody will notice in the first place. When I tell people I’m from NY, they’re like, omg really?!!</p>
<p>I’m from Syracuse, not NYC though - so I don’t have an NYC accent. SW Gainesville is pretty diverse, the rest - not so much. Of course the campus is the only really diverse place. The Indians and other Foreign students (Asians) tend to hang out in their own groups in my experience.</p>
<p>Florida isn’t a real southern state either, anyway. There are tons of northerners in FL.</p>
<p>The more north you go in Florida, the closer you get to the Deep South. Gainesville is situated in north-central Florida in the bible belt. The UF campus and nearby areas are ‘cosmopolitan’, but going just 10-20 miles from the campus in any direction is like going back 60 or 70 years in time. Old Florida towns near Gainesville like Waldo, Archer, Newberry, Williston, Alachua, and Hawthorne resemble something like out of a Flannery O’Connor short story or even the movie Cool Hand Luke (setting for CHL movie was Marion and Lake counties just to south of Gainesville.)</p>
<p>It can be a cultural shock not only for out-of staters arriving in Gainesville area first time, but can also be a shock for new Florida resident students from Palm Bch, Broward, and Miami-Dade when they first step foot in Gainesville. There are actually ranches, peanut farms, cows, etc., and also rednecks. The UF community and the surrounding Gainesville area community can clash culturally and fail to communicate. If you are off campus and anyone asks your name, answer: Jeff Davis. If you hear any banjo music: run.</p>
<p>[cool</a> hand luke - YouTube](<a href=“cool hand luke - YouTube”>cool hand luke - YouTube)</p>
<p>Allow me to provide an example----</p>
<p>My parents are financially secure and we usually visit New York City three times a year and always stay in Manhattan along Times Square and always @ The Marriott Marquises. The hotel is beautiful, the shows are great, dining options are plentiful and I have never felt unsafe even walking outside the hotel @ 400AM. Now, if I take a 15 minute taxi drive north and get dropped off north of 115th Street, it’s like another world.<br>
In a span of 15 minutes, I leave a world filled with $300 a night hotels with multi-million dollar apartments to some of the worst ghettos in the country. Thats how Gainesville and northern Florida can be…</p>
<p>Lizard - I am still laughing at the “if you hear banjo music, run” Awesome!</p>