<p>i'm going for orientation for transfer students (Nov 8th) and i wanted to know any place to visit? Restaurants, malls, parks, etc.</p>
<p>Thank you,</p>
<p>I recently asked this same question, and was advised to go to the Swamp restaurant, an “authentic” UF type place.</p>
<p>There is a mall in Gainesville, that is decent but not great.</p>
<p>I hate to tell you this, but there is not a lot to do around Gainesville. My son is applying as an undergraduate.</p>
<p>If you live in Miami, you are probably going to be disappointed.</p>
<p>It is not uncommon in Gainesville to see people at a fast food restaurant holding hands and saying grace before they eat. Nothing wrong with that, but don’t expect South Beach.</p>
<p>It really is in the middle of nowhere.</p>
<p>I live 1 1/2 hours south.</p>
<p>The hometown feeling and the fact that gville caters to UF is what makes it a very special place.</p>
<p>While you are there you can as mentioned have a meal at The SWAMP which is a restaurant on Univ Ave, you can go to Lake Wauberg and if anyone asks just tell them you are visiting, you can walk around campus to get a feel for the place, you can attend a sporting event I can assure you something is going on almost everyday, you can rent a bike at the bike shop near the SWAMP restuarant on univ avenue. During the spring and summer you can go tubing on one of the many springs in the area, you can also go to Crescent Beach just north of St Augustine, plus join one of the many clubs that are there for the student body.</p>
<p>The most important thing to keep in mind is that if you attend UF? you are there to study and to enjoy the little free time you will have. So dont fret if there are not tons of things to do. I can assure there will be plenty when and if you get in.</p>
<p>Check out the campus…O’Connell Center (basketball) and Ben Hill Griffin stadium (football) are open and amazingly huge and beautiful. Walk all over the place and find unique spots on campus…Pugh Hall (cozy couches, study rooms) and Art Buildings (ABC) Library (Treehouse study lofts!) are great places that you might want to study at in the future. Off campus a bit, check out the favorite place to workout–
SW recreation center. Across the street is an unbelievable free museum of Natural History—state of the art museum featuring Indian artifacts, reconstructed indian huts, megalodon shark jaws, and a gallery of prehistoric animal skeletons that is wonderful…also chek out the amazing butterfly displays…butterfly garden is beautiful but costs $—rest of the museum is free and is absolutely our fav place to go when we want to relax for a few hours. Devil’s Milhopper is a huge sinkhole that is popular—I know you get there on the next exit north of Newberry road, but forget exactly where it is…Sinkhole you climb way down into with plants and waterfalls—$3 charge I think…but is open some odd hours.
Gainesville has some absolutely wonderful restaurants of many ethnicities…something for everyone…Try The Top restaurant downtown Gainesville…kitschy decor…great menu…always busy. Or Satchel’s Pizza Place —fun, funky, great pizza…Enjoy your visit!</p>
<p>I second The Top and Satchel’s pizza…both run by hippies and with fresh delicious food. If you are a sushi lover go to Dragonfly. Best sushi anywhere! For fabulous (but pricey) steaks and a nice ambiance go to Mark’s US Prime (next to Dragonfly).</p>