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UF Department of Psychiatry

ABOUT GAINESVILLE

	ABOUT GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA
Residency Training Program From the Residency Training Director Program Faculty	The Gainesville/Alachua County area is among the nation's best places to live, according to Money Magazine, September 1995. For six consecutive years, it has been tapped as Florida's most livable city and has ranked among the leaders in the nation. Given that Gainesville is not far from the northern border of Florida and a little more than an hour's drive from either coast, the city has a pleasant climate. Although it is predominantly warm, in summer the temperature generally drops about 20 degrees at night, in winter there are short but stimulating cold spells, and the seasons change. In spring, the dogwoods are spectacular. The mean temperature is 70.1 (degrees F), ranging from 57.7 in January to 81.1 in August. The average amount of sunshine per day is nearly 7.75 hours and the annual rainfall is 49.97 inches. The coast is not so near that the area is in much danger from tropical storms.
Purpose, Philosophy & Goals Training Facilities & Services Clinical Rotations Curriculum Resident Life Post Graduate Fellowships		History Spanish explorers traversed what is now Alachua County as early as 1529. Gainesville and the University had their separate beginnings in 1853, when the first state college (the East Florida Seminary) was founded in Ocala, and the Alachua County Commission decided to move the county seat and build a new one on the route to be taken by the Florida Railroad. The new city was named for General Edmund Gaines, captor of Aaron Burr and victorious commander in the Second Seminole War. The state college, after several moves, was merged with the Florida Agricultural College of Lake City to form the University of Florida, which moved to Gainesville the following year. The present urban population of the city is more than 96,000.
Application Process About Gainesville, Florida	Economics Economic ties between the University and the city and county are close. The University is the principal employer, and it is also involved in the most profitable business of the area - agriculture. At least since the 16th century, when the Spanish made the area the hub of their cattle ranching, Alachua County has been a main center for agriculture in Florida. Cattle and dairy products, poultry, vegetables, tobacco, corn, and timber produce the greatest revenue. Several state and federal agricultural agencies have headquarters in Gainesville, and the University's Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences serve the entire state through its research and education centers. Health care is a strong second industry serving all of North Central Florida and the outlying areas. Other economic influences include high tech research, environmental engineering and of course, agriculture. Housing There is a quality home in Gainesville and Alachua County for every lifestyle. It is possible, for example, to find a new single-family home with 1,800 square feet of interior space on an 8,000 square foot lot for under $125,000. Such a home could have three bedrooms, two full baths, living and dining areas, kitchen, family room, utility room, and a two-car attached garage. There are many luxury apartment complexes appealing university students, young families and retired citizens. Condominiums complete with recreationa l amenities are also popular among mature adults and retired residents. Schools The largest educational institutions in Gainesville are the University, with an enrollment of 46,000, and Santa Fe Community College, with four campuses and an enrollment of more than 17,000. The full scope of education is available in Alachua County. The Alachua County public school system includes 24 elementary schools, eight middle schools, seven high schools, 14 charter schools, two special education centers and an alternative middle/high school center. More than 30,000 students are enrolled. The Gainesville area boasts the highest percentage of gifted students in Florida. The school system gives full vent to their energies through a variety of programs for the academically talented. Career-oriented high school students can take advantage of dual enrollment programs offered by Santa Fe Community College. Eighty percent of high school graduates go on to some form of higher education.
	Lakes, Oceans and Rivers Many of the pleasures of living in the Gainesville area are water-related. The beaches of both coasts (quite different) are easily accessible. But it is not necessary to leave Alachua County to enjoy fishing, swimming, sailing, and similar sports. Of its 965 square miles, more than one in twenty is covered in water.
	Many springs are within easy reach of Gainesville. These springs, and the lakes and rivers they feed, have exceptionally clear, cool water, and (usually) a white sandy floor. Some (such as Silver Springs at Ocala, about 40 miles south of Gainesville) have been developed into full-blown tourist attractions, with underwater viewing galleries, cruises on glass-bottomed boats, and water shows of various kinds. Other springs are virtually undiscovered. Many afford opportunities for camping, swimming, canoeing, and underwater exploration. It is not uncommon for divers to find fossils or Indian artifacts. Drifting down the river on an inner tube (“tubing”) can be enjoyed on the spring-fed Ichetucknee River. For naturalists the terrain is especially rich in interest.
	Wildlife There is a 280-acre wildlife sanctuary within Gainesville itself. The Morningside Nature Center has a permanent staff of naturalists and a varied program of activities, from natural history, farm, and folklore courses to nature walks, craft workshops, and special events such as an old- fashioned Fourth of July. Surrounding the shores of Kanapaha Lake in Gainesville, Florida, Kanapaha Gardens have been in operation since 1977. The 62-acre garden is the second largest in the state. This garden was established and is maintained strictly for the public, as a place of enjoyment as well as education. Kanapaha is frequented mostly by local residents and students who want to get away from the city for a while. Visitors will experience over 10 distinctly different gardens. They include the Butterfly Garden, Herb Garden, Bamboo Grove, Vinery and various water gardens. The 57-acre Bivens Arm Nature Park is also within the city limits. This preserve and Morningside Nature Center are managed by the Gainesville Department of Cultural and Nature Operations, which also coordinates outdoor and indoor activities at locations throughout the city. Paynes Prairie State Preserve, Devil's Millhopper State Geological Site, and San Felasco Hammock State Preserve afford opportunities to get close to nature without leaving the boundaries of the county. Arts and Culture
	Considered Gainesville's cultural center, the Thomas Center is housed in a beautifully restored Mediterranean Revival-style hotel. The Thomas Center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and contains art galleries, 1920's period rooms, local history exhibits, performance space, banquet rooms, and meeting rooms. A lively calendar of cultural events keeps the Thomas Center and its gardens busy year round. Gainesville has a number of drama groups. The Across Town Repertory Theatre performs in the historic Baird Center, and the Constanse Theatre on the UF campus is the home of the University's Florida Players. The Gainesville Community Playhouse is headquarters for community theater in Gainesville, and the Hippodrome, with a fine professional company, is one of Florida's three state theaters. This handsome building, formerly the Gainesville post office, now contains a main theater, a smaller cinema theater, and gallery space for art exhibits.		Thomas Center ( Gainesville/Alachua County Visitors & Convention Bureau)
	The 1800 seat Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, on the western edge of the campus, is the area's major concert and theater space for touring and local talent. The Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, adjacent to the Center for the Performing Arts, is a stunning regional art center. Art galleries in Gainesville also include three in the Thomas Center, the University Gallery, and several other galleries and exhibition areas on campus. Santa Fe Community College has a Gallery of Art and sponsors the Spring Arts Festival in downtown Gainesville, one of the best of its kind in the Southeast. The Gainesville Fine Arts Association sponsors shows at the Thomas Center and in area shopping malls. There are several commercial galleries and the Artisans' Guild, a nonprofit cooperative for local artists and craftsperson's. The City of Gainesville sponsors a guest artist series and music and performing arts series for local performers and companies at the Thomas Center. The University's Department of Music offers local musicians opportunities to participate in its performing groups, which range from the symphony orchestra to jazz combos. Touring professional performers and productions are brought to Gainesville by Student Government and other organizations. At the Reitz Union, Madrigal Dinners are given each December in conjunction with the Department of Music. Athletics and sports are part of the fabric of Gainesville. The University of Florida is proud of its “Gators” and many nationally ranked teams- including football, basketball, volleyball, golf swimming, track, and soccer. Game day is commonly covered by the major networks, ESPN, and on national TV. Major league sports are a short drive away in both Tampa and Jacksonville. Gainesville is served by more than 15 radio stations, including WUFT-FM, a classical music station. There are two local commercial television channels, and WUFT is the University-owned public television channel. The Gainesville Sun is the local newspaper, and there are several student newspapers. Gainesville is the home of the Florida Museum of Natural History, a good starting place for those who want to know more about Alachua County and to explore beyond as well as within it. It is located on the University campus. The Matheson Historical Center serves as the Alachua county museum and archives.
	Interesting Places in and Around Florida Travel to and from Gainesville is easy. The main highways are Interstate 75, U.S. 441, and U.S. 301. The Gainesville Regional Airport is served by Piedmont/US Airways Express and ASA/Delta. There is an Amtrack rail depot close by, at Waldo. Intercity bus service is provided by Greyhound. Within the city a 10-route, half-hourly bus service operates on weekdays, with hourly service on Saturdays. Within a radius of about 100 miles of Gainesville there are various place of interest. Paynes Prairie State Preserve, Devil's Millhopper State Geological Site, and San Felasco Hammock State Preserve afford opportunities to get close to nature without leaving the boundaries of the county. Beginning with the Okefenokee Swamp (north of Gainesville) and going clockwise, one may visit Jacksonville (with its big-city amenities and beaches), St. Augustine (the oldest city in the United States, established by the Spanish in 1565), Marineland, the Kennedy Space Center, Disney World and EPCOT (surely the state's best-known tourist attraction), and Cedar Key, the picturesque fishing village, an hours drive to the west. At Cross Creek, close to Gainesville, the home of author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings is preserved as a museum. In Ocala, less than hour to the south, horse farms are abundant. And the beaches that have made Florida famous are just a short drive from the Gainesville as well.