Gainesville-Apartments

Affluent students from all over the nation move to Gainesville to attend the University of Florida, with hopes of their first apartments and UF dorms-- but most find themselves severely disappointed with the quality of Gainesville apartments available for student rental. But if you know where to look, there are many unforgettable apartment complexes in Gainesville that compete with the quality level and aesthetic finesse you'd find in Miami, Sarasota, Los Angelos and New York. The trick for UF students is to determine what's important to them and to tour and reserve early in the year. The most popular apartments (those located within walking distance of UF classes, with great amenities) fully lease many months before the August move-ins begin.

Gainesville Apartments Market:

For the most part, the industry portfolio for apartments in Gainesville can be broken up into three segments:

• Gainesville apartments far from UF - range drastically in the year they were built. Typically cheaper than apartments next to UF, since students will have to ride a bus to get to their classes (the University of Florida has extremely limited parking and encourages commuting through the RTS bus system). Bus rides can take 45 minutes each way, depending on which apartment complex in Gainesville the student chooses. The main problem is not how many miles from UF they are located-- it's how many stops lie between the apartment complex and the university. The more stops, the longer you'll be sitting on the bus (often non-air-conditioned). Plus, the bus system doesn't drop students where their UF classes are located; it drops them off at one of two locations on campus, and the students walk from there to the libraries, classes, lecture halls, etc. Most students get dropped off at The Hub.
• Gainesville Apartments Next to UF - apartments located within 3 blocks of UF's eastern or northern edges (ie: off of University Avenue or 13th Street) are considered "walking distance to UF classes". Keep in mind that UF doesn't have many (if any) lecture halls located on its southern or western edges, and the UF campus is spread out over several miles. For students, it's imperative to live walking distance to UF classes if they don't have the extra few hours to spend riding the bus. Land values are considerably higher close to UF, so the apartments close to UF are slightly more expensive per month. But skip a few lattes and you've made up the cost difference.
  
• Private Luxury Dorms for UF students - currently, Gainesville offers two luxury private dorms for UF students. These are newly built dorms located walking distance to UF classes and Sorority Row. These dorms (known as Windsor Hall and the Ivy House) are the only alternative to the UF lottery system for students wanting the "true college experience" of living in a dorm freshman year.
  

If you're hoping to live in one of the apartments near UF, you'll have to look early. Due to the incredibly high renewal rates and "legacy leases" (where residents pass on a popular house to their younger friends), many of the more popular apartment complexes like Sabal Palms and Stratford Court have only a handful of apartments which come available for move-in each year. Students who want to have the most options should get on the apartment waitlist in September, with plans of touring and reserving their homes for August move-in by mid to late November.

There are truly unforgettable Gainesville apartments-- but you'll have to do your homework to ensure you don't miss out.

Popular choices include:

• Arbor Lofts - 1 bedroom loft apartments, walking distance to the UF football stadium
• Camden Court - the closest luxury apartments to the UF entrance on 13th Street
• Windsor Hall - the dorm where UF students are guaranteed placement with a private bathroom and kitchenette
• University Heights - inexpensive 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom apartments, near Sorority Row
• Royale Palms - spacious luxury apartments behind Norman Hall and walking distance to Turlington Plaza
• The Courtyards - the closest all-inclusive apartments to UF classes in Gainesville
  

The first post on the new Gainesville Apartments blog!