Archer Road, located in the southwest part of Gainesville, has many apartments available for rent for students. Some apartment complexes in this area include The Ridge, off-campus housing designed specifically for students, as well as Lexington Crossing Apartments, which is located only one mile away from the UF campus. The neighborhood of Archer Road is also a great place for students to shop and eat at the hundreds of stores and restaurants in Butler Plaza, a large retail complex.

Midtown Gainesville, which is just north of the UF campus, offers many housing opportunities for students, such as College Park at Midtown and Upper Westside Apartments. This neighborhood is filled with restaurants and bars that students tend to frequent.

West Gainesville offers many affordable apartments for students, including apartment complexes such as Arbor Apartments and Coventry Park Apartments.

Dining

The Top is a popular restaurant only a few minutes' drive away from campus, offering many signature burgers and the opportunity to build your own burger or grilled cheese with extra toppings.

The Swamp Restaurant, a quick seven-minute walk from the University of Florida campus, is a popular sports bar where UF students go to hang out, drink beer, and watch football games.

Maude's Classic Cafe is a coffeehouse with an artsy vibe offering light fare, board games, and a spacious outdoor patio.

Transportation

Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) at UF offers many transportation options for students who need to travel from one place to another.

Campus Cab provides point-to-point transportation between 7:45 am and 4:45 pm, Monday through Friday for UF faculty and staff on the Main Campus, East Campus, and to selected UF-owned off-campus locations. Those who wish to use Campus Cab must first request a reservation, which is scheduled on a first-come, first-serve basis and must be requested at least one hour in advance. Campus Cab can transport a maximum of six passengers per ride.

The Campus Connector is a fixed-route, walk-on shuttle service connecting faculty, staff, and students at multiple destinations across campus. The shuttle is free to passengers and does not require a Gator 1 ID to ride. There are two routes, the Orange Line, and the Blue Line, which both operate Monday through Friday 6:30 am-5:30 pm.

The RTS Bus Service is a public transportation service that allows students, faculty, and staff to ride fare-free by presenting their Gator 1 ID. RTS offers multiple bus routes on campus with service to every area of the university, as well as routes throughout the City of Gainesville.

Parking

During decal-restricted hours (Monday through Friday, 7:30 am-4:30 pm), students who wish to park on campus must display a valid UF parking decal or permit. Otherwise, they must park in a metered space or a paid parking facility and pay the appropriate fee. This parking map on UF's website shows the different areas where students can park.

Safety

There are several security programs in place to ensure the safety of all University of Florida students.

UF offers the UF Alert System, which notifies the campus community upon the confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the health or safety of students and employees occurring on the campus. The UF Alert Program is coordinated by the Department of Emergency Management in cooperation with University of Florida Police Department and University Relations.

The UF GatorSAFE app also allows students to report tips to the UF Police Department, make emergency calls, view local crime happening around the campus, and more to ensure students' safety.

Shopping

Oaks Mall, located a quick 8-minute drive from UF's campus, is a large shopping mall with many restaurants and stores that students can visit. Another nearby shopping area is Butler Plaza, which has more than 150 stores, 35 restaurants, and a movie theater.

Several grocery stores near UF's campus include Whole Foods Market, a quick 5-minute drive away; La Aurora Latin Market; and Trader Joe's.