Under an umbrella of century-old oak trees and enveloped with the vibrant green foliage of the tropics, the quiet but flourishing town of Alachua, Florida, is emerging as one of the new jewels of the Southeast. The town’s population of around 7,000 enjoys the peace, solitude and sense of community that comes with small-town life. However, thanks to the proximity to Gainesville and the University of Florida, less than 10 miles to the south, residents also reap the benefits of living in an emergent county that boasts economic, cultural and recreational benefits rivaling almost any other region of the country.

In recent years, growth has kicked into overdrive in Alachua. A number of emerging companies, in cutting-edge industries such as biotechnology and agricultural engineering, have come calling. The corporate investment has jumpstarted the local economy, causing significant increases in employment opportunities and residential development.

But as its heart, Alachua is a friendly, close-knit community, where residents exchange greetings in the historic post office and tourists stroll down historic Main Street to enjoy the quaint shops and cafes. Those who venture outside of the downtown area find scenic country roads awash with wildflowers, gentle rolling hills dotted with grazing horses and crystal clear water in the region’s many world famous natural springs.

A number of other characteristics of North Central Florida contribute to Alachua’s overwhelmingly high quality of life, including:

• Top flight health care from the county’s four major hospital’s and the universities internationally recognized health and science center.
• A convenient location that places the town within two hours of many of Florida’s major metropolitan areas, including Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa.
• A mild climate in a region that sees only a couple of freezes each winter and has one of the highest rations of sunny days in the country
• Outdoor recreation so varied and attractive that the area has become a top eco-tourist attractions, and a major destination for campers, cyclists, divers and many other types of outdoor enthusiasts

As the local economy continues to expand and more and more people discover this hidden gem, it seems likely that Alachua will be an attractive destination for a long time to come.