From culture to recreation to pure natural beauty, Gainesville, Florida, is extraordinarily rich in all of the areas that equal quality of life. Existing in the shadow of the fourth largest university in the U.S., residents of this growing city benefit immensely from everything the University of Florida has to offer.

Gainesville is large enough to provide the economic and cultural benefits that come with a population approaching 100,000, yet small enough to exude the pastoral feel of a tranquil country burg. The university anchors the city's young, highly educated population, bringing with it internationally renowned figures in everything from music to literature to politics, as well as a number of museums and other facilities of national stature. Along with Santa Fe Community College, the city's two institutions of higher education propel constant growth and a steady influx of motivated students and accomplished academics.

North Central Florida's climate is another selling point. Temperatures in the mild winter rarely dip below freezing, and the region lives up to Florida's nickname, offering many more days of sunshine annually than the national average. The lush greenery and city-wide canopy of Live Oaks, Elms and Southern Magnolias have made Gainesville and outdoor enthusiast's dream. The city maintains 30 nature parks, with another 40 within a short drive, including the vast 20,000-acre Paynes Prairie State Preserve, just minutes to the south.

With four major hospitals in the county and UF's University's Health Science Center, Gainesville is the medical hub of North Florida. The city's unemployment rate remains well below state and national averages, and the young, vibrant labor force and thriving economy recently led Southern Business & Development magazine to choose Gainesville as third best city on the South to do business. For work or play, Gainesville is one of the Southeast's most desirable destinations.