It started with a conversation the other day at the Great Outdoors Café in High Springs. A former high school classmate described Gainesville as a great place to live—earn your money here, take trips to other places and bring back those experiences to the city. Good advice that I plan to follow. The mixture of people—local and international, well traveled or experienced, well read or educated in life—is what makes up the fabric of the city.
Gainesville has been my home off and on for many years. Although I’ve been tempted by large cities, which offer more activities, they usually require a commute to work. The reality is that at the end the day (especially one that requires a commute), even the most tempting restaurant, play, museum opening or milonga will not draw me out.
However, in Gainesville, with most activities within a 15-minute driving radius, I actually get out more. The community seems friendlier, the streets seem safer for pedestrians (I think it’s more than the brick cross walks) and more people are out on the street. Landscaping appears more sustainable—it’s actually Florida-Friendly. More effort to blend environment and structures, more parks at least on the UF campus. I hope to have more time to explore the city itself.
Each time I return to Gainesville, the city has progressed. When I used to take my kids on the rails trails probably about 15 years ago, the bikes always got mired in the deep sandy trails. The rails trails, now asphalt with connectors, attract numerous cyclists. I can bike from the UF campus and join the greenway that cuts just south of the historic downtown with its restaurants, galleries, theatre and residential areas. If I had the energy, I could ride to Hawthorne.
Although the town has close to 130,000 inhabitants, I always run into someone I know at one of the popular watering holes, an opening at Media Image or even on the rails trail or on campus. We greet then admit our embarrassment. “I’m so sorry. I never was too good at names.” On those weekends when all events seem to have shut down, someone gets a call out of the blue. “Can you come—I’m giving a birthday party for an 80-year-old friend. Please, no presents.” The friend in question—a matronly crepe myrtle in full bloom.
So what is missing? Maybe pétanque?
My images are missing too--they will be uploaded asap!
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