Section Image
Residents Guide - Community Services
Village Life
Campus Programs and Services
Gainesville Community Services
Gainesville Community Services
The Gainesville Regional Airport is located on NE 39 Avenue east of Waldo Road. ASA (an affiliate of Delta Airlines) is currently serving this area. For more information on flights and reservations, look in the Yellow Pages of your telephone directory under "Airlines." General information and reservation numbers are toll free. Three major airports are located within two hours or less driving time from Gainesville, in Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tampa.
218 SE 24th Street
Gainesville, FL 32641
(ph) 264-6789 (TDD: 955-2449)
http://www.alachuacounty.us/Depts/CSS/CrisisCenter/Pages/CrisisCenter.aspx
When you need someone to talk to—at any time of the day or night—you can always call the Crisis Center Hotline. Trained volunteers will listen to your concerns and provide appropriate assistance. The Crisis Center also offers confidential services.
Bus Service: Gainesville Regional Transit System (RTS)
700 SE 3rd Street
(ph) 334-2600
www.go-rts.com/
The Gainesville Regional Transit System is a commuter bus service that provides transportation to locations throughout the University of Florida, in Gainesville, and in portions of Alachua County. This service is free of charge with a student and staff UF ID card. RTS also provides buses for the "Later Gator" service from the Reitz Union to the Downtown Plaza every ten minutes from 8:30 p.m. to 2:45 a.m. Monday through Saturday. Later Gator bus stops are marked with special signs. The service is free with a Gator One ID card.
Greyhound Bus Lines, a national company, has a local terminal in Gainesville (516 SW 4 Avenue). For fare and schedule information, call toll-free 1-800-231-2222. Other bus companies provide weekly service for students traveling between Gainesville and south Florida for the weekend. Check the classified ads in The Alligator for contact information.
Car Seats (Child-Restraint Seats)
Safe Kids North Central Florida
352-231-4636
http://www.shandssafekids.org/index.asp
Florida law requires all front seat occupants in cars, pick-up trucks, and vans to buckle up your seat belts. All children under 6 years of age must be buckled up no matter where they ride in the vehicle. Children from birth through age 3 must be secured in a federally-approved child-restraint seat. Children 4 through 5 years of age must be secured either by a federally-approved child-restraint seat or a safety belt.
If you need more information about car seat, click on the following link: http://www.shandssafekids.org/car-seat-check/
Most car seats in the U. S. are not properly attached inside the vehicle. UPD officers have been trained to check car seats and make the necessary adjustments so that they are attached properly. Contact the UPD Community Affairs Division (392-1409).
Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
5830 NW 34 Street
Driver's Licenses (ph) 955-2110
http://www.flhsmv.gov/
To drive a motorized vehicle (car, truck, motorcycle) in the state of Florida, you are required to obtain a Florida driver's license within thirty (30) days after becoming a resident of Gainesville. New residents are required to pass only a visual examination if you have a valid driver's license from another state. A free handbook is available with information about examinations, costs, rules, and public safety. An appointment is recommended for anyone getting a driver's license. A new license costs $20 and is valid for six years. Driver's licenses and driver’s tests are available Tuesday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
New residents must register your vehicles and obtain Florida license tags within 30 days of establishing legal residency, or by the day you begin work in Florida or by the time you register your children in school. Residents with vehicles registered out of state are required to have proof of Florida insurance, car registration and car title on the day of car registration. For more information, contact the tag agency. The vehicle registration office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Gainesville Regional Utilities
301 SE 4 Avenue
(ph) 334-3400
If you live in Corry Village or Diamond Village, you will be billed monthly for natural gas service by Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU). Contact GRU directly to have the gas turned on in your apartment.
A deposit is required, as well as activation charge. You should call GRU for these rates. Meters can be turned on from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, with one day’s advance notice. The GRU service person must enter the apartment to check and light the stove and space heater when the meter is turned on. A resident must be at home for this service. If not, the resident must give the village office authorization for GRU employees to enter the apartment.
Once GRU service begins, if the pilot light is out, or any maintenance is needed, contact the Maintenance department through the village office for assistance.
If you smell gas leaking in the apartment, call Maintenance immediately!
Several major hospitals are located in Gainesville:
- North Florida Regional Medical Center
6500 West Newberry Road
(ph) 333-4000 - Shands Hospital
1600 Southwest Archer Road
(ph)265-0111
Libraries: Alachua County Library District
401 East University Avenue (main library)
(ph) 334-3900
www.aclib.us
Residents can apply for a library card to reserve and check-out books, videotapes, books on tape, music on CDs and cassettes, and other media at the main library or any of the nine branch libraries in Alachua County. The libraries also offer a variety of programs for children of different ages. The library's "Bookmobile" visits Maguire Village and Tanglewood Village twice a month. Check The Villager for dates and times.
Mail Delivery and Post Offices
Mail is delivered daily (Monday through Saturday except holidays) to a central mailbox location in each village by letter carriers employed by the U. S. Postal Service. Each resident is assigned a mailbox number that corresponds to your apartment number.
Mail sent to your apartment should be addressed as follows:
All villages except Tanglewood:
Your Name
Building- Village Name- Apartment Number (for example 289 Corry Village #48)
Gainesville, FL 32603-xxxx (an additional four-digit code will be provided at check-in.)
Tanglewood:
Your Name
Building- SW 13 Street- Apartment Number (for example, 2901 SW 13 Street #699)
Gainesville, FL 32608-xxxx
There are four full-service post offices in Gainesville. For more information about services and hours of operation, please visit the following website: http://usps.whitepages.com/post_office
The north central Florida region offers many outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities for every interest and skill level. Each village office has brochures and pamphlets describing these resources.
For children there are myriad organized sports teams, sports camps and other camping experiences, organizations such as Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, 4-H, etc. Each year in March or April there is a summer camp showcase where staff from dozens of summer programs is on hand to provide applications and other information. Camps in this area fill quickly; parents are urged to apply early. Be sure to inquire about the availability of scholarships and other financial considerations.
School Board of Alachua County (Administrative Offices)
620 East University Avenue
Gainesville, FL 32601
www.sbac.edu
As you might expect in a university community, there are several types of educational options for children in the Gainesville area. One school, the P. K. Yonge Developmental Research School, is affiliated with UF's College of Education (see campus listings).
Public schools are open to all children and are supported by property tax assessments. Each school provides textbooks and some supplies at no charge. Bus transportation is provided. In some schools, children may wear school uniforms that are purchased by the family. Most elementary schools have an "after-school program" to provide supervised child care until the end of the work day for parents. Some middle schools and high schools have "magnet" programs, which are specialized curricula that require an application for admission; other schools are "charter schools," in which the entire school is organized around a specific theme, such as fine arts.
Children who attend private schools pay tuition and may be required to purchase textbooks and other supplies. Some schools have a religious affiliation; others do not.
Another alternative is "home schooling" in which parents or other caregivers take responsibility for educating their children. Many families in Gainesville are currently home-schooling their children. Many are members of a home-schooling network to share educational resources and experiences. Contact the School Board of Alachua County for more information.
Public schools are assigned according to residential zones. Children living in Village Housing are zoned for the following public schools. To find out the schools associated to your residential area, please click on the following link: http://www.housing.ufl.edu/villages/schoolzone.php
ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages). Children whose first language is not English will be evaluated for placement in an ESOL classroom or a regular classroom.
To enroll your child in school, call the school for which your village is zoned and be sure to ask:
- When should I go to school to enroll my child?
- What immunizations are needed for admission into school?
- Is a medical examination required?
- What documents or records should I bring to the school to enroll my child?
- Should I bring my child with me?
At the time of your enrollment appointment at the school, ask about:
- Books and the costs of books and other supplies (if any).
- Bus transportation.
- Starting and ending time each day.
- School health insurance.
- Lunches: Can my child buy lunch at school or bring a lunch from home?
Is my child eligible for a free or reduced-price lunch? - After-school care (if needed).
Supervisor of Elections
(ph) 374-5252
http://elections.alachua.fl.us/
To register to vote, you must be a U.S. citizen at least 17-1/2 years of age and show proof of address. You must be registered at least 29 days before an election to vote in that election. Voter registration tables are frequently offered on campus. Call Supervisor of Elections for more information.
