In a report published this week by the Alachua County Times, Gainesville has been named one of the best places to live in Alachua County.
The rating was released just after UF was named the 8th best public university in the country. Alachua County residents seem to care more about their city’s distinction than UF’s slight rise in ranks. Lifelong Gainesville resident Bob Dawson, 106, never thought he’d see his city accomplish anything of this magnitude.
“The academics are great and all, but this is the first time we’ve broken the top 8 for this county since the Cold War”, said Dawson. “They don’t call Alachua County the Harvard of North-Central Florida for nothin’”.
Residents all over Gainesville are celebrating their distinction, and sharing the news all over their Facebook feeds. Since the report recognizes only 9 cities in Alachua County, the rise from ninth to eighth place means that Gainesville is no longer the worst city in the county. According to the Alachua County Times, Gainesville has consistently held the lowest spot since 1989.
Some pundits are taking this opportunity to point out that USA TODAY voted Alachua County 2018’s ‘Least Habitable County in Florida’. However, big names are stepping up to the haters to defend their beloved city.
New Florida football coach Dan Mullen said that Gainesville has a lot to compete with, since Alachua County is home to some of the best cities in the U.S.
“I didn’t come to Gainesville because of the millions of dollars I’m being paid,” said Mullen. “I came because Alachua County is home to the picturesque Waldo, the bustling metropolis of Micanopy, and, the humblest town of all, Gainesville.”
We couldn’t reach city officials for a comment, presumably because they were off celebrating the victory or plotting inconvenient road work. We hope the city will feel motivated by the rating, and strive to keep Gainesville out of ninth place.