Housing & Residence Education
SW 13th Street & Museum Road
PO Box 112100
Gainesville, FL 32611-2100
Phone: (352) 392-2161
>> 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.
730 North Waldo Road, Suite 100
(ph) 264-6789 (TDD: 955-2449)
www.co.alachua.fl.us/gov/dept/community_services/crisis.html
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 counseling services.
Bus Service: Gainesville Regional Transit System (RTS)
100 SE 10 Avenue
(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 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. Thursday 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 Coalition
(ph) 265-0543
www.safekids.org
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.
The Alachua County Safe Kids Coalition offers car seat safety classes every month. At the end of the class, parents can purchase a car seat for only $10. Call the Safe Kids Coalition for schedules and registration information.
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) or the Safe Kids Coalition for information about the locations and times for upcoming car seat safety checks.
1731 NW 6 Street
(ph)334-1550
www.ccresources.org
Child Care Resources, Inc. helps families in Alachua, Dixie, Gilchrist, Levy and Putnam Counties find child care and ways to manage both work and raising a family. The agency was established in 1970 as a not-for-profit organization by a group of concerned citizens interested in providing access to quality child care and early child hood education.
Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
5830 NW 34 Street
Driver's Licenses (ph) 955-2111
Tag Agency (ph) 374-5263
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 drivers 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 (Voice) / 334-1742 (TDD
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 an 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
Newberry Road at I-75
(ph) 333-4000 - Shands at AGH (formerly Alachua General Hospital)
801 SW Second Avenue
(ph)372-4321 - Shands Teaching Hospital
Archer Road
(ph)265-0111 - Veterans' Administration Medical Center
Archer Road
(ph) 376-1611
Libraries: Alachua County Library District
401 East University Avenue (main library)
(ph) 334-3900
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 call the number indicated below.
- Downtown Station
401 SE 1 Avenue
(ph) 371-6748 - General Mail Facility
4600 SW 34 Street
(ph) 334-1851 - Main Street Station
1401 North Main Street
(ph) 375-5665 - University Station
1630 NW 1 Avenue (behind UF Plaza)
(ph) 377-2993
Newspaper: The Gainesville Sun
(ph) 378-1416 (Circulation)
www.sunone.com
To subscribe to the local newspaper, The Gainesville Sun, simply call the Sun's circulation department to begin home delivery. Other area newspapers available on a daily basis include The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville), The Miami Herald, The Orlando Sentinel, and The Tampa Tribune.
When you plan to be away from your apartment for an extended period, be sure to call the circulation department to suspend newspaper delivery while you are away.
Peaceful Paths Domestic Abuse Network
912 NE 2 Street
(ph) 377-8255
For women with children who need temporary housing in order to leave a partner who is physically abusing them, Peaceful Paths provides a shelter.
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 are 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
(ph) 955-7300
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:
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.
Elementary Schools (Kindergarten through Grade 5—ages 5-11)
- Williams Elementary School (Corry)
1245 SE 7 Avenue
<(ph) 955-6719 - Prairie View Elementary School (Diamond, Maguire, Tanglewood, UVS)
1801 SE 32 Place
(ph) 955-6714
Middle Schools (Grades 6, 7, 8—ages 11-14)
- Lincoln Middle School (Tanglewood)
1001 SE 12 Street
(ph) 955-6711 - Kanapaha Middle School (Corry, Diamond, Maguire, UVS)
5005 SW 75 Street
(ph) 955-6960
High Schools (Grades 9, 10, 11, 12—ages 14-18)
- Eastside High School (Tanglewood)
1201 SE 45 Terrace
(ph) 955-6704 - Gainesville High School (Corry, Diamond, Maguire, UVS)
1900 NW 13 Street
(ph) 955-6707
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
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.
WIC (Women, Infants, and Children)
(ph) 955-2364
www.fns.usda.gov/wic
WIC is a program of the U. S. Department of Agriculture intended to improve the health of women, infants, and children by providing supplemental foods, nutrition, and breastfeeding education, and access to health services. Call the Alachua County office for more information regarding eligibility requirements.
| © University of Florida, Gainesville, FL Updated: July 24, 2008 |
For questions, comments or problems related to this page please contact: Rena Buchan |
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