Neighborhood in Gainesville · Alachua County
Downtown
Downtown Gainesville brings the Hippodrome, Main Street businesses and apartments together around University Avenue.
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Creator: Michael Rivera
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
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Downtown apartment locations, garage access and everyday services
About Downtown
Downtown Gainesville brings the Hippodrome, Main Street businesses and apartments together around University Avenue. Housing includes several distinct Arlington Square locations. The city garage offers permit parking, the public library opens on Sundays, and buses from Rosa Parks Station connect with Butler Plaza and Santa Fe College.
One downtown leasing office, several apartment locations
Arlington Square’s original apartments occupy 320 and 321 SE 3rd Street and 207 SE 2nd Place, near the Hippodrome. The operator distinguishes courtyard buildings A–D from pool-side buildings E–H, with building I separately located. Its directory provides site maps for the individual buildings.
The same leasing office also handles Wisteria Downs at 405 SE 2nd Avenue and North Downtown at 113 NW 3rd Avenue. The latter is north of University Avenue, near Main Street’s late-night venues. A listing under the Arlington Square name can therefore refer to a different block and building layout, even though the contact address remains 207 SE 2nd Place.
A garage permit offers different access from hourly parking
The city’s SW Downtown Garage is at 105 SW 3rd Street. Posted permits cost $40 a month or $100 for three months, plus tax; availability is limited. Downtown employees can obtain a $20 monthly permit with proof of employment. Permit parking is available around the clock in upper-floor spaces not reserved for another entity.
Hourly parking costs 50 cents an hour from 6 a.m.–8 p.m., capped at $4 for that daytime period; the overnight rate is $5. From 10 p.m.–5 a.m. Thursday–Sunday, entry is limited to permit holders. The garage at 220 SE 2nd Avenue has a different operator, so these city rates do not apply to it.
Downtown buses reach Butler Plaza and Santa Fe College
Rosa Parks Downtown Station is on the south side of the commercial core, at 700 SE 3rd Street. In the fall 2026 schedule, Route 1 links downtown with Butler Plaza Transfer Station every 18–36 minutes on weekdays and every 36 minutes on weekends. Route 10 connects downtown with Santa Fe College on weekdays and Saturdays, with no Sunday service.
The regular adult RTS fare is $1.50, or $3 for a pass covering unlimited rides for 24 hours. Cash fares use exact change; the GoRTS Fares app adds a card-processing charge of 2.45%, with a $1 minimum.
Library work space east of Main Street
Headquarters Library, at 401 E. University Avenue, provides a quiet reading room, computers, Wi-Fi, printing and copying, plus meeting and study rooms. These are public-library facilities within downtown, separate from university campus access.
The regular schedule extends to 7 p.m. Tuesday–Thursday, starting at 10 a.m. Monday and Friday hours are 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; Saturday hours are 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday hours are noon–5 p.m. The branch phone is 352-334-3900.
Depot Park’s playground closes before its lit areas
South of the commercial core, Depot Park at 874 SE Fourth Street has a children’s play area, the Blue Grotto splash pad, picnic facilities, lawns and a conservation area. The play area and conservation area operate from 7 a.m. to sunset; the park’s lit areas remain open until 11:30 p.m., and restrooms until 9 p.m.
The operator runs the splash pad when temperatures are above 70°F. The play area and splash pad close for lightning within ten miles, and food and pets are excluded from the play area. The park’s later evening hours therefore do not mean the playground or splash pad remains open after sunset.
Neighborhoods and districts near Downtown
The closest neighborhoods and districts in Gainesville, measured center to center.
- Under 1 miPleasant StreetPleasant Street’s older homes and historic churches sit northwest of downtown Gainesville.
- Under 1 miDuckpondDuckpond’s older residential streets follow the pond and Sweetwater Branch within Gainesville’s Northeast Historic District.
Sources & data notesReferences, reporting periods, and how to use this information
Information on this page is compiled from multiple sources and provided for general information. It may be incomplete or out of date, and we do not guarantee its accuracy, completeness, or timeliness. Independently verify important details with the original source, relevant authority, or a qualified professional before making decisions.
Statistics keep their reporting periods. Survey estimates are not current asking prices or quotes for an individual property. Displayed values are rounded.
- Apartment addresses and layoutsArlington Square — three downtown locationsSource checked The shared leasing office is not the address of every apartment.
- Downtown garage costs and accessCity of Gainesville — parking locations and ratesSource checked Monthly and quarterly permits have limited availability; posted prices exclude tax.
- Downtown bus routes and weekend serviceRTS — fall 2026 service summarySource checked Schedule covers August 17, 2026–January 3, 2027. Holiday and reduced-service dates differ.
- Bus faresRTS — fares and passesSource checked Special services have separate rules.
- Downtown public libraryACLD — Headquarters LibrarySource checked Regular hours; holiday closures may differ.
- Park address and facilitiesCity of Gainesville — Depot ParkSource checked
- Park hours and weather closuresDepot Park — play-area and evening hoursSource checked The children’s play area and conservation area close earlier than the lit areas.
Photo credits
- Historic Alachua County Administration Annex building in downtown Gainesville, Florida.Image credits and license
Creator: Michael Rivera
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Changes: Resized and converted to WebP; may be cropped to fit the display