Downtown Gainesville

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  Downtown Gainesville at night

Gainesville’s Downtown is the symbolic heart of the city. A quintessentially quaint tight-knit gathering of shops, restaurants, theatres and parks it somehow pulls off always feeling lively, yet open and personal at the same time.

By day, walk down tree-lined streets, draped lazily with Spanish moss. Take in the sounds of live music as it bounces off the buildings surrounding the Bo Diddley Plaza. Or meander through the stalls of vendors selling locally grown vegetables and fresh-baked pastries at the Union Street Farmer’s Market at the same plaza every Wednesday.

By night, take in a play or movie at the Hippodrome State Theatre or browse the one-of-a-kind shops and fun boutiques around the Union Street Station Pedestrian Mall before sitting down to dinner at a mouth-watering restaurant featuring cuisines ranging from Cuban pastries to sushi. Enjoy a pint of local craft beer. Just like downtown itself, there’s something for everyone.