Gainesville is a college town with a population of 110,000. It is often described as an "urban forest", with many parks, bike lanes, good restaurants and interesting people. The cost of living is low and the lifestyle is laid back. There are a number of impressive natural areas in and near the town. These include Lake Alice, right on campus, Payne's Prairie 10 miles to the south, and many crystal-clear springs that make for excellent year-round canoeing and animal watching. We are 1.5 hours from the Gulf of Mexico, and about 2 hours from the Atlantic coast. Gainesville's cultural offerings include the Hippodrome State Theater, the Harn Museum of Art and a large number of theatre and dance groups listed in the town's cultural directory.