5 Reasons to Pick Apartments Near UF Sorority Row in Gainesville

My Gainesville Apartment Advice for Sorority Girls

    There are many reasons why I recommend living in apartments near UF sorority row while you are attending the University of Florida.

    Location! Location! Location! This is so true about picking the right apartment as a UF student.

    I have personally lived in Estates at Sorority Row, which is a short 3-minute walk to my sorority house and cuts a lot of time from the hassle of walking long distances. Before moving to the Estates at Sorority Row, I used to live in Murphree, a traditional dorm at the University of Florida, and it took me 20 minutes to walk to my sorority house. That racked up to 80 minutes wasted on walking outside in Gainesville's ever-fickle weather every day (my hair situation was pretty tragic that year, thanks Florida humidity). I started researching UF off campus housing options shortly after rushing in the Fall of my freshmen year. I got some useful advice from some of my sorority sisters, which helped me choose an apartment near sorority row. This move to off campus housing made my sorority experience 10 times better than before.

    Here are the top 5 reasons why you should opt for apartments near sorority row:

  1. >1. Sorority meal plan: Your dues go toward your sorority's meal plan, so you don't want to be so far away from the sorority house that you miss those two meals that have already been paid for. Some of my sisters who live in far off-campus apartments in Gainesville miss meals and have to spend a lot of extra money throughout the year.

  2. >2. Study Hours: One of the cool things that most sororities have is Study Hours, which is a time once or twice a week where sisters will study at the sorority house together. It is a fun way to be social and scholarly at the same time (yes, a dream come true!!!!). It helps when your apartment is near sorority row because you'll want to see your sisters but not necessarily break your focus from studies.

  3. >3. Date functions: Sometimes sorority date functions are far away, to attend these events, you'll need to take a bus. These buses pick up across the street from sorority row at Norman Garage. So, a secret convenience to living in a sorority row apartment is that you can conveniently turn your apartment into the go-to location for pre-gaming or hang out before a date function. The buses will only be a short walk away, so there's no rush or stress to drive everyone to the buses or get a ride home when you get back from the function.

  4. >4. Being an active sister: There's a reason I call my sorority my "second home," and it's because I spend more time there than I do in my actual apartment. From deep life chats in the chapter room to lounging on the couches watching Bachelor with my sisters, I get to visit the house whenever or however often I want to because it's so close to where I live.

  5. >5. Safety: Lastly, one of the most overlooked conveniences of living in sorority row apartments is that I know I'll be safer walking from my sorority house to my apartment at nighttime.
    6. I hope these tips help you choose the smartest place to live next year!

Here are a list of some other UF Off Campus Housing Options that are close to sorority row: