The Avenue | Lifestyle - The Independent Florida Alligator

Florida Museum of Natural History, at 3215 Hull Road, debuts its first bilingual aquatic exhibit, Water Shapes Florida, on March 23, 2024.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Florida Museum of Natural History’s opens first freshwater exhibit

By Tanya Fedak | Mar. 24, 2024

Saturday morning, the Florida Museum of Natural History opened its new permanent exhibit, Water Shapes Florida. The exhibit is centered on Florida freshwater and its shape on human life over time. The exhibit, with interactive projector screens and physical replicas of underwater wildlife, aims to illustrate the evolution of the state's aquifers, rivers and most famous springs just north of the museum’s location in Gainesville.

Dice made by Arnold Schweiner, 75-year-old founder of Dice by Arnold.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Jacksonville dice-maker brings handcrafted collections to Gainesville

By Bea Lunardini | Mar. 4, 2024

The time it takes Schweiner to handcraft his own dice amounts to more than 30 hours every week. Each hour is spent in his workshop, a small room in his Jacksonville home. The room has a workbench and table, a 36-square-foot cork board holding his tools and most importantly, around 450 dice.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

The 2024 leap year reveals local traditions, celebrations and superstitions

By Molly Seghi | Feb. 26, 2024

Jazzlyn Harrell eagerly punched her number into the keypad in her elementary school lunch line over 20 years ago. More satisfying than the lunch she was served, she savored the ‘Happy birthday’ message that lit up on the screen. Unlike her classmates, she would have to wait another four years to see it again. Harrell, now a 31-year-old Alachua County elementary school counselor, is a ‘leapling,’ a person born Feb. 29. For her, the date brings memories of both small delights and mild frustrations.

Masked customers shop at the new Gainesville store Wednesday.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Pop-up market celebrates local Black businesses, cultural heritage

By Emilia Cardenas-Perez | Feb. 18, 2024

Saturday’s Anthropologie Community Pop-up Market in Butler Town Center at 3217 SW 35th Blvd occurred from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., with six vendors in attendance.

A local drag performer at Gainesville Pride Festival on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Pride from past to present to future: Gainesville’s Black LGBTQ+ community

By Molly Seghi and Bonny Matejowsky | Feb. 12, 2024

The growing Black Queer community in Gainesville addresses struggles of intersectionality.

Sunshine State Book Festival on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Statewide book festival aims to improve childhood literacy rates in Alachua County

By Emilia Cardenas-Perez | Jan. 29, 2024

On Jan. 27, the ground floor of the Hilton Conference Center filled with lines of eager readers waiting to meet and greet more than 200 authors from across Florida promoting their most prized literary pieces.

A young boy gets his face painted at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire at Depot Park in Gainesville, Fla., Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Gainesville hosts 37th Hoggetowne Medieval Faire

By Bonny Matejowsky | Jan. 29, 2024

Flocks of families, friends and fabled characters gathered at Depot Park Jan. 27-28 to revel in warm weather and high spirits at the 37th annual Hoggetowne Medieval Faire.

Diamond and her litter at Grace Marketplace on Wednesday January 24

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

St. Francis Pet Care, Grace Marketplace provide mobile pet care to vulnerable communities

By Molly Seghi | Jan. 28, 2024

Diamond and her litter were some of the 20 pets treated by the St. Francis Pet Care’s mobile outreach van. The nonprofit pet clinic in Gainesville partners with GRACE Marketplace, a one-stop shop for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness at 3055 NE 28th Drive to provide monthly wellness clinics for pet owners.

Controlled burn at Ordway-Swisher Biological Station on Tuesday, December 5th, 2023.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Gainesville parks, organizations perform prescribed fires to conserve the ecosystem

By Molly Seghi | Jan. 16, 2024

Leading the nation in prescribed fires, Florida parks and organizations perform prescribed fires to conserve the ecosystem.

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#UNLITTER: The Snapchat caption that sparked a global movement

By Molly Seghi | Jan. 9, 2024

The global #UNLITTER Movement created by a University of Florida friend group empowers sustainable and positive living.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

‘It’s just not worth it anymore’: Multiple Gainesville restaurants close, cite financial restraints

By Bonny Matejowsky | Jan. 8, 2024

During America’s holiday season, known for its boom in spending and time shared with loved ones, it would be easy to assume restaurants flourished along with the retailers. But Gainesville’s business landscape tells a different tale.

Nathan Wydra dances as the opening act to Happy Kiss Pole Fitness’ Jingle Jam and Showcase on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Gainesville pole dance studios find an empowering community, sisterhood with each other

By Kat Tran | Dec. 5, 2023

An array of colors reflect off of the Happy Kiss Pole Dance Studio as the studio’s dancers twirl and glide into a split. The crowd watching them immediately erupted into a roar of cheers. These are the sounds of an uplifting Gainesville community that has found one another through solidarity and respect for the artful skill of pole dancing

A customer talks with a worker of the Miami Vice Mobile outside Midtown Plaza on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023.

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Miami Vice Mobile brings smoke shop on wheels to Gainesville

By Bonny Matejowsky | Nov. 20, 2023

For people stumbling out of the dark, drunken stupor of Midtown or leaving Raising Cane’s after a late-night snack, a bright blue van parked on University Avenue offers an enticing menu.

An attendee at Downward Goat, located at 14823 SW 79th Place, does goat yoga with owner Korinne Johnson's goats on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023.

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‘A magical connection’: Downward Goat brings goat yoga to Gainesville

By Alexandra Burns | Nov. 16, 2023

Eight years later, what began as a heartfelt gift has flourished into the healing-based organization Downward Goat, which provides goat and animal assisted yoga sessions throughout Florida while also working to support veterans, law enforcement, caregivers and first responders.

Midtown bars are seen on University Avenue in Gainesville on Monday, Aug. 21, 2023.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Stuck in traffic: Gainesville roads and rush hour pose serious problems for students, locals

By Jared Teitel | Sep. 25, 2023

Ongoing construction, irregular traffic lights, limited parking spaces and pedestrian pathways along certain roads raise questions of concern for Gainesville residents as they navigate the city. The presence of a public university and relentless residential communities within an approximately 64-square-mile space creates congestion in this college-town reminiscent of that in a big city.

Attendees watch the Women’s World Cup Final game in Reitz Union Auditorium on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. Students arrived at 6 a.m. to watch Spain versus England.

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Gainesville’s Latin community keeps the passion for soccer alive during FIFA Women’s World Cup

Aug. 23, 2023

Fans sported jerseys from teams and countries around the world in the Reitz Union auditorium Monday at 6 a.m. to watch Spain face England during the FIFA Women’s World Cup final.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Summer housing crisis leaves students temporarily homeless

By Leia Ulrich | Aug. 7, 2023

UF student Taylor Bornstein left his apartment at The Standard for the last time July 31. The 21-year-old UF political science senior packed most of his things and was left with just the essentials to get him through the day.

The red tegu is seen at the Gator City Reptiles store on Friday, July 28, 2023.

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Florida increases penalty for release of non-native venomous reptiles

By Valentina Sarmiento | July 31, 2023

Gov. Ron DeSantis approved HB 1161, a bill revising the penalties for released or escaped non-native venomous reptiles. The bill increased the previous penalty for dealing with venomous reptiles without a license issued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission from a criminal misdemeanor to a felony charge.

Ron Johnson, 55, spends his afternoon fishing at Newnans Lake on Saturday, July 29, 2023.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Florida Legislature proposes amendment to preserve hunting and fishing rights

By Aubrey Bocalan | July 31, 2023

On April 28, the Florida Senate passed House Bill 1157, a bill that protects the rights of hunters and fishers by adding an amendment to the Florida Constitution. The proposed amendment will be added to the November 2024 state ballot. If Florida voters pass the bill, it will be added to the Florida Constitution.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Gainesville’s beauty industry: Nailing customer service

By Aubrey Bocalan | July 17, 2023

There’s a familiar comfort that comes from sitting across the same trusty nail technician for a bi-weekly touch up. Their trusted hands and creative eyes have been there for every birthday, anniversary or other special occasion. These nail technicians, or nail techs, have unique skills and creativity as well as a dedication to their clients that have fostered lifelong relationships.