Gainesville, FL area guide

Things to Do Near UF Health Shands Hospital

Groceries, food, days-off ideas and shopping close to UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida. Made for travel nurses and RTs on contract.

5 groceries8 restaurants8 to do5 shopping

Photo: Unknown / CC BY 2.0

Groceries

Closest grocery stores to stock the fridge on week one.

• Aldi

  Aldi budget grocery store

  ~1.2 mi / ~4 minMap
• Publix

  Publix grocery store. Listed hours 7 AM to 10 PM daily

  ~1.2 mi / ~4 minMap
• Chun Ching Market

  Local grocery store

  ~2.1 mi / ~5 minMap
• Whole Foods Market

  Whole Foods natural and organic grocery. Listed hours 8 AM to 10 PM daily

  ~2.9 mi / ~7 minMap
• Winn-Dixie

  Winn-Dixie grocery store

  ~2.9 mi / ~7 minMap

Restaurants

Local spots with working websites. Places marked open late or early are handy around a night shift.

• Wawa24 hours

  Quick-service spot. Listed as open 24 hours

  ~1.3 mi / ~4 minWebsite
• The Swamp RestaurantOpen late

  American restaurant

  ~1.1 mi / ~4 minWebsite
• BluegillSit-down

  American restaurant

  ~0.4 mi / ~2 minWebsite
• MomoyakiSit-down

  Korean restaurant

  ~0.5 mi / ~2 minWebsite
• The Fresh Food CompanySit-down

  Restaurant

  ~0.6 mi / ~2 minWebsite
• Opus CoffeeQuick bite

  Coffee shop

  ~1.2 mi / ~4 minWebsite
• Dick Mondell’sOpen late

  Burgers quick-service spot. Listed hours 11 AM to 11 PM daily

  ~1.3 mi / ~4 minWebsite
• Sushi-2-GoOpen late

  Sushi restaurant

  ~1.1 mi / ~4 minWebsite

Things to do

Parks, water, breweries and more for your days off.

• Plaza of the Americas

  Park, good for a walk between shifts

  ~0.9 mi / ~3 minMap
• Field & Fork Farm and Gardens

  Public garden, nice for an easy stroll

  ~1.5 mi / ~5 minWebsite
• Kanapaha Botanical Gardens

  Public garden, nice for an easy stroll

  ~5.7 mi / ~14 minWebsite
• Lake Alice

  Lake. If you fish, get a Florida license first

  ~1.4 mi / ~5 minMap
• Duckpond

  Lake. If you fish, get a Florida license first

  ~2.3 mi / ~6 minMap
• First Magnitude Brewing Company

  Local brewery

  ~1.5 mi / ~5 minWebsite
• Grand Scheme Brewing

  Local brewery

  ~1.5 mi / ~5 minWebsite
• Century Tower

  Local attraction

  ~0.8 mi / ~3 minWebsite

Shopping

Malls and big stores for anything you forgot to pack.

• Kohl’s

  Kohl’s department store

  ~2.8 mi / ~7 minMap
• Ross

  Ross, discount clothes and home goods

  ~3.2 mi / ~8 minMap
• Marshalls

  Marshalls, discount clothes and home goods

  ~3.3 mi / ~8 minMap
• Shoppes at Thornebrook

  Shopping center

  ~4.7 mi / ~11 minWebsite
• The Oaks Mall

  Shopping mall

  ~5.5 mi / ~13 minMap

Laundromats

We didn’t find a laundromat within about 10 miles in the map data, so we left this blank instead of guessing. Ask your RV park or rental host about on-site laundry. Know a good one? Message @cdc2320.

Coffee shops

Nearest coffee shops, local spots first. Places marked “Opens early” are handy after a night shift.

• Starbucks

  Starbucks coffee chain

  ~0.6 mi / ~2 minMap
• Opus Coffee

  Local coffee shop. Listed hours 7 AM to 6 PM daily

  ~1.2 mi / ~4 minMap
• Foxtail Coffee

  Local coffee shop

  ~1.3 mi / ~4 minMap

Gyms

Closest gyms to keep your routine on contract. Ask about short-term or month-to-month memberships.

• Orangetheory Fitness

  Orangetheory Fitness gym

  ~1.1 mi / ~4 minMap
• Crunch Fitness24 hours

  Local gym. Listed as open 24 hours

  ~2.4 mi / ~6 minMap
• Planet Fitness

  Planet Fitness gym

  ~3.0 mi / ~7 minMap

Nearby RV parks

Monthly-stay parks near UF Health Shands Hospital from our RV parks list. Call to confirm the rate and a spot for your dates.

• Palms of Gainesville RV Resort

  3013 NE 53rd Ave, Gainesville, FL 32609

  $950/mo (30 amp) or $1,400/mo (30/50 amp) plus $100 energy surcharge and 17% admin fees

  ~7 mi / ~15 minRates & phone
• Gainesville RV Park

  17500 NE US Hwy 301, Waldo, FL 32694

  $650/mo (30 amp) – $700/mo (50 amp) incl. electric, water, sewer, trash, WiFi

  ~17 mi / ~25 minRates & phone
• Waldo RV Park

  Waldo, FL

  $700/mo water/electric; $800/mo full hookup

  ~16 mi / ~25 minRates & phone

Need a license for Florida? See the state licensing boards, then run through the contract checklists and housing tips.

Looking for your next contract? See Florida travel contracts posted by staffing agencies.

Sources: place data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), plus each place’s own website and Wikidata. Last checked Oct 2026.