Archer & Williston Roads

Neighborhoods throughout the Archer and Williston Road areas are sparse but increasing rapidly, although most of Archer Road remains heavily commercial and Williston Road is mostly vacant land that abuts to Paynes Prairie. West of I-75 and west of 75th Street you can find several neighborhoods built anywhere between the mid-1990s to today. As in several areas of Gainesville, new construction abounds and homes and apartments alike are popping up on every corner. Unlike other parts of Gainesville, however, you can find a new home here in the $200k range, as well as a bevy of existing homes for about the same price point. Homes in this area sell quickly due to their location, which is a straight shot to the Shands UF medical complex.

Just one exit south of Archer Road is Williston Road, which is also easily accessible via side streets. Williston Road is best known for the Gainesville Country Club, which is made up of a large residential community built in the 1970s and 80s that surrounds a lovely golf course, complete with its own private country club. Built to attract medical professionals and university professors and administrators because of its quick access to the hospitals and the university, the GCC is still popular with those who are affiliated with UF. The GCC has a totally different vibe than Haile Plantation, and golf aficionados who prefer to not have an HOA and like older or remodeled homes will probably enjoy the GCC lifestyle.

Butler & Celebration Pointe

Right at the intersection of Archer Road and I-75 sit twin commercial behemoths that have seen an explosion of growth since 2017. Celebration Pointe and Butler North, along with the long-standing Butler Plaza area that spans from I-75 to 34th Street, have experienced such immense growth in the past three years that anyone who hasn’t visited the area recently will likely get lost.

West of I-75 is Celebration Pointe, which offers a mix of residential and commercial real estate, Class A office space, lodging, and dining options and is quickly becoming a destination for locals and visitors alike. With a luxury movie theater, a town square with a giant fire pit, outdoor seating, and free concerts, and a host of restaurants and dessert shops, this is a great spot for date night, girls’ night, and family night alike. New luxury urban townhomes in the $600k range are available, and luxury condos and apartments are under construction.

Connected by a bridge over I-75 that was built specifically to connect the two areas is Butler North, which sits on the east side of the highway. Here you’ll find nearly every chain restaurant you can dream of, as well as big-box retailers like Walmart, Sam’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and dozens more. Keep heading east and you’ll find Butler Plaza and Butler Town Center. Butler Town Center is the newest of the three, and it offers a bevy of higher-end retail, such as a Whole Foods, Sephora, and an REI (under construction, coming soon), and boutique shops, as well as popular restaurants like PF Chang’s and The Cheesecake Factory, with new shops and restaurants being added almost weekly. Residential options will also be coming in 2020, which will add to the live, work, play experience.