Simons is the newest, sexiest, most no-bullshit, you-get-what-you-pay-for, high-end nightlife…read moreexperience in Gainesville. I've been around for 5 years now and have seen it all, and this place has something special. The staff is professional, the sound is incredible, and the lighting is spot-on, the decor is stimulating yet sheik, and everything comes together so perfectly, ensuring patrons have the quality experience they came for. Pricey? Yes. Worth it? Definitely. Five minutes in Simons and you'll forget that you're in Gainesville, FL.

Simons is awesome. Love the bartenders, management, the prices, and the vibe :)…read moreI can't wait to go back!

Attended a comedy show with headliner Chris Cope. He and the comics who preceded him were great…read more However it was blazing hot. They didn't turn the AC on until 40 minutes into Cope's set which lasted 60 minutes.

bad service and so unprofessional I will never go back to this place I'm convinced they don't train…read morethey workers properly

Finding this bar was a surprised. We thought it was another bar, but then we found out that they…read morewere connected. The place has a good environment and they have Trivia night some days. The service was fine. I only tried one beer, which it was really good. I also saw that they have interesting deals with beers and shots that I might try next time.

Uncomfortable seating, but the beers are cheap. Trivia night is fun. Music is pretty good.read more

Fun Fact: I graduated from high school right here, at The Phillips Center! I also remember…read moreattending many Nutcrackers, plays, and other field trips here while in grade school! It's definitely (or used to be) an Alachua County public schools field trip staple! While it's a place of nostalgia and great memories, it's also a favorite venue. Upon returning for a graduation, it all came rushing back. Seating is comfy, it's quiet spacious, and there's not a bad view in the building. Great theatre in good ol' Gainesville!

Part of the University of Florida in Gainesville, this venue presents varied forms of performances…read more With about 1700 seats they offer a variety of shows. I purchased tickets for I thought a children's play but it happened to be a local dance school recital. The website did not have a good description. It was not what we expected and left halfway through the show. The theater is very nice but just made a mistake picking the wrong show. Parking is free on the weekends in the garage across the street.

Very nice outdoor concert venue. online for your specific…read moreshow but they often allow you to bring your own lawn chairs . Pro tip: stop next door to Grand Scheme Brewery to get a to~go to drink inline while you wait to get into your show.

We were passing through Gainesville and wanted to catch the World Cup match. Luckily we found this…read moreplace and we were able to bring the pup too. There were several seatings throughout the field and enough space for you to bring your own chairs/blankets as well. There was a server going around in case we wanted to order which was super convenient. Otherwise you could go in yourself to the bar that they have. There was a bit of issue with the sound and streaming at one point but they were able to resolve it without too much delay.

I went to my first Gainesville LTJ show at the Venue on Friday night and it was a decent place to…read moresee a show. When I walked in, I was struck by the weird mobile-type things hanging from the ceiling, which gave the place a certain artsy appeal. There are multiple levels leading down to the stage, allowing for people to go as close or stay as far away from the floor as they please. And if you choose to get close, be aware that you won't be able to get toooo close, because there are GIANT bouncers waiting at the edge to cart you away. Sound was decent, bartenders were nice. The place was wrecked by the end of the show though, with cigarettes and empty beer cans all over the place! I guess I'm spoiled by the no-smoking-allowed-throw-all-your-shit-away clubs we have up in Boston. But regardless, I had a great time at this show and would most certainly return for another LTJ show!

Decent place. The metal detector when entering is really weird. I mean, I get it, but still. None…read moreof the other area venues do that, as far as I saw. Sound-wise, the place is fine. As far as seeing the band, unless you're down on the lower two levels, you're going to have a hard time. People crowd to the front of each step, and will completely impede your view. I admit, I never went much further up; the darkness was somewhat imposing. The view is probably better up there.

A tiny and rough-around-the-edges space that nevertheless does excellent shows. I saw Bloody Poetry…read morethere recently and was blown away with the skill and passion of the actors as they used the limited stage to do amazing things. An essential part of the offbeat renegade arts district on South Main, right next to the Civic Media Center.

I visited town for the weekend, and decided to take in a show at the Acrosstown Repertory Theater…read more It's a small place, and definitely not a professional theater. It's very old, and looks like it was converted from another type of building. Both bathrooms are marked for both men and women, and there was a single line to them both during intermission. The one I went into was single toilet with a bolt on the door, and I imagine the other was the same. The actors and staff were all very friendly. I'd been there before, when I lived in Gainesville, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that they are now able to take credit cards, where it used to be cash only. After the show they lined up outside for a meet and greet with the audience and we were able to engage in small talk and tell them how much we enjoyed the performance. The performance itself was a play called The Star Spangled Girl. It was farce set in the 60's, about writers of a very controversial magazine who meet a very attractive, super patriotic woman who moves in upstairs. She actually calls them traitors for their content, but they end up in a sort of love triangle and ridiculous hijinks ensue. It was not as polished as a professional production would be, but that's one of the things I like about the community theater scene, it feels more personable that way. So, I very much enjoyed my evening and would highly recommend catching a show here when you're able to do so!

If you know me you're not shocked that: a) I've been to a few festivals and b) I'm a huge fan of…read morelocal craft beer. This was not my first festival, but it was my first chance to go to Hogtown Beer Festival and I can say this one is well worth the price of admission. From planning to pours and plates, this event had a big festival's worth of awesome packed into a quaint, but bustling, space. The Location This year's festival took place in the Tioga Town Center, which provided a number of advantages including ample natural shading from trees, plenty of space for each beer/food tent, and comfy grass to walk on as the time ticks by (any fest-goer knows the woes of walking on hot asphalt for hours). I found the layout to be excellent in concept and decent in execution: 4 main sections where created, each providing numerous different beer/brewery options and a couple of different food choices. If you have a group and split up for any reason, it becomes really easy to find one another this way because you can reference the food options you see and sort it out. For me this location was perfect: so much shade to break the heat and so much room to move around. The other, larger festivals have several perks but comfort is typically not one of them due to overcrowding. If a line started to form at Hogtown's fest it was easy to deal with, but my past experiences generally require you squish against sweaty, suntanned limbs while frying in the sun. The Logistics From proper advertising and social media updates to well-informed staff and even a nifty beer booklet with maps and beer checklists, this crew worked very hard to be organized. Parking could have been a nightmare but they had a charter bus shuttling people from a roomy field for offsite parking (primetime for applying sunscreen too). Stations were positioned in numerous places for washing hands after a quick nibble and water coolers were all over the place to insure people were hydrated. The above said, there were some issues that I might even say are inevitable. To start, the locations of several beer tents were inaccurate on the beer booklet. Not a big deal, but it happened. The water coolers weren't marked or identifiable unless you knew they were there, but I don't recall any announcement about them. Another minor item, though I recommend clear labeling next time. The Libations & Stations There are two ways to win my heart at a festival when it comes to featured brews: go all-in on top-rated, diverse breweries or focus on all-local pours. Hogtown was more the latter, but did lean a little more on the macro-micro breweries than I prefer (think things you find at Publix versus your go-to beer shop). I know that these beers are helpful in transitioning new folk away from watery pilsners but for the price tag, it would be nicer to pull more quality into the mix (in the form of blossoming FLA breweries) than to inject average brands. For what was offered, I probably would only invite Floridians to travel into town for this one but all would get a solid showcase of Central Florida talent. I focused a bunch on getting to know some really great Florida spots like Infinite, Proof, and Coppertail as well as stopping by the Gainesville favorites to see what special goodies they blended up. This year many of the tents came with timed releases of unique/rare items which I love because it helps spread out the fun. One tent even had a few baskets to raffle and yours truly nabbed a growler bundle! As for the food, it was nice to see that largely the food was provided by local bizes as opposed to chains. A recently-closed German sausage hotspot made a guest appearance and generated a healthy buzz, which just goes to show the thoughtfulness of those in charge of the event. Most took cards for pay, and the choices were plenty diverse for any appetite. One vendor was even giving away pork sliders and mac n cheese for FREE! Final Thoughts Having this festival under my belt, I'm likely to go back next year especially if the same people are working on it. There were enough local breweries pouring to keep a vet enthusiastic and also some more common beers for those looking to go quantity over quality, which is fine. A little rough around the edges in some places, but largely an event put together by a group of well-seasoned beer fans. Next year I'd like to see a few more SOFLA beers invited up and I'd have enough to toss up an extra star.

Had a blast at this year's Hogtown Craft Beer Festival. Honestly, one of the better beer festivals…read moreI've been to - and I've been to a lot, including much larger ones like Hunahpu's Day put on by Cigar City Brewing in Tampa. HCBF had a phenomenal selection of beers and the nice option of having some free food (smaller bites) or larger, pay-as-you-go selections from food trucks and local vendors. The organizers did a great job keeping the check-in line moving quickly and putting together the "Passport", but my only criticism would be to wait until a little closer to the event to print the latter next year, as some of the vendors were not listed in the accurate "tent/pod" and some beer selections had been replaced by the breweries. Can't wait to come back next year!