The library is practically empty. There is no one in the football stadium. Classrooms are half empty.
Where is everyone? What’s going on in Gainesville?
OH YEAH—IT’S SUMMMMMER!!!!!
Everybody’s either at the pools or the bars!!! But don’t fret, CitiSync has been covering every aspect of the Gainesville summer party scene and will continue to all summer long. In this past week alone, we’ve been to Sharab, 101 Cantina, and Mother’s. Everyone’s in a summertime state of mind, relaxing and having a good time. Frozen cocktails are no longer a luxury, but a necessity. Girls are showing more skin as the summer heat turns up. So if you thought that Gainesville has an off-season, think again. We’re partying. Come join.
Feel free to download your photos and share them with your friends.
To stay up to date with everything happening in Gainesville check out our What’s Happening page and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
By Daniella Phillips
There’s been a lot of whispering and rumor-spreading going on around Gainesville recently in regards to an extremely important matter – Ladies Night.
We’ve been hearing some rumors through the grape vine about the fate of ladies night. Gainesville is passing a law banning ladies night. Florida is passing a law banning ladies night. Bars have decided to eliminate ladies night. But which of the rumors is true? Well, do not fear, Dani is here to clear up some of the confusion.
Firstly, yes, ladies and gents, ladies night is no more. But, why? Because of an ordinance that already exists in the city of Gainesville, that’s why. The Gainesville Code of Ordinances, Section 8.67(a), states the following:
“All persons shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodation, as identified in this section without discrimination or segregation on the grounds of sexual orientation, race, color, gender, age, religion, national origin, marital status, disability or gender identity.”
Based on the above statement, Gainesville officials have decided to crack down on all local businesses that discriminate based on gender. Restaurants, bars, clubs, car washes or any businesses that offer deals just for the ladies are subject to investigation and possibly to lawsuits.
Cecil Howard, the director of the Gainesville Office of Equal Opportunity, sent out letters to local businesses last week emphasizing the businesses’ need to observe and obey the city’s ordinance regarding discrimination and therefore discontinue offering gender-specific deals or specials.
So, sorry girls of Gainesville, but it seems that your nights of getting trashed for free at the club are over, along with the boys’ nights of being able to find a trashed girl who drank for free all night to take home from the bar.
There are still plenty of equal opportunity specials available to individuals of both genders. To check them out, take a look at the CitiSync What’s Happening page.
The focus of my senior year here at Florida has been coffee. Not only do I drink coffee most mornings, but I’m also writing a focused studies report on the worldwide coffee market. There is a lot of coffee in my life right now and I’d like to bring a little cup of Joe into your life.
Everyday, literally thousands of my fellow students cram into various coffee houses around Gainesville to get their necessary caffeine fix. The thing I want patrons to understand is where this coffee comes from and the difference that can be made by simply tweaking how and where you buy coffee.
The difference lies in favoring fair trade coffee.
Since the mid 1990’s there has been a movement around the world to promote fair trade products. Fair trade organizations seek equality in international trade. When an item is labeled as fair trade, it shows that there is a trading partnership between marginalized producers and distributers that allows for international market access that would be impossible under normal conditions. Consumers of fair trade products must be willing to pay a bit of a premium, but they also know that these purchases are making a difference by supporting development in struggling economic conditions.
Three quarters of the world’s coffee is produced on small-scale family farms. These families are forced to submit in the world market with a per pound price set by multinational corporations like Starbucks and Procter and Gamble (Folgers). Fair trade coffee gives small-scale producers a price a bit higher than market, therefore giving them greater revenue for development. It really makes a difference as millions of these producers live in some of the most poverty-stricken areas of the world and rely heavily on foreign aid.
Fair trade coffee is pretty easy to find. If you order from Starbucks ask for the Café Estima Blend, Dunkin’ Donuts now uses fair trade coffee in any of their espresso drinks, and if you go to any other coffee house or market, simply ask for their fair trade blend. Fair trade purchases can really make a difference in developing economies, and if you’re going to spend $4 for a latte, it might as well be for a good cause.
Of course our What’s Happening page has the specials and deals from all the coffee shops in Gainesville. Check it out! I bet there are a lot you didn’t even know about.
-Peter
Last night was Fat Tuesday, so where else in Gainesville would we be but FAT TUESDAY?? The beads were flying, the hand grenades and daiquiris were flowing, and everyone was having a good time. The place was packed with patrons in purple, green and gold, and for one night this little bar in downtown Gainesville was feeling a lot like Bourbon Street. Mardi Gras is all about the celebration and there was no shortage of celebrating last night. So if you’ve always thought that Gainesville really doesn’t have a good place for Mardi Gras, come to Fat Tuesday next year and you’ll surely be proven wrong.
Find yourself in the pictures below. You can view them larger by clicking on the thumbnail and can download them (to post to facebook or share with friends) by clicking “Download this photo”.
To stay up to date with everything happening in Gainesville check out our What’s Happening page and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Let us know what you think of the pictures in the comments below. To see the Photo of the Night check our Facebook and become a fan!!
There is truly nothing like Super Bowl Sunday: the football action, the wings, the beer, the commercials, the wardrobe malfunctions, but most of all, the party! The only question is: where to go? Gainesville is filled with numerous options that will have your stomach full and have you ready to cheer on your team. The decision of which sports bar to hit up is always made easier by knowing what specials each location has. So let’s see the rundown of what Super Bowl Sunday could have in store for you.
Gator City Sports Grill is treating football fans to a spectacular viewing experience coupled with 25 cent wings and $5 bud light pitchers. If Midtown is more your thing, then Copper Monkey Restaurant & Pub has $5 domestic pitchers for the thirsty crowd and 25 cent wings and $5 cheeseburger baskets for those ready to chow down.
If you’re looking for a package deal head on over to Mother’s Pub & Grill for their all you can eat and drink buffet. Just $35 dollars gets you in for the ultimate feast from 5 until the end of the game. Bringing friends along? The Gainesville Ale House & Bar has all you can eat and drink just $50 per table (for up to 6 people) so you and your friends don’t go hungry during the game.
Of course, classic options such as Gator’s Dockside will be serving their regular menu and drink specials as you watch the game on the big screen. To find out what’s going on in Gainesville before, during and after the game check out our What’s Happening page and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
–Ryan
Sunday was the AM/FM Music Showcase at :08 Bar in Gainesville. Nine solid hours of local music bathed downtown Gainesville in both celebration of music and hope of relief to the earthquake victims of Haiti. The CitiSync crew helped out with some of the event’s promotion and spent most of Sunday enjoying the show. All of the sets put on a really good show and showed the high level of musical talent in Gainesville. We saw a lot of cool things and met a lot of interesting people. Check out pictures!!
To stay up to date with everything happening in Gainesville check out our What’s Happening page and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Let us know what you think of the pictures in the comments below.
To see the Photo of the Night check our Facebook and become a fan!!
This past weekend the CitiSync crew had the opportunity to help out with the AM/FM Music Showcase. Saturday night was the showcase’s meet and greet at Mother’s Pub in Gainesville. Band members, fans, and friends celebrated the kickoff of the event with drinks and food until late in the evening. Our team had a great time. Check out the pictures below!!!
To stay up to date with everything happening in Gainesville check out our What’s Happening page and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Let us know what you think of the pictures in the comments below.
To see the Photo of the Night check our Facebook and become a fan.
By Daniella Phillips
When I compare the good old days of living with mommy and daddy and not having to worry about money to the recent years of budgeting and money-saving, I notice how incredibly thrifty college can make you. Although there are many tricks to saving money in college, here is my list of the top 5 ways:
1.) RedBox. Only $1 for a one-night movie rental? I think yes.
2.) Make sure to check out local food and drink specials. You’d be surprised how much money you could save by making a routine of hitting the bar with the best draft specials or eating at the restaurant with the cheapest burgers of the night. Check out daily specials throughout Gainesville at citisync.com/happening. Also, check out exclusive deals for local bars and restaurants that are available to you. CitiSync will be launching our Exclusive Deals feature within the next few weeks.
3.) Buy recycled toilet paper. It may sound gross, but you’d be surprised how quickly the $4-6 you’d save every time you buy toilet paper would add up. For example, try the Publix Greenwise Bath Tissue.
4.) Make your coffee and tea at home. No offense to Starbucks (which even I am guilty of indulging in from time to time), but you can save up to $300 a semester if you skip out on the Starbucks and start brewing your own coffee.
5.) The age-old remedy to a depleted bank account: Ramen Noodles. ‘Nuff said.
Hope this helps you become a thriftier college student!
-Dani 
By Daniella Phillips
Gator Stompin’, the nation’s largest pub and restaurant crawl, will be this Thursday, Dec. 3. Gator Stompin’ has been a tradition each semester in Gainesville since 1983. Participants buy admission badges that allow them access to all the restaurants, bars and nightclubs along the Gator Stompin’ route. This year, Gator Stompin’ for the Holidays will be supporting Toys for Tots. For more information about Gator Stompin’ or about how to participate, visit www.gatorstompin.com. Also, check out the event details at www.citisync.com/event/516.
CitiSync will be sponsoring Gator Stompin’ at Lux on Thursday. Everyone should make sure to come out and ask the Lux bartender for the free CitiSync drink with American Honey. The drink is made with American Honey and lemonade. Check out American Honey’s website at www.wildturkeybourbon.com. Also, the CitiSync crew will be out at Lux taking pictures, so make sure to get your picture taken! Take a look at the Lux event details at www.citisync.com/event/517.
Hope to see all you Gators out their stompin’ on Thursday!
By Daniella Phillips
On Tuesday, Oct. 27, CitiSync hosted the Gville TweetUp at 101 Cantina on University Ave. In case you’ve never heard of a TweetUp, it’s basically a networking event that’s meant to bring Twitter users together. It gives you the opportunity to meet people that you otherwise wouldn’t get the chance to meet. I went and brought my roommate, Kellie, with me. I had a really great time!
For starters, props to 101 Cantina. I had never been there before the TweetUp, but I would definitely go back. In the front it’s a regular sit down restaurant, but out back they have high-top tables surrounding a tiki bar. Overall, the place had a very cool vibe. It was very chill, but the dim lighting gave it a cozy, almost romantic atmosphere. Not to mention, their queso was awesome! They were kind enough to provide free appetizers for the TweetUp.
We were happy to see that there was a good turnout. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, and it was very relaxed. I got to meet some really interesting people, such as a guy named Zach, who is in a local band, and a guy named Gary, who is a PhD student researching how people use social media. Zach invited my roommate and I to come to a concert that his band, the Jon Lash Band, will be having on Nov. 4, so we definitely plan on being there.
CitiSync plans on hosting more TweetUps in the future, so everyone should definitely come out to one! They’re open to everyone, not just Twitter users. They help you build a following on Twitter, and you get the chance to meet some really cool people.
Folllow us on twitter to make sure you never miss out on what is happening in Gainesville: http://citisync.com/twitter.
