Omaha compared to Des Moines (Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs: home, pros and cons, living in)

[Go Ne]

i am putting this same thread in the iowa forum under the same name defend omaha there too.

Well which do you think is better? for me omaha because of henry doorly zoo which is number 1 in the country. Economy power because omaha has booming suburbs, a downtown redevelopment and more economic diversity plus the tallest building between chicago and denver and tulsa i think minneapolis. and the omaha metro has 300000 more people and theres a stronger recreation presence.

[metro223]

There was already a Des Moines vs. Omaha thread on here.. but w.e. i'll have a go.

I like Des Moines better, overall its a safer, cleaner, and pretty city. Personally, I like the downtown of Des Moines better too, it's very clean while growing at the same time. Oh and not to mention our capitol building is far more outstanding than the one in Lincoln.

You mentioned Omaha has booming suburbs, but look at Des Moines, I think it has many more suburbs than Omaha, not necesarilly a good thing, but depends how u see it.

Anyway, I like Omaha a lot, especially the Qwest Center at night, but Des Moines wins my heart out of the two. I think they are relatively the same type of city/metro though.

[Steve_W]

I like Des Moines' downtown because they have 3-Rivers stadium, the John Hancock Center and the Downtown Center for Missing and Exploited Penguins.

Omaha has an edge with its vast fishing industries and home of Dr. Martin Luther King.
It really is a toss up as they are both economic giants on the east coast.

Most of you will probably disagree but that is my opinion.

[Chris19]

I like both cities, but see both pros and cons with each.

Both are hilly and have many surburban areas. Both have worthy entertainment venues. Also, the two metros are growing and have strong economies. Both have friendly people, but each has some rude drivers.

Omaha has a bigger airport and more shopping venues than Des Moines. It is easier to get around on the city streets and a person can go faster on them too. Roads are planned better.

Des Moines has a better interstate system and it has more of a city feel to it. The older areas appear nicer in Des Moines (western parts). Des Moines has a better park system.

I personally like Iowa's political stance of being centrist more than Nebraska's and my native South Dakota's solid Republican leanings. I like a balance of Republicans and Demorcrats and do not like the concept of one party running the show nationally and locally. I vote for both.

I would choose Des Moines, because it reminds me more of Sioux Falls, SD than Omaha (I am fond of my home area of Sioux Falls). The city is a little smaller and its suburbs have more character and self-identity in my opinion compared to the ones in Omaha. I like Omaha too, but not as much as the Des Moines area.

[Go Ne]

i meant to say i am also putting this on the omaha forum

[SharpHawkeye]

I like neither. The river always floods in Des Moines and those missing penguins cause such a mess. Not to mention the penguin gangs behind the rash of muggings lately.

Omaha is nearly as bad with the near-constant threat of alien abduction hanging over one's head. Plus, with that huge fishing port right there downtown--it invites the worst kind of surly sailors.

Seriously, why do people from Omaha and Des Moines have to constantly engage in this kind of ego tripping?

[star_gazer]

Heh heh... well played. I'm tired of the Omaha v Des Moines thing myself.

These are two great cities which complement one another well (make a nice commercial 'Triangle' with KC included too).

[WoodwardGirl]

Surly sailors? Surly Sailors? Dang it, I haven't been to Omaha in years, but now I'm gonna have to go, just to see the surly sailors (and say that phrase a LOT!) Maybe I can get some of them to come to Cedar Rapids. Clearly, we could use some surly sailors!

[lisajromesburg]

Well I understand that Omaha can be a nice city but they have issues there that you might see in Des Moines but not to the level that Omaha has it. I live in Council Bluffs and I watch the wowt in omaha and I am not sure how many times I heard about murders that have happened all in the same day. So I am not saying Omaha is not a nice city but there is way to much gun voilence over there for my liking.

[star_gazer]

Des Moines benefits from very few 'challenges' in terms of socio-economic problems in it's inner city... unlike Omaha... and most other historically larger American cities. I'm sure this bothers many people... but too put it bluntly... Des Moines benefits from being 'too white'. It's still evolving late in it's life into a bigger city... and has learned from the mistakes which larger cities made in the past (ie 'white flight' decimated large portions of the inner cities of America... including Omaha).

That said, while Des Moines' homicide rate is unusually low... Omaha's certainly wouldn't be considered particularly high by most observers. Omaha had a -record- high 41 homicides in 2007... 9 of those occurred that one tragic day at the Von Maur store... which we all know could have happened anywhere in America. That leaves 32 homicides. If you break down those 32 further... you'll find the vast majority of those are gang/drug related.

In the end... unless you're involved in gangs and/or drugs... the average person is going to find little difference in terms of safety... living in Omaha or Des Moines.