Can anyone tell me abou Hastings?

[IsThisOneTaken?]

EDIT: Holy cow, didn't realize I was replying to a thread started well over a year ago, so my reply is now a little irrelevant! But I'll leave it in case anybody else wants to know what I think!

I lived in Hastings for 13 years. Great place. Here are some random thoughts:

Meth: No worse than any other town in Nebraska. In fact, maybe a little better. The PD is pretty aggressive there, taking part in the HIDTA federal task forces and such. There are also great youth programs, such as The Zone and the youth group from North Shore Assembly of God. I have to disagree with the earlier opinion about there being nothing for the youth. There is more than in many other communities and there are plenty of people investing their time and money into youth programs.

Commuting: Yes, lots of people commute both ways in the Hastings/GI area. It is about 20 miles between the two, and four-lane highway the whole way.

Places to eat: Hunans is great for Chinese, but so is the new buffet by Wal-Mart. The Plainsman in Juniata serves a great prime rib. My faves are gone now (El Patio, Margarita Pete's, Mama Rosy's, Ray's Fireside, Courtyard). Blue Moon cafe downtown makes good coffee and used to have good lunches, but haven't been there for lunch in a long time.

Festivals: Probably not much in the next four months. Cottonwood Prairie Festival and Kool-Aid days are both lots of fun. There used to be a good Christmas lighting ceremony downtown.

Shopping: The Imperial Mall is dead. It is depressing to go in there nowadays. The Wal-Mart is really nice as far as Wal-Marts go, and there are some good shops around there. Allen's is OK for groceries, but I prefered Russ's. The Big G Ace Hardware is really nice, and even though there wasn't a Menards there when I lived there, I'd probably still shop Big G over Menards.

Entertainment: The Hastings Museum is a hidden treasure. All kinds of cool things to see in there. Other area tourist attractions include Pioneer Village, the Arch, Stuhr Museum. You have to experience each one at least once in your lifetime.

Hope that helps!

[Maukwa]

If I owned Hell and Nebraska, I'd rent out Nebraska and live in hell. I spent a horrible year in Hastings NE, after being transferred there with a job. The people were narrow minded, sexist, leches, and I was ripped off, sexually harassed, and abused the whole time I was there. There is something evil about the town, and most of Nebraska if you ask me....I drive around it now, or fly over it.