Grand Island, NE (Omaha, Lincoln, Kearney: apartment, lofts, crime)

[*Heather*]

Personally, I don't like Grand Island. It's filthy. Kearney is much nicer, but I have to throw in a recommendation for Hastings, since that is where I have spent most of my life.

[Earniefan]

Take that tornado warning seriously, there was a reason I would make a mad rush to cross the Platte back into Hamilton county when the weather turned.

[Calvary]

Here is an answer to some of the questions I have been asked. One is that I currently live in Garden Grove. I actually work with many mexicans and I barely know spanish and I have never had a problem with not knowing the language. So I doubt that not knowing spanish would be much of a problem in Grand Island. I also want to propose a question, what does you all mean by it being dirty? Now when it comes to me I have seen and lived in some pretty nasty neighborhoods in southern california and i doubt that Nebraska could be that bad. To answer another question, I grow up in a town in northern california called Orinda until I was 18 with a population of 17,599 when I graduated high school and went to college. So I don't think a city of more then twice the population would be much of a problem. Now the weather is the only thing that worries me, but I can't stand that it doesn't get cold in So Cal during the winter. Some people might like it, but I would rather be too cold then too hot any day. There is a point where you can't take off any more clothes, but you can always put more on. But I thank all of you for putting in your imput, it has been extremely helpful and a blessing.

-Marcus

P.S. I am also a christian and it is who I am so only having bible studies and church events to go to is a complete blessing.

[kosnebbear]

Marcus,

I have not posted here for a few days. I have lived in Grand Island like I said. My brother-in-law was once the City Attorney for Grand Island. If you look hard enough you will find things wrong with any village/town/city no matter where you live either it be California or Nebraska. The most important thing is how you accept and show respect the people where you live and how they accept respect you will be based on you. I have lived in California as well in the past, but I got along just fine there as well. As for Grand Island being dirty, there are parts that are run down, but you are dealing with major city for Nebraska and there will be parts that are not as good as others. For the most part Grand Island is a very clean and nice city. Yes Grand Island has a large hispanic community and yes many of them are illegal which does not sit very well with me. I have not problem with people who wants to come to America to live and try to make a better life. What I do have a problem is if they come illegally and have no respect for our laws and our culture. We speak the English language in America, but we also protect the rights of freedom of speech as well. If they come then they need to learn our main language as well so that we all can understand each other. I don't care if you are Muslim as well, but I do care about having to hear the call to evening prayer over the loud speakers on the mosque when I can not say a prayer in a public place without having to be concerned that I might offend someone. I hope that you will like Nebraska for what we are and not for what you want us to be. You will find most Nebraskans are also Christians who enjoy the bible. Good luck.

[lduran]

I personally like GrandIsland! I end up moving back all the time. This does however include when i move out of the state of nebraska. I always go back. Ive live in kearney, and grandisland, and i like them both. I am considering moving to omaha and see how that goes.

[mattpoulsen]

Mattden mentioned Kearney has a population of 50,000. Ummm...no! Grand Island is quite a bit larger (by %) than Kearney. GI has approximately 45,000 and Kearney MIGHT be pushing 30,000. But I do like Kearney, it has a reputation of only having doctors and college students. GI is a little more blue collar, but is certainly a clean town. In recent years they have actually expanded quite a bit along the 281 hwy making GI feel more like an up and coming city.

He also mentioned he passed through it and it was dusty. Well, any place on the plains can be dusty! Plus, he probably just drove by it on the interstate, which is 10 miles from the actual city of GI.

[sunmart]

I have lived there twice once for 3 years and then back again for two years.
My husband was tranferred there twice. We had to move out of town when the two Super Walmarts came to town .He managed a grocery store there and it killed the business.
The apartments are not the best there.Don't rent anything from the O'Conners they don't take care of things. Go to www.apartmentratings.com to check out ay apartments before you rent.

Good jobs are scarce there.People work at the jobs there for life so there is not much of a chance of moving up. Not very high paying jobs.
Meat packing plant there brings in the hispanics which brings in more crime.Make sure you have plenty of car insurance because most hispanics have no car insurance there.

There was an interesting article in the Grand Island Independent about how quite a few of the town was making poverty wages. The article was very true.
Alot of drugs there --meth .
I would never move back again. My husband applied for a new job and we moved to Omaha for better pay and more things to do.

[sunmart]

I forgot to add that many stores have closed within a year or two since we left. Pier One,Old Chicago,Golden Corral,Albertsons,Bag and Save to name a few.
The town is not really growing.It is more going under.

[mattpoulsen]

Sunmart,

Those stores aren't closing because of Grand Island. They're closing because all those stores are having "national" issues. Albertsons are closing everywhere!!

There are plenty of new stores and restaurants that have replaced these businesses. Grand Island is growing...not a breakneck speed, but its growing.

[aj7690]

Originally Posted by sunmart

I forgot to add that many stores have closed within a year or two since we left. Pier One,Old Chicago,Golden Corral,Albertsons,Bag and Save to name a few.
The town is not really growing.It is more going under.

I have to disagree strongly with that quote, I live in Hastings but have spent most of my life in GI and come to GI about once or twice a week. GI in the past few years has ACTUALLY TAKEN the opportunity to redevelop buildings, redevelop streets, and have started on neighborhoods. We never lived in the best neighborhood, but it was safe, clean, and there were young families all over National companies are cutting back all over, for example Albertson's, they closed because of a national decision as well as Bag N' Save.

Every city has its dirty parts. The continued growth in western GI helps raise property values, afterall the crime rate has gone down CONSIDERABLY in the last five years. For a blue collar town with new construction for example The St. Francis 9 story tower expansion, rebirth, and diversity GI is doing pretty well, so is much of Nebraska.