Grand Island, NE (Omaha, Minden, Ord: real estate, rentals, insurance)

[hpawlet]

My husband and I are moving to the Grand Island area, housing situation still undecided. We would like to rent a house in the outskirts of G.I, we have a dog and a cat. We are relocating from VT and do not know anybody! We are in our mid twenties, he is an electrician and I am a teacher (k-6). He got a job with Mid Plains Power, I do not have one yet, I need to transfer my license over. I feel like I have exhausted the newspaper/internet housing search. We will rent, we thought about buying but that it difficult because we are 24 hours away. If anyone knows of a place, rent to own, house rent, apartment rent, at this point whatever. We have refrences if needed. Thank You.

[Radical347]

I used to go up there every month or so when I lived in Kearney. Very blue collar, very working class. This has both its advantages and its drawbacks.

Two super Wal-Marts -- unnecessary in a city of 45,000. But Grand Island is a Wal-Mart sort of city.

For the most part people are friendly, except for the illegal immigrants. (And no, you don't need to know Spanish to get by here.)

Crime -- statistically it keeps on swapping back and forth with Omaha as most dangerous city in NE -- that's not really saying much though. Crime in NE isn't that bad all-around.

It's a better place to get into trouble than other towns in western/central NE. That could be a good or a bad thing.

[mattpoulsen]

Well, the fact that it has 2 super wal-marts is a bit silly, but you need to remember that GI is the commercial center for the surrounding area. In effect, the population that the Wal-marts serve is much larger than 45,000.

I would argue with your contention that the "illegals aren't friendly". But I would first ask, how do you know that a person is an illegal alien?? I've always wondered this from people. I here time and time again..."lots of illegals and they're not friendly". Seriously, how do you know they're illegals? You don't...you're just assuming they are illegals because they're Mexican. Which would lead me to possibly believe you could be putting on a coating of "unfriendliness".

[Floridahater]

Originally Posted by mattpoulsen

Well, the fact that it has 2 super wal-marts is a bit silly, but you need to remember that GI is the commercial center for the surrounding area. In effect, the population that the Wal-marts serve is much larger than 45,000.

I would argue with your contention that the "illegals aren't friendly". But I would first ask, how do you know that a person is an illegal alien?? I've always wondered this from people. I here time and time again..."lots of illegals and they're not friendly". Seriously, how do you know they're illegals? You don't...you're just assuming they are illegals because they're Mexican. Which would lead me to possibly believe you could be putting on a coating of "unfriendliness".

Live in CA for a brief period of time and you'll find out real fast!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Earniefan]

mattpoulsen - I have to stand up to say that there are many illegals in G.I. There were a lot when I left that area 11 years ago and there are many more now. It's not hard to tell whose illegal and whose not. I live in Wyoming now and there are many mexican families all over this state who have lived here for years, they care about their community they have normal sized families living in houses and they don't have gang wars. G.I. is over run with *******s, it's a bad situation there on the east side of town. No one I know even drives through there anymore.

[mattpoulsen]

I'm not saying that GI doesn't have an influx of illegal immigrants. My point is that many many people just lump all hispanic immigrants into one category. They see a Mexican laborer and they very quickly reach the conclusion that he/she is an illegal alien.

I am simply asking what the poster's basis was for concluding a person is an illegal immigrant. Did he ask for his visa papers?? No, he saw a person that appeared to be of low income working class who was Hispanic and immediately concludes he's an illegal immigrant.

I would also add there are many many whites and blacks who take part in "gang wars" and don't care about their communities does that make them illegal aliens? I'm willing to bet there are plenty of "legal" Mexican citizens who are gang members and don't care about their communities.

Normal legal Mexican families are unjustly lumped into the class of "illegal aliens". And everytime a person of Mexican decent does something wrong...all you here about is how the "illegal population is killing America". Well, it could just be the person is an idiot.

[Radical347]

Matt -- like Earniefan and Floridahater have said, it's really not hard to figure out who's illegal and who's not. No, I didn't ask for visa papers, but they do act differently. For one, the legal ones seem a lot happier to be here. I'm making a generalization which for the most part is very accurate. I'm not making a statment that's intended to be right about 100% of the people 100% of the time.

I'm irritated that you tried to pin me with "No, he saw a person that appeared to be of low income working class who was Hispanic and immediately concludes he's an illegal immigrant." I don't know how you got that.

Grand Island has a good number of legal AND illegal Mexicans, and I recognize that. Don't think that I'm lumping all Mexicans into the category of illegal.

[mattpoulsen]

I'm not trying to "pin" you with anything. I just see a lot of "illegal alien" bashing on here and many times I think it is really just immigrant bashing...whether illegal or legal.

I realize GI has had an influx of illegal alien population...but I still wonder how people determine whether a person, of Hispanic decent, is an illegal or legal immigrant. That's all. I think that's a relatively fair question.

[Earniefan]

mattpoulsen - go spend some time in GI you'll quickly be able to determine who is legal and who is not.

[mattpoulsen]

I have spent a lot of time IN GI. Growing up in a small town near GI, it was our main place of commerce (i.e., closest mall, best groceries, etc...)

I have also been around many places that have a high immigrant population. I can't tell which immigrants are illegal or legal. I can clearly see immigrants who may be of low income and possibly of a less desirable nature (i.e., the wrong side of the law), but that doesn't tell me they're legal or illegal. There are plenty of white and black people who are of the "less desirable type".