What Is The Worst Town In Nebraska? (Omaha, Fremont: statistics, to relocate)

[rural nebraska]

You are 100% correct -- I have a daughter who lives in North WEST Omaha but don't
think many people associate North Omaha with fine dining... I listen to KFAB and most
people seem to think of GANGS -- DRUGS -- VIOLENCE when North Omaha is mentioned... I really wish it had a better reputation but can you blame people for not
going there...If you don't like small towns don't go there.

[omahajosh618]

I've driven through North Omaha many times (day and night) and never had any problems there. Of course crime is going to happen. Crime is inevitable wherever you go. In a metropolitan area approaching 900,000 residents, you're going to hear about crime on the news. As long as someone isn't involved with drugs or gangs, then there shouldn't be any problem. I find Omaha a very enjoyable place to live and I've grown to really appreciate living here. I don't consider any town in Nebraska to be the "worst" town. They all have something special to offer that the other town cannot. I find this thread to be a little pointless and unproductive.

[itsMeFred]

You've obviously never been to Whiteclay.

[laserdisque]

Two of my favorite restaurants are in North O. Jim's Rib Haven and Time Out Chicken. I guess if you were looking for an Olive Garden or Red Lobster you're out of luck.

[cliowithglasses]

I think this is a misguided thread that lost its way due to misguidance. To ask people about "the best and worst" is to solicit purely subjective opinions. If you're a big city person who enjoys great shopping, top-flight restaurants, live classical music, etc., you're not likely to be impressed by, say, Ord, NE. And if you are a small-town person who enjoys knowing everyone in the community, adores wide open spaces and the sound of crickets and the sight of deer wandering across your yard, you probably won't be interested in Omaha. Not surprisingly the thread wandered off into accusations of "rudeness" and claims for "friendliness" that are based purely on isolated personal experiences. What would be most useful, IMHO, is for people to say what specifically they loved (or hated) about a particular place and why, avoiding mention of things that are not likely to be experienced by the majority of readers. I love living in a big metro area (I've lived in several) but I was brought up in small-town Nebraska (SE Nebraska) and I am completely enchanted by the beauty of western Nebraska. It is not a place for people looking for a great authentic northern Italian restaurant, but it is a place of grand open space, amazing cloud-stacked skies, abundant wildlife, and occasionally a very tasty little diner menu. (Most often, not, but I didn't go to W NE for fine dining.) The Niobrara area comes in next place for me: beautiful. The area around the Ponca lands is particularly unforgettable. Especially the Ponca cemetery. In general I love to visit the little cemeteries of Nebraska: Ponca, Swedish, German, Czech, Civil War veterans... They're little novels in themselves.

Omaha has the Old Market and the Jackson Bookstore -- woohoo! And the muddy MO. And I think Nebraska City is lovely -- the relatively recent addition of El Portal Restaurant and the Mexican population has only made the town more beautiful in my eyes.

Celebrate Nebraska! The thread we have been pursuing doesn't do it justice.

[itsMeFred]

You've obviously never been to Whiteclay, either.

[lisalynn]

or Lexington..... That town was a wonderful town growing up in, today it is filthy, crime ridden, junked out vehicles all over, cars parking on lawns, furniture out in the front yards/porch. loud music. The town is trash now.. the bad parts of town far out number the nice parts of towns, people do not take care of their properties. It is one sorry dirty little town....... There are good people trying to make Lexington a good town, but the people who seem determined to destroy it are winning.

[Nitemarehippy]

I'm in the process of buying a home in Laurel, Nebraska. I happen to come upon this thread and I could not stop reading. Thank you for making me waste four hours of my life. I laughed. I cried. I was angry for a while. Eh..

I guess I decided to post on the end of this overblown, off topic thread because I'm moving back to the Mid-West exactly for the type of viewpoints expressed herein. I grew up in Fremont, NE and joined the Air Force two weeks after graduation. I knew I needed to get out.

Eleven years later I find myself stagnate and in need of something I can't quite explain. Even though I am a disabled vet. I'm so liberal you would be shocked at some of MY viewpoints. I currently live in Eugene, Oregon a bastion of left wing view points and vegan food. I like it here, but I'm almost sick of all the like minded people around me. I can never get in a decent debate because everyone agrees with me. I'm tired of the west coast too, but it has less to do with my need to relocate.

I stand 6'2 230lbs and I'm half Mexican. I was a military cop for 5 years. I'm moving to Laurel (if everything works out). I await the day someone tells me I'm not welcome in this town. If I hear the common uneducated slogan of the right, "If you're not with us, you're against us", I will pull out my medals and pictures of my time in Saudi Arabia. If I hear, "you don't know what your talking about", I will pull out my degrees from a major accredited college. After all this I will ask "what about you?".

I don't plan to go into this tiny farming community to rock the boat, but embrace the good parts of the town and try to enjoy the peace and quiet.
But, honestly I feel sorry for the first bigoted redneck to offend me or treat me as less of a member of their town. This usually happens behind my back, as people that are racist are usually too afraid to say it to my face.

So in closing...I'm moving there to be one more liberal in a sea of Republicans. Every vote counts, and if I can proselytize politically maybe I can change a few minds or at least let them know that all liberals are not what they think...errr what Rush Limbaugh thinks.

[mattpoulsen]

Well, you may keep in mind that Republicans are NOT necessarily what Rush Limbaugh represents.

One thing you might consider is the fact that your view point isn't necessarily correct because your liberal. You seem to have this idea that you're going to go to Nebraska and save a few by getting them to switch. Why is your viewpoint more correct than their viewpoint?

As a disclaimer I'm a registered republican, but I'm not the Rush Limbaugh type. (in fact most republicans I know think he's a moron!) I am a fiscal conservative but I'm also a very socially liberal. I suppose I would more accurately be labeled as a libertarian.

I think its great that you're moving to Nebraska, but you may try to remember that nothing makes your political leaning any more correct than someone who leans right. If people don't break each issue down individually then they're not thinking.

[Nitemarehippy]

Thank you for disagreeing with me, I miss it.

In no way do I think that my political beliefs make me "correct". In fact, my entire Nebraska contingent of family seem to be ardent Republicans and some of them would be called "intelligent" . I did, however, grow up with a loving, kind hearted, racist grand father. He was 100% German and I'm 50% Mexican. I no longer smile and hold my tongue. I think that everyone is entitled to their opinion as long as it doesn't seem hateful or hurtful to the national good or any single group of people. Once you cross that line, I no longer consider you a viable source of information.

I guess my point (if any), is that you tend to believe what you grew up around is the correct way to live your life. Not until you move away, get an education (street or academic) and understand who you are, can you make a decision on Political ideology. Just swallowing what your parents told you does not make a enlightened individual.

Also, in Laurel, the biggest group of people are in the 70 - 80 year old age group. These people are going to die off in mass amounts and I want to be there to be just one more person with my personal view point. Once you move out of Nebraska, you realize that our beloved state is thought of very low. We are basically on the same par as New Jersey. No one likes us. I think Nebraska deserves a better persona than an old cranky, racist farmer.

I think Ron Paul is one of the few decent Republicans that hold a major office. If the Republican party could all be more like him, they might stand a chance in the changing landscape of politics in the United States. If they don't morph into something else, they will not be a serious contender in elections for years, if ever again.

Here is a list of Republicans I wouldn't **** on if they were on fire. [/SIZE]Michelle Bachman, Sarah Palin (just today she said she's stepping down as Gov. of Alaska!!!), Tom Tancredo, Sally Kern, Jim Inhofe, Dennis Hastert, James Sensenbrenner Jr, Curt Weldon.