Moving to Lincoln for Law School, good idea??? (Omaha, Wayne: rent, house)

[ehenningsen]

Cafe du monde, I don't know who you have been talking too, but Lincoln, although not a megapolis or anything is approaching 300,000 in its metropolitan area and OMaha has 859,000 in its metro is just 35 minutes from Lincolns east side. Nebraska is well known for having awesome food, especially steak dinners. Shopping is not bad in Lincoln and Omaha is awesome for shopping.. The winter is not terrible in Nebraska like it was 10 years ago for some reason, it's been warmer and warmer and today it was 75 degrees here.. When it does snow here it melts within days or usually at longest within a week or so, and the gradual cooldown during the fall and warmup during the spring makes the 40-50 degree weather feel very nice in the winter. The highs do get down into the 30's or lower in the winter which does stink, but the most we experience of that lately is around 1-2 months a year! UNL is right by downtown, so you can easily walk to many different restaurants and shopping and theatre type shopping. Really the winter weather garbage is WAY overblown.... If you need major league sports, then this isn't your place to be otherwise you'll love it here..

[Mosaic]

Sorry that I'm off topic, but I've thinking about moving to Lincoln (from S. Cal as well) and would like to know where are the good apartments (safe area, well-maintained etc). Are there any good downtown apartments or mostly in the southeast area near the country clubs/golf clubs? Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks!!!

[ehenningsen]

Well maintained to different people is more perception than anything, but Ill tell you that the whole city is in pretty good shape, the older neighborhoods in every city will have some houses that out of shape, so to speak, but if your looking for something newer, there are alot of options in this city, I used to live in these apartments on 72nd and Van Dorn, really nice area!!

Here is a really good link that will provide apartments for Omaha and lincoln and their bigger suburbs:

http://www.apartmentguide.com/apartments/Nebraska/

Some others...

http://www.apartments.com/partner/Re..._Maximum=99999

http://lincoln.craigslist.org/apa/

[TitosBuritoBarn]

Cafe, if you haven't already, I'd suggest visiting Lincoln. I mean, you're probably not going to be able to figure out if it's right for you unless you see it for yourself. Yea, if you venture outside of Lincoln you're probably going to find cows and corn fields. However, I believe you're likely to also find cows in the Inland Empire and definitely the central valley there in California. But in Lincoln, honestly, these stereotypes you hear are bull. You may see a guy with a cowboy hat once every blue moon, but I assure you will see more people driving BMWs, Mercedes, and Lexuses than people in boots and cowboy hats. Hondas are a dime a dozen. A large part of my family is from Lincoln and there isn't a Chevy among them. There's a Hyundai, a Nissan, two BMWs, and....ope I take that back, there's a Chevy TrailBlazer. But anyway, I've been to Orange County dozens of times and have family in both Yorba Linda and out in Murrietta. The best way I can think to describe it without you actually seeing it for yourself is to imagine Sacramento if it were a tad smaller than Anaheim. Oh and the day you can walk across campus without seeing another Asian person is probably the same day that that blue moon occurs and the guy with that cowboy hat is out instead. If it's not for you it's not for you, but if the only things you ask out of Lincoln are that people wear normal clothes instead of cowboy garb, that people drive Hondas, that there's a nightlife, and that there are other Asians, then welcome to Nebraska...

[mattpoulsen]

No, Lincoln is not bad at all. I am currently living in Lincoln and am also currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Nebraska. Ironically, I will be graduating with my Ph.D. and plan heading to law school this fall as well. At any rate, I've been here for quite a while and can definitely give you an "insiders" perspective.

First of all, Lincoln is relatively small, approximately 250,000. However, it is not run down. I saw somewhere below that someone made the comment there were many empty store fronts. Not true! While Lincoln may lack some of the extravagantly wealthy tastes that you may find on the coasts it should also be pointed out there are no disturbingly poor areas of town either. The winters are cold, but the summers are equally as hot. Some how Nebraska has developed this "deep freeze" stereotype and I'm not sure why. The summers it is typically 80s to 90s.

Secondly, Lincoln is a 30 minute drive to Omaha. The greater Omaha area is probably about 1 million. Omaha does have more of a metropolitan feel to it, so if you are having problems with living in Lincoln then Omaha is definitely an option. Also, shopping in Omaha is a good as any city in the midwest...it obviously isn't L.A. or N.Y.C., but it has the same stores as Minneapolis, St. Louis, Denver, Dallas, and etc. That brings up another point. There is no such thing as a "commute" in Lincoln. You can be anywhere in town in about 15 minutes. One thing you'll notice in the midwest is that cities often lack skylines because we have so much room to grow. There is no necessity to build up...we just build out. So, some cities which are relatively large (i.e. K.C., Omaha,...etc.) don't seem as large to people who are used to a robust skyline.

Thirdly, I saw someone mention that the University of Nebraska campus is spread out. Well, that is somewhat true, but its not relevant to you. There are two campuses at UNL (city campus and east campus). The law college is on east campus and all of the classes are in one building. The nice thing about east campus is that its very accessible and parking is not an issue at all. In fact, it takes about 30 seconds to get from your car to the front door of the law college. So, the fact that city campus is spread out is completely irrelevant to you.

Finally, the University of Nebraska is an excellent school, even if the stereotypes don't do it justice. The law college is top notch and considering that it would be free to you I think that would be difficult to pass up. I would base your decision on the specifics of your legal career and not so much on the living conditions in Lincoln. Its not L.A., but its not Siberia either. Omaha is a hop skip and a jump away and Lincoln is a nice town to live in for a while. Affordable, little to no crime, and phenomenally polite.

Matt Poulsen

[mattpoulsen]

I would also like to point out that Lincoln is home to many many ethnicities. That's another stereotype that boggles my mind! Also, are you telling me Orange County didn't vote for Bush??? Seriously! You really need to get your facts from some other source. Visit the Lincoln/Omaha area and you'll understand.

[cafe du monde]

Well, I sent in my deposit and letter of intent today. My heart was beating a mile a minute, I tell ya. I thought I was going to faint, I was so nervous--which is really silly--whoever heard of someone fainting while putting a stamp on an envelope? But there I was--my future in my hands.

It's not just me going somewhere for school--it's me in a transitional phase, going from being a girl in the OC to a young adult law student in the midwest. I feel like whereever I go, it'll change me, and I want that place to chaneg me for the better--I'm being way too philosophical, I know. It's not that I am worrying just about the nightlife and enthicity--I'm worrying about how different things will be. That's why I am dwelling on these insignificant details--it's a helluva easier than fixating on the big picture, in my opinion. I've never been more than an hour away from my famiily, from my friends--who the hell do I call if my car breaks down? Do you know what I mean?

Well, the decision has been made, the deed is done, and I'm coming over.

Thank you to everyone that replied--you all are really nice, and your advice will be taken to heart.

So, I'll be expecting nice people over there--strangers better talk to me for no reason--if I meet anyone mean, I'm gonna jump back on this board and vent it out here. LOL.

[mattpoulsen]

Well, I think you'll be happy with your choice. Granted, there will be an adjustment period, but I think it'll definitely benefit you in the long run. Its always a good thing to get out and experience new perspectives.

On another note, I may very well be in your class this fall. I defend my Ph.D. dissertation in physics in the summer and am planning to start law school in the fall. That is the plan anyway! There is a chance I'll wait a year or two, but more than likely I'll be there. Assuming I go I'll be sure to look up the "Asian" girl from Orange County. I can't imagine there will be a lot of you...ha ha!

Good luck!

Matt Poulsen

[ehenningsen]

Let me reassure you on your decision cafe du monde, you made a very good one and you will get to experience a way of life you never have experienced before with all the same amenenities you had where you are living, unless you are of the Mattden personality type, which you're most likely not cause you sound like a good kid... Just put on a smile, don't look back and everything will fall into place for you and you will walk a confident walk... If you need anything Cafe du monde, come to this board, we will come to your rescue...
And congradulations on your decision...

[dennismpat]

Originally Posted by cafe du monde

Well, I sent in my deposit and letter of intent today. My heart was beating a mile a minute, I tell ya. I thought I was going to faint, I was so nervous--which is really silly--whoever heard of someone fainting while putting a stamp on an envelope? But there I was--my future in my hands.

It's not just me going somewhere for school--it's me in a transitional phase, going from being a girl in the OC to a young adult law student in the midwest. I feel like whereever I go, it'll change me, and I want that place to chaneg me for the better--I'm being way too philosophical, I know. It's not that I am worrying just about the nightlife and enthicity--I'm worrying about how different things will be. That's why I am dwelling on these insignificant details--it's a helluva easier than fixating on the big picture, in my opinion. I've never been more than an hour away from my famiily, from my friends--who the hell do I call if my car breaks down? Do you know what I mean?

Well, the decision has been made, the deed is done, and I'm coming over.

Thank you to everyone that replied--you all are really nice, and your advice will be taken to heart.

So, I'll be expecting nice people over there--strangers better talk to me for no reason--if I meet anyone mean, I'm gonna jump back on this board and vent it out here. LOL.

Well, I have to hand it to you---you're a lot braver than I! As I've mentioned many times before in both this forum and the California forum(s), I have been to Nebraska a number of times, and each time was very pleased with the people and the general feel of the area. At one point, I was seriously considering moving to Omaha, but backed out since all my family is here in SoCal and it would just be too difficult to start over somewhere else at this point in my life. But anyway---enough about me.

Most of the respondents on this forum who are current Nebraska residents have been quite helpful, and I commend them for that. Wishing you all the best!