Moving to North Platte (Lincoln, Kearney: real estate, rentals, hotel)

[xman]

Hi,

I just landed a job with Union Pacific in North Platte. I will be moving from Denver at the end of May. I need help finding a rental for a family of 6. Any help is appreciated. Also, can you tell me about life in North Platte, good schools for a fifth grader and a seventh grader. Any thoughts about working for U.P. What's the best part of living in North Platte? What's the worst part of living in North Platte?

Thanks for your help,

Mike

[Rumblebelly]

I grew up in Hershey but haven't lived there for over 15 years so I'm probably not much help.

Rentals? Maybe check the North Platte Telegraph. Coming from Denver, eh? What part? NP is smaller, slower, less of a "yuppie" vibe, no traffic, has some interesting history. Always seemed like a decent large town, reasonably safe no matter what Mattden says.

UP was considered a good gig, right up there with NPPD (Nebraska Public Power District). Good bennies, pay, pretty stable.

Worst part about NP? No breweries, at least any I'm aware of.

[xman]

I am coming from Westminster, CO a suburb 15-20 minutes northwest of downtown Denver. I have been looking at the NP Telegraph for rental info. It's tough to find a place big enough to rent for a family of six. I was in NP last weekend for the hiring fair. Seems like a nice town with lots of outdoor activities (hunting, fishing, hiking, biking) I'm glad for that. I have a couple of friends that work for U.P. out here in Denver they love what they are doing. One is a manager that has been with the company for 15 years and the other a conductor that has been with U.P. for over thirty years. They are both very positive about their experience with the railroad. I wonder why no one has at least opened a micro brew in town? Seems like it could do well.

[Rumblebelly]

Well, your dollar will go much further in NP feeding and housing a family of six.

If you don't mind me asking, why are you leaving Colorado? We are leaving to at the end of the month to go to Upstate NY, to be closer to my wife's family. People think we are nuts.

I heard Kearney has a brewery.

[xman]

To be honest I love Colorado. I've been here all my life except for a very short stint in Orlando. My dad lives here and all of my wife's family lives here. We are moving for employment with the railroad. I was the kid that grew up not wanting to be a fireman or police officer. I wanted to drive trains. Played with model railroads growing up and fell in love with the history. What will you do in New York for work? Assume you either have kids or are planning to soon if your wife wants to be near family.

[Rumblebelly]

I'm not sure exactly what I'll be doing for work. I work in a R&D lab in Loveland but I'm looking for a career change. A couple of environmental consulting firms want to talk to me when I arrive in Albany NY and my wife has a couple of job options pretty much lined up.

Yeah, I was told that we weren't having kids until we were closer to family so I guess that's the plan. LOL. The dust needs to settle after the move first. My family now lives in the Lincoln area but I'd rather move to NY, where her family is.

I really like it up there. We'll be settling less than an hour from the Adirondacks, where her folks live. I basically fell in love with the area and wanted to move after my first visit. In many of the areas you'd think you are in the higher elevation spruce-fir forests of Colorado, where they get more rain. We'll miss Colorado though too, the mexican food, the Rocky Mountains.....

[Gretchen B]

My family made the move out of Denver to western Nebraska a long time ago, mostly because we didn't want to raise our children (then ages 4 & 1) in the city. The move to Nebraska was culture shock at first, even though I grew up in Nebr/Kansas - but after living in Denver for about 10 yrs I didn't think I was ready for small town rural life again. We ended up in Ogallala (about 50 mi west of NP), and loved it. It was a great place to raise kids! We were in NP for almost a year - schools were excellent, just not crazy about the town, but our circumstances at the time had alot to do with that I'm sure.

The only thing I would say I really missed moving from Colorado was being able to go to the mountains and camp on the weekends. You pretty much need a 3-day weekend to be able to enjoy the mountains when you live in NE - it's a long drive if you want to be in the mtns and relax for a day before you have to turn around and drive back. The alternative, which is enjoyable, is to go to Big Mac (Lake MacConnahay (sp)) and spend the weekend there.

Also, living in rural Nebraska you learn to be content without the huge variety of shopping you get in the city. That's not necessarily a bad thing, tho, as we definitely spent less money after we moved out of Denver.

Anyway, hope your move proves to be a good one for the family!

[jazzlover]

I wish you good luck with your career. If I were younger, I would enjoy what you are going to be doing. I have never lived in North Platte, but have known several people who have. From what they have said, it is a pretty nice community, if you don't need the amenities of a big city. The economy there is pretty strong because of the relatively stable and high salaried railroad jobs there. Because of that, real estate seems to be more expensive than many other comparable Nebraska communities.

Coming from Denver, you will find the weather there hotter and more humid. North Platte sits on the cusp between the relatively arid High Plains, and the more humid mid-grass prairies of central and eastern Nebraska. Its weather has characteristics of both. Yes, there are tornadoes and big hailstorms.

The biggest "downer" would be no close mountains, but the Sandhills north of North Platte is some of the most gorgeous and uncrowded ranch countrty you can find.

I live in Wyoming, but were I to leave here, Nebraska in general and North Platte specifically would be on my list of attractive places to look over.

[ehenningsen]

I'm in North Platte right now in the La Quinta hotel just off the interstate, and I must say how surprised I am by the large hills north and south of the interstate... I knew that Nebraska was misrepresented in that it is viewed as being flat because I-80 is in the Platte river Valley, but I had no idea that the hills here get so big!! BTW im here for the Husker volleyball match vs wichita state

[Cordor]

Greatings Ehenningsen. I hope the game is a good one. Please let me know how the girls played.