[TommyG]

I've been lurking around this forum for a while, so it's probably time I post something…

Long Backstory Short: I grew up on the West Coast, and moved to Western Iowa (Sioux City and vicinity) in 1995. It was our intention to get out of there and move somewhere warm – i.e. Florida – but in October 2007 I was recruited by a company in La Vista, NE. They made me a fantastic offer that I really couldn't turn down, so after much house searching all over the Omaha area, we ended up buying a house in Papillion, right off 72nd St, this past December.

So since I'm still relatively "fresh meat", here are some things I've noticed about my new hometown:

Papillion itself: If you haven't been here yet, I really think you're in for a pleasant surprise. We're really happy with the area, overall. It's close enough to everything you need (5 miles to I-80, 15 miles to downtown), but it's also far away enough that you don't feel like you're in the middle of a quickly encroaching metropolis. We're got almost every service you can imagine within a mile or two of our house, with the exception of a movie theater. We really need a multiplex (preferably with 3-D and/or IMAX) close by.

The city is mostly clean – downtown could use some fresh businesses, and the boarded up Hollywood Video and the Wal-Mart in nearby La Vista (84th & Giles) are eyesores, but for the most part there aren't a lot of boarded up or decrepit buildings. The city's parks are beautiful, and the Shadow Lake and Marketplace malls are well laid out and attractive. People seem to take a real sense of pride in their homes and yards; much more than I ever saw in Western Iowa.

For the most part everyone we've met so far in Papillion has been incredibly nice. Our neighbors were over to see us right away after we moved in, and everyone I've dealt with in local businesses has been great. The staff at Midlands Hospital in particular was very good to me this past January. While our kids are grown and moved on, it really does seem to be an area that is totally kid friendly. The Sarpy Co. YMCA is really nice, and they've always got something kidcentric going on there.

We've found a lot of good restaurants in the Papio area – La Mesa, Charlie's steak sandwiches, Old Chicago, and Dragon Café Chinese food are just a few. I was sorry to see Sam & Louie's pizza close, though. There's a lot of new construction going on around here, too, so I suspect the dining options will soon expand.

For entertainment, you'll need to drive a bit – the closest theaters we've found are in Bellevue or up on 132nd & Q. It's not that far, though. I-80 and I-680 access are just a few miles away, so you can get pretty much anywhere you need to without much hassle. The Old Market and downtown areas of Omaha are just 15 minutes away, and you can get to most of the malls around here in less than a half hour. The Henry Doorly Zoo is about a 20 minute drive, or if you prefer to see animals chasing a stuffed bunny, there's greyhound racing across the river in Council Bluffs. Most of the major concert tours lately have been through Omaha – Bruce Springsteen, The Police, Van Halen, and you're just about a half hour away from the Qwest Center. We've yet to be bored by Papillion/Omaha – there's always something to do around here.

It seems to me that a lot of people commute to nearby areas (Omaha, La Vista, Bellevue, etc.) for work. The growth around here is tremendous, and there seems to be a lot of interest in bringing decent jobs to the community. My wife works in downtown Omaha, and has to put up with the traffic hassles that go with I-480/Hwy 75, but even then it's not that bad of a drive for her. Traffic isn't bad around Papillion itself – I'm fortunate that I have a fairly short commute to La Vista every day. At times there are very slight bottlenecks on 72nd and around Giles, but nothing too bad. Most are usually rush-hour or construction related. Be warned though – the La Vista police dept. is very aggressive on speeders – rarely does a day go by where I don't see someone pulled over on Giles or Harrison.

Which brings me to my biggest gripe about Papillion and Omaha – the red light runners. Never before have I been to a city where the traffic light turns red and at least 2 – 3 cars still go through. This isn't a rare sight – it's practically every time. I had a guy driving behind me lay on his horn and give me 'the finger' because I stopped for a yellow light not too long ago. It's incredible how bad people are about this. If they were to ever turn on those red light cameras where you get a ticket in the mail, the city would make a FORTUNE in fines.

So consider yourself warned – if you're the first car in line at a traffic light, when the light turns green be sure to look both ways before proceeding into the intersection. Odds are that someone is still coming.

My second gripe (much smaller than the first) is the certain level of intolerance around here to people different than yourself. I haven't see blatant racism per se, but I have seen several instances of intolerant behavior by people while out in public. Want an example? Why anyone would think its okay to yell at or spit on a young boy wearing an Iowa Hawkeyes t-shirt – just because he's wearing a non-Husker shirt – is beyond me. Referring to women co-workers as "the girls" is another example I've seen. The constant bashing of Democrats gets old, too. What is this – 1950?

I will give Papillion credit though – there are far more good people that I've met than there are "rotten apples." Hopefully those bad seeds will clean up their acts, or move back to the caves they crawled out of.

But enough of that. On a 1 – 100 scale, I'd definitely give Papillion a solid 93. (It has a good beat and you can dance to it.) It'll be our home for a long time to come, and I'm excited to see how much the city grows over time.

Any questions, fire away.

Tom

[Dave1215]

Nice recap... I'm one of the bigger Papillion advocates on here... but love Nebraska in general... I've had chances to move from the state for career reasons and have always declined...

Take time to venture out from the metro area and see other things the state has to offer - whether you want to drive 30 minutes or 8 hours (yes that will take you to the northeastern corner of the state)

Note: that 84th stretch in LaVista that's bad was initially created when WalMart moved from LaVista to the Market Pointe site on 72nd in Papillion - was further damaged when Richman Gordman moved from LaVista to the Shadow Lake site on 72nd in Papillion - then Baker's closed and finally Garden Cafe restraunt is moving out by Cabella's but still in LaVista... a lot of major sites that vacated 84th in LaVista... the problem is WalMart still holds the lease on the 84th property till something like 2010 and don't seem to be motivated to sub-lease - so redevelopment of that stretch is a primary concern for LaVista and it will happen, just a question of how/when.

[roger6087]

Originally Posted by Dave1215

Note: that 84th stretch in LaVista that's bad was initially created when WalMart moved from LaVista to the Market Pointe site on 72nd in Papillion - was further damaged when Richman Gordman moved from LaVista to the Shadow Lake site on 72nd in Papillion - then Baker's closed and finally Garden Cafe restraunt is moving out by Cabella's but still in LaVista... a lot of major sites that vacated 84th in LaVista... the problem is WalMart still holds the lease on the 84th property till something like 2010 and don't seem to be motivated to sub-lease - so redevelopment of that stretch is a primary concern for LaVista and it will happen, just a question of how/when.

That is sad to hear, my wife shopped at that Baker's when we lived in LaVista. But that was many years ago. Do Papillion and LaVista still only have one high school?

[tpabes]

No, there is a now a Papillion-Lavista South on Hwy 370. There nickname is the Titans, it was built a few years ago now.

[Katiana]

Which brings me to my biggest gripe about Papillion and Omaha – the red light runners. Never before have I been to a city where the traffic light turns red and at least 2 – 3 cars still go through. This isn't a rare sight – it's practically every time. I had a guy driving behind me lay on his horn and give me 'the finger' because I stopped for a yellow light not too long ago. It's incredible how bad people are about this. If they were to ever turn on those red light cameras where you get a ticket in the mail, the city would make a FORTUNE in fines.

So consider yourself warned – if you're the first car in line at a traffic light, when the light turns green be sure to look both ways before proceeding into the intersection. Odds are that someone is still coming.

My second gripe (much smaller than the first) is the certain level of intolerance around here to people different than yourself. I haven't see blatant racism per se, but I have seen several instances of intolerant behavior by people while out in public. Want an example? Why anyone would think its okay to yell at or spit on a young boy wearing an Iowa Hawkeyes t-shirt – just because he's wearing a non-Husker shirt – is beyond me. Referring to women co-workers as "the girls" is another example I've seen. The constant bashing of Democrats gets old, too. What is this – 1950?

The red-light running thing was popular in Champaign, Il as well. DH grew up in Omaha and spent 10 yrs in Champaign. Oh, well. I'm not sure why you put the second gripe, as you call it, as much smaller than the first. It really seems more important to me. I am not an Omahan, either, and this stuff bothers me as well. I have been in Omaha many times at Thanksgiving. The University of Colorado/Nebraska game is generally played the Saturday after. The column inches devoted to the game (which the Nebraskans say isn't important to them) and the spitefulness directed at CU and the Coloradans is amazing to me as an outsider. Even the venerable Tom Osborne once said the CU fans were a bunch of drunks. I told DH I didn't think he'd care if they were all falling down drunk if he thought NU had a chance to win the game. I do agree Papillion is a nice place. My MIL is living in a senior residence there and we have gotten to know the area. JMO on a Saturday afternoon.

[mattpoulsen]

Nice honest summary.

As far as the red-light running...it was about the same in Lincoln. I'm not exactly sure what the reasoning is behind it, but I suspect it may have to do with the lack of turning lanes and adequately expanded infrastructure. Maybe its in my head, but I have noticed that "traffic manners" are getting much worse. But, I suppose, it could also be my tolerance for morons that is waning...who knows.

Katiana, the CU-NU game is played on the Friday after Thanksgiving...not on Saturday. As far as Tom Osborne calling the fans "drunks," I'm not sure if that is entirely accurate. He commented on the presence of alcohol in the CU stadium, which he thought was a primary cause of hostility. This isn't an issue of bias either. A few years ago entire sections of the student section were kicked out of the stadium for throwing things on the field - and NU won that game by the way. The fans are notorious for causing huge huge problems - and not just at Nebraska games. Pundits regularly list Folsom Field as one of the worst places to play for opposing teams (in terms of "rudeness" and "hostility") - along with Miami and West Virginia. As a result, CU no longer allows alcohol to be sold at games. So Tom Osborne's summary of the problem was probably pretty accurate. The scene in Boulder was often akin to that you'd find at a college bar. As far as bias newspaper writing, that's because the writer is from Nebraska. CU beat writers are no less biased - that's the way its done in every college city/area. I promise if you pick up a Denver paper in fall it will be filled with NU bashing material. As far as CU being important, NU fans grew to dislike them - not necessarily respect them. NU fans and the team would go to CU and would be treated horribly year in and year out. The only reason CU was relevant was because many of their fans (generally students) acted with such disrespect and angst toward the NU team and incoming fans that it provided a little sting. On the field, CU was relevant for only about 3 or 4 years in the early '90s. Other than that, the only reason NU fans put a little more emphasis on the CU game (than say Missouri or Kansas State) is because the fans have historically been so rude and hostile to the NU visiting fans.

The CU-NU game is a bit off topic, but I felt obliged to respond to some of your claims. Not trying to cause a fight and I have several friends who live in Denver and are CU fans, so I'm not one of those crazy NU is everything people - in fact, I've never understood those people.

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by mattpoulsen

Nice honest summary.


Katiana, the CU-NU game is played on the Friday after Thanksgiving...not on Saturday.

In any event, it is Thanksgiving weekend.

As far as Tom Osborne calling the fans "drunks," I'm not sure if that is entirely accurate.

I believe what he said was he hated to play at Folsom Field b/c the fans were all drunk. Something very much like that. It was a long time ago.

He commented on the presence of alcohol in the CU stadium, which he thought was a primary cause of hostility. This isn't an issue of bias either. A few years ago entire sections of the student section were kicked out of the stadium for throwing things on the field - and NU won that game by the way. The fans are notorious for causing huge huge problems - and not just at Nebraska games.

No one knows this better than me, living as I have in Boulder County for 25 years.

Pundits regularly list Folsom Field as one of the worst places to play for opposing teams (in terms of "rudeness" and "hostility") - along with Miami and West Virginia. As a result, CU no longer allows alcohol to be sold at games. So Tom Osborne's summary of the problem was probably pretty accurate. The scene in Boulder was often akin to that you'd find at a college bar.

I'm not sure exactly why CU banned the sale of alcohol in the stadium, but I doubt it was their public image. It was mostly b/c fans caused so much damage and started so many fights, and required so much police intervention.

As far as bias newspaper writing, that's because the writer is from Nebraska. CU beat writers are no less biased - that's the way its done in every college city/area. I promise if you pick up a Denver paper in fall it will be filled with NU bashing material.

That is actually the basis of my post. That's certainly not the way it is in Denver, and even in Boulder this stuff mostly stays on the sports pages. I have subscribed to the Boulder Daily Camera for 25 years. I am also a frequent reader of the Denver Post. Those papers might write up a human interest story about the NU fans, their loyalty, etc., but for the most part the sports news stays on the sports pages. Two years ago, (I believe) a Daily Camera sports reporter wrote an article that appeared in the sports pages that mocked the Nebraska farmers, cheerleaders, etc. I wrote a letter to the editor showing that most people in Nebraska live in Lincoln and Omaha, that Omaha has a thriving arts scene, etc. The Omaha World-Herald, on the other hand, has crap about the mean people of Boulder in every section of the paper, how someone from Nebraska got a traffic ticket in Boulder, someone looked at them wrong in Boulder b/c they were wearing a Nebraska shirt, blah, blah. (This was actually reported one year.) I guess if you get a ticket you were breaking the law and probably deserved it! Another complaint was that one year, in Colorado, they showed an image of a buffalo chasing Herbie Husker on the screen. Well, hell! It's football and of course CU wanted to win on their home field. I felt that claim of "meanness" was a little whiny. When Bill McCartney was the CU coach, his daughter had a baby with a CU football player who later died of cancer, Sal Aunese (sp?). After his death, the OWH ran an editorial about how Sal was a "deadbeat dad". Neither Denver newspaper nor the Boulder paper would get so involved with a football player from another team. I frankly thought that editorial was tasteless. I also heard stories (uncorraborated) that at the CU/NU game in Lincoln after Aunese's death the NU fans were saying, "Where's Sal now?", which if true, is beyond the pale.

As far as CU being important, NU fans grew to dislike them - not necessarily respect them. NU fans and the team would go to CU and would be treated horribly year in and year out. The only reason CU was relevant was because many of their fans (generally students) acted with such disrespect and angst toward the NU team and incoming fans that it provided a little sting. On the field, CU was relevant for only about 3 or 4 years in the early '90s. Other than that, the only reason NU fans put a little more emphasis on the CU game (than say Missouri or Kansas State) is because the fans have historically been so rude and hostile to the NU visiting fans.

Well, my husband has a slightly different take on that, being from Omaha and not having gone to NU. He thinks Bill McCartney tried to make this an important game for CU and that Nebraska doesn't care about CU. My point is, for not caring, their sure waste a lot of ink on how awful we all are out here.

The CU-NU game is a bit off topic, but I felt obliged to respond to some of your claims. Not trying to cause a fight and I have several friends who live in Denver and are CU fans, so I'm not one of those crazy NU is everything people - in fact, I've never understood those people.

I've never understood them either, which has caused some problems with my extended family in Nebraska.

But to get back to what the OP said, I do think many NE fans get very carried away. As his example of someone spitting on a child in an Iowa shirt.

[ehenningsen]

hmmmm........

katiana, there is bad blood between CU and NU football, and there is a general misconception about people between the two states..

I don't like CU football, but colorado is allright in general and most people feel that way too, sports writers are usually the most extreme fanatics of sports fanatics and so both parties are at fault, but CU has a reputation around the country for having some very drunk and obnoxious fans (not all of them), you wouldn't believe me if I told you some of the things.. But that's just how it is, there are 5million people in colorado and so I know there is more to colorado than CU

[Katiana]

Thanks for that reminder, ehenningsen. The OP does have a valid point, however.

I will say that when NU went to Pittsburgh to play my alma mater, the U of Pittsburgh, the Husker fans said the Pittsburghers were very nice to them. This after a disastrous game for them, both on the field and off, apparently, at Penn State the previous year. (My bro's alma) Yay, Pittsburgh! BTW, my daughter had a gymnastics meet the day of the Pitt-Nebraksa game, so we took a TV to the meet.

Now, back on topic. I really do like Papillion. We were there in December, on a snowy, snowy day, and I thought the place was great! I like the historic downtown. It's where my in-laws got married in 1940.

[mattpoulsen]

Katiana,

I meant that CU banned the sale of alcohol for behavioral reasons - not public image. I just pointed out its not just NU fans who think the crowds at CU were unruly.

Your husband is absolutely right about the origin of the CU-NU rivalry. McCartney absolutely tried to emphasize the NU game. The point to NU point fans, however, was that he did this while being dominated on the field. From NU's perspective there was really no rivalry. After they started producing more on the field, couple with the Folsom fan issues, certainly a dislike has developed. But there was no rivalry that developed naturally because of back and forth on-the-field drama. NU's biggest rivalry had always been OU, and to some extent it always will be. However, due to the changes in scheduling caused by the Big 12 NU no longer plays OU annually and CU has replaced that rivalry to some degree. The difference though is that NU-OU rivalry between the fans and teams was really related to the on-the-field battles. After the game was over both sides legitimately respected the other - its one of the all time great rivalries in all of college football. I don't think this same hate/respect relationship will really ever exist between CU and NU.

As for Husker fans spitting on an Iowa fan, I won't deny there are NU morons out there. But I have personally witnessed grandmothers getting pelted by snow balls at Folsom Field. I have also witnessed adults screaming at kids who were probably 12 or 13. I have witnessed CU fans being unbelievable disgusting with there verbal attacks on NU fans. I could also list many many uncorroborated claims, such as spitting and urinating on NU fans. Or the best is making a "urine snowball" and hitting someone with it. While it was a relative who told me about this, I didn't see it, so I won't claim it as fact, but for every uncorroborated story of bad behavior in Memorial Stadium I could come up with about 10 in Folsom. You may think the complaint about meanness is "whiny," but the point is at NU they make a point to make the opposing teams feel welcome. Being a fan isn't about being the nastiest to the other team. The problematic CU fans (note I recognize they weren't all bad) always reminded me of the obnoxious parent at a little league game who apparently missed the entire point - that its a game to be played on the field.

NU fans are nationally notorious for their hospitality to visiting teams and CU fans are nationally notorious for their hostility to visiting teams. I'm not claiming NU fans are somehow superior, but the environment in Memorial Stadium is just much more friendly to visiting teams than is Folsom Field and I think a lot of that had to do with the alcohol sales. I also think some of it had to do with the attitudes of our coaches (minus Bill Callahan). Osborne set a very mild tempered and reserved example and it seemed to carry over in the stadium. While I think McCartney was a good guy, he was always looking to pick a fight with NU, which he needed to do in order to make his team nationally relevant. However, those who came after him were not exactly beacons of moral fiber.

Obviously, the entire issue of media being over zealous is nearly entirely subjective. For every instance you claim the OMW is being "mean" I can lists examples of the Colorado newspapers being classless. That's pretty much an even balance. As far as the venomous attacks, they really did start on the Colorado side. For the longest time CU really was entirely irrelevant in terms of football. After a while articles coming out of Boulder and Denver would trickle out and it kind of climaxed with the death of S.A. For every nasty Nebraska article I promise there is a nasty CU article.