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I live in Kansas City metropolitan area and my daughter goes to school in Omaha, so I visit Omaha a few times each year. I have never had anything but a positive experience in Omaha. I like it because it is small, but big enough to have just about everything you could need. It's also friendly and easy to get around. I enjoy watching all the changes to downtown and the Creighton area each time we come to visit.
My sister, who lives in Miami Florida, came with me to Omaha two weeks ago, and she could not stop talking about how inexpensive everything was compared to the high prices where she lives. She was amazed at how easy it was to get in and out of the airport. She could not believe how easy it was to get through traffic. She noted that Omaha was a small city, but it is spread out on lots of land. Things are not all squished together as they are on the east coast. She loved browsing through the Old Market shops. She enjoyed the people she met. I think that Omaha is a lovely little city and I think you have every reason to be proud of it.
Guys, we lost the poll in the main USA forum, but I'll tell you why...
It isn't that another city is a better city than Omaha nor does it have anything to do with New York being an easy 3 hour commute to its outer suburbs..
It has to do with Omaha's past reputation that seems to hold on to some people, our reputation of the 70's and 80's just seems to linger for some and it takes time to break those stigmas..
So, with that said, we know what we have here and let's keep wearing it proud, the longer we do, the more the stigma goes away..
Guys, we lost the poll in the main USA forum, but I'll tell you why...
It isn't that another city is a better city than Omaha nor does it have anything to do with New York being an easy 3 hour commute to its outer suburbs..
It has to do with Omaha's past reputation that seems to hold on to some people, our reputation of the 70's and 80's just seems to linger for some and it takes time to break those stigmas..
So, with that said, we know what we have here and let's keep wearing it proud, the longer we do, the more the stigma goes away..
So, let's keep where the O!..
Agree... it is an old reputation to overcome... not a fast process..
People are saying Omaha has all of the cultural and entertainment options that big cities have- sure there is ballet, there is symphony, there are museums- the point is that Omaha has much fewer of each of these available. I hear this type of thing from people here in Lincoln that think this is the greatest place on earth, too- yes we have a couple of art museums, there are things going on locally to see and do at times- but those options are very few compared to the very wide variety that a bigger city would have. And Creighton basketball in no way compares to having NBA, NFL, or NHL games to go to, no matter how you try to present it. Those major league sports mean something on the national stage, college and minor league sports do not, with the exception of an NCAA team actually making it to a national championship.
A good example my wife brings up is this- we were in Kansas City on a Saturday just before the 4th of July a couple years ago. On that one day they had a huge festival going on downtown at the riverfront, an all-day concert event out in one of the surburbs with many major bands performing, a Major League Soccer game, and a NASCAR race. Back up here in Omaha yes there were things going on, but not anything of that variety or on that big of a scale. That is the essence of what many are trying to say when talking about what Omaha is lacking when saying it is rather dull compared to larger places.
Omaha is a nice place for the most part, and we all know about the affordable cost of living and great economy, so it does have good things going for it- but it does have a long ways to go before really becoming more than a "blah" town for many people.
People are saying Omaha has all of the cultural and entertainment options that big cities have- sure there is ballet, there is symphony, there are museums- the point is that Omaha has much fewer of each of these available. I hear this type of thing from people here in Lincoln that think this is the greatest place on earth, too- yes we have a couple of art museums, there are things going on locally to see and do at times- but those options are very few compared to the very wide variety that a bigger city would have. And Creighton basketball in no way compares to having NBA, NFL, or NHL games to go to, no matter how you try to present it. Those major league sports mean something on the national stage, college and minor league sports do not, with the exception of an NCAA team actually making it to a national championship.
A good example my wife brings up is this- we were in Kansas City on a Saturday just before the 4th of July a couple years ago. On that one day they had a huge festival going on downtown at the riverfront, an all-day concert event out in one of the surburbs with many major bands performing, a Major League Soccer game, and a NASCAR race. Back up here in Omaha yes there were things going on, but not anything of that variety or on that big of a scale. That is the essence of what many are trying to say when talking about what Omaha is lacking when saying it is rather dull compared to larger places.
Omaha is a nice place for the most part, and we all know about the affordable cost of living and great economy, so it does have good things going for it- but it does have a long ways to go before really becoming more than a "blah" town for many people.
Frankly, and this might be just me, I don't give a rat's *** if we have a national football team. we have good things, and some of the things that happen here are more globally important than any regular season NFL game. I went to the swim trials and let me tell you, there is nothing like it. This last week we had a national wheelchair tournament, Junior olympics for track and field, and a heck of a lot more. If you need to be on the world stage for everything, then yeah, Omaha's not for you. But there is certainly no need to have 500 choices of what to do in a weekend when right here in Omaha we give you 50 things that are just as good with less crowds and nicer people.
Not to mention that vast majority of the people in cities with NFL and other pro teams don't even attend the games. KC is 3 hours away. I would argue that its not much more difficult for me to attend a NFL game then it is for someone who lives in L.A. I don't think whether a city has a pro franchise should be the end all measuring stick of the city. If the depth of your being stops at sporting events then maybe Omaha isn't for you.
you can disagree with me if that is the way you feel, but frankly I think anyone can look at a lot of good things and find what's wrong with them. You could go anywhere and do that. Maybe the clubs and the atmosphere here don't fit you. Maybe you don't like low crime rates, maybe you don't like to see a city hold onto one of it's oldest traditions, then Omaha isn't for you. Hell, I don't think Omaha want's people like this, who only blatantly overlook the good in a place so they can slam down on those with civic pride. Tourists do come here. and they almost always praise the city in ridiculous numbers. There are high class resteraunts in town that get business. Ever heard of the Flat Iron? The Qwest Center did get a lot of big name productions that suprised people and brought in a whole range of tourists.
Omaha is not without it's flaws. I know this, but it is not even a mediocre place in my opinion, and it only is in yours because you choose to view it with a blindfold on.
I didnt say i have a problem with low crime rates its easy to argue when you distort my statments into "I love crime" I said your cops are d****. If holding on to a tradition means telling the taxpayers that it wont effect them and then showing that it really will then youve got me i hate tradition. I dont over look the good things but the guy made a gripe post about how he is tired of his persecution for living in omaha and i stated why people gripe. I love the zoo and the low cost of living. As far as the jobs are concerned ive never had a problem finding a job in any of the cities ive lived in.
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Originally Posted by ehenningsen
Adam has a great point.. Tourists the last 5-8 years have really been giving us high praises, and the last couple seem to have grown much more...
I'm not really sure how you cannot find anything to do, there are always city sponsored events, concerts, nationally televised sports, music venues that are nationally ranked as well as nationally rated arts venues, a top zoo, great pay with low wages, great night clubs.. all of this to start..
Some people just have their minds made up and when they do, they always see how things could be better.. It's not a fun existance thinking that way..
It doesnt really matter hwta tourista think about omaha i have visited south africa and had a great time does it mean that i would move there. Jazz on the green blah blah blah. Just as some one else said on this forum (and was later argued with because how dare he question omaha and all its greatness.) Yeah i can go to one thing about once a month thats worth a damn but as far consistency and choice goes omaha doesnt have it. Your farmers market was a joke. GO to another city where there are a couple of farmers markets and you will see the difference. Oh and i love the "great pay with low wages?" And no matter what you say your clubs are garbage and your downtown is vacant in like 2 out of 3 venues. Take a drive there before you post because i know i will get two or three people saying old market is the greatest downtown in existence. And i agree the "grass is always greener on the other side" but get this sometimes the grass is really greener on the other side.
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Originally Posted by Go Ne
Oh no we don't have many gangs or drugs whatever shall we do because crime is awesome. And the Qwest Center is ranked 10th in the nation for ticket sales, clearly thats a huge joke and so are the Swim Trials because they came here.
You do have gangs and drugs watch the news sometime its on 3 times a day. And as said before you change what it is said into "i love crime i want to have murders baby." Go to a major metropolitan area and the cops are taught to treat people like people both times i have encountered a police officer in your city they where asses. For ticket sale. Lets say it again for ticket sales. Thus proving my point that as far as options are concerned there aren't any what else is going on on that night. NOTHING.
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Originally Posted by mattpoulsen
Yeah Putz, are you seriously suggesting that not having a major crime problem for the police to deal with is a bad thing??
As far as the Qwest, it has been an absolute success! Its a top-notch facility and to suggest otherwise is completely dishonest. Omaha has greatly improved its national exposure by adding the Qwest and has reaped tons in terms of revenue to the city.
And no one here thinks Olive Garden is fine dining. Good lord...can you come up with an anymore random allegation? I could just as easily say someone in Dallas thinks taco bell is fine dining. How ridiculous. And while we're on ridiculous anecdotal bits evidence of Omaha's failures...what in the heck does a seatbelt violation have to do with anything?? First of all, its a secondary violation. Secondly, Nebraska for a very long time resisted federal pressure to enact seatbelt legislation. But I'm guessing you were ticketed for not having a seatbelt and now choose to blame it on the "horrible cultural scene in Omaha" instead of yourself. You sound like a bitter person who simply wants to be miserable no matter where he is.
I have been, worked, and have colleagues all over the globe and could have a very nice lifestyle in nearly any city. I live in Omaha because I choose to be...NOT because I'm stuck here! Not everyone's priority is the number of night clubs and professional sports teams. Ever heard of raising a family? It is often the case that that is a person's priority and you can't pick a better place than Omaha for that. Not everyone wants the same thing out of a city! Why is that so hard to understand?? No one here is bad mouthing NY or Chicago. We recognize that different people have different tastes. Why can't you understand that?
See the previous comments on crime. In major cities with crime cops where getting shot because they where acting like *******s. Now go to those cities and you will experience a level of respect and maturity that is unfound in this city. So now you speak to everyone in the city of omaha. You pop up two or three restaurants. and all of a sudden omaha is a fine dining mecca. With thick layers of cultural diversity. No one touched that one did they. I do understand that omaha has good things for people in certain cituations ie. raising a family and going to school. but what about those who arent doing either. Why cant you except my opinion without becoming unglued about what one person thinks about your city. Go to chicago and say chicago sucks. They'll pretty much brush it off. Omahans are wrecked if anyone does anything but praise it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ehenningsen
Well I've never met a putz who had nothing better to do than drink and sleep in all day..
Good job he knows what putz means. pat yourself on the back and never leave omaha or have an opinion opposing others views you may not be able to argue it..
Quote:
Originally Posted by ehenningsen
Omaha has multiple events going on at all times..
At all times everyday at every moment and if you dont agree with him hell punch you ive seen him do it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Adam29
Frankly, and this might be just me, I don't give a rat's *** if we have a national football team. we have good things, and some of the things that happen here are more globally important than any regular season NFL game. I went to the swim trials and let me tell you, there is nothing like it. This last week we had a national wheelchair tournament, Junior olympics for track and field, and a heck of a lot more. If you need to be on the world stage for everything, then yeah, Omaha's not for you. But there is certainly no need to have 500 choices of what to do in a weekend when right here in Omaha we give you 50 things that are just as good with less crowds and nicer people.
Woo hoo swim trials. You almost had it but then you lost it with the wheelchair tournament(who cares) and junior olympics( doesn't every city have one of those and im sure its not thought of as a major event).Its usually more like three things and two of them usually are relate rather closely in signifigance to a wheel chair tournament and the junior olympics leaving you with th bar scene or the club.
So in short I propose we change omahas motto to " Love it or........we'll kill you for not agreeing"
(I never thought that children of the corn was an actual omaha documentary until i moved here )
In major cities with crime cops where getting shot because they where acting like *******s. Now go to those cities and you will experience a level of respect and maturity that is unfound in this city.
What? That statement doesn't even make sense.
Cops in other cities aren't jerks? What about the Rampart divesion in LA?? Yeah, their corruption isn't that big of a deal right? Their payoffs and beatings are nothing compared to some jerk cop in Omaha who wrote you a ticket.
Cops in Chicago get a bad rep ALL THE TIME for being corrupt and being Aholes.
But b/c a couple cops weren't pleasant to you ( I wonder why) in Omaha, all the cops in Omaha are jerks? That arguement is completely unfounded.
geez... first off, you demeaning stereotypical view of police officers offends me because I know quite a few of them. Truth be told, I changed your words from, "I hate that there isn't crime," to, "I wish there was crime"... I know, HUGE edit huh? The fact cops aren't shot on a daily basis like they are in Philly or where ever else you find to be a beautiful place to live is either due to poor training of officers or due to a more crime-ridden community. Fact is Omaha officers have been shot and killed, and you mock their names by forgetting their sacrafice for you.
BTW: I still haven't had anyone tell me the stadium is going to cost me a penny out of pocket, so I don't quite know where you're getting that, but even if it were, it wouldn't be much seeing as the majority is already paid for, it would probably be literally a penny out of my pocket. Well, that's what you pay for progress.
wheelchair games may not be important to you, but it got us a page in Sports Illustrated this last issue. And no, the Junior Olympics is a national event and has resulted in a large amount of out of towners.
fact is, we won't kill you for not agreeing, just understand that when he asks "do I really have it that bad in Omaha?" we're going to try to pull up your crashing plane of a description of our town because frankly, you do have to be quite cynical to arrive at your viewpoint.
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And the Qwest Center is ranked 10th in the nation for ticket sales, clearly thats a huge joke and so are the Swim Trials because they came here.
I do understand that omaha has good things for people in certain cituations ie. raising a family and going to school. but what about those who arent doing either. Why cant you except my opinion without becoming unglued about what one person thinks about your city. Go to chicago and say chicago sucks. They'll pretty much brush it off. Omahans are wrecked if anyone does anything but praise it.
