[ehenningsen]

thanks stargazer for all the very helpful stats and messages you are a very informative and common-sense driven poster, the more you post, the more the picture becomes clear for outsiders, please keep posting and never stop!!!

[WARNYOU]

I really don't want to sound like a negative nillie on this subject, but the downtown and the South Omaha areas are not the best choices for a college student to live while attending UNO.
This post had gotten way off of topic. Yes there is good development downtown with condo's, but let's look at them. All the condo's going up have to have access control on all the entrance doors that are backed up by CCTV camera's, the parking garages that are provided for the condo's are gated, and are patroled by guardsmen, cctv, and access control. This is why the price of buying one is high. Why do the downtown residents need this higher level of protection........................ because of the high crime rate and homeless folks that have taken over the downtown area. For example the Gene Leahy Mall and the Omaha Public Library Downtown branch.
So quote all the stats you want and paint this picture in peoples minds that downtown Omaha is such a safe and statis quow area to live in, when the fact of the matter is that there is a very good chance that you can become a victom of crime or have plan your route to Zio's Pizza so is not be panhandled on your lunch hour.

[Macaroon]

My wife and I have lived in an apartment in the downtown, Old Market area for the last 6 years. We walk in to the Old Market and downtown area during the day and in the evenings. In fact we do walk to Zio's occasionally for pizza and have yet to be the victim of a crime. I will admit that there have been a time or two that we've been asked for some change, but never has it been intimidating in the least. The downtown area is home to thousands of college students as Creighton University is only a mile from the heart of the Old Market.

I'm a small town Iowa boy, moved to the big city and I've found the downtown area of Omaha to be filled with friendly people. That's not to say I would be comfortable to have my wife or daughter ventuing out after midnight alone down an alley, you've got to use common sense. And by the way, our parking area has NO cameras or armed guards and as far as I know the vandals who hit cars in the suburbs with bb guns and bats didn't hit downtown.

[DTO Luv]

Thank you Macaroon. I have been going Downtown for years and have never had any problems with crime. I've also lived in north Omaha for years too and never had problems with crime either. Like Stargazer said it's who you hang around. Don't do drugs or join a gang.

Also I can't think of these gated buildings Downtown. I can't think of mnay gated communities out west though. I guess it's not that safe out there. I can't think of any buildings that have security guards. The closest I can think of is a few buildings with concierge service and that's not security. Downtown secuirty isn't any more different than any home security. We put our cars in garages just like other people do. We lock our front doors just like you do. Except our front door is the front door for 200 other people. There isn't a whole lot of extra security compared to a regular house. If downtown was so high crime I don't think you'd get people coming down to eat or go to other events.

Macaroon brought up a good point about how many college kids live Downtown. I can think of two people in my building who are renting students. The girl is going to UNO for something sports related and a guy from NYC is moving in to be a doctor at UNMC. The TipTop building Downtown is full Creighton kids. When I was looking at buying a place at the Twin Towers in Midtown man selling it told me he had the place for his kids who all attended Creighton so they could have a place to live away from home. I personally know many more people living in Midtown that live there because it's close to the campus and there is plenty of things to do and people to meet in the neighborhood.

[jds]

so basically move to where all the college kids are and everything should be good to go as long as i dont look for trouble???!

[star_gazer]

Creighton doesn't have a large enough student population to have a noticeable student presence anywhere in Omaha (ie where all the college kids are) ... aside from immediately around the campus.

Look, again, Omaha isn't any different than any other larger city... the inner city has random crime, but your odds of becoming a victim are like winning the lottery unless you're totally careless.

If coming from Cedar Rapids, this still worries you ... I'd suggest you find a place somewhere out by UNO or in the suburbs. A website like apartmentguide.com will help you find what you're looking for.