[jwconne]

I wonder why people from other parts of the country freak out when I tell them I am from Omaha. I have lived all over the country and this is by far one of the best kept secrets of a city out there. I am not from here but when I had to leave Omaha for work, I jumped at the chance to move back. Why do people have a miss conception of Omaha which I consider home now ???

[DTO Luv]

Probably because people in general have a horribly wrong perception about cities in the Midwest in general.

[thatguy1]

Going with the obvious: People are dumb, in general.

[Stacy From Cali]

Well you know its been my experience that there are many people in Omaha who feel this way too. Whenever I would have cause to tell anyone I just moved here I would get "OMG Why??"

I got this all the time before I moved too...but that at least made sense because Californians, as a whole, are pretty self-centered about their state (I'm no exception to this I know).

Maybe its because I moved here from Napa, and that misunderstood small farm town has a certain cultural cache.

The first time my Mom (who was visiting) head someone here say this she was appalled..."But you LIVE here! You're not allowed to say that!"

[nmnita]

probably the same reason people are taken back by those of us living in AR and enjoying our lives. No,we don't have as much diversity as we had living in DC, Dallas or Calif. I was raised in So Calif, educated there, lived in Marin County for many years and eventually ended up here: Long story. Do we miss some of what we had before? Maybe a little but people are people just about everywhere, people here are friendly (many form Ca I may add) they are laid back and certainly not dumb or uneducated like people on either coast might think we are. So many people only understand their own life style .

Nita

[thatguy1]

Originally Posted by nmnita

So many people only understand their own life style .

Nita

Good point, that goes for a lot for people who have lived in Omaha all their lives. People outside of Omaha are reluctant to accept it's not a giant farm with a few black people and people in Omaha are reluctant to accept there may be better places to live (according to each persons lifestyle and personality).

Me, I probably will choose to live in TX or in the Southeast someday because I know Omaha isn't the best fit for me(I absolutely HATE winter).

[Dave1215]

I agree with DTO_Luv.....

I have traveled alot and have a number of opportunities to move for career reasons... whenever I traveled, I always enjoyed "coming home" and I've turned down every relocation offer due to the quality of life I so enjoy.

I also know a lot of military folks who were transfered to Offutt... when they found out about the assignment they thought there was nothing worse (except maybe Minot), but a good number of those then fall in love with the place and end up retiring here...

[nephthys]

I have the same problem living in Portland, OR, which isn't much larger than Omaha. I've had people break out laughing when I told them im from Omaha... or they guess I either love football of beef, but in reality I don't know nothing about the sport and im a vegetarian.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by nephthys

I have the same problem living in Portland, OR, which isn't much larger than Omaha. I've had people break out laughing when I told them im from Omaha... or they guess I either love football of beef, but in reality I don't know nothing about the sport and im a vegetarian.

well I happen to love football and could live on good beef, but your remarks are wonderful and refreshing:: good for you..Isn't it amazing how people will assume certain things about others because of their own mis-conceptions about locations.???

Nita

[mattpoulsen]

Yeah, I have to agree with DTO.

Many people on the Coasts who hear "Omaha" will immediately conclude its a cow town, and they do that without every visiting. Many treat Kansas City the same way.

But its also no different than many less traveled midwesterners acting as though everyone in California is a barefooted hair braiding hippy or a rock star.

The basic lesson: don't judge an entire area unless you've been there.

As far as people from Omaha saying they don't like the city, hmm...that's not my experience. Most people I know love the city and are here because they choose to be. And this is a group of people who could easily go anywhere they want. Besides, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence and no matter where you go you will find people complaining about their existence.

I also agree on the inability to understand "size." I don't know how many people I've talked to from other states who laugh when I say the Omaha Metro is approaching 1 million (I think around 900,000 - not counting Lincoln). They think the Metro is more like 100,000 to 200,000. Kind of drives me nuts.