Thinking of Relocating to Omaha from Washington, DC suburbs / Northern Virginia (Papillion: military, travel)

[mattpoulsen]

No, the Missouri river isn't polluted. Its not the river environment you would expect to see in the Pittsburg area. Its a clean, pretty much untouched, river. Certainly it is used for transporting goods, but its not as though the Missouri is lined with factories that are dumping sludge into it. There are all sorts of water activities that take place on the river. In addition, some of the casino are right on the rivers edge. In general, you'll find it a nice time.

Omaha has an excellent youth sports system. My soon to be step-son (who is 5) has been involved with different leagues for the last two years. Typically, a child would be involved in a club (in our case the YMCA) until junior high. At the junior high level the activities are then school sanctioned.

As far as vacations, well, I usually take off to some tropical place, but I'm assuming you mean something within driving distance, by the wording of your question. There is South Dakota (with the Blackhills and Mt. Rushmore), Yellowstone, and the Rockies to our west. But for day trips there are a variety of outdoorsy types things to do in the Omaha area. The midwest lacks the historic past that much of the east coast, particularly the D.C. area, possesses. Well, it lacks the westernized historic past anyway. We've really only been around for a little over 100 years. So, the day trip type things are usually outdoor things like canoing, hiking, and things of that nature. We do have one of the nicest, if not the nicest, zoos in the country. Its usually listed at #2, right behind San Diego.

[babycoleslaw]

Originally Posted by beth ann

Does anyone know the best Catholic schools (there seems to be many in the area) by academic achievement and/or reputation? St. Cecelia's was mentioned....any others? I know here there are differences to individual catholic grade schools and high schools....they're not all the same just because they're catholic. Also, are there any websites which rank the high schools, public and catholic?

Any other communities (not more than 20 min outside the city) besides Dundee and Cathedral which would be nice for 250-300 price range? Again, we need to be close to top-notch schools, which is our priority.

What are the best places and things about Omaha? How would you describe it? I would love to hear from locals as well as transplants and anyone who has lived in other states.

What is the tax structure like? Are the taxes based on the county (I think Douglas is most likely where we would be) or in the city, or both? Here, our real estate taxes are surprisingly low, but we are taxed on food and clothes. Wondering what it's like out there?

Edited to add: St. Wenceslaus (sp?) is another great Catholic school around 154th and Pacific. I have a neighbor who is a strong Catholic and drives her kids there. Takes about 15 minutes....

Someone mentioned "cow country" and Fargo....but, I actually have never been west of Chicago regarding the northern part of the US (not including CA) so it's hard to compare. My sister lives in Akron, Ohio (remember Goodyear blimp?) which is pretty small, but they go to nearby Cleveland for some amenities. If Omaha is similar to Cleveland and/or Pittsburgh, I think we could adjust to that. Are there any Italian, Polish, neighborhoods like those in Pgh and Cleveland?

Also, what's the topography like in Omaha? Where my sister lives in Ohio is very, very flat (I drove thru parts of Illiinois which were very flat, too) but I know that Cinnicnnati is very hilly like Pittsburgh. In DC/Northern Virginia it is not as flat as Ohio, but not as mountainous as Pittsburgh.

My husband attended a convention in St. Paul / Minneapolis and said it was surprisingly nice and clean. His major opposition to Omaha now is the feeling of being "land-locked" (we're 2 hours to the ocean here and the Potomac is minutes away) and not having any professional sports team to support (we're huge Steeler fans....never was able to "stomach" the Skins..lol)

What's the political climate like in Omaha? I gathered from some posts that there is some division between rural vs. city, which I think happens in most every state. But besides that.....

The DC Metro area (including suburban areas of Md and Northern Va) has a population of around 6 million, so there's traffic just from the sheer fact of the population density. However, there is so much federal, state and county money for road construction, widening, expanding, subway system expansion, etc that we actually get around surprisingly well.....ithere is literally more congestion in Pittsburgh (when frequently visiting relatives) that we have been shocked (just the lack of left turn lanes on commercial "strip mall" roads is surprising)

How is the road structure and expansion in Omaha? I think I read there is not light rail system and no way to get between Omaha and Lincoln? Is that true?

Someone mentioned the weather being similar to here. We don't get that much snowfall and it's only cold from Dec-Feb...by March/April the Cherry Blossoms are blooming and spring is here! The ultimate best months here are March, April, May and Sept/Oct when it averages in the mid 60's to low 70's. Are you sure that sounds like Omaha? We do have extremely uncomfortable humidity during summertime which is awful. I won't be sad to leave that behind.

Thanks for reading and for your responding. This is actually the first time i've ever read or posted on this site or any others like it.

Hello and welcome! I'm in Elkhorn, which is just west of Omaha (a suburb) and the schools here are top notch. The people here are highly educated (I hold a MS myself) and very friendly. St. Pat's is in Elkhorn and is a good Catholic school. The Elkhorn system itself is extremely top notch. You really can't go wrong with Omaha or the surrounding communities.
I think you'd like mid-town, Fair Acres area, Westside or Happy Hollow.
My husband and I are relocating our family (3 kiddos as well) to Portland, Oregon so if you want/need any other information on where I am or to peek at my house to give you an idea let me know...
Best of luck w/ your search. I have a sister in Alexandria and other family there too so know what a great area you're in. Omaha is different but is a GREAT town, especially for families.

[kosnebbear]

The Missouri River is a good place to go boating, but you need to keep a watch for floating logs and drift wood coming down stream. The Nebraska Parks and Game Commission has posted a warning about eating the fish caught out of the Missouri river. But there are a number of smaller lakes in the area that you can catch fish and eat them without much problems. I have been on the river in my boat and had to play dodge ball with all of the floating logs and stuff on the river.

There are several schools in the Omaha area that will fill the your need. You also might want to take a look at Lincoln as well. It is not as big as Omaha, but you have lakes close where you can enjoy a weekend on the water. They have one of the best Catholic Schools in the state. Plus the traffic is nothing like Omaha at rush hour. Just something for you to think about.

If you want we are coming to Washington DC in May to tour the city and will be glad to meet with you while we are there and bring you information that we can get about Nebraska, Lincoln and Omaha for you to look over. Just let me know by sending me a private message and I can share my personal e-mail with you.

Good luck.

[dennismpat]

Originally Posted by DTO Luv

I've found Omaha to be very hillly. An old teacher I had who moved here from Florida said she couldn't believe how hilly Omaha was compared to Florida.

Prior to visiting Omaha for the first time, I had these preconceived images of Omaha being table-top flat, like Sacramento up in Northern California. However, once I got there and started exploring the area, I couldn't believe how hilly Omaha was, especially taking Dodge Street from downtown out to the western suburbs, where my friend and his family lived.

[GhostPoet]

My wife and I are moving from Washington state...

what's the weather like in Ohama during the winter? What about the off season? We want a place that's warm and sunny more often than not....what is the job situation like for standard office jobs like accounts payable?

[jesse--james]

Hi .................

Originally Posted by beth ann

Thanks for all your input.

I did think of a few other questions.....

This may sound like a stupid question, but, is there any recreation on the Missouri River, like boating? Is it known as relativelly clean or polluted? In some cities close to rivers the "riverfront" has been revitalized (like in Pittsburgh..the Three Rivers City) to offer restaurants, scenic views, bike trails, etc. Is that the case in Omaha?
The Missouri River does have it's boating opportunities-- but you have deal with muddy water- seasonal restrictions based on the flow of the river--if it's too high or too low -- The farther north you go the cleaner the water is. There is a Marina in Blair (about 20miles north) -but that marina has seen hard times because the low and high water flows killed their business.

Also, where do people vacation, either for day trips or during the summertime? I gather some trek to the Great Lakes for the beach, but are there any other closer destinations?
If you want to go boating one of the favorites around here is Lake Okoboji in Iowa. It's about 4 hours away to the north.-- Lake Manawa is closer but smaller. Branched Oaks in Lincoln NE is close by too. Those lakes are good for recreational boating -- if you want straight fishing then Glenn Elder Lake in Kansas is about 3 hours away (South of Grand Island NE) nice BIG undisturbed reservoir. There isn't much else to do there -but the fishing is unbeatable in the region. To the North Lewis and Clark reservoir on the Missouri River is also a nice place to go fishing.


Are there any quaint or historic or intersting towns nearby that people in Omaha frequent? With us having Baltimore, Annapolis, Williamsburg so close which we visit often on family day trips, I'm trying to think of substitutes of that on a smaller scale.

Nebraska City is great during the fall -- Lots of Apples grown there. I think Arbor lodge is close by. Kansas City is only a 3 hours to the South. Des Moines 3 hours to the East. Lots of cheap flights on Southwest to St.Louis or Chicago -($50 one way)

[buffy888]

GreatSchools.net is a good website for getting basic data on schools - test scores, student population, etc. Keep in mind, though, that Catholic schools are not required to take the same tests as public schools, so there may either not be test data at all for Catholic schools or it just may not be comparable data.

There are some single-gender Catholic schools in the area, as well. For example, Creighton Prep is a boys-only Catholic high school. Here is a link that shows the Omaha Catholic Schools on a map - might be helpful once you pin down your area of town: Archdiocese of Omaha - Catholic Schools
Please be aware that there are several Catholic schools in Omaha whose mission it is to serve all students who need a good education, even those without the ability to pay (as well as those who are not Catholic). These are great schools that would probably be a good experience for your children, but I am thinking they may not be what you are seeking. Also, you generally do need to reside in a specific parish to attend a particular Catholic school.

As others have stated, there are many quality public school districts in the area. Westside is another good district that I don't recall anyone mentioning.

Brownell-Talbot is a private school - not Catholic, though - which is academically challenging. Good location if you do decide on Dundee or Country Club (lots of homes with character in both of those areas - older homes with lots of charm - bigger houses in Country Club than in Dundee).

[jesse--james]

My recommendation for schools:
K through 8th

St Robert Bellarmine- is an EXCELLENT school (120th and Pacific) surrounded by houses in your price range.

Mary Our Queen is also good. (120th street South of Center Street)

St. Stephen the Martyr (168th and Q)

St. Wenceslaus (150th and Pacific)

High School -- SKUTT -- 156th just South of and Center.

If your kids are going Catholic for their entire education then you might want to pick Wenceslaus or St. Stephen the Martyr for their proximity to Skutt. You will get a lot of home for that price range and the homes adjacent to these parishes are very nice.

[hopesma]

Hi, I don't know if you are still checking this but we did exactly what you wrote last January! We love the public schools here but are very close to Skutt. The biggest problem is missing family & friends and VA but otherwise, it's been a great move. The rails aren't needed, traffic & getting around is mostly a piece of cake. I'm happy to share more if you're still checking back.

[guy4omaha]

back to your boating question, the lakes, rivers and marinas are no comparison to the east coast. However, there is definitely an avid boating community on the Missouri River. Check out this website for a lot of information: OmahaRiverFront.com :: Missouri River News, Development, Commerce, History and Boating Resources.

The earlier quote of a marina with 30 slips is just one of the smaller marina offerings on the river. And actually this 30 space one is just a downtown by the hour boat parking facility.

Area lakes have their followings too. Branched Oak Lake near Lincoln is one of the better boating lakes in the area.

You really should visit. It is pretty difficult to try to adequately describe Omaha in a paragraph or two.