moving (Omaha, Lincoln, Henry: apartment, rentals, crime)

[julie50]

Iam thinking about moving to Omaha,from Washington state.cost of housing is much better.I do have a monthly income,will pay my rent.But I still want a job.This is a scary and adventurous decision for me.My kids are grown and time for me to move on .I would like some opinions about this.Thank-You

[chiefz]

I currently live in Lincoln (about 50 miles away) but will give you my opinion on various subjects.

Omaha has several businesses and companies located there. I dont know what your education/work history is but finding a job shouldnt be a problem. Omaha metro area is around 350-400k people, so depending on where in Washington you are coming from you may want to keep that in mind. Nebraska is a conservative state, but you may find more liberals in Omaha. Also with you stating your kids are gone, Im guessing you are nearing retirement. Im still aways from retirement but Ive from what Ive heard, you may want to check retirement taxes. I cant remember what its exactly called. Nebraska loves to tax.

I am not familiar with all of the areas of Omaha but I do know like any city the neighborhood makes a difference. I hear the Dundee area is an older historical type of neighborhood. I like the Old Market. Its downtown with lots of shops and looks neat all lit up.

Crime is getting bad all over Omaha but you would have to do some research or maybe someone who lives there can help to find more details. I think apartment rentals are comparable to Lincoln. So depending on the neighborhood, ameneties, etc.. you should probably expect rent to start at $400-$500/mo. Check out www.apartmentguides.com to assist.

As for things to do, I know Omaha has several restaurants, the Henry Doorly Zoo, Qwest Center and a few museums. There is a comedy club, The Funny Bone, that gets some famous acts. Gambling is illegal in Nebraska but a short drive across the river will take you to Ameristar and Harrah's Casino. Driving through Omaha it appears to me that there are some nice parks as well. I was just recently told about a bridge you can walk across over the Missouri River. And some people like taking a class or two at a community college here in Lincoln for personal enrichment (woodworking, photography, dancing, etc..) so I would think Omaha would have something similar.

This area of the state has hot and humid summers (nothing like the deep south) but it will get 80-90% humidity at times. Temps average 80s+ during the summer (it got over 100 several times this last July) and winters vary. Winter temps can range from well below 0 (including windchill) to 40's, which feels like a heatwave in December. There are tornados that strike around the area, but I havent known one to ever hit Lincoln or Omaha for many years.

Any other questions, just ask.