Questions about raising a family in Norfolk, NE (Omaha, Lincoln: condo, day care)

[huskergal]

Hello all. I am a stay at home mom with two preschool age children. My family and I are considering relocating from Lincoln to Norfolk, but I have a few questions.

1. Are there a lot of other stay at home moms in Norfolk?
2. Are there any mothers groups?
3. Are there any activities for young children to do in the winter months, such as an indoor play area?
4. I have heard that Norfolk is very Catholic, we aren’t will this make it hard to meet people?
5. Are there many young professional families in Norfolk?
6. How are the schools? I have looked into the elementary schools and they all seem pretty great as far as scores and testing goes but what about academics in the middle, Jr. and High School?
7. How about sports in the High School? Can they compete with other much larger class A schools in Lincoln and Omaha?
8. Is there community pride in the High School the way you see in smaller class B and C schools? Examples would be that everyone goes to the games on Friday or the school musical etc.
9. Norfolk seems to have a high population of sexual predators per capita compared to Lincoln. Does this seem to be a problem?
10. Anything else you think a mother of young children might be interested in knowing about Norfolk.
Thanks for the help!

[norfolks]

Norfolk has a great community for raising kids. You can join mom groups that are affiliated with churches or independent. The Church denominations are diverse. (Google the denomination for Norfolk and you’ll probably find it.) The YMCA in Norfolk is one of the best in the state and is a great place for winter activities. The City and the YMCA also have great summer programs. The Public, Lutheran, and Catholic schools are very competitive and the community is very supportive. Norfolk’s public school was competitive at state for many of its sports this fall.

[wemightmove]

Hi, Huskergal. I can answer just a few of your questions...

3. Are there any activities for young children to do in the winter months, such as an indoor play area?
The YMCA is popular with kids during the winter months, especially the pool.

4. I have heard that Norfolk is very Catholic, we aren’t will this make it hard to meet people?
I don't think that's an issue. I'm Catholic and most of my friends here are not affiliated with the Catholic church. There are other types of denominational and non-denominational Christian churches, too.

5. Are there many young professional families in Norfolk?
No. This is more of a blue collar community. It also doesn't feel like a "young" community to me the way a place like Denver is young. There are a lot of elderly in Norfolk for a population this size. There are also a lot of people in their 30s who act and look like they're in their late 40s. Maybe it's just my perception, as I am not a native rural Nebraskan, but there is not a youthful vibe here, except among the kids!

6. How are the schools? I have looked into the elementary schools and they all seem pretty great as far as scores and testing goes but what about academics in the middle, Jr. and High School?
People around here say the schools are topnotch, but I'm not sure what they're comparing them to. I do know, however, that acceptance rates to my alma mater (an Ivy League university) for this area are 1/2 the national average. That's not good.

8. Is there community pride in the High School the way you see in smaller class B and C schools? Examples would be that everyone goes to the games on Friday or the school musical etc.
High school sports are HUGE here, but I gather that's how it is in most of Nebraska since there aren't any big sports beyond the college level. So, here, the high schoolers get major coverage. It seems like high school games are a BIG event around here.

9. Norfolk seems to have a high population of sexual predators per capita compared to Lincoln. Does this seem to be a problem?
I, too, was shocked to learn this a few months ago, but then I saw that so many of the offenders share the same address -- The Regional Center. They have a sex-offender treatment program there. So, most of the names listed on the registry are of those who are in treatment (and hopefully locked in!) at the Center. However, I did notice that the rate of forcible rape here is about twice the national average. Not good!

10. Anything else you think a mother of young children might be interested in knowing about Norfolk.
This is a very family-oriented community. There are plenty of young kids and activities geared toward them. I do believe day care is difficult to find. There aren't many options.

Good Luck!

[ssnordhues]

In 1982, I moved from Lincoln to Norfolk, kicking and screaming (in my head) and now I absolutely love it. The best place to raise a family. I never thought of it as being a Catholic community. We attend a wonderful non-denominational church which averages 300-400 in attendance. Love it. Love this place. I even moved my parents from Lincoln here (kicking and screaming) and they love it too. My daughter is attending UNL. She bought a condo in Lincoln but always says, when she raises a family, she plans on doing it in Norfolk.

[ssnordhues]

One of the best things about Norfolk...there is a Montesorri PUBLIC elementary school. Free Montesorri with extraordinary teachers and classes.

[billiefan2000]

all I know of Norfolk is they have a movie theatre called the Norfolk 7

and a mall called

Sunset Plaza: Home


which has Target and Radio Shack and Runza and Bath & Body Works and Famous Footwear and Regis Hairstylist




I btw was at Sunset Plaza Mall last year in Norfolk and that mall is more alive than Crossroads Mall in Omaha

they have a local eating place called Prenger's Welcome to Prenger's

and there is also local radio stations


WJAG 780 am WJAG

US92 | Today's Best Country Norfolk nebraska country station 92.7

94Rock (http://www.94rock.fm/front - broken link) rock station 94.7


they also got a local christian station on 90.7 KPNO Home Page

and npr station on 89.3 aka KXNE NET Website Portal


Norfolk has one television station, KXNE-TV 19 (DTV 16), which is part of the NET Television network.

they air stations from Sioux City and Lincoln and Omaha in Norfolk area


ktiv nbc 4 of sioux city

ktiv 2 aka 4.2 of sioux city (the cw station in sioux city)
kcau abc 9 of sioux city
kmeg 14 cbs of sioux city
kpth fox 44 of sioux city

wowt nbc 6 of omaha
ketv abc 7 of omaha

koln cbs 10 of lincoln nebraska



all air on cable in Norfolk. i have relatives in Norfolk whom I visit.

[Evan_Lanctot]

Didn't Johnny Carson grow up there?

[JustMe_T3K]

Originally Posted by Evan_Lanctot

Didn't Johnny Carson grow up there?

He was born and lived in Iowa for around 10 years or so.
He went to high school and graduated from Norfolk.