[Mighty Joe Young]

Originally Posted by ALStafford

Wow, that's pretty damning. I lived in NE many years ago, and recently saw a job opening that I'd been considering. As your experiences do not match mine, but are more recent, could you give some specific examples?

What was missing that makes people in OMA "creepy" or "dead souled?" What experiences did you have that lead to that assessment? Was there something off in the way people interacted? What was off? Did you work while in OMA? Were your co-workers creepy somehow, and, if so, can you explain? Creepy like men creeping on women at work? Creepy like it gets dark early and you felt uncomfortable/unsafe (and if that's the case, the whole metro area, or can you name where it's like that)? Creepy like it just didn't feel like you're used to, and you felt you didn't fit in/were excluded (and again, if that's the case, examples)?

What do you mean by "non-reality?" Sure, it isn't Chicago, but with a 8 million or so fewer people in the Omaha metro area, it can only be assumed that they'd be quite different, but that phrase has me at a loss. I'm guessing that there are actual human beings with jobs they go to, restaurants they eat in, etc., how that isn't reality? If someone is living it, isn't it, by definition, reality? So could you clarify what this means?

Also, how long did you live in Omaha, were you working while there, and can you give nearest major cross-streets to where you lived? That may help inform my thinking/decision making on this.

Thanks!

My advice- take her posting with a complete and TOTAL grain of salt. This woman has contributed 3 posts to City-Data and 2 of them, while I’m sure were therapeutic for her, were a complete and total mis-representation of the people, places, business community and core of metropolitan Omaha.. They were both utter nonsense..

Omaha has transitioned nicely into a vibrant, diverse and business friendly metro of 1 million. Please don’t base your job consideration off of 2 nonsensical, sour grape posts..

Peace...

[brickhouse314]

I don't know if this is still a thing or not, but I'll throw my experience out there:

What has your experience been, comparing Omaha to where you came from?

I moved here from small-town north-central Nebraska (so I don't know if that technically qualifies me as a "transplant" or not), but I'm much happier here than I ever was where I used to live. There are so many more options for retail, services, and food that I didn't have where I grew up.

Are you in the city itself or a nearby suburb?

I'm currently just outside of city limits in Sarpy County, but my wife and I are moving to the Midtown area soon.

Are you happy with your housing? Please say whether you are an apartment dweller or homeowner.

Currently, I'm content with it but not overly thrilled. We've had enough of apartment life, so we're moving into a house (still renting, although our next move from there will be home ownership).

How would you describe the experience of getting around in the city for shopping and work, and accessibility of stores/services/businesses you need? Please share whether you have a car or use public transportation.

For the most part, it's relatively painless. My work schedule allows me to avoid rush hour for the most part, but occasionally dealing with rush hour traffic is a must. It's better than most other cities, but still not pleasant. The only other issue is that often times there is road work being done and not a lot of advance warning that drivers will need to change lanes, so that can cause bottlenecks.

Have you been happy with the move you made? Do you think you'll stay put long-term?

I honestly think moving to Omaha has been one of the best decisions I've ever made. I found a great job here, met my wife here, and have also made a lot of friends here. I don't plan on leaving anytime soon.

How would you rate Omaha's arts/culture scene (museums, theaters, galleries, concerts, etc.)?

To be honest, I'm much more of an IT geek than a fine arts connoisseur, so I can't give a very complete answer to that question, but I can say that Omaha gets a lot of big-name bands/singers in town for concerts, so if there's a band whose show you've been dying to go to, you'll probably get to see them in Omaha at some point.

What do you like best about Omaha?

The job market, the incredible variety of food options, and overall the fact that it still retains some of that small-town Nebraska feel without all the downsides of rural life that I came here to get away from.

What do you like least?

Taxes, at least for those within city limits in Douglas County. There's also the weather, although that's obviously not exclusive to Omaha or within anyone's control.

[Kestryl]

What has your experience been, comparing Omaha to where you came from?


Due to the nature of my job (no, not military), we typically move every 3-4 years. Most recently we were the Eugene, Oregon area. Prior to that we'd been in rural Nevada, southern Cali, rural western Washington, Denver, etc. Omaha is, hands-down, our least favorite place. For the first time in a decade, we are actually looking forward to the next move! I thought "welcome to Omaha, don't forget to set your clock back 20 years" was a joke. It is...it should be set your clock back 40 years whether you're talking about social issues, restaurants, or breweries.


Are you in the city itself or a nearby suburb?


City itself. (Part of the reason we hate it is that you can't get affordable small acreage unless you're willing to do an hour plus commute.)


Are you happy with your housing? Please say whether you are an apartment dweller or homeowner.


We own our home. (We have large dogs so renting isn't really an option). The house itself is lovely...Omaha has some really beautiful historic homes. This the first place we've ever lived where we couldn't touch a semi-livable house on a couple acres in our budget. Omaha has a lot of regs that I hate including their dog breed restrictions. The single biggest challenge we had house hunting (once we accepted that privacy & acreage weren't going to happen) was finding someplace with off-street parking. I was stunned by the number of huge, stunning 5 bdrm (!!) homes that had one teeny off-street parking spot and one on-street parking spot.


How would you describe the experience of getting around in the city for shopping and work, and accessibility of stores/services/businesses you need? Please share whether you have a car or use public transportation.


Definitely a car city! Some areas have great parking; some it is awful. Our house is close to an interstate exit so we can pretty much get anywhere in 20 min max (assuming it's not rush hour...rush hour all bets are off though it is no where near places like Portland)


Have you been happy with the move you made? Do you think you'll stay put long-term?


Nope, never regretted a move more in our entire lives. I normally give a place a year to find the cool stuff and 2 years to fall in love with it...just under the 2 year mark and we hate it more every single day we're here.


How would you rate Omaha's arts/culture scene (museums, theaters, galleries, concerts, etc.)?


Compared to rural NV, it's great. Compared to someplace like Eugene, it's pretty sad. There are a fair number of decent museums, depending on what your interest is.


What do you like best about Omaha?


Really, really excellent medical care. There are several teaching hospitals here and I don't know if that is it or what, but I have never lived someplace with such top notch doctors...including Denver.


What do you like least?


I don't think I can pick! But probably the climate. This is the first place I've lived where not only is it unbearably hot and humid during the day, it doesn't cool off at night. I'm fine with it being in the upper 90s during the day...but I don't want the low that night to be in the 80s! Winter is unpredictable but we've had plenty of well-below-zero days both winters we've been here. If you are outdoor people who love things like gardening, hiking, fishing, etc this is a pretty miserable place. We barely even grill in the summer because it's so miserable out.


Other:


Homeowner insurance here is HIGH...triple what we've paid anyplace else for comparable homes. We priced and priced...finally a agent told us that in Omaha they assume a new roof every 3-5 years from hail damage and that's why the rates are so high.


Car registration, insurance, utilities, etc are all much higher than average. Omaha gets its low-ish cost of living rating primarily because you can buy a house for a lot less than in other urban areas...but you'll eat that savings on other things. Even our grocery bill went up almost 40% when we moved here (which is crazy because we went from shopping primarily at Costco to shopping primarily at Costco buying the same items).

[Aredhel]

Originally Posted by Kestryl

This the first place we've ever lived where we couldn't touch a semi-livable house on a couple acres in our budget.

That's because the state of Nebraska actively discourages the building of "a house on a couple of acres" in order to preserve farmland from development; it does so by structuring the tax base to severely penalize small-acreage "farmettes." In this state, you either own a house on a regular lot, or you own a full-fledged farm or ranch of at least 160 acres (usually more).

[MiserableInNebraska]

Originally Posted by citychik

Hello all,
I'm interested in hearing from people who have moved to Omaha from somewhere else. Doesn't matter how long ago you moved there, but please feel free to share how long it's been

1. What has your experience been, comparing Omaha to where you came from?
   
   
2. Are you in the city itself or a nearby suburb?
   
   
3. Are you happy with your housing? Please say whether you are an apartment dweller or homeowner.
   
   
4. How would you describe the experience of getting around in the city for shopping and work, and accessibility of stores/services/businesses you need? Please share whether you have a car or use public transportation.
   
   
5. Have you been happy with the move you made? Do you think you'll stay put long-term?
   
   
6. How would you rate Omaha's arts/culture scene (museums, theaters, galleries, concerts, etc.)?
   
   
7. What do you like best about Omaha?
   
   
8. What do you like least?

THANK YOU!

I'll bite. 3rd sour grape post...

Looking at my username, I'm sure that you can tell I'm not happy here. I actually signed up to get advice on different areas of the United States on where to move next. Just another opinion here.

Moved here from South Dakota on a work contract.

I'm going to answer the first question last as it gives an overall picture.

So...


2. I work in O but live in Papillion, "the best city in Nebraska".

3. Temporary home owner, housing is nice, typical split level conforming neighborhood.

4. Shadow Lake Plaza is great. As is Twin Creek in Bellevue. Omaha is a 20 minute drive, if I want to go see a concert in Benson by the time I'm parked it's 40 minutes, still not bad for a big city. Never had a complaint about the shopping other than there's only one Scheels and it's way out near Elkhorn, as is the only decent Homebrew supply store. I drive - there is no public transit in Omaha or surrounding.

5. No and hell no

6. Lots to do, but downtown O where the arts are is dirty with a lot of mmm...colorful types...like street corner shouters, pan handlers, tweakers that are a little too friendly and don't make sense. TBH I don't go downtown often, even though I'm an artsy person.

7. Best things are the shopping, and it's noticeably warmer here than South Dakota. Drivers are more skilled here than other cities but very mean (you will be tailgated everywhere and honked at everywhere and/or witness it).

8. Worst things are basically everything else - potholes the size of basketballs, unfriendly people, rude and impatient drivers, road rage is common, last fall a guy got killed by a handgun in traffic. Speaking of which, shootings and robberies happen all over the city multiple times a night. Not even west O is safe anymore. Always lock doors. Also on the same note - gun owners are not welcome in Nebraska, at least according to the laws and votes coming out of Lincoln and Omaha. It is much like Chicago in that regard - weapon registry, felony if you are visiting/passing through without a NE permit, and the courts are not on your side. Nebraska rural may run red, but the two major epicenters of law and justice are vehemently against gun rights. Bump stocks are going to be banned and whispers of magazine restrictions as well. I hate Lincoln, and I hate omaha.


And finally, question number one :

1. Compared to where I came from : people are in a major hurry everywhere. Not really laid back in the least. No hello or smiles on the street. No waves in traffic unless it is the "salute".
On a more personal level don't expect to build lasting friendships as folks in general are on the move and more concerned about using friendship as a utility rather than an investment. Have not had anyone from the Omaha area worth trusting or depending on. I have tried and tried - talking about 9th and 10th chances - flaky and superficial may be the correct terms. If you have a pool, or a wine collection, or can lend money or get someone a job, you will have a friend for ever long they need you for. Have had many "friends" born and raised in the cesspool that is Omaha completely back stab and assassinate my character behind my back. For no good reason. Had theft, stolen identity, stalking, and death threats (not the "friends", just random ppl) All different people. I have good discernment but the truth is you can't always tell who is genuine and who is not. Omaha has the greatest concentration of A-holes that I have ever met in an area and I travel a lot. Bad people live here. Have I met nice folks? Sure, but they are all "stocked up" on friends and aren't looking to hang or talk. Nice to your face/stab in back types too. I've had to distance myself from being roped into a poo slinging party against others multiple times. Not my thing.

If someone were to ask me "should I move to Omaha" my answer would be move in the opposite direction. As soon as my contract is up I'm outta here. To prove my point I'm sure some Omaha residents will try to destroy anything I've tried to say so far and call me a troll!

Stay away, yo!

[MiserableInNebraska]

I retract my statement. People can't drive here at all. At all. I forget, conveniently, because I am a nice person, about how terrible the drivers are here. So forgive me if I let anybody astray. Yes the drivers here suck too.

[denimflyz]

Sounds like North Platte, another cesspool, only smaller.

[mostie]

Originally Posted by MiserableInNebraska

I retract my statement. People can't drive here at all. At all. I forget, conveniently, because I am a nice person, about how terrible the drivers are here. So forgive me if I let anybody astray. Yes the drivers here suck too.

Lol, I totally identify with that statement! There is something truly frightening about seeing quite a few drivers out on the busy streets around here who you know are at least 90 years old, and you wonder how they ever had their license renewed...and a LOT of drivers staring at their phones, texting, etc. during rush hour traffic...It's a bit of a white-knuckle situation when you are constantly watching everything going on around you when you're driving, but here (and I suspect a lot of other places as well...) that's the nature of the beast. I honestly can't get over the really elderly drivers I see out and about, doing 20 in a 45 mph zone...I had some seriously elderly man in front of me on Dodge the other day, and he literally crossed over three lanes to turn, no signal, no nothing...when I got up where I could see him, he was staring at his phone...probably for directions, lol.

[jmgg]

Originally Posted by mostie

Lol, I totally identify with that statement! There is something truly frightening about seeing quite a few drivers out on the busy streets around here who you know are at least 90 years old, and you wonder how they ever had their license renewed...and a LOT of drivers staring at their phones, texting, etc. during rush hour traffic...It's a bit of a white-knuckle situation when you are constantly watching everything going on around you when you're driving, but here (and I suspect a lot of other places as well...) that's the nature of the beast. I honestly can't get over the really elderly drivers I see out and about, doing 20 in a 45 mph zone...I had some seriously elderly man in front of me on Dodge the other day, and he literally crossed over three lanes to turn, no signal, no nothing...when I got up where I could see him, he was staring at his phone...probably for directions, lol.

Probably trying to figure out how to answer it while it was ringing.


You're right. What you described is commonplace especially in larger cities with small rural communities all around it. These elderly drivers (my mom drove up until she was 95) are pretty safe in their small rural areas with 2 lanes, only stop signs to navigate, and marginal traffic. Unfortunately, many of these old folks don't know what they don't know when they choose to go into the big city.


A comedian and I can't remember who once sang the song: "Over the river and through the woods" That's how grandpa used to drive.

[Wishingforsun]

I'm so glad you posted here! I do love the atmosphere of Omaha (west Omaha), but hate the cold!!!

Having moved quite a bit, can you tell me if there are any other cities that resemble West Omaha that are in warmer areas? (CA, FL, AL, GA, etc)?