Not my favorite city
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12/20/2008
I've lived in Omaha for a little over a year now and hate it. If you aren't a heavy drinker or don't like eating out all that much, you are left twiddling your thumbs on what there is to do here. The sprawl is out of control and going out west you can see some of the blandest, most poorly built neighborhoods anywhere. One tornado and those houses will be toast. I live close to Millard and these people are so self-absorbed and arrogant that you'd think you were in Beverly Hills or somewhere. It's Omaha, not L.A. or NYC! Downtown is okay, but I'm not sold on it's "amazement" like most of the locals are. There are tons of empty buildings and once you're past the small old market, you're done. I don't follow the college teams and there are no pro teams, so I don't go to Qwest (or to go to an overpriced concert by a washed-up second rate act.)
The zoo is good for about 2-3 hours, but once you've gone through, you're done with that. Outside of the zoo and old market, there really isn't that much to do. Plus you have to contend with an inconsistent climate. Freezing winters (in Minneapolis they at least have a tunnel system for getting around downtown in the winter, no such thing in Omaha), hot, humid summers, tornadoes, etc.
Add to that high taxes, a conservative vibe, a stronghold by the Catholic religion, and no beaches or mountains within 5 hours or less and you can see why out of cities I've lived in (Minneapolis, Dallas, Boston) this is my least favorite. Minneapolis is land locked, but it's a much better vibe in the city and more with it (the tunnel system), and Dallas has a mild winter so you can do things outdoors most of the time. I'm moving to Denver in a few weeks. I don't recommend anyone to move to Omaha, or the state of Nebraska in general, unless you want a cheap, predictable, bland life.
Andrew | Omaha, NE