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About Our Area

 
About The Omaha Nebraska Area

 

Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States. It is the county seat of Douglas County. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 390,007. According to the 2006 census estimate, Omaha's population rose to 427,872, which includes an extra population count of approximately 8,300 people by annexing the smaller city of Elkhorn.

Located on the eastern edge of Nebraska, it is on the Missouri River, about 20 miles (30 km) north of the mouth of the Platte River. Omaha is the anchor of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area.

Council Bluffs, Iowa lies directly across the Missouri River from Omaha. The city and its suburbs formed the 60th-largest metropolitan area in the United States in 2000, with an estimated population of 822,549 (2006) residing in eight counties or about 1.2 million within a 50 mile (80 km) radius.

 

The city grew on the Missouri River, with the first settlement extending from the Lone Tree Ferry crossing from Kanesville, Iowa in the early 1850s. The beginning of the city included the vigilante Omaha Claim Club, as well as early leaders of the Nebraska Territory, of which Omaha was the capital until 1867.

 

At the turn of the century Omaha was known as a "wide-open" city, meaning that anything went, particularly under the administration of Mayor "Cowboy Jim" Dahlman and political boss Tom Dennison from the late 1900s through the 1920s. 

After rapid increase in immigrants and the doubling of African American population between 1910 and 1920, the city's social and racial tensions erupted in the lynching of Willy Brown in 1919. Continued problems with discrimination led to the development of a strong civil rights movement.

 

Omaha earned its nickname, the "Gateway City of the West", because of its central location as a transportation hub for the United States in the late 1800s. The development of railroads made Omaha a critical hub for trade and industry.

It was an industrial powerhouse into the mid-20th century, with the second largest stockyards and meatpacking industry in the world, and the fifth largest grain and milling center. Structural changes in the railroads and meatpacking industries affected Omaha seriously, causing the loss of more than 10,000 jobs in mid-century.

 

Today Omaha has a rich cultural background, including the Joslyn Art Museum, the Durham Western Heritage Museum, the Holland Performing Arts Center, and the Omaha Community Playhouse. 

The city boasts headquarters for such companies as Berkshire Hathaway, Union Pacific Railroad, Valmont Industries, and Conagra. In 2001 Newsweek identified the city as one of the Top 10 high-tech havens, showing how much the local economy had changed. 

Music in Omaha has always been important to the city, with North Omaha's music scene being historically important and in modern times, the "Omaha Sound", defining an important trend across the nation.

 

The city's historical and cultural attractions have been lauded by numerous national newspapers, including the Boston Globe and the New York Times.

 

NEIGHBORHOODS

Omaha is generally divided into five geographic areas: Downtown, Midtown, North Omaha, South Omaha and West Omaha. There is also small community in East Omaha.

 

The city has a wide range of historical and new neighborhoods and suburbs that reflect its socioeconomic diversity. 

Early neighborhood development of ethnic enclaves, including Little Italy, Little Bohemia and Greek Town, have given way to gated communities. 

Recently, Omahans have made strides to revitalize a healthy and vibrant downtown area, including the redevelopment of the Old Market and the designation of the Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District. At the turn of the century the City of Omaha annexed several surrounding communities, including Florence, Dundee and Benson. 

At the same time, the city annexed all of South Omaha, including its historic neighborhoods such as Dahlman and Burlington Road. From its first annexation in 1857 (of East Omaha) to its recent and controversial annexation of Elkhorn, Omaha has constantly had an eye towards growth

 

ECONOMY

According to USA Today, Omaha ranks eighth among the nation's 50 largest cities in both per-capita billionaires and Fortune 500 companies. 

Major employers in the area include Alegent Health, Omaha Public Schools, First Data Corporation, Methodist Health System, Mutual of Omaha, ConAgra Foods, Nebraska Health System, Odyssey Staffing, Inc., Offutt Air Force Base, Staff Mid-America and the West Corporation.

 

With diversification in several industries, including banking, insurance, telecommunications, architecture/construction, and transportation, Omaha's economy has grown dramatically since the early 1990s. 

Omaha's most prominent businessman is Warren Buffett, nicknamed the "Oracle of Omaha", who is regularly ranked one of the richest people in the world. Omaha has five companies listed on the Fortune 500 list, including Berkshire Hathaway, ConAgra Foods, Union Pacific Railroad, Mutual of Omaha, and Kiewit Corporation.

 

Omaha is also home to the headquarters of several other major corporations, including The Gallup Organization, TD Ameritrade, infoUSA, Werner Enterprises and First National Bank. 

Many large technology firms have major operations or operational headquarters in Omaha, including First Data, PayPal and LinkedIn.

 

The city is also home to three of the 30 largest architecture firms in the United States, including HDR, Inc., DLR Group, Inc., and Leo A. Daly Co.

 

As of October of 2007, the city of Omaha, the 42nd largest in the country, has the fifth highest percentage of low-income African Americans in the country.

 

DOWNTOWN RESTORATION PROJECTS

There are several projects commencing in Downtown Omaha. One is the 32 story 373-foot (114 m) condo tower, WallStreet Tower Omaha, which will be the third tallest building in Omaha, passing the Masonic Manor.

The project was designed by Townsend Inc. of Overland Park, KS, which is also attempting to purchase the Brandeis building in downtown. The project will be completed by 2010 at the latest.

 

The Missouri river pedestrian bridge, which is sparking a riverfront project in Omaha and Council Bluffs. The bridge has a very modern design with two 200-foot (61 m) spires that will have sail like appearances. The Omaha side of the riverfront project will have a commercial area, twin twelve story towers, and a large plaza area.

 

There are also controversial plans for a downtown ballpark that would hold 6,000 people for Omaha Royal games and be expanded to 28,000 for the College world series. 

One site is lot c of the Qwest Convention Center which the Qwest Center opposes because of it limiting its parking. The other potential site is the 54 year old Civic auditorium. All Civic auditorium activities would then move to the Qwest Center.

 

SPORTS

Omaha's Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium is home to the Omaha Royals minor-league baseball team (the AAA affiliate of the Kansas City Royals). Since 1950, it has hosted the annual NCAA College World Series men's baseball tournament in mid-June. However there are controversial plans to build a new stadium downtown.

 

A tribute to Omaha's meatpacking past, the Omaha Beef indoor football team plays at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.

 

The Creighton University Bluejays compete in a number of NCAA Division I sports. In addition to baseball they play soccer at Morrison Stadium and basketball at the Qwest Center.

 

Ice hockey is a popular spectator sport in Omaha. The two Omaha-area teams are the Omaha Lancers, a USHL team that plays in the neighboring city of Council Bluffs at the Mid-America Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha Mavericks, an NCAA Division I team that plays at the Qwest Center.

 

Omaha has a thriving running community and many miles of paved running and biking trails throughout the city and surrounding communities. 

Chief among these is the Keystone Trail. The Omaha Marathon, which also includes a Half Marathon and 10K race, takes place annually in September.

 

Omaha is the birthplace of numerous important historical and modern sports figures, including Baseball Hall of Famer Bob Gibson; 1989 American League Rookie of the Year Gregg Olson; NFL Running back Ahman Green; Heisman Trophy winners Nile Kinnick, Johnny Rodgers, and Eric Crouch; Pro Football Hall of Famer Gale Sayers; and champion tennis player Andy Roddick.

 

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