Living in Omaha, NE help

[Swimalie]

My husband might get a job in Omaha, NE. It is not a city we have visited yet so we are pretty clueless. Our goal is to find a good school area (we have a 2nd grader) and rent until we either find a house or build one in the same area. Anyone have any tips for us? His job would be in downtown Omaha.

 

[cjnix29]

We were transplanted due to a corporate move into Omaha a few years ago. It's a great city, and a great city for transplants. We lived on the NW side, actually in the Omaha Public Schools system. Millard is a good school district, as is Elkhorn. Bennington is good too. We loved living there, just took another transfer after a couple of years. Fantastic restaurants, I think that is what I miss the most! The zoo is phenomenal! I'd be happy to answer any questions I can.

 

[ZachnElli]

I live in the Omaha area. Previous poster is right Millard and Elkhorn school districts are good. I have stayed away from the Omaha Public school system. Ralston and Bellevue are good also, just trying to think of your DH's commute. Living downtown, I would not recommend. I live in the Elkhorn school district and I do know that there are rentals here as well as new homes being built. Millard and OPS high schools are very large, I think around 400 or more per graduating class. My oldest just graduated from Elkhorn High and there were 133 in his class, around the same for Elkhorn North. Of course this area is growing. My youngest will be a 3rd grader this fall, he has some hearing issues/learning disability and I'm very happy with his extra services and special teachers. You can PM me anytime you have questions! An annual zoo pass is a must, best zoo in the country! I'm not kidding, your son will love it!

 

[StephMK]

We moved from NoVA (Burke) to Omaha 6 years ago. Everyone is right about the zoo, it's awesome & sooo easy to get to. Actually, everything in Omaha is pretty easy to get to, which is a huge plus over anywhere in NoVA.

DH commutes into the city and it takes him no more than 30-45 min tops, which includes parking in a company lot and taking a bus to his building. The commute was one of the reasons we left VA. We live in the Millard district and have been very happy w/the schools. We are now out of the elementary years but I researched them like crazy when we moved. I LOVE the middle school and DD had a great experience in HS.

The housing prices are sooo much lower but we pay the same in taxes that we paid in VA. This for a house that's twice as big and cost less than half of our old house. Some things I don't like - the winters are brutal and I miss being driving distance from the beach. I still miss the East Coast but the family is settled so we're staying. Let me know if I can answer any questions. I'd never been here until I flew in to house hunt then moved 3 weeks later.

 

[ShelsGoingToDisney]

I've lived in Omaha for 18 years. I used to teach in the Omaha Public Schools. Having said that when we were looking for the 2 homes we've owned I refused to look at a house in the OPS district. I know too much about the district to have my kids go there.

Our first house was in the Millard district. We moved when my oldest was in preschool though so my kids never went there. I know several teachers from the district and have family that went through that district and it has a great reputation.

We moved into the Gretna District (SW Omaha) the year before my DS started Kindergarten. He's now going into 8th. With the growth of the district we've experienced 3 of the 4 elementary schools (Gretna Elem., Palisades, and Whitetail) between my 3 kids and they have all been fantastic. There is one middle school that I have been happy with as well. The community is great about funding the district to handle the new growth to the area. My kids have never had more than 20 kids in a class. Gretna is one of the top rated districts in the state.

Other districts with a good reputations are Elkhorn, Papillion-LaVista, Bellevue, and Westside. Westside is more mid-city than suburban though. Bellevue has a lot of military families with Offutt Air Force base being there.

Another great thing about Gretna is it has great access to I-80 for an easy drive downtown. My DH works at 50th & Dodge which isn't too far from downtown and he can get to work in 20-25 minutes. I had to drive to North Omaha (near the airport, past downtown) to teach and it only took me about 30 minutes. When you go into some of the suburbs that are a little more north of here (Elkhorn etc.) your commute will be longer because you have to use regular roads instead of the interstate for a lot more of the drive. Personally I'd stay away from anything requiring using Maple St., Center St, etc.

Gretna is a nice suburb with a small town feel. There is a big outlet mall being built here too that is supposed to open in November. The Werner Park baseball field is near here and the Storm Chaser games are really fun and inexpensive. Overall it is a really nice place to live and raise a family.

 

[lvillotta1]

Hello fellow Omaha diser's. I have lived in Omaha all my life. It is such a great city. Minimal commute times,you get a ton of house for very little,taxes are high. My girls are in the District 66 schools and we love it. One of the smaller school systems. I would not live in the OPS district. One thing to consider is how big of a school system you would like. Millard system is mega huge,but good. The Gretna system is excellent,but going to be huge over the next few years. For instance if you choose to live in Gretna your husband would have a half hour commute. Omaha is not that big of a city and you literally have every store you could imagine within miles. We have an awesome zoo and we are within 3 hrs to Kansas City etc. Hope this helps.

 

[mom2alix]

Omaha is a great city for families. I agree about Millard and Elkhorn schools. We did Millard schools until last year when we moved to Elkhorn. They are both good school systems. Millard has more programs and magnet school opportunities. Elkhorn is much more neighborhood-school focused. I would definitely avoid OPS.

Other than your DH working downtown and good schools, is there anything else you're looking for in a neighborhood/house?

 

[Swimalie]

Omaha is a great city for families. I agree about Millard and Elkhorn schools. We did Millard schools until last year when we moved to Elkhorn. They are both good school systems. Millard has more programs and magnet school opportunities. Elkhorn is much more neighborhood-school focused. I would definitely avoid OPS.

Other than your DH working downtown and good schools, is there anything else you're looking for in a neighborhood/house?

Thank you all for your answers and help!! I'm a bit nervous about this move and you all made me feel better. For those who have lived in NoVA, the commute is hurting my husband. It's easily an hour each way and now they are talking about moving him downtown so add on 30+ more minutes. We will love about $100k when we sell this house but to us it will be worth it for quality of life.

Thank you all for the tips on the school districts as well. When we've moved in the past it was pre-son so we didn't care about the schools. Thinking about the school makes the whole process more challenging. As for class size mentioned, it would be heaven! right now my son is in the 3rd most crowded elementary school in the county with 7 classes of 2nd graders with 27-28 kids each class and 126% capacity. It's a mess but they make it work well. But my son needs handwriting help and we have to pay a tutor since they don't have the time or recourses to help him during school.

As for houses, we are a bit picky after living here. We made a mistake and didn't rent when we moved here and the neighborhood is not what we expected. But simply, 4 bed, 3 bath, basement (I see a lot have them there which we love) and would love a mud room for all those snow clothes (I grew up in upstate NY so the snow won't bother me but my husband who grew up in GA is a whole 'nother story!). And I would love a neighborhood with a pool but so far I haven't found many. Is that the case?

I will keep you all in mind if he gets the job and contact you for more info as we know more. This is an exciting and nerve-wracking time for us and I'm glad I have people who know to help me

 

[cjnix29]

Good luck to you! We have made four moves in the last 9 years, and I have to say that Omaha was the city I found to be the easiest to move to and feel comfortable. Biggest shock was the cost to put license plates on your car, and the wind! We actually may be moving back sometime in the near future, as DH's company headquarters are there. But it's a great city! Good luck!

 

[Swimalie]

Good luck to you! We have made four moves in the last 9 years, and I have to say that Omaha was the city I found to be the easiest to move to and feel comfortable. Biggest shock was the cost to put license plates on your car, and the wind! We actually may be moving back sometime in the near future, as DH's company headquarters are there. But it's a great city! Good luck!

What was the license plate cost? You have my curiosity up now. After living here, I'm looking forward to our money going farther.

Oh, 2 other things we are looking for - a bit of land with our house. Not much but not on top of the next house. Right now we are 16 feet from one neighbor and 6 neighbors can see in to our backyard so we have no privacy. Plus I'm looking for a masters swim team within a 15 min drive.

 

[cjnix29]

What was the license plate cost? You have my curiosity up now. After living here, I'm looking forward to our money going farther.

Oh, 2 other things we are looking for - a bit of land with our house. Not much but not on top of the next house. Right now we are 16 feet from one neighbor and 6 neighbors can see in to our backyard so we have no privacy. Plus I'm looking for a masters swim team within a 15 min drive.

We paid about $600 a year for license plates. We had new vehicles though, and it's a personal property tax type of thing, based on the value of your car. (we had moved from Ohio, where our license plates were about $50 a year! big change for us!)

 

[Swimalie]

We paid about $600 a year for license plates. We had new vehicles though, and it's a personal property tax type of thing, based on the value of your car. (we had moved from Ohio, where our license plates were about $50 a year! big change for us!)

That's not too bad. I pay about $400 a year for my 1 year old car and my husband pays about $70 for his 10 year old car. I can handle a bit of an increase there. I think the property taxes will be a bit higher there, too. We pay about $4000 a year now for a 2600 sq ft house and we're in a county a bit farther out from DC. Of course, for the price, we're looking at larger houses so it will even out.

 

[ZachnElli]

Neighborhood pools are not common. I know there are some, but not many. Some newer neighborhoods put in splash parks. I don't know anything about the swimming community, but the last 2 swimming Olympic Trials were held here and the next one will be too! I have a friend who rode in an elevator with Michael Phelps!
The major real estate companies here are NPDodge and CBS Home, if you want to look at current listings. You can find rentals on Craigslist. I know people are wary of Craigslist here on the Dis, but we use it all the time. We rented from 2010-2012 and we found it on Craigslist and I know he just rented it again using Craigslist. I disagree that you have to live off the interstate for a good commute, I live off the Dodge Expressway and it is as convenient and large as the interstate and it leads straight to the interstate.
If you look up crime rates, don't get scared off, it is mostly concentrated in one area that is easy to avoid.

 

[mom2alix]

Sent you a PM with some neighborhood info. For swimming, I know in Elkhorn they have Masters Swimming at Common Ground. It's a really nice, newer pool. http://www.usms.org/placswim/placswimform.php?LMSCID=29
http://www.cityofomaha.org/parks/community-centers/common-ground

 

[Swimalie]

Neighborhood pools are not common. I know there are some, but not many. Some newer neighborhoods put in splash parks. I don't know anything about the swimming community, but the last 2 swimming Olympic Trials were held here and the next one will be too! I have a friend who rode in an elevator with Michael Phelps!
The major real estate companies here are NPDodge and CBS Home, if you want to look at current listings. You can find rentals on Craigslist. I know people are wary of Craigslist here on the Dis, but we use it all the time. We rented from 2010-2012 and we found it on Craigslist and I know he just rented it again using Craigslist. I disagree that you have to live off the interstate for a good commute, I live off the Dodge Expressway and it is as convenient and large as the interstate and it leads straight to the interstate.
If you look up crime rates, don't get scared off, it is mostly concentrated in one area that is easy to avoid.

One of the exciting things with the possibility of this move is that my coach is a former Olympic swimmer and on my team (I swim with teenagers) at least 2 will be in Omaha for the trials so I'll get to hang out with my coach and my old team mates.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) We enjoyed Western Omaha when I worked in Nebraska.
2) I ran two manufacturing plants there, and we looked carefully for a neighborhood.
3) Check out this for school ratings ! (Omaha Schools Ratings)

 

[Egdisney]

I live in the Omaha area. Previous poster is right Millard and Elkhorn school districts are good. I have stayed away from the Omaha Public school system. Ralston and Bellevue are good also, just trying to think of your DH's commute. Living downtown, I would not recommend. I live in the Elkhorn school district and I do know that there are rentals here as well as new homes being built. Millard and OPS high schools are very large, I think around 400 or more per graduating class. My oldest just graduated from Elkhorn High and there were 133 in his class, around the same for Elkhorn North. Of course this area is growing. My youngest will be a 3rd grader this fall, he has some hearing issues/learning disability and I'm very happy with his extra services and special teachers. You can PM me anytime you have questions! An annual zoo pass is a must, best zoo in the country! I'm not kidding, your son will love it!

I just moved away from Omaha in September. I miss it everyday! I actually lived in Papillion, and I highly recommend it! It has been in the top 5 places to live for several years.The schools are fantastic and the city is small while still having everything you need. The only Duncan Donuts in NE is in Papio! Ralston schools are not good anymore. They have fell way off in recent years, and I believe came close to losing accreditation a couple of years ago. Everything in Omaha is close, at least compared to Kansas City. As long as you stay out Omaha Public Schools and Ralston Public Schools, you will be in a good district. The best in the area in my opinion are, Papillion La Vista, Millard, Gretna and Westside District 66. Good luck!

 

[ShelsGoingToDisney]

Thank you all for your answers and help!! I'm a bit nervous about this move and you all made me feel better. For those who have lived in NoVA, the commute is hurting my husband. It's easily an hour each way and now they are talking about moving him downtown so add on 30+ more minutes. We will love about $100k when we sell this house but to us it will be worth it for quality of life.

Thank you all for the tips on the school districts as well. When we've moved in the past it was pre-son so we didn't care about the schools. Thinking about the school makes the whole process more challenging. As for class size mentioned, it would be heaven! right now my son is in the 3rd most crowded elementary school in the county with 7 classes of 2nd graders with 27-28 kids each class and 126% capacity. It's a mess but they make it work well. But my son needs handwriting help and we have to pay a tutor since they don't have the time or recourses to help him during school.

As for houses, we are a bit picky after living here. We made a mistake and didn't rent when we moved here and the neighborhood is not what we expected. But simply, 4 bed, 3 bath, basement (I see a lot have them there which we love) and would love a mud room for all those snow clothes (I grew up in upstate NY so the snow won't bother me but my husband who grew up in GA is a whole 'nother story!). And I would love a neighborhood with a pool but so far I haven't found many. Is that the case?

I will keep you all in mind if he gets the job and contact you for more info as we know more. This is an exciting and nerve-wracking time for us and I'm glad I have people who know to help me

Most homes here will have a basement. Here are a couple neighborhoods that are in the Gretna/Millard school district that have homes similar to what you're looking for and they have pools too!

http://bellbrookhoa.com/outside_home.asp
http://www.npdodge.com/lots_for_sale/harrisonwoods

Our neighborhood doesn't have a pool but the city of Gretna has a city pool. It is only $25 for a summer pass. My kids love going up there and meeting their friends. They are there nearly every afternoon in the summer! It is an older pool but there is talk of building a new one in the near future.

My youngest DS gets OT services through the Gretna School District for handwriting help (no cost). Since it is a smaller district I have found it is easier to get services. It is night and day compared to trying to get help for my students when I taught in OPS!

For property taxes our home is valued around $200K and we pay about $5600 per year in property taxes. Our subdivision is not in the city limits yet, we are in what's called an SID and the taxes are a little higher. An SID handles all the street maintenance etc. Plus is we get our snow removed very, very fast! We should be annexed into Gretna within the next 1-2 years and taxes will go down a little then.

We pay about $350 per year to license our 2009 minivan and $175 to license our 2006 Honda. Car licensing was a big shock to me when I first moved here!

 

[danygirl]

I grew up as an air force brat, and we spent 4 years at Offut. My mother swears that of all the schools the four of us went to, catholic, base or public, all over the county, the school I went to there was the absolute best. It was Cardinal Spellman then, it is St. Matthew's now. http://www.stmatthewsschool.net

Other folks I have talked to who have been stationed at Offutt more recently say it is still great.

 

[Swimalie]

Again, thank you all for the help. My mind is much more at ease knowing that so many there like it. I love the neighborhoods with pools (yea, a bit of a water nut here!) and the houses are so much nicer than what we have here for the price. Now we just wait for the 2nd interview and hope for the best!!