Living in Omaha, NE help

[vicki_c]

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!!

Are you finally moving out of NoVA? I remember past threads where you said you didn't really like it here, I think. Sounds exciting.

 

[Swimalie]

Are you finally moving out of NoVA? I remember past threads where you said you didn't really like it here, I think. Sounds exciting.

We're trying to move out of the area. We would love to go back to Oregon but are considering other cities where we can feel more at home.

 

[StephMK]

Like pp said, there are very few neighborhoods with pools. Several people we know joined the very nice Lifetime facility - they have large indoor & outdoor pools. It was built about 5 years ago. The YMCAs are nice here too though the pools are fairly small. The Zorinsky pool/water park is a big outdoor pool and a family pass is $175.

The airport here is great. So easy to get in & out. There are fewer good airfare deals though.

One thing that is different - while there are buses in elementary if you're over 1 mile away, you have to pay for service in middle and HS, at least in Millard. We live 2 miles from the MS & HS and have to pay if they ride. I think you might be home so that might not matter but know you'll need a carpool or plan to pick up at school.

Some districts have an IB program if that is an interest and many offer several AP classes. Millard has an elementary & MS that also offers IB at that level.

Be prepared for comments if you move. I got questions about if we were going to live on a farm! People had no idea that Omaha is a nice city and has suburbs with all the modern shopping & conveniences. I was homesick and wanted to move back to VA for about 5 years but it really is a nice area and great for kids. Good luck!

 

[ShelsGoingToDisney]

Like pp said, there are very few neighborhoods with pools. Several people we know joined the very nice Lifetime facility - they have large indoor & outdoor pools. It was built about 5 years ago. The YMCAs are nice here too though the pools are fairly small. The Zorinsky pool/water park is a big outdoor pool and a family pass is $175.

The airport here is great. So easy to get in & out. There are fewer good airfare deals though.

One thing that is different - while there are buses in elementary if you're over 1 mile away, you have to pay for service in middle and HS, at least in Millard. We live 2 miles from the MS & HS and have to pay if they ride. I think you might be home so that might not matter but know you'll need a carpool or plan to pick up at school.

Some districts have an IB program if that is an interest and many offer several AP classes. Millard has an elementary & MS that also offers IB at that level.

Be prepared for comments if you move. I got questions about if we were going to live on a farm! People had no idea that Omaha is a nice city and has suburbs with all the modern shopping & conveniences. I was homesick and wanted to move back to VA for about 5 years but it really is a nice area and great for kids. Good luck!

We have free bus service through the Gretna District through high school.

We were members of Lifetime for several years. The pool was great when the kids were younger but once they hit school age they wanted to be at the Gretna pool where all their school friends go even though is is an older pool. It does have a diving board though and they love that! One downfall with Lifetime the last summer we were members (2011), was that nearly every time we'd go the pool would have to close due to an "accident". With the zero depth entry there are a lot of toddlers in that pool with some not so strong swim diapers!

I agree the airport is great. Big enough to get good flights but small enough to be easy to navigate.

 

[Swimalie]

An indoor/outdoor pool option sounds good. We have gotten spoiled here with a neighborhood pool where we can just go relax and cool off a few months of the year.

That's good to know about the busses. My son has yet to ride one to or from school because I volunteer so much there that I need to be there anyway. I don't mind driving him. I would love to know which schools are IB. He's in an IB school now and they take Chinese which he loves and wants to continue.

 

[StephMK]

An indoor/outdoor pool option sounds good. We have gotten spoiled here with a neighborhood pool where we can just go relax and cool off a few months of the year.

That's good to know about the busses. My son has yet to ride one to or from school because I volunteer so much there that I need to be there anyway. I don't mind driving him. I would love to now which schools are IB. He's in an IB school now and they take Chinese which he loves and wants to continue.

Aldrich Elementary, Millard North MS, and Millard North HS are the IB schools in Millard. I don't think they offer Chinese though. DS was interested in learning but it's not offered in the district as far as I know. You can also choose where to send your child in the district, it doesn't have to be the neighborhood school, as long as there is room.

I don't think you can go wrong with Elkhorn, Gretna, Millard, Westside or Papillion. They are all nice districts, just depends on what size and offerings you need. Plus other than Westside, I would think it's possible to find places to build.

 

[StephMK]

We have free bus service through the Gretna District through high school.

We were members of Lifetime for several years. The pool was great when the kids were younger but once they hit school age they wanted to be at the Gretna pool where all their school friends go even though is is an older pool. It does have a diving board though and they love that! One downfall with Lifetime the last summer we were members (2011), was that nearly every time we'd go the pool would have to close due to an "accident". With the zero depth entry there are a lot of toddlers in that pool with some not so strong swim diapers!

I agree the airport is great. Big enough to get good flights but small enough to be easy to navigate.

I'm jealous! The bus service really annoys me and adds an extra issue to working. Especially on early out days but thankfully DH has a lot of flexibility.

Ewww, to the pool issues. I would be annoyed to pay that much and not be able to swim. I wish there was more a neighborhood pool near us, it's hard to find many kids that mine know when we swim.

 

[msd1776]

I would not live in Omaha proper nor would I be in OPS district. I live in the Bellevue / Papillion area ... Good commute to downtown. You could also look at Council Bluffs, IA.

 

[ShelsGoingToDisney]

I'm jealous! The bus service really annoys me and adds an extra issue to working. Especially on early out days but thankfully DH has a lot of flexibility.

Ewww, to the pool issues. I would be annoyed to pay that much and not be able to swim. I wish there was more a neighborhood pool near us, it's hard to find many kids that mine know when we swim.

Does Millard still have the early dismissal every Wednesday at 2? That would be a total pain for a working parent!

It was annoying paying for Lifetime and not getting to use a lot of the services. We joined in 2007 and loved it, but by 2011 it had started to go downhill. My kids were taking TaeKwonDo through the program there and when the instructor left to start his own business we followed. At that point it wasn't worth paying for Lifetime anymore because the kids didn't want to go!

 

[Swimalie]

Aldrich Elementary, Millard North MS, and Millard North HS are the IB schools in Millard. I don't think they offer Chinese though. DS was interested in learning but it's not offered in the district as far as I know. You can also choose where to send your child in the district, it doesn't have to be the neighborhood school, as long as there is room.

I don't think you can go wrong with Elkhorn, Gretna, Millard, Westside or Papillion. They are all nice districts, just depends on what size and offerings you need. Plus other than Westside, I would think it's possible to find places to build.

Thank you. I think the school part scares me the most. I can find a house almost anywhere, but want my son to have a good school. This helps a lot!

 

[shoes99]

We just came back from visiting family in Elkhorn, NE. All three kids go to the Elkhorn elementary school, and the middle school is right next door when my nephew switches to middle school in Sept. We attended a boy scout program on May 21st at the school. Nice area. We also visited the Omaha Zoo which was very nice. My god-daughter is a spanish teacher at the high school. Her Mom, our friend, recently moved to Elkhorn from NJ.
Michele