Department of English

Life in Omaha

by Molly Crothers, M.A., Creighton University, 2002

 OMA-HUH?

 

When is it safe to drive in the middle lane of Dodge Street, you're wondering? This page will tell you everything from when Shakespeare on the Green begins to where the best apartments and Indian food are. (By the way, Dodge is Eastbound 7-9AM; westbound all other times).

 APARTMENT HUNTING

Between memorizing deconstructionists and choosing your thesis topic, you have enough to worry about your first semester of grad school. Finding a place to live shouldn't be one of them. Below we've listed Omaha area maps, apartment companies and utility companies to help make the move a bit easier.

Best Time to Look: Since housing close to campus is somewhat limited, it's important to start looking early. Most leases will open up in early or late summer (May or August).

Omaha Neighborhoods

Downtown & Old Market
Rooms: Loft, 1-, and 2-bdr. apt.
Rates: Moderate to High
Perks: Several restaurants, bars, coffee houses, shops (and Kinko's!) within walking distance.
To Campus: 5 min.

Midtown (I-480 west to 90th Street):
I-480 to 40th Street and north of Dodge
Rooms: Several college students live here because it's near campus. Most places are former houses converted into 1-, 2-, 3- and sometimes 4-bdr. apts.
Rates: Low to Moderate/High
Perks: Cheap housing. Close to Radial Café.
To Campus: 5-10 min.
 

South of Dodge: 38th Street and Jackson
Rooms: Several 1- and 2- bdr. apts., both contemporary and old. Many University of Nebraska Med Center students live here because school is near by.
Rates: Moderate
Perks: Hardwood floors. Close to the Food Co-op and the Crescent Moon.
To Campus: 10 min.
 

Dundee: 48th to 52 nd Streets between Dodge and Cuming Streets
Rooms: College students, young professionals and young families. Several 1920s duplexes and older 1- and 2-bdr.
Rates: $525 for a 1-bdr.
Perks: Coffee shop, bars, restaurants, gas station, laundry mat, hardware store, public library and Memorial Park are all within walking distance.
To Campus: 5-min.
 

West of 72nd Street
Rooms: Contemporary apartment complex with modern amenities-dishwasher, central air, pool.
Rates: $625-$750 for 2-bdr.
Perks: Safe. Crossroads Mall, Borders, Old Navy, Wild Oats Organic Grocery Store and several restaurants are near 72nd & Dodge.
To Campus: 15 to 20 min.
 

West Omaha: West of 90th Street
Rooms: 1-, 2- and 3-bdr. apartment complexes. Modern amenities plus a fitness room and W/D hook-ups.
Rates: $800+ for 2-bdr.
Perks: Several complexes available between south and north ends of town. Close to several malls, stores, bars and restaurants.
To Campus: 20-min. or more.


Rental Companies

If you're looking for an apartment downtown or west of 72nd street, you're best off calling a leasing company. Each has several properties at a range of prices:

Apartment Finders
800.749.4471
http://www.apartment-services.com
 

Duda Realty
402.341.4451

The Lund Company
402.393.8811

NP Dodge Co.
402.397.4900

The Richdale Group
402.391.7900
http://www.richdale.com

Robert Hancock & Co.
402.391.7217

Omaha World Herald Classifieds
http://www.omaha.com


Utility Companies

OPPD
Omaha Public Power District (electricity)
1.877.536.4131
http://www.oppd.com

MUD
Metropolitan Utilities District (natural gas & water)
800.331.5666
http://www.mudomaha.com

Qwest (cable, telephone & internet services)
800.244.1111
http:// www.qwest.com

Cox Communications (cable, telephone & internet services)
402.933.3000
http:// www.cox.com/omaha

Sprint PCS
800.480.4PCS
http://www.sprintpcs.com

Alltel Wireless
400.232.5581
http:// www.alltel.com

Verizon Wireless
800.256.4646
http:// www.verizonwireless.com

AT&T
800.462.4463
http:// www.att.com/wireless

 

RESTAURANTS, BARS, & COFFEE HOUSES

Restaurants

One thing is for sure: you won't starve while you're in this town! Get a taste some of our favorites:

Indian Oven
10th & Howard Streets, Old Market
Best Indian food in town. Atmosphere is as sophisticated as their food. Ask for a table upstairs or when the sun's shining, a table outside. $$-$$$.

Upstream
11th & Jackson Streets.
Lee Fenicle swears they have the best fish-n-chips in town. Check it out for yourself along with one of their home brews. Pool shark? Plenty of tables upstairs. $-$$.

Old Chicago
Old Market, 78th & Cass, 144th & W. Center, 132nd & Maple
With its four Omaha locations, you're bound to stumble into one at some point during your M.A. Stop at the downtown one (1111 Harney St.) for Saturday football and homemade pizza. It's not true Chicago style but close enough to say "Mmmm!" $-$$

Lo Sole Mio Ristorante Italiano
3001 S 32nd Avenue
If you want to woo anyone into loving Omaha, tantalize their taste buds. Tucked in a south Omaha neighborhood, you won't be able to get enough of these local Italian homemade recipes. Try the cheese tortellini-amazing! And what grad student doesn't love knowing there will be leftovers for the rest of the week? $$-$$$

The Radial Café
40th & Cuming Streets
It's Sunday morning. Where can you get a plate of hash browns as big as your face? Try this M.A. favorite. $

King Kong
44th & Dodge Streets
The neon yellow building is obnoxious and the stuffed gorilla inside is even tackier, but don't let that keep you from eating some of the best gyros this side west of the Missouri. $

The Rice Bowl
505 N Saddle Creek Rd.
Does it get much better than a Styrofoam box stuffed full of your favorite Chinese food and a couple of crab rangoons for under six bucks? We don't think so! $

Sushi Japan
144th & Center Streets
Who would have thought we'd be saying 'hand rolls' and 'Omaha' in the same sentence? If you love your unagi, this is the best place in town to get it. Get the entire experience--sit at the sushi bar. $$-$$$.

 

BARS

All work and not play makes for a very dull grad student. Meet up with us after class at some of our favorite watering holes:

Mr. Toad's
10th & Howard Streets
You can often find a group of MA's huddled at a table on a Sunday night when Luigi and company break out the finest jazz in town. Music starts at 9PM and goes till last call. Yes, the books on the walls are real. (We checked.)

La Buvette
11th & Howard Streets
This 'little drinking place' screams 'European cafe.' Pick up a homemade baguette and bottle of Shiraz or grab a table outside with a few friends for a relaxing afternoon.

The Bluejay
24th Street
Ed Mullany has this to say about the Jay: "The Bluejay is great. It is the bar just south of campus where all the Creighton students go to drink when they are tired of class. You go there and drink cheap beer and there is a jukebox you can play music on and three dartboards if you like darts. There is also a pool table, but it is lopsided and no one ever uses it. There is a deck out back that you can sit on in the fall and spring but don't go out there in winter because it is too cold. It is always cold in Omaha in the winters. Also, if you are a boy, there is a barbershop next door to the Bluejay where you can get a haircut. The barber's name is Stan and he likes to drink at the Bluejay too."

The Rose & Crown Pub
b24th & St. Mary's Streets
The neighborhood is questionable but inside you'll find some of the . . . well, the tackiest decorations ever allowed inside a bar (two words: fish nets). Still, with good service at a great price, we've adopted it as one of our favorite places to throw a game of darts. Besides, they have popcorn!

The 49er
49th & Dodge Streets
The best bars are the ones that have been worn in. This basement 'dive' has all the elements to make it a classic. Check out the best local bands play a few sets or on a mellow night, get a few grad students together for a friendly game of shuffleboard.

The Dundee Dell
50th & Underwood Streets
Craving a smooth scotch? How about some good tunes? Glenfiddich and Jane's Addiction are a perfect combination at this Dundee favorite.

COFFEE HOUSES

Let's face it. Sometimes, you just need to get out of the library. Omaha has a wide variety of 'study halls.'

13th Street
13th & Jackson Streets.
From the moment you walk in, you'll be in coffee heaven. Sit downstairs or for a quieter venue, head upstairs. Crane Coffee Company owns several other Omaha locations with the same great menu.

Caffeine Dreams
47th & Farnam Streets
Plop down on a funky couch inside or claim a table outside on the back patio before you order up a latte. The biggest perk? Open late on weeknights and 1AM Friday & Saturday.

Delice
12th & Howard Streets
You can't order their French-pressed coffee without also tasting one of their delectable European pastries. With lots of windows and several tables outside, you'll have plenty of good light for reading.

The Java Jay
McGloin Hall
Believe it or not, one of the best places to get a cup of Joe and have some lunch is right here on campus. It's quietest during the day when undergrads have class.

Mojo's
49th & Dodge Streets
The small yet quaint room is part of its welcoming charm. If you live nearby, it won't be long before they know you by name. Did we mention free web surfing?

Village Grinder
87th & Pacific Streets
Why drive all the way out here just to have a mocha? Because at the Grinder, you'll get more than what you ordered. Connected to The Bookworm, an independent bookstore favorite, you can have your coffee and read about it, too!

 

SHOPPING

Bookstores

Like any good MA program, we give our support to local, independent booksellers.

abebooks.com
http://www.abebooks.com
Your online source for rare & out of print books.

The Antiquarium
12th & Harney Streets
If a good coffee house smells like roasted beans, then a good bookstore should smell like yellowing pages, right? Right, right . . . maybe not, but from the musty scents to the stacks upon stacks of paperbacks, you're bound to find a favorite here. Dig for almost any used, rare or out-of-print book you can think. Don't let the shop owner scare you off.

Barnes 'n Noble
72nd & Dodge Streets, Crossroads Mall
144th & W. Center Streets, behind Oakview Mall
Overstuffed chairs & Mozart.

The Bookworm
87th & Pacific Streets, Countryside Village
Local independent bookstore specializing in new books. The Village Grinder coffee and sandwich shop is connected to the store. Even free gift-wrap!

Border's
72nd & Dodge Streets
132th & W. Maple Streets
Leather couches & Miles.

Creighton University Bookstore
Lower Brandeis
Campus convenience.

half.com
http://www.half.com
A division of Ebay. It's advertised as a used book swap but you'll often find new books for used book prices. Search by author, title, or ISBN. Refer a friend and get $5!

Jackson Street Booksellers
11th & Jackson Streets
The rows are only narrow because they have such a vast stock of used, rare and out of print books. They even make house calls (341.2664)!

Pageturners Used Books. 50th & Dodge Streets Nice guy who runs the place. Good news for MA students is that not many customers frequent their literature or poetry sections. Lots of pickings.

Grocery Stores

Albertson's
several Omaha locations
The stores are west are great but beware of the Saddle Creek location. Checkout will take you at least a half hour.

Baker's several Omaha locations
If you live near campus, the Saddle Creek Baker's is a convenient shop. Make sure to sign up for discount prices with a Baker's Plus card (free).

Food Co-op
40th & Farnam Streets
Support your local grocer. Great staff-if they don't carry what you're looking for, they'll order it.

Hy-Vee
several Omaha locations
Best days to go are Sunday-Tuesday when they run ridiculously cheap specials on things like milk, asparagus and frozen pizzas.

Super Target
132nd & Maple
A grocery store connected to Target? This could be dangerous. Prices usually run a bit higher but the convenience might make it worth it.

Wild Oats
78th & Dodge Streets
An organic food chain from Colorado. Usually overpriced but they do have a great deli and bakery.

Old Market

Once home to cattle markets and giant warehouses, this historic district is now home to some of the hottest restaurants and bars in the city. Stroll around the cobblestone streets and do some window-shopping or wake up early on a summer Saturday morning to get the best deals on locally grown Gerber daisies at the Farmers' Market.

 

FITNESS CENTERS

Besides Creighton's Kiewit Fitness Center (http://www.creighton.edu/CampusRecreation), several commercial fitness centers are available in Omaha.

24 Hour Fitness
http://www.24HourFitness.com
1.800.204.2400
4 Locations--L Street, 144th & F, Giles, and Northpark (118th St)
Open 24 Hours (in case you didn't catch the name!)

Gold's Gym (Omaha North)
108th & Maple Streets
496.8900

Gold's Gym (Omaha South)
108th & Q Streets
339-4653

New Lady Fitness
319 N. 76th Street
399-5239
It's a girl thing.

The Pinnacle Club
2027 Dodge Street (Downtown)
342.2582
Great downtown alternative. Mostly young professionals.

Prairie Life Center
8525 Q. Street
(537.0430)
M-F 5:30 AM-Midnight, Sa/Sun 6AM-11PM
No court fees (whatever that means). A perfect spot if you're of the 'burbs' culture.

Prairie Life Center
2275 S. 132nd Street
(691-8546)
M-F 5:30 AM-Midnight, Sa/Sun 6AM-11PM
No court fees (whatever that means). A perfect spot if you're of the 'burbs' culture.

 

HOTELS

If you are planning to visit Omaha before school starts, you'll need a place to crash. Each of these hotels is within a 10-minute drive to campus. Some offer a Creighton discount so make sure to ask when booking a reservation.

Courtyard by Marriott (Downtown)
101 S. 10th Street
402.346.2200 or 800.321.2211

DoubleTree Downtown Hotel
1616 Dodge Street
402.346.7600 or 800.222.8733

Embassy Suites (Downtown)
555 S. 10th Street
402.346.9000 or 800.362.2779

Holiday Inn Express
3001 Chicago Street
402.345.2222
(across from St. Joe's Hospital)

WEEKEND GETAWAYS

Chicago
1 hr. flight (Midway) or 8 hr. drive
Catch a Friday-Sunday roundtrip flight on Southwest Airlines http://www.iflyswa.com for less than $100.

Denver
1 ½ hr. flight or 7 hr. drive
Satisfy your mountain cravings with a trip to the Rockies.

Kansas City
1 hr. flight or 3 hr. drive
Smoked ribs, baseball, jazz clubs-you'll find it all in one weekend. Check out the Plaza, Rockport and Boulevard Brewery. Southwest Airlines http://www.iflyswa.com also runs specials to KC.

Minneapolis
5-½ hr. drive
Oh, yah, you betcha! Find big city fun in downtown Minneapolis at China Latina in Uptown or Kieran's Irish pub downtown. Take your morning run around Lake Calhoun or burn the calories power-shopping at the Mall of 'Hysteria.'

 

OMAHA LINKS

Access Omaha (http://www.omahachamber.net/)
Sponsored by the Omaha Chamber of Commerce.

Omaha Chamber of Commerce (http://www.visitomaha.com/)

Da Corn (http://www.dacorn.com/)
Nebraska native David Burn confronts the myths and misconceptions of Nebraska with a pop culture twist.

Discoveromaha.com (http://www.discoveromaha.com)
 

Gorp Guide to Recreation and Outdoor Travel (http://www.gorp.com/gorp/location/ne/ne.htm)
If your idea of a study break is tackling the trails or paddling downstream, find the best spots to de-stress in Nebraska.

Historic Omaha (http://www.geocities.com/jesspeterson/)
 

Joslyn Art Museum (http://www.joslyn.org/)
Omaha is home to one of the finest collections of visual art in the United States. Since 1931, it has hosted some of the best exhibits, including glass sculptor Dale Chihuly. Creighton students get in free.

Omaha Facts (http://www.omahachamber.net/data/demographics.html)
 

Omaha World Herald Online Edition (http://www.omaha.com)

 

For additional information:

 

Dr. Brent Spencer
Director of Graduate Studies
Department of English
Creighton Hall, Room 141B
Creighton University
Omaha, NE 68178
Phone: (402) 280-2192
Fax: (402) 280-2143
brentspencer@creighton.edu

 

 

Or contact Jackie Masker, Senior Administrative Assistant, at 402.280.2822 or jackie@creighton.edu