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Is the omaha metro as long and wide as Minneapolis and St. Paul? I was looking at it on google earth and it looks like from Waterloo NE to Council Bluffs it's about 30 miles of continuous population. From Wayzeta to Woodbury it's about 30 miles. About the same as omaha.
??? One look at Omaha vs Minneapolis-St Paul on Google Earth/Maps reveals the Twin Cities is a much larger sprawling urban area. I compare Omaha width & breadth to other metros all the time.
Plus, if you notice, Minneapolis-St Paul really has more width & breath North-South wise nowadays, then East-West wise. It's easy to think of it as mainly an East-West spreading metro area, because the two, twin core cities are almost linear E-W with each other on the river (just like Dallas-FW). Yet, that Lake Minnetonka kinda has always semi-hemmed in Minneapolis to the west, in a sort of way.
??? One look at Omaha vs Minneapolis-St Paul on Google Earth/Maps reveals the Twin Cities is a much larger sprawling urban area. I compare Omaha width & breadth to other metros all the time.
Plus, if you notice, Minneapolis-St Paul really has more width & breath North-South wise nowadays, then East-West wise. It's easy to think of it as mainly an East-West spreading metro area, because the two, twin core cities are almost linear E-W with each other on the river (just like Dallas-FW). Yet, that Lake Minnetonka kinda has always semi-hemmed in Minneapolis to the west, in a sort of way.
Also to answer your main question:
Minneapolis-St Paul differs from Omaha in several ways. Yes, it feels "Midwest", yet different from Omaha, in some ways, just like Midwestern Chicago feels different from Minneapolis -- simply because it is much larger than Minneapolis, in the same way Minneapolis is larger than Omaha. I agree with the comment/s that Des Moines and Omaha are a lot more alike, than Omaha and Minneapolis. Population and size have a lot to do with that, of course.
BUSIER: Omaha is quieter and more relaxed and low key than Minneapolis, I would easily say. So, Minneapolis feels more bustling and busy and stressful, for one. Commutes can be longer, trickier, Parking is tighter and more expensive downtown, ect. The airport is bigger, busier and noisier. The freeways busier and wider (although, I have to say, Omaha's I-80 is surprisingly wide & busy). Light rail is around, there are also more buses. It feels more urban. With much more population, there is much more commerce and business. The traditional White and Yellow Pages are thicker.
GLITZIER and COSMOPOLITAN: Minneapolis-St Paul is more on the tier with glitzier cities/metros like Denver, Dallas-Fort Worth, Seattle-Tacoma, St Louis, ect. All those cities are noticeably glitzier and more cosmopolitan than Omaha -- so are even metros like Kansas City, Louisville, Oklahoma City, and Indianapolis. (It's similar if you go from Topeka or Amarillo to Omaha. Same leap up.) In a glitzier city, pretentious attitudes and showiness are felt and seen more. Big name, large ritzy hotels and fancier malls abound throughout city and suburb, and downtown and suburbs have prouder skylines of trophy towers and glitzy commercial real estate.
However, Omaha (& DM, too) has noticeably gained in this area in my lifetime, though. I think of Omaha (and Des Moines) as a sharp "little Denver" or a sharp "little Minneapolis" more than I used to.
LARGE FAMILY OF CITY & SUBURBS: The Twin Cities metro has a large surrounding expanse of suburbs around the core cities, and a web-network of freeways, tying it all together. It is big enough that the farthest out suburbs are somewhat detached from the main, inner city. However, Minneapolis-St Paul is not the most prime example of this. You really feel that suburban detachment from the main core city most in gigantic metros, like the "Chicagoland" metro, or Los Angeles metro. However, you somewhat feel it in metros like Mpls-St Paul, St. Louis, Dallas-FW, ect. (You can fly in for business, stay at a fancy big hotel way out in the suburbs, and still not technically ever been to the main core city, which kinda seems "another world" away.) Omaha and Des Moines are not that way, but Minneapolis is -- kinda.
DOUBLE/TWIN CITY ASPECT: Although Omaha has the neighboring city of Council Bluffs right across the river, and Lincoln only around 50 miles away, it doesn't have that anchoring "twin city" aspect, of course, like you have in Dallas-FW, Seattle-Tacoma, Tampa-St Petersburg, San Francisco-Oakland, ect. That metro structure makes a difference, where one city is more white collar & glitzier, and one more laid-back, more blue collar, and less glitzier. Also, although Minneapolis-St Paul is not that far from the Wisconsin state line, it is ALL in Minnesota. So, it doesn't have the division of two states aspect you find/feel in the Omaha area.
NATURE/OUTDOORS/RECREATION ASPECT: Since it is not out in the mountainous west, people don't think of Minneapolis as on the "edge of the wilderness", like Denver and Boise are. But, it is. It is on the edge of the vast North Woods ("Canoe Country") Region. That is part of the reason it is such a pricey town. It has an abundance of natural lakes and forests around, thus recreational opportunities. Lake Superior and woodsy Wisconsin are nearby, too. Summer or winter, it has more of an outdoorsy, recreational aspect to celebrate nature and the great outdoors more than Omaha (and Des Moines) have, naturally. With harsher, frigid, longer winters than Omaha (I hear snow is seen in the yard from October to May sometimes), a localized winter culture is created, and they seem to enjoy sledding and "making snow angels" more than Omahans do, I think.
CITY POLITICS: I'm not sure.
I don't think of Minneapolis as quite a tiring "rat race" (like NY, LA, and Chicago can feel), but it is definitely steps closer to that term than Omaha and Des Moines are. It is just large and hard enough, and expensive enough, that I can picture an American family fleeing somewhere a bit easier and less stressful, and with less big city problems & headaches, like smaller Omaha or Des Moines, or Sioux Falls. (Even a town the size of Kansas City can almost feel that way sometimes, I think.) However, with those big city hard sides to it, it is unarguably a greener, more vivid, cultured, beautiful, outdoorsy, glitzier, and mightier city than Omaha is. However, on the flip side, the Twin Cities do not have some of the charms and excitement that up-and-coming Omaha and Des Moines possess either. Omaha and Des Moines and Sioux Falls show the new sprawl of a sort of prairie boom town. Semi-woodsy Minneapolis-St Paul grows outward, but more slowly, seemingly more focused on molding and shaping itself into urban perfection, like Portland, imo. No place has it all...
Last edited by WhiteSandsYucca; 09-12-2020 at 09:52 PM..
No it is not. It is a very midwestern, very, forgive me, redneck town. Sometimes this is good and you meet kind real deal christians, and sometimes you meet aggressive hicks. Coming from the coast, I was shocked at the amount of aggressive hicks. I used to be a conservative, but after living in O-town I realized the liberals are nicer people. Sometimes passive aggressive and cold, but nicer people, overall. There are lots of good people in O-town but if you're looking for a place with a vibe similar to Minneapolis, may I suggest Chicago or even Detroit? Omaha is also overpriced for what you get. Apparently 10 years ago it was much cheaper.
What if u live in N and S Omaha though, Midtown Omaha, Lincoln? Its made to sound like Omaha is not a good place. Are the hardcore christians a big problem and not nice or something?
As far as Omaha liberals, I picture them kinda like Connor Oberst and Jenny Lewis. Personable next to Portlands at least and might even have more a scene as I find Portlands indie scene overrated, a lot like pop music for a place that should have a lot of acts or is touted to.
I picture an Omaha conservative as christian to an extent, not southern NC like but still kind of, tolerant, country music, less hard rock Id imagine. I wonder if stuff like Black Label Society has a place in Omaha, seems to be on the soft side for music. Des Moines I know has Slipknot. Omaha had 311 who sounds tropical at times so. People might use their imagination a bit more, N Omaha might even have reggae lol.
How about punk/ska? if 311 came out of there, theres gotta be something, if not though its cool. I like things relaxed.. too much of something could bring people in droves.
I'm in Omaha for the college World Series and I'm...Im...Pressed. I didn't know what to expect, but holy cow Omaha is NICE.
I drove around the downtown and midtown areas and the feeling I got was ”Germany” or perhaps Oslo, Norway (an Americanized version, I mean). I.e. clean, modern, upscale, festive, livable.
Downtown and midtown were full of sleek, brand-new apartment buildings and hotels. I was half expecting a bleak main downtown area and an attached, cheesy Old Town ”entertainment district”. Absolute...Not...True.
The old town section is big, polished, and lively and integrates nicely with both the river parks and the main downtown area. The main downtown area includes the immaculate convention center and baseball stadium.
The convention center is hosting olympic trials for swimming and baseball stadium is hosting the college World Series. There are people walking everywhere, the streets are beautifully landscaped, there are shiny new hotels and apartment buildings and restaurants everywhere. Even parts of the traditional downtown central area were attractive...NOT just giant, empty roads and concrete buildings. It's pretty! Even the weather is nice. It's hot but instead of humidity they have a lovely wind blowing. Rude! It's not nice to be this lovely compared to the rest of us!
What really got me was the Dundee and Happy Hollow areas. Dundee looks like a small town Main Street except that has flowers everywhere, brick accented sidewalks, charming, wrought iron benches and historic lamp posts. There are also tree-lined streets with sidewalks and homes with manicured lawns and huge front porches right next door, so you can walk to get your coffee and newspaper and then go luxuriate on your front porch, read, and enjoy the pretty weather. They even have flower plantings throughout the neighborhood - i.e. like you really are in Oslo or Heidelberg.
Happy Hollow is an upscale residential area of rolling hills and large historic homes, with a huge park in the middle (unfair!) and a university (University of Nebraska at Omaha). I was told Warren Buffet lives in the neighborhood. All I can say is ”wow”.
If I had a criticism of Omaha it would be the suburban areas. The positive side is that the city is well-planned with a street grid and commercial developments placed strategically at major intersections rather than spread out everywhere. The neighborhoods looked nice and some Very nice (e.g. fancy golf courses etc).
On the other hand, the grid of 4-lane divided streets goes on for mile after mile, meaning that everywhere you go, you are driving down big, divided roads that feel like small highways. While it's probably great for traffic efficiency, that planning style makes me feel slightly claustrophobic. (Another light? OMG!).
I prefer a model like Raleigh, North Carolina where you have interstates lined with thick forests and the commercial sprawl running parallel to the interstates but largely hidden behind those thick woodlands. And once you get away from the interstate in Raleigh, the roads are mostly forested and residential, so you don't feel trapped by all the divided roads, grocery stores, and traffic lights. In Raleigh, it feels to me like you can zip through the sprawl on the interstates without having to see the sprawl, and because the sprawl is placed next to (but hidden from) the interstates, once you leave the interstate you can escape into the deeply wooded residential areas away from the interstate. Omaha doesn't have that feel because of the grid of big, divided roads.
I drove through St. Louis on the way to Omaha, and that city seems to be Omaha's polar opposite. In St. Louis the city is overwhelmed by urban problems but the suburbs consist of town after town of quaint communities with tree-lined streets, parks, and cute Main Streets. Like Raleigh, the interstates in St. Louis are lined with forests and the occasional hotel or office building peeking out from the trees.
If you could combined Omaha's downtown and midtown areas with St. Louis' suburbs and Raleigh's lush forests and weather, you might have the perfect city.
Wow. Thanks for your review and impressions of Omaha.
While Omaha is not a “perfect city” (I’m not sure there actually is one)..It is a diverse, 1 million population metro with a great economy, excellent job opportunities and developments everywhere (From the western suburbs all the way to the downtown core).
This city and metro have come such a long way from its “stunted metropolis” status of the mid-late 1980’s..and it’s an exciting time to live here and a great place to visit- especially in the spring/summer into the fall.
I just spent the day with a quick day trip over to Des Moines. After reading reviews about Des Moines, I guess that I was half-expecting Stockholm or Munich. I must say that I found Des Moines to be a bit nondescript, especially compared to Omaha.
Starting with downtowns:
- Omaha's Old Town is beautiful and vibrant. Des Moines doesn't have anything comparable. They are trying to build up the area around the state capitol but so far it's smallish and lacking in character. They've built up the other end of downtown I noticed but still it's no Old Town Omaha. Des Moines does have quite a few nice and/or new downtown buildings and it's definitely clean and not run-down. And for Des Moines' size the downtown is pretty big, but ultimately it's just a typical American downtown with wide streets and big buildings and garages, nothing to write home about. In Omaha, there are so many hotels around the baseball stadium and convention center, it's beautifully landscaped, and even the modern center of downtown has some scenic views along different blocks. Omaha's downtown is also more hilly/sloping.
Midtown residential areas
- Des Moines does have a huge area of older homes from the early 1900s through the 1920s. Not anywhere near as big as Omaha, but big nonetheless. But what I couldn't find (and I looked, oh how I looked) was a "heart of the city" area to give it a sense of community besides just houses. I kept thinking, "where are all the hospitals, stadium, shopping areas, old apartment buildings, colleges, restaurants hotels, and parks that should tie together Des Moines' midtown area?" (It should be more than just houses, etc.).
To Des Moines' credit, there is lots of road construction where they are transforming key streets into charming, walkable areas with brick sidewalks, landscaping etc. Ingersoll is a Very cute area several blocks long and was by far the cutest area I found in Des Moines other than just houses. Once the road construction is complete, Des Moines will have this area to build into something urbane and exciting. But Omaha has Dundee, Blackstone, Happy Hollow, and Dodge Street - with so many cool, architecturally interesting new apartment buildings - that really pull together the midtown area, not to mention so many other areas. I Love the residential area of Omaha immediately south of downtown that has steep hills and a mixture of apartments and houses. And there's Field Club - and so many others. It's just amazing how much more urbane and built up Omaha is versus Des Moines, despite similar populations.
Terrain and weather
- Omaha is hilly and Des Moines is flatter. Des Moines also seemed more humid whereas Omaha seems crisply warm and windy.
Suburbs
- Des Moines' suburbs are very built up and they seem to have done a pretty good job at road planning in terms of traffic. With Omaha, I don't love the suburbs compared to some places but at least they have the rolling terrain and a kind of impressive set of major companies lining the Dodge Road expressway. All in all, Des Moines for me never comes together with anything that feels exciting beyond just houses and some commercial sprawl here and there. Overall to me it's a big victory for Omaha.
In a nod to Iowa, I will say that I've been to Iowa City before and loved, loved, loved that city. It had a beauty and vibrancy that reminded me a bit of Chapel Hill, NC. And with Des Moines, clearly they are taking the steps to build up the city, so the groundwork is being laid for something exciting for the next generation. Kudos to them for doing the work now for the payoff later.
Wow. Thanks for your review and impressions of Omaha.
While Omaha is not a “perfect city” (I’m not sure there actually is one)..It is a diverse, 1 million population metro with a great economy, excellent job opportunities and developments everywhere (From the western suburbs all the way to the downtown core).
This city and metro have come such a long way from its “stunted metropolis” status of the mid-late 1980’s..and it’s an exciting time to live here and a great place to visit- especially in the spring/summer into the fall.
What do you mean by diverse? I'm actually researching Omaha now for school and I'm not very impressed with the diversity. Is it more ethnically diverse than I've been lead to believe? Or do you mean a different kind of diversity?
I spent almost three weeks in Omaha during the College World Series. Indeed the vast, vast majority of the metro area is white and middle class. The black section is kind of tucked away in the northeast corner of the city. You can drive from downtown to the suburbs and never drive through that northeastern section at all.
That said, one of the cutest and most fascinating parts of the city starts in the Dundee neighborhood along Underwood Avenue. It is evident on the maps at bestneighborhood.org that racial diversity starts almost immediately to the north and east of Dundee and the majority black section (which appears to be, in total, roughly 20-30 blocks east to west and about 40 blocks north to south) starts about 12 blocks from the center of Dundee. Another great walkable neighborhood is Benson, which is just 5 blocks from the beginning of the majority black neighborhoods.
In other words, some of Omaha's coolest neighborhoods transition immediately into Omaha's majority black area which is roughly 25 by 40 blocks, with some 50,000 people, meaning that people living in that area experience a very diverse city.
Similarly, the similar-sized majority Hispanic area (according to the map) is south of Downtown and is immediately adjacent to the very neat Field Club area. And actually the area identified as majority Hispanic itself is neat. It's an eclectic mix of homes, apartment buildings and a bit of retail and restaurants. it's hilly and a straight shot to downtown yet very neighborhoody. I liked it.
Omaha is still standing, Minneapolis burnt to the ground.
Minneapolis really has taking a dive in quality of life. The murder rate is up as Minneapolis had 97 homicides im 2021 compared to omaha having 32 and omaha having over 60,000 more people than Minneapolis. Minneapolis is also way overpriced. I moved away and left right before all the bs. Glad I left and never going back. I'd choose Omaha any day of the week over Minneapolis.
Last edited by Progress 1; 06-29-2022 at 09:51 AM..
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