[harshbarj]

Originally Posted by jon rockefeller

If you look at omaha data dot com, a good website set up by the World Herald, you see that 90% of murders in 2015 were in East Omaha. Go west and the crime drops precipitously. For people moving here without connections or history that root them to east Omaha, they should live in West Omaha, where it is safer, and where there is good shopping and restaurants. If the OP has a particular reason for targeting the 40th/Maple area, they should chime in.

Unless they like a more urban lifestyle. Unless they want to actually walk places. Unless they like the raceway that are west omaha streets. Unless they want bus service.

There are many reasons to avoid west Omaha. If you are using just the crime rate to judge an area, you are not considering the whole picture.

I live in south Omaha and have no problems finding good restaurants and shopping. West Omaha does not have the monopoly on these things.

Lastly SHOULD? Rather presumptuous of you, and honestly downright arrogant. I'd never go so far as to tell people they should live anywhere and neither should you.

[jon rockefeller]

I mention crime because all other factors are equal, and if not equal, a slight edge going to west omaha.

With cars, I think ownership rates are probably equal anywhere in Omaha. There's nowhere you can live car-free without sacrificing something. Even living right in the middle of the Old Market, you still have to drive west for shopping, for toiletries, and for a good selection of groceries. You have to drive west for decent doctor care or dental care. You have to drive west to play in sports leagues. And you have to drive west if you know anybody who lives in west omaha. Even college students at UNO or Creighton all have to have cars these days. You just miss out on too much if you try to live without one.

I do think a person, new to the area, without connections, should live in west omaha. They will have a better life and run a far lower risk of being a victim of crime.

[McBain II]

The problem with using the crime statistics is that again, it ignores the fact that the vast majority of violent crime in Omaha is committed in a small sector of the city by and against those involved in things like drug and gang activity. It is exceedingly rare for an innocent person to be a victim of random violent crime in any part of Omaha. Furthermore, dividing the city into east and west halves and declaring the western half to be safer is a bit of a farce. The eastern half of Omaha is a huge swath of the city and ignores the fact that the Near North Side is going to be vastly different from the Gold Coast or Raven Oaks areas...the later two of which are not only just as "safe" as West Omaha but exceedingly nicer as well. To act as though all of the east side is the same is just flat out wrong.

And for the record, I think the best restaurants are easily in the eastern half of the city.

[jon rockefeller]

1. I think if you look at the website you can see the crime is spread out over all of east Omaha, east of about 60th street.

2. Whether a victim is innocent or not (not sure how you even determine that), nobody deserves to be a victim.

3. Why would a restaurant in the eastern half of the city be any better? All the ingredients are being sourced from the same 2 companies, Sysco or US Foods. Most everything I see in Omaha restaurants requires low skill levels (dropping things in fryers or putting meat on grills or using a can opener or microwave), so I'm not sure why there would be any differentiation.

[iamjacobm]

Originally Posted by jon rockefeller

3. Why would a restaurant in the eastern half of the city be any better? All the ingredients are being sourced from the same 2 companies, Sysco or US Foods. Most everything I see in Omaha restaurants requires low skill levels (dropping things in fryers or putting meat on grills or using a can opener or microwave), so I'm not sure why there would be any differentiation.

Your doing it wrong. Lots of restaurants on both the west and east sides of the city using fresh ingredients.

[jon rockefeller]

Sysco is the leading supplier of fresh produce in North America.

[McBain II]

Originally Posted by jon rockefeller

1. I think if you look at the website you can see the crime is spread out over all of east Omaha, east of about 60th street.

Not all that surprising, given that you're looking at the most densely populated part of the city.

2. Whether a victim is innocent or not (not sure how you even determine that), nobody deserves to be a victim.

I never said they did, and even if I did say that, what's it got to do with this thread?

3. Why would a restaurant in the eastern half of the city be any better? All the ingredients are being sourced from the same 2 companies, Sysco or US Foods. Most everything I see in Omaha restaurants requires low skill levels (dropping things in fryers or putting meat on grills or using a can opener or microwave), so I'm not sure why there would be any differentiation.

This is really too stupid to respond to, sorry.

[harshbarj]

Originally Posted by jon rockefeller

I mention crime because all other factors are equal, and if not equal, a slight edge going to west omaha.

But they are not equal. East Omaha has actual urban areas with none in west Omaha. East Omaha has fairly good bus service and west Omaha almost none. East Omaha has a lot of historic neighborhoods and sidewalks on nearly every street, west Omaha is mostly McMansions with few connected sidewalks. You are not looking at the whole picture.

Originally Posted by jon rockefeller

With cars, I think ownership rates are probably equal anywhere in Omaha. There's nowhere you can live car-free without sacrificing something. Even living right in the middle of the Old Market, you still have to drive west for shopping, for toiletries, and for a good selection of groceries. You have to drive west for decent doctor care or dental care. You have to drive west to play in sports leagues. And you have to drive west if you know anybody who lives in west omaha. Even college students at UNO or Creighton all have to have cars these days. You just miss out on too much if you try to live without one.

As a car free person you are flat wrong here. I live in south Omaha and most of my shopping is done within 3km. over 90% of what I need is within 5km. In both cases it takes less than 20 min to ride my bike to any of those places. I have good dental and doctors offices less than 2km away. Several good stores just blocks away within walking distance. Omaha really dose have places that one can live car free with ease.

Also you are wrong about ownership rates. There are neighborhoods in north Omaha with car ownership rates under 50%. Even here in south omaha we have neighborhoods that have a fair number of car free people.

Originally Posted by jon rockefeller

I do think a person, new to the area, without connections, should live in west omaha. They will have a better life and run a far lower risk of being a victim of crime.

Better to you. But without knowing what the person wants you really can't make such a statement. I know I would rather move out of the city than live in west omaha. So your 'should' is a big fail for me.

[jon rockefeller]

Sidewalks? I'd much rather walk and ride my bike on West Omaha sidewalks. Every sidewalk I've seen east of 60th is run down and poorly cared for, if at all. I'm surprised as a car-free person you are okay with that.

History? My advice was for a person new to the area, without connections. They have no history with Omaha.

Bus service? I'd rather live somewhere without it. It's dirty, noisy, and clogs up the roads. If people ride the bus, for 99/100 it is not by choice but rather because they are low income.

Shopping? You may be able to get by okay, but if this is a comparison, I don't even think it's a contest. West Omaha has all the malls, Whole Foods, Target, Costco, Scheels, NFM, Trader Joes ... I could go on. The neighborhood corner store may have Tylenol, Budweiser, and a can of Pringles, but are you really saying East Omaha has better shopping?

You might be right on ownership rates, but if they're lower in east omaha, my guess is, like bus service, it is due to lack of income, not choice. Everybody I know who lives downtown or near downtown still has a car. I'd recommend a car to anybody moving to Omaha, regardless of the area they live in. You miss out on too much without one.

But ... I think the OP couldn't care less about the question they asked. If the OP is low income that area may be fine for them. There are people who actually live there, so, I guess it works for some people. It's just not what I'd recommend.

[mrsltd]

Originally Posted by jon rockefeller

If you look at omaha data dot com, a good website set up by the World Herald, you see that 90% of murders in 2015 were in East Omaha. Go west and the crime drops precipitously. For people moving here without connections or history that root them to east Omaha, they should live in West Omaha, where it is safer, and where there is good shopping and restaurants. If the OP has a particular reason for targeting the 40th/Maple area, they should chime in.

Did you not read the whole post? He (?) said there was a house he really liked there.