Possibly moving to the Omaha area (been there before)

[AnArtfulDogger]

I read a post from 2012 about someone in SoCal possibly moving to Omaha, so I thought I'd post here too since I happen to be in SoCal and I've been considering relocation to the Omaha area for a few years now to join my SO. He lives in Bellevue. He's been in the Omaha area for 27 years. I can say that he did a bang-up job as a member of the Omaha tourism board. He pretty much sold me on the benefits of living there (aside from having him around, of course)--the cost and standard of living, more robust economy, etc. etc. Plus I really liked the area when I last visited. But well, there are just two trade-offs. I just have to get used to the hot yoga/sweat lodge temperature in summer there (LOL) and freezing my backside off in winter. LOL.

A friend suggested that I look up online forums and bam, I found this one. I think it was the only one I found so far.

I'd also like to get to know more folks here and find more friends in the area.

I've been thinking about applying online to jobs in the Omaha area from here, saying that I'm more than willing to relocate at my own expense, but my guy says it's more difficult to do that since locals are often more preferred. So he says that the best thing for me to do is just move here right away. Just do it, Nike style. I admit that it's really scary because I don't have jobs lined up yet. Most of my adult life I've never been 100% unemployed, so that's pretty scary. Has anyone done that before--just pack up and go? How was the experience for you?

But I know that living in SoCal isn't sustainable in the long run.

I figured it would be easier to ask the locals directly about jobs. Any local job boards that you recommend? Temp agencies? I'm looking into the entertainment (venues for music, theater, etc.) and the pet industries (retail, pet care, animal hospital, shelter, etc.). Does anyone know organizations, businesses, etc. in those industries? They'll have to be reasonably close to where I'll be living since I won't have a car there.

Last but not least, any other Omaha online boards/communities you can recommend (forums, IRC channels, etc.)?

Any advice, tips, etc., would be really appreciated! Thanks and happy weekend, everyone!

[LookingGlass]

I can't answer most of your questions, but I will say that you will love the cheaper cost of living, no traffic (compared to SoCal), and the space! Having worked with a number of friends who were transported from California to Omaha, come with an open mind. There is a ton to do, even outdoors stuff. Just not all of it will jump out and be obvious. One group of friends from SoCal never really left the confines of Old Market and complained that there wasn't anything to do in Omaha.
Not many beaches though, but the sandbars on the Platte River are pretty nice!
Good luck!

[Stargazer]

http://www.careerlink.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; is a great resource for finding jobs in Omaha. It looks like a non-geographic specific site (and they are increasingly including postings in other job markets), but they are based in Omaha, and it's the most widely used site for posting open positions in Omaha.

The climate here has actually been considerably more moderate these past couple of years... maybe the plains are to some how benefit from global climate change. (or more likely, we're going to get pounded with a brutal winter this season).

[bigredmed]

The Benson area is in some ways nicer than the Old Market. Better music and cool restaurants. MidTown Crossing is OK. The Blackstone area near UNMC is building up fast. There are entertainment areas in other parts of Omaha that are also building up. So, your friend's data is out of date in this regard.

Platte River SP is near Omaha and the Game and Parks people are using it and Ponca SP (North of Omaha) as places to learn and develop outdoor skills and activities. Platte River has good hiking and mountain biking trails and a shooting complex. Both parks are really nice. Rumor has it that they are going to build a centerfire rifle range at Two Rivers SP on the west side of Omaha. If that comes about, we will have a lot of shooting sports coverage.

Wine trails in the Loess Hills over in Iowa (which are about to hit their peak Autumn colors). Wineries in Nebraska and the annual pottery tour coming up. Rock Show, and MW Woodcarvers show in October.

In other words, there is more to do here than people who never leave the OM find out about.

[AnArtfulDogger]

Thanks for the responses, everyone! Especially info on some places to visit (outdoor activities, etc.) since I'm coming back to visit Omaha a week before Halloween, just in time for the fall colors. The last time I went there, it was in mid-September.

I was in OM before and I honestly liked the vibe, so I can see why people get stuck there!

Wow, North Omaha of all places. I accidentally took the wrong exit at night and ended up there, but thankfully I wasn't alone in the car. But North Omaha is still pretty darn clean and polished compared to the Cali ghetto areas and especially Brooklyn and the Bronx! I was in those two areas and I wanted to leave right away as soon as I got there.

[lisanstan]

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, then moved to the North Carolina coast mid-high school. Joined the Air Force and traveled around the world. We moved to Omaha in 2005 and I am so glad we did. This has been one of my most favorite places to live ever. It's the perfect sized city to have everything you need (because Ikea is not a need no matter what you might think). Traffic is manageable, crime is manageable, you can have urban or suburban, whatever you want within 30 minutes. We chose Dundee because I wanted big trees and a neighborhood that I could walk as well as entertainment within walking distance.

I love the changing seasons after spending most of my life in places with 2 seasons at most. Compared to California, the cost of living is going to be wonderful. Compared to Texas, my husband gets a stipend to offset the taxes. We don't plan to stay here permanently due to those tax issues, but we are enjoying the heck out of it while we can. Other than growing up in California, this is the longest I have ever lived in one place and I will always consider myself an honorary Nebraskan!

[skinzfan23]

Glad to hear that. We live in Bellevue and talk to military people all the time say that they are glad they got stationed here. They love it compared to most other cities.

[susiemeri]

Hello! We just moved to Omaha in June, and are living in Benson, which we love. Both my husband and I found jobs before we got here. I found mine on LinkedIn, but there were a lot of options on CareerBuilder and Monster as well. I didn't find many employers who had a hard time with me not being local, but all of the interviewing I did was on my own dime. We were about a 5 hours drive away, so it did get pretty expensive.

This is my first post here, so also just want to say hi to everyone. Glad I found this forum!

[skinzfan23]

Hello! We just moved to Omaha in June, and are living in Benson, which we love. Both my husband and I found jobs before we got here. I found mine on LinkedIn, but there were a lot of options on CareerBuilder and Monster as well. I didn't find many employers who had a hard time with me not being local, but all of the interviewing I did was on my own dime. We were about a 5 hours drive away, so it did get pretty expensive.

This is my first post here, so also just want to say hi to everyone. Glad I found this forum!

Welcome to the forum susiemeri!

[Coyote]

Welcome to Omaha susiemeri, and glad you found eOmahaForums!

[daveoma]

I moved from Omaha to the LA area in February for my SO. I miss it so much that I had to join the forum! I absolutely love Omaha and if the circumstances were different I never would've left.

There aren't many public transportation options in Bellevue so I highly suggest you consider getting a car. The traffic there is very tame compared to LA. If that's not an option I think you should convince your man to move closer to the city core nearer some bus routes.

Keep in mind Omaha for the most part is older than many parts of LA, so if you get an apartment it might be older (just think of it as living in a smaller version of Chicago ;-) )

Before you leave LA go to a Columbia outlet store and buy a thick winter coat. When you try it on in California you should begin to sweat in minutes..this is your queue that it is a warm coat.

The entertainment industry is not well established in Omaha however there is a sizable local music scene (onepercentproductions.com), plus the Omaha community playhouse is a great place to volunteer and network.

In terms of animals, I've would recommend looking at the local zoo if you have a zoology background or perhaps one of the many local veterinarians offices.

Let us know how it goes!