Official: Towns at Seventh and Little Italy

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 7:03 pm

I went by there the other day. The density is awesome and they're not as ugly as I imagined they would be...but they're still pretty unremarkable. I'm with Streets, Little Italy isn't exactly known for it's beautiful architecture (especially when you compare it with the Little Italy of say...San Francisco). I'm not a big fan of the excuse "everything else is plain and boring, so why can't we?". It's one thing to fit into the neighborhood, but they could still add a few embellishments.

Yay for Orsis's! I've always loved that place.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 11:10 pm

Finn wrote:Not sure what that means when you might be the only one that thought it was worth saving (not even Big E could warrant that).

I don't know which part you don't understand.

But the "back" comment was merely pointing out that you've been "on my back" a lot recently, as you remain.

Post by **Brad** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 9:08 pm

This first one is for Streets of Omaha...

Post by **Brad** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 3:53 am

Current Photos:

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 4:04 am

Okay, maybe I just never noticed them before... but I saw signs on the west side of 8th Street along Pacific. Are these new? I thought the development was initially just occupying the Caniglia's block and the area south of Orsi's.

Big E · Post by **Big E** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 4:21 am

Welcome to Levittown.

-Big E

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 4:27 pm

Brad wrote:This first one is for Streets of Omaha...

Yeah 'cause white, middle-aged, real estate brokers set the trends in the cool department. It must be all those hours they spend reading Bust, Jane and Vanity Fair.

adam186 · Post by **adam186** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 4:40 pm

People in real estate are just as cool as everyone else.

:D

Big E · Post by **Big E** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 4:50 pm

You're not middle aged yet Adam.

-Big E

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 6:13 pm

I'm not sure he's even of drinking age yet.

Big E · Post by **Big E** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 6:27 pm

Stargazer wrote:I'm not sure he's even of drinking age yet.

He was last Friday.

Unfortunately, he's not quite at holding his booze age. :) (along with a few other people on here that will remain namelss)

-Big E

Post by **Brad** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 6:31 pm

Big E wrote:
Stargazer wrote:I'm not sure he's even of drinking age yet.
He was last Friday.

Unfortunately, he's not quite at holding his booze age. :) (along with a few other people on here that will remain namelss)

-Big E

Haha....

Did you see that one post by that one nameless person after he left that party the other night.

Big E · Post by **Big E** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 6:47 pm

Brad wrote:Did you see that one post by that one nameless person after he left that party the other night.

Whhzz/ onn?

(which one?)

-Big E

agibson95 · Post by **agibson95** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 7:16 pm

Swift wrote:
Brad wrote:This first one is for Streets of Omaha...

Yeah 'cause white, middle-aged, real estate brokers set the trends in the cool department. It must be all those hours they spend reading Bust, Jane and Vanity Fair.

Hey I read Jane and I set cool trends...

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 4:37 pm

Swift and sometimes Aaron (Streets of Omaha) have been griping about the design of this project from the very beginning. At least they're consistent. I'll restate something I posted here last July:

Omaha Cowboy wrote:
Swift wrote:Yeesh! Again, I hope they put a little more "umph" into their housing designs before they build them.
What exactly would you want? Screaming bells and whistles??

I'll repeat what I stated on an earlier post to this thread-

I'm not dissatisfied with the design at all..Not every development has to be 'over the top' to be appealing.. I think this simple, attractive design fits in very nicely with the surroundings of the neighborhood it will ultimately be located in..

Then again, everyone is entitled to their opinion..But I get the sense that some people will never be satisfied..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

You know Swift, if you're really 'cooler' and more hip, I suggest you draft up a design based on your early 20's age 'coolness' and sell it to a developer..I'm sure then they'll see the error of their middle-aged, uncool ways..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 6:32 pm

Can anyone comment on my questioning whether the Towns development has expanded to the southwest corner of 8th and Pacific... or was this already planned? There are signs on this property which I don't recall seeing before... and I don't believe the map on their website includes it.

Big E · Post by **Big E** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 7:02 pm

Omaha Cowboy wrote:Swift and sometimes Aaron (Streets of Omaha) have been griping about the design of this project from the very beginning. At least they're consistent.

The ONE time we're handing out credit for griping and I get left off the list?!?!?

-Big E

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 7:07 pm

You must be slipping Eric.

midtown charlie · Post by **midtown charlie** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 3:07 am

Stargazer, I was thinking that same thing a month ago when I was last down there. It appears that the rest of the neighborhood is selling. There is some irony if the whole neighborhood is torn down. What are these new homes going to blend with if the whole neighborhood is torn down??????

Big E · Post by **Big E** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 3:40 am

midtown charlie wrote:There is some irony if the whole neighborhood is torn down.

I dub thee "Manifest Irony".

Hey, if the Towns had to be built to spur demolition of most of the neighborhood to make it all like The Giovanna (heck, I'll even take South Baltimore), I'm game. ;)

-Big E

Post by **Brad** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 2:30 am

Other side of the tracks:

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 6:21 am

Omaha Cowboy wrote:Swift and sometimes Aaron (Streets of Omaha) have been griping about the design of this project from the very beginning. At least they're consistent. I'll restate something I posted here last July:

Omaha Cowboy wrote:
Swift wrote:Yeesh! Again, I hope they put a little more "umph" into their housing designs before they build them.
What exactly would you want? Screaming bells and whistles??

I'll repeat what I stated on an earlier post to this thread-

I'm not dissatisfied with the design at all..Not every development has to be 'over the top' to be appealing.. I think this simple, attractive design fits in very nicely with the surroundings of the neighborhood it will ultimately be located in..

Then again, everyone is entitled to their opinion..But I get the sense that some people will never be satisfied..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace
You know Swift, if you're really 'cooler' and more hip, I suggest you draft up a design based on your early 20's age 'coolness' and sell it to a developer..I'm sure then they'll see the error of their middle-aged, uncool ways..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

Who says I'm not doing that?

The thing you have to realize about our generation (and something that I've only just realized), is that we're all about presentation and packaging. For most people our age, if two things are exactly the same, but one is a little bit more expensive and has nicer packaging, we're going with the nicer packaging. 85% of Apple and the Ipod's success can be attributed to good packaging and design. We are the generation of the graphic designer.

It's why I shake my head at the new MAT bus paint jobs. Nice attempt, but next time hire a design team.

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 12:28 pm

Oh brother... can't wait to see them at 40 when they're hearing from another 20 something.

Uffda · Post by **Uffda** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 12:56 pm

85% of Apple and the Ipod's (iPod)success can be attributed to good packaging and design.

HUH?

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 1:49 pm

iPod certainly wasn't the first MP3 player on the scene, it was just the coolest looking one, with the best name. It became a status symbol. Marketing the white headphones was ingenious. They weren't even marketing the product, they were marketing the packaging, and generation Y ate it up.

It's really not that hard to understand.

Or maybe it's not so much generation Y as it is the "creative class." Whatever, most of us are too young to be buying houses anyway, so it doesn't really matter if we don't like the design.

Uffda · Post by **Uffda** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 2:02 pm

and here I thought it was because of ease of use and that it actually worked like it was suppose to........ but I guess that is part of design too. :music:

Swift · Post by **Swift** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 3:32 pm

Uffda wrote:and here I thought it was because of ease of use and that it actually worked like it was suppose to........ but I guess that is part of design too. :music:

Yeah, but what of the dozens of other MP3 players that have ease of use and work like they are supposed to? The real only difference (since most MP3 players are iTunes compatible) is that the iPod is gorgeous, while most of the others are pug fugly.

Post by **Brad** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 5:45 pm

So how about the row houses

[/quote]

Post by **Brad** » Thu May 03, 2007 4:38 pm

Developer expands Little Italy homes project

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1 ... id=2377061

Omaha's traditional Little Italy section south of the Old Market is proving doubters wrong and emerging as a new hot neighborhood.

A year after announcing plans for a 35 cottage and town house development near Seventh and Pierce Streets, Christian Christensen returned to City Hall Tuesday with additional building plans.

"It's a deeper market than we expected," said Christensen, who runs Bluestone Development, which also built the SoMa townhouse along Leavenworth Street immediately south of the Old Market.

The Omaha Planning Board unanimously recommended approval Tuesday of Christensen's plans for four additional row houses. Christensen said he has options on additional property for future expansion of the project known as the Towns at Little Italy.

"We've found that part of the attraction is for people who don't want to be in the heart of the Old Market," Christensen said. "But they want to be able to walk to the market.

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Thu May 03, 2007 5:08 pm

We've found that part of the attraction is for people who don't want to be in the heart of the Old Market

Here I figured it was all about not being able to afford to live there.

Big E · Post by **Big E** » Thu May 03, 2007 5:53 pm

Having been in the models recently, and in light of my previous negative comments towards to design of these houses, I will amend my statements and say that the interiors are quite lovely. The interiors very much remind me of real row homes from the northeast. Space is utilized well, and there are nice little design touches that I really wish had been thought of when the first part of SoMa was being built. I'm curious to see how many of these sell to Creighton/UNMC parents that want a place for 2 or 4 consecutive kids to live while going to college.

I still stand by my critique of the exteriors, though.

-Big E

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Thu May 03, 2007 6:04 pm

Your parents missed out on such an opportunity, huh (or perhaps had to settle with something less appealing).

Big E · Post by **Big E** » Thu May 03, 2007 6:43 pm

Stargazer wrote:Your parents missed out on such an opportunity, huh (or perhaps had to settle with something less appealing).

Not sure where you're going with that...???

-Big E

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Thu May 03, 2007 8:14 pm

Sorry, I thought you were a CU alum.

nativeomahan · Post by **nativeomahan** » Fri May 04, 2007 12:40 am

Big E wrote: I'm curious to see how many of these sell to Creighton/UNMC parents that want a place for 2 or 4 consecutive kids to live while going to college.

-Big E

Two units, so far, and they are the three bedroom units. The parent lives overseas and wanted a nice place for his children. Apparently he didn't want them living together in just one unit.

Post by **Brad** » Fri May 11, 2007 6:07 pm

Little Italy's New Old Look

http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/7449151.html

Condos are popping up all over the metro and one of those projects is revitalizing an old neighborhood.

The homes at 10th and Poppleton are new to the area but true to its history.

Sarah Bergsten, with Bluestone Development says, "What we've done is taken the development and tried to tie it in with the old development and tried to tie it in with the old authentic Little Italy and incorporate that city feel but still try to tie it in with the neighborhood."

Little Italy isn't the only area where condo growth is taking place in the city.

Karla Ewert, with the Chamber of Commerce says, "The market for condos in Omaha is really wide open. We've seen condos all over the city, not just in the downtown area. We're seeing them in Sarpy County as it expands, in West Omaha, even in midtown. We're expecting great things there."

But back in Little Italy, the new condos are breathing new life into an area that was once fading.

Orsi Italian Bakery has been in the neighborhood since 1919 and in the landmark building it currently calls home since 1934.

Bob Orsi says new condos mean more people and he says that more people in the old neighborhood will be good for business.

Big E · Post by **Big E** » Fri May 11, 2007 7:41 pm

Sarah wrote:Sarah Bergsten, with Bluestone Development says, "What we've done is taken the development and tried to tie it in with the old development and tried to tie it in with the old authentic Little Italy and incorporate that city feel but still try to tie it in with the neighborhood."

And then we like totally tried to tie it in with a total like city thing but not like right in the city because we're more tied in with Little Italy which is like totally authentic and like a total neighborhood feel.

I kid cuz I love.

-Big E

Post by **Brad** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 12:20 am

Sunday 7-10-2007 Photo Update:

Post by **Brad** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 4:31 am

Aerial Photo Update:

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 4:53 am

I noticed this building yesterday while I was at the Durham. I didn't realize the project involved any larger buildings.