Omaha
- Thread starter tommyg4uk
- Start date
Peyton Manning seems to dig it.
Somewhere in middle A-mer-ica...
My aunt and cousin both live in the Omaha-area (Bellevue) near Offutt AFB. The last trip I made up there happened over Labor Day weekend, 2012. I'd like to visit again this coming September. My aunt has resided in the area since the early 1960s.
- Omaha: famous for meatpacking. Steakhouses abound. During the last visit, we dined at Cascio's, founded 1946, and better known for Italian specialties. I enjoyed a roast sirloin with soup and spaghetti. Magnifico. Anthony's Steakhouse is another good local restaurant. Love their Reuben sandwich with fries.
- Beer: Nebraska Brewing Company. A brew pub is located in Papillion at Town Center mall, west of Offutt. Great suds. Good folks.
- Casinos: At least 3 sit across the Missouri river in Council Bluffs, Iowa. My aunt plays every month or so when my cousin drives her over.
Omaha seems like a fun place. Hopefully I can check it out more this year.
- Omaha: famous for meatpacking. Steakhouses abound. During the last visit, we dined at Cascio's, founded 1946, and better known for Italian specialties. I enjoyed a roast sirloin with soup and spaghetti. Magnifico. Anthony's Steakhouse is another good local restaurant. Love their Reuben sandwich with fries.
- Beer: Nebraska Brewing Company. A brew pub is located in Papillion at Town Center mall, west of Offutt. Great suds. Good folks.
- Casinos: At least 3 sit across the Missouri river in Council Bluffs, Iowa. My aunt plays every month or so when my cousin drives her over.
Omaha seems like a fun place. Hopefully I can check it out more this year.
Casino's...funny, I'll be lobbying for casinos in Nebraska. Thanks for the recs.
It is a great poker game, Texas Hold em on steroids, one of my favorites.
I travel to Omaha quite a bit on business. The economy is pretty strong there and the town has grown a lot in the last few years, although I believe they just lost several Gavilon jobs.
It's pretty spread out and surprisingly hilly. Also, the sun glare is a big deal in Omaha for some reason heading to the east in the morning and west in the afternoon. Downtown is on the river and the further west you go, the newer the town gets. Nicest homes and newer restaurants, shopping, etc...are generall way out west. A lot of the single professionals seem to like Midtown. I'm not too familiar with Midtown, other than the main new development at the center.
The char-buffed wings at Oscars are the best chicken wings I've ever had. Always enjoy Blue Sushi. Really haven't hit a famous steak place other than the Drover and it's kind of neat, but definitely a bit of a hole in the wall.
The College World Series and Berkshire Days are the two big events of the year.
You should post this question on the Iowa board (Hawkeye Report Off Topic). Most of them seem to disapprove of Omaha.
I was stationed at Offutt AFB for 3 1/2 years in the early to mid 90's. I'm sure it has changed a bunch over the last 20 years so I don't think i can give much advice of what to do. Plus I didn't do much exploring of the city. I mostly was friends with the married guys I worked with and didn't get into the bar scene.
One of the main things I remember about the city is on hot days and the wind blowing a certain way you got a nasty smell from the meat rendering plant down the road hitting us on the flight line. The winters were miserable, especially for those of us that worked outside. It makes the winters in Kentucky a joke. They had lots of below 0 days with one day I remember being over 30 below with the wind chill.
The times I did go out it seems like things got dead pretty early compared to here in Louisville. I don't believe the strip clubs even went topless back then if you are into that kind of thing. The College World Series was pretty entertaining. I volunteered to help out with concessions one year for it. I believe their zoo was pretty nice and located near the baseball stadium also.
I can't really comment on food since I mostly ate on base for free and hit up fast food places when I didn't. I know there was a dog track with a casino (only had slot machines at the time) across the river in Council Bluffs that I visited once. I wish I could have done more exploring of the area, but I spent most of my time on base or within a few miles of it where there was a mall, movie theater, restaurants, retail stores and a bowling alley.
Definitely wouldn't move back there unless it was for a ton of money. I prefer Louisville to it, but then it is my hometown and i am a little biased. Sorry I couldn't be much more help.
One of the main things I remember about the city is on hot days and the wind blowing a certain way you got a nasty smell from the meat rendering plant down the road hitting us on the flight line. The winters were miserable, especially for those of us that worked outside. It makes the winters in Kentucky a joke. They had lots of below 0 days with one day I remember being over 30 below with the wind chill.
The times I did go out it seems like things got dead pretty early compared to here in Louisville. I don't believe the strip clubs even went topless back then if you are into that kind of thing. The College World Series was pretty entertaining. I volunteered to help out with concessions one year for it. I believe their zoo was pretty nice and located near the baseball stadium also.
I can't really comment on food since I mostly ate on base for free and hit up fast food places when I didn't. I know there was a dog track with a casino (only had slot machines at the time) across the river in Council Bluffs that I visited once. I wish I could have done more exploring of the area, but I spent most of my time on base or within a few miles of it where there was a mall, movie theater, restaurants, retail stores and a bowling alley.
Definitely wouldn't move back there unless it was for a ton of money. I prefer Louisville to it, but then it is my hometown and i am a little biased. Sorry I couldn't be much more help.
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Get familiar with these guys. Also....when that gambling issue runs its course....could use some marijuana lobbyists in the Midwest. Badly.
Pitch that.
Pitch that.
Offutt AFB is exactly the reason my aunt, uncle and cousins ended up way out in the Omaha area.
OP: You also might check the Old Market district. I've heard many renovations have occurred over the years.
Oh, and Nebraska Cornhuskers football is like a religion in the state, similar to UK basketball. Every time my now-deceased uncle answered the phone, the first words out of his mouth were "Go Big Red". Heh.
This was my first thought when staying there one time. Who the hell knew there were hills in Nebraska. I thought it was a cool town.
Old market area is very cool. Went to Omaha for the first time to visit my wife's family over Christmas. Not sure I'd wanna live there but it is a cooler place than I thought it would be. Winters are brutal though.
Runza serves these sandwiches like hot pockets that should be 'post-bar' food, but seems they aren't open all that late. You'll see Runza's all around.
Grane is worth a quick try once in Mid Town as a whiskey bar, but their bourbon selection can come and go and it's full of hipster bartenders with handlebar mustaches. Not always great. Luckily there's a couple other options right a door or two down if it doesn't work out. Saints is next door and can be a fun sports bar.
Copa Cabana Cigar Lounge is pretty cool out on the west side of town. They have a nice selection of cigars and booze as well as a very nice patio.
Grane is worth a quick try once in Mid Town as a whiskey bar, but their bourbon selection can come and go and it's full of hipster bartenders with handlebar mustaches. Not always great. Luckily there's a couple other options right a door or two down if it doesn't work out. Saints is next door and can be a fun sports bar.
Copa Cabana Cigar Lounge is pretty cool out on the west side of town. They have a nice selection of cigars and booze as well as a very nice patio.
Catfish Lake Restaurant back side of Offutt AFB in Bellevue. Monster prime rib sandwich. Beautiful hot roast beef. Fresh catfish. Killer stuffed mushrooms.
Thank me later.
Thank me later.
I love that effin song... I think you're the first person I know that has even heard of it.
O man - I lived outside of there for about a year and was a wild child
I CANT recommend you do what I was doing.....
I was stationed at Offutt AFB down near Papillion --- I'll get back a bit later and try to remember some references for you
A Place called 'arthurs" used to exist downtown -- no idea if it's still there
if it IS ---- it used to be a VERY good place to go on weekends.......
even though I was active duty I took a second job AND started my undergrad all for the hell of it
I was a short order cook at Arthurs on the weekends and sat in with bands
the owners name at that time was DAVE GRAGUSKA (may have misspelled the last name - but it's pronounced GRA-GHUH-SKUH)
thankfully I received orders back overseas quickly because I Was developing bad and expensive habits there --- had a F'ing blast though
the streets are arranged in a near perfect grid --- lettered streets all run E/W and #'s streets all run N/S or something like that
You can mention an address and quickly get an idea of where it is!
military industrial blvd runs diagonal through the city as I recall
know some great tattoo artists on Q Street --- "Geiger" (SP?) style art inspired by the movie ALIEN
yeah -- I got stories from that f'ing place
I ate a Runza number 1 combo this past Thursday night in Bellevue. It included Frings. Cabbage in the Runza was a negative. Spices seemed way off.
Apartment costs in Midtown Omaha floored me. My cousin's oldest daughter pays only $550 month for a 1 bd/1 ba located one block from the Mutual of Omaha building. It's an older structure and heating is via radiator. Nevertheless, awesome deal for the location.
We drove by Offutt this past Saturday. Inert Minuteman and Trident missiles sit out front of USSTRATCOM HQ. Heh, you know Ivan going there first.
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yes -- "Omaha" (Offutt really) would be on Pri-1 list for a strategic nuclear strike
Most people don't realize that
For many years our entire ability to command a counter strike was dependent upon that base and the unique joint (Air Force/Navy) command that resides there
summer was a lot hotter there than I expected -- storms were really bad of course
winter was a doozy too
I also had the luck of living there when the Cornhuskers won back to back titles with Tommy Frazier at QB etc........
Got to see us win it all in basketball against Syracuse though -- so it kind of evened out a little
damn --- I would have gotten kicked OUT of that state if it weren't for getting orders back overseas first.......oh well......someone was watching out for me......
Most people don't realize that
For many years our entire ability to command a counter strike was dependent upon that base and the unique joint (Air Force/Navy) command that resides there
summer was a lot hotter there than I expected -- storms were really bad of course
winter was a doozy too
I also had the luck of living there when the Cornhuskers won back to back titles with Tommy Frazier at QB etc........
Got to see us win it all in basketball against Syracuse though -- so it kind of evened out a little
damn --- I would have gotten kicked OUT of that state if it weren't for getting orders back overseas first.......oh well......someone was watching out for me......
I was there 1995-1996 ----
6th Space Operations Sqn (tenant unit) before the unit was closed down
We were in BLDG D
You were attacked to the Wing then?
One of the operations sqn's
Sounds like we might have overlapped there
If you were in the dorms up on the hill near the chow hall -- then we probably walked past / ran into / or even drank with each other
haha -- small world
[laughing]
I was there from January 92 to July 95. I lived in the dorms on the hill. I called it the Red Roof Inn. I was a part of 1st ACCS and assigned to the E-4B as a Crew Chief. The base was going through changes while I was there. They changed from being the SAC Headquarters to US Strategic Command.
I probably was heading out while you were coming in. We might have overlapped a little.
yep - I got there in May
Sunburned all to hell but only on the left side of my exposed body parts
No sponsor
& my assigned unit was closing down .... and OH YEAH ... "didn't have a job for me that aligned with my AFSC"
So I played as the only white dude in an all black band of slick brothers and sisters - 2 of them were "Tops in Blue"
I started going to college
I picked up a part time job and jammed with banned
and also had a CRAZY but HOT *** Korean girlfriend (raised 'Merican though ---- since our base helped manage nuclear strikes and all.....)
Also got my first credit card and at least 2 other bad habits if I recall correctly
Blew a 0.13 with "SOMETHIN SOMETHIN" in my car --- and the Cops let me go since I had orders to Germany
Somebody was watching over my crazy *** the whole time