Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Omaha is the largest city in Nebraska. The Omaha metropolitan area includes several counties, and extends nearly into the neighboring Iowa city of Council Bluffs. The city is generally divided into North Omaha, South Omaha, East Omaha, and West Omaha, and further into 'suburbs' such as Papillion, Bellevue, Millard, Ralston, and LaVista.
Omahans sometimes affecionately refer to their city as 'the Big O', but this term is most often used in advertising campaigns seeking to make the city more 'tourist-friendly'. The name actually refers to the original inhabitants of the area, the Omaha Indians. They now have mostly been pushed north into other parts of Nebraska or the expansive reservations of South Dakota.
At the heart of downtown Omaha is the Old Market district. Streets in the Old Market are still paved with bricks, and they are lined with small, quaint shops and boutiques. The best features of the old market are the antique shops, the specialty bookstores, and a wonderful little ice cream shop.
Omahans are famous throughout the midwest for their friendliness. Although there doesn't seem to be any specific reason, people who visit there usually comment on how kind, friendly and generous the Omaha residents are. The general opinion among the Omahans themself is that their kindness is nothing extraordinary; people have just grown used to the gruff, too-busy-to-care attitudes of some city dwellers.
Omahans sometimes affecionately refer to their city as 'the Big O', but this term is most often used in advertising campaigns seeking to make the city more 'tourist-friendly'. The name actually refers to the original inhabitants of the area, the Omaha Indians. They now have mostly been pushed north into other parts of Nebraska or the expansive reservations of South Dakota.
At the heart of downtown Omaha is the Old Market district. Streets in the Old Market are still paved with bricks, and they are lined with small, quaint shops and boutiques. The best features of the old market are the antique shops, the specialty bookstores, and a wonderful little ice cream shop.
Omahans are famous throughout the midwest for their friendliness. Although there doesn't seem to be any specific reason, people who visit there usually comment on how kind, friendly and generous the Omaha residents are. The general opinion among the Omahans themself is that their kindness is nothing extraordinary; people have just grown used to the gruff, too-busy-to-care attitudes of some city dwellers.
