Why Young Professionals Love Living in Omaha, NE
After a taste of big-city life, Julia Bailey, a military spouse and self-proclaimed small-town girl, was hesitant to move away from her New York City-adjacent city apartment. But only days after relocating to Omaha, NE, she knew that living there was just what she needed. Ahead, Bailey shares details about her new career, buying a home and all the fun things she and her husband do in the region during their free time.
Your husband relocated to Omaha for work. What was your initial reaction?
Julia Bailey
I won’t lie, I got a little bit of the big-city complex living near New York City, thinking “Wow, here I am this small-town girl living so close to the big city!” So when my husband came home to tell me our new station was going to be Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, NE, I bawled my eyes out.
I thought, “I am moving to the middle of nowhere. There will be no opportunities, and I’ll just have to suck it up for the time being before I can move somewhere cool again!” However, I cannot stress how wrong I was. I quickly discovered just how much Omaha has to offer. It’s somewhere I feel at home and excited to live in.
What do you love most about living in Omaha, NE?
Omaha has no shortage of sporting events, great bars, amazing restaurants, concerts and so much more, but what makes me really excited about Omaha is the opportunities the city offers. From career-broadening opportunities, making new connections or even exploring your passions, Omaha has everything I want in a community. And, since Omaha is a military-friendly city, our transition has been super easy for us.
What is the cost of living like in Omaha, NE, and how has that benefited you?
The cost of living in Omaha is amazing. When we lived in New Jersey, we were putting a lot of money into our apartment and basic necessities that made saving up for a house hard – and even going out with friends difficult. When we would go out, we would have to consider the higher cost of things, like parking, road tolls, restaurants and transportation.
Because of Omaha’s lower cost of living, we were able to purchase a house within less than a year of living here. The cost of living also gives us more flexibility in our budget to go out with friends, try new restaurants, go to concerts, attend city events and vacation.
Were you able to find a job quickly, and what is your commute like?
I found a job within three months of moving to Omaha and am now working in a job I truly love and that has the best work culture I have ever been a part of. I am the donor relations coordinator at Quality Living Inc. We offer rehabilitation services for individuals who have sustained a spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury or stroke. As far as the commute, there is a joke in Omaha that everything is within 20 minutes from wherever you are. This is less of a joke and more fact.
What are your favorite ways to spend your free time in Omaha, NE?
There are so many events that are always going on in Omaha, like Late Nights at the Zoo, Jazz on the Green, Benson First Friday, and so many more that my friends and I can never attend them all! My husband and I look forward to the Omaha Farmers Market, TOAST Nebraska Wine Festival, skating around the ribbon at the new Riverfront or just going for a nightly walk along Field Club Trail.
What are some local spots that you enjoy for grabbing a drink and a bite to eat?
Some of our favorite restaurants are Los Portales and Memoir. They both have delicious food that never disappoints. And there is a winery close to our house called Soaring Wings that has music bingo. Whenever I am looking to see what’s going on in Omaha, or if there are new places to try, the Omaha Places Instagram page is a great resource!
Why would you recommend living in Omaha, NE, to young professionals?
Omaha has both career and personal life opportunities for every stage of life, but especially for young professionals looking for somewhere that is growing and where they can grow with it.
In the first few months of living here, we had my brother-in-law and my friend come to visit. We showed them the Old Market area, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, and just the few restaurants and bars we knew about at that point, and within the year, they both ended up moving to Omaha.
What resources have helped you settle into life in Omaha, NE?
The Greater Omaha Chamber Young Professionals program has helped me connect to more people from the area, and they have been a great resource for me as a military spouse to get integrated into the city. I had the opportunity to attend the Omaha YP Summit last year. It was an amazing experience getting to see just how many young professionals are in Omaha and Nebraska as a whole. There were 1,500+ people there, making it a day filled with networking, meaningful connections and great education on being a young professional and what that looks like today.
This article was sponsored by the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce.