Omaha has long been saddled with a reputation as a flyover city,
that is, a place those living in more happening areas are content
to see merely from the air when hopping from one coast to the
other. But over the past 20 years, the city has slowly been
transforming itself, edging out middle American blandness while
retaining the friendly, down-to-earth manner of the Midwest.The heart of the city, from which this new pulse emanates, is
its arts and entertainment district, the Old Market. The area is
made up of block after block of renovated industrial and warehouse
buildings from the 1800s, which now house a variety of unique
shops, boutiques, bookstores, galleries and some of Omaha's finest
restaurants. Homer's Music is an Old Market institution and, in
addition to hosting live events itself, can provide the latest
information on Omaha's thriving indie rock scene. Not one to ignore
any form of artistic expression, the city also has a burgeoning
film industry, with Omaha native Alexander Payne having chosen it
as the setting for
Electionand
About Schmidt(depicting, perhaps, that less vibey side of
Omaha).When pounding Old Market's charmingly uneven pavements becomes
tiring, the Heartland of America Park next door is perfect for
leisurely strolls along the mighty Missouri. Work on a pedestrian
bridge spanning the river is currently underway; when completed in
2008, it will be one of the world's longest. But Omaha, some may be
surprised to hear, already has experience with world renown. Here
visitors can explore the largest indoor rain forest in the world at
the famous Henry Doorly Zoo; historic aircraft and missiles at the
Strategic Air and Space Command, the foremost museum of its kind;
and perhaps catch a glimpse of America's second-richest man and
lifelong Omaha resident, Warren Buffett, dining at Gorat's, his
favourite local steakhouse.
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