Omaha - NCAA tournament trip

[KCPowercat]

Fair warning...this review is about a eating/drink/sports trip and my team lost, that why I may seem so bitter.   I didn't see the zoo or the museum or the naval air command or whatever.

Headed to Omaha Friday after work to check out my first NCAA tournament game (I think it's my first), get into town, check into the hotel, instantly impressed how close we were to Qwest and Old Market.  One friend had never been to Omaha, so waited to hear his comments....liked the new tower, described everything else as "7 stories tall" to a friend on the phone...anyways.  Drop off the stuff and head out for dinner...didn't plan much so not sure where to go eat, heard about upstream brewery, so went there.  Got their pizza and their sampler of beer (12 of them  ).  Pizza was ok, some of their beers were really good, the Scotch Ale, Irish Red, and one other I liked pretty well, the others were average.  Friends all seemed to like it as well.

Decide to get a little drink on so just wandered aimlessly looking for something in the Old Market area.  Finally found a group of 3 pretty similar sports bars next to each other...one was Stadium Club, another had an Irish name to it.  I was happy to see Blvd. Irish Ale among other Blvd. taps being poured.  Bounced around those three bars, they were ok, nothing great, no scenery so took off.  Wanted something a little higher class, we ask the bouncer where most of the other bars are, he sends us down either street running N-S (I think) around them....not finding much, we see people wandering down to some below street level bar so check that out.  Yikes, not good.  Smokey, younger crowd, and got served beer in a red solo cup....drank quickly and left.  Finally wandered to find a place called Myth....martini bar with some comfy couches and single malt scotch behind the bar.  Spent quite a bit of time here, much better clientele and the first sign of some quality females...shots, drinks, blah, blah, blah...good place.  I'd recommend it.  Girls were friendly and eager to brag up on Omaha when they found we were from out of town.  Get out of there and wander to some other bar close to our hotel...couldn't tell you the name.  Pretty dead but I think it was late...no matter, Myth was a quality place, made the night.  Less busy in OM than I expected for a tournament being in town....didn't see that many "fans".  Back to hotel.

Saturday get up and greeted by colder weather than we expected.  Ask the front desk where to get some clothes, she recommends some place in O.M. and Urban Outfitters...hearing about the development with U.O. on here, I wanted to check it out so we headed that way.  Well after getting less than quality directions from the front desk, whip out the GPS and find it....about .7 miles away from the hotel...not horrible for us but working with fans during the Big 12 tournament, wouldn't consider that "walkable" to most....it was fine, walkable for us.

The whole Slowdown area seems like it's the start of something really cool...but it's in such a beginning stage it's hard to imagine...it was surrounded by surface lots and then a line of midpriced hotels (fairfield level).  Seemed U.O. was about the only thing open....found some warmer stuff then decided to check out InPlay where there was a KSU pre-game party happened.  I would describe inplay as a place that got all of Fun Factories left over games but we weren't there to play games.  I will say the mini-bowling alley was cool.  Failing to find tickets, we decide to head to another bar we saw with tents setup (Kemper like) right by the arena.

This place was called Old Matress Bar and Grill I think....pretty hoping place but I must say, it brought memories of tournaments in Kemper flying back into my head....big tents, big screen tv's on temporary risers, and temporary tables and folding chairs everywhere....ehhh, now that I've experienced P&L, I can't go back to that...I won't.  Anyways, watch some games, drink some beers, go by the Hilton attached to Qwest to check out the crowd and get cash....scalpers going for $300 a seat.  Decide to head back to InPlay to see if any KSU fans have extra tickets.  No luck, we begin our trek around the arena in search of tickets....

Not sure if scalping is legal or not in NE..if it's not, kudos to the cops for not messing with people.  Not that anybody was selling tickets, everybody had 2 fingers in the air, even scalpers we stopped.  Finally as we are about to give up, we turn the corner and see some dude in a Creighton shirt selling to a guy...we ask if he had any left....he did.  Cost?  $150 a seat...sad to say but a steal if that complete sellers market.  Fork over the cash and rush in as the KSU game was starting.

Now I tried to give Qwest Center a fair shake.  I had heard from media guys from KSU that all the media dudes was loving the Qwest setup with the CC attached, so I was hopeful.  Good things first....no metal detectors and it seemed to have a wider variety of food vendors (aka Famous dave's had a stand, saw some mexican food come from somewhere, lots of ice cream) than Sprint does...but I've eaten at sprint a total of one time so I may just not know the options.  Other than those two things, I'm disappointed to report I felt like I was back in Kemper but a smaller version.  Concourses were tight and low ceilings, bathrooms had pretty long lines (heard one guy say "this wouldn't happen at sprint")...my seats were pretty good (lower level, behind the goal) but looking around you could see the quality differences...scoreboard, suites, temporary bleachers setup behind my section, just overall smaller facility.  Now obviously comparing to sprint is being rough as the whole thing (including convention center) cost what Sprint did, but now that I've had Sprint, that's about all I can compare it too...it was much more like a Kemper...which is fine for Omaha and honestly, everybody seemed to have a fine time so it seemed good enough for 1st/2nd round NCAA events.

Blah, blah, blah....KSU lost, KU won, KCPowercat mad driving back Saturday night.

Overall I liked Old Market area although the main drag in the middle with the cobblestone made me think of a city much smaller than Omaha with a well redone downtown (think Parkville feeling)....now that's not a "slam", people love Parkville...it just didn't have the "bigger city" feel I guess....I loved the retail and stuff below the street and there was plenty of police, etc. around to make everybody feel happy.  I loved the setup of many hotels in relation to O.M. and Qwest...the whole overpass seems to divide the area up but with the slowdown area seemingly building up, maybe that will help erase that overpass...but it is a pretty large mental block to link the two in your mind walking from one area to another.

Qwest...well it is a fine convention center/arena facility...I despise the surface parking lots around it though.  Hopefully that area around Slowdown takes off and they get rid of those surface lots.

Didn't get to see anything else in Omaha...it was easily the most fun I have had in O! even with my team losing....Omaha looked like it was really trying to make visitors feel good and have information...they did have fan information booths but nobody manning them in the 3 hotels I was in...but they did a good job of having information available on those tables for people to take.

Oh and did see the pedestrian bridge being built...although only saw it from afar.  Anyways, thanks Omaha, it was a quick trip but a fun one.

Bad cell phone pics....forgot the camera

Myth


Kemper?


seats


Last shot of Beasley in a KSU uniform?

[anniewarbucks]

They might have turned out better if the lens was cleaned. That is a huge thing that is overlooked when we take pics with our cell phone. Especially after having it in a pocket or purse and handling the thing with dirty or greasy hands.

[GRID]

The Performing arts center is right there too.  I think Omaha has a nice vibe to it.  The Arena is off the beaten path a bit, but close enough.  I think we are already spoiled.  I can't think of a single arena that flows with an urban area as well as Sprint Center.

I think Omaha is on the right track to start developing the lots around the arena though.  They could use another hotel down there.

[DTO]

You should have let me know you were coming in town. I could have given you some recommendations.

I don't like Upstream. I know lots of people do and I've tried and tried to like the place but it just does nothing for me. I'm just talking about the food. I don't drink beer with food so I haven't had the chance to really drink there.

The 3 similar bars on 10th St, JD Tuckers, Barry O's, and the Stadium Club, are all crap. I used to go there a few weeks after turning 21 but I can't say I've been there since then. It sounds like the downstairs bar you were at was T Henry's which is in the building I work in. I actually like that place sometimes if I'm meeting my more blue collar friends.

Myth is really nice. I'm friends with the owner (who is a fellow eomaha forumer). The downstairs of Myth is a gallery where I actually have some pictures there. Myth is probably in my top 3 frequented places when I go out on the weekends. It's usually a very relaxed place and it's not the regular pitcher of beer bar. And I guess the girls are all right if you like that sort of thing.

My brother works at a restaurant in the OM and he said it was slower than usual too. I think it was a lot of people. myself included, went out of town for the holiday weekend.

I have to strongly disagree with you about the Qwest Center/Kemper comparisons though. Maybe if our roof gets toppled by a tornado you'll have a point. Also I've never heard anyone here complain about the interstate being a barrier. I see people go back and forth between North Downtown and the rest of Downtown everyday. However I do find it interesting that the only 2 people I have ever heard say the interstate was a barrier were both KC forumers here.

[DTO]

The Performing arts center is right there too.  I think Omaha has a nice vibe to it.  The Arena is off the beaten path a bit, but close enough.  I think we are already spoiled.  I can't think of a single arena that flows with an urban area as well as Sprint Center.

I think Omaha is on the right track to start developing the lots around the arena though.  They could use another hotel down there.

The area where the Qwest Center is now used to just be a smelting plant and old rail yards. They've made a blank slate of the area and the plan is to fill it all in. Kind of like your P&L but over time as opposed to rushed all at once. A lot of what will happen there is hinging on the stadium getting built DT. After that the next big project is implementing the streetcar line which will run from Creighton, past the Qwest, through the Old Market, up to the CBD and looping back to CU. There is going to be a Hyatt hotel built somewhere near the Qwest Center. 

[KCPowercat]

when the equivalent of a city block is taken up by highway and on/off ramps, I can't see how you don't feel that's a mental barrier to people.

Here is a google map of the area we walked....
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=41.2 ... 6&t=h&z=17

I think that north area has a lot of potential, much like the P&L area in KC now....and the rest of the downtown area is good with OM, but linking those will be tough...obviously you can rip down the interstate...just something that has to be overcome....saying it's a non-issue is just ignoring it though IMO.


What bars should we have hit?  Maybe we walked by and just didn't duck in...Myth was pretty good, we enjoyed it. 

So if a huge rainstorm caves in Qwest's roof they will be the same?  Come on.  Try not deflecting and address the actual issues.

[brad_in_omaha]

I really like the upstream, however you are the first person I have ever heard that went there an had pizza so that might have been the problem.  They have some great Pasta, Steak and Fish dishes.

As far as giving directions, there are so many people in this city are ignorant when it comes to giving directions, may be that is why so many people complaining about traffic because they all give each other the same stupid directions

If you liked Myth you probably would have liked Urban Wine Company (full bar) that is a block south of the Up Stream.  Other places I would have eaten at are Vincenzos, Stokes, M's and O Casual.

I think that the Qwest will not feel off the beaten path when they tear out the old Swanson factory this summer.  An abandoned factory just isn't too appealing!

Gald you had a good time!

Brad

[aknowledgeableperson]

Another take on Omaha.

http://www.kansascity.com/796/story/542780.html

[dangerboy]

I am also amazed that they surrounded Qwest with surface lots.  Those and the elevated freeway ramps really serve to separate from the rest of Downtown.  I would have thought something so new would have benefited from more enlightened design, but perhaps I'm just really spoiled by how well the Sprint Center is integrated into the cityscape. 

At least the surface lots are a great opportunity to do something similar to the Sprint/P&L combo.  Replace them with a good mixed-use infill development and you'd have a winning combination.  Then take down the freeway that separates it all from the rest of Downtown.

[trailerkid]

I am also amazed that they surrounded Qwest with surface lots.  Those and the elevated freeway ramps really serve to separate from the rest of Downtown.  I would have thought something so new would have benefited from more enlightened design, but perhaps I'm just really spoiled by how well the Sprint Center is integrated into the cityscape. 

At least the surface lots are a great opportunity to do something similar to the Sprint/P&L combo.  Replace them with a good mixed-use infill development and you'd have a winning combination.  Then take down the freeway that separates it all from the rest of Downtown.

There are a lot of people who prefer the parking lots to a Cordish development.

It doesn't sound like there was much a party vibe in the area which is surprising. I totally get the Kemper comparisons when you look at the Google maps around the Qwest center. It'd be like if KC + Dallas just built the arenas and didn't build anything else around it but surface lots. I realize KC + Dallas have many more resources than Omaha, but those are the cities they are competing with for sporting events. I'm just getting you are not getting a big city vibe at the Qwest in Omaha, but I understand how some Big XII fans are impressed. 

[KCPowercat]

I was surprised how few "fans' seemed to be out in O.M. area....maybe only older people travel to NCAA games ???

[DTO]

I was surprised how few "fans' seemed to be out in O.M. area....maybe only older people travel to NCAA games ???

I think most of it has to do with it being a holiday weekend. A lot of my own friends, myself included, were all out of town. My brother works at a restaurant in the OM and he said it was slower than a normal weekend which is usually the case on holiday weekends.

As far as the Qwest Center area, it's a blank canvas which is being built upon. I don't know that we'll see one developer plop down a bunch of Applebee's in the area (I'd rather see the area grow organically like it is now) but there are new places that have been up and other places getting started in North DT.