Uniquely Unified

My love for the city of Omaha far exceeds emotional attachment to fantastic memories and foreseen future plans. Throughout the short period of time that I have been exposed to the professional world of the Big O, I have observed a uniquely connected city. Omaha people want to help other Omaha people – to put it simply. There is an evident network of young and experienced professionals who, together, create an essence of connectivity. In turn, these efforts bleed throughout the greater Omaha area and have succeeded in forming a unified city of unique groups and individuals.

Kiplinger recently (July 2011) declared Omaha their #1 Best Value City of 2011. The Business Dictionary defines “best value” as the “Tradeoff between price and performance that provides the greatest overall benefit under the specified selection criteria.” In other words, Omaha provides the most bang for your buck. The selection criteria used for this Kiplinger study involves economy, living costs, and amenities; “A hot business climate, cool amenities and cheap-and-easy living earn Omaha our top spot,” Bob Frick, senior editor at Kiplinger, writes.

Omaha also ranks #5 in Forbes magazine’s 2011 “America’s Best Cities for Young Professionals” study. Ranking number five out of ten doesn’t suffice according to my biased opinion, but I’ll learn to trust the professionals. This assessment relied on seven factors, including unemployment rates, job growth projections, number of small and large businesses, median salaries for young professionals (aged 24-34 with a bachelor’s degree or higher), cost-of-living, and percentage of population aged 25 and older with a college degree. As many as 100 cities were screened for this list; to even place in the top ten is an accomplishment.

Between Omaha’s economic stability, hot night life, low-cost living, rich arts scene, sophisticated dining, exciting college and semi-professional sports, and, let’s not forget, the notorious zoo, Omaha has a lot to offer. Whether you’re a young professional, a family, or reaching retirement, Omaha offers the city life in a comfortable and fitting atmosphere that residents pride themselves on.