Welcome to the land where strangers talk to you in the grocery store, there’s a Catholic church on practically every corner, and Husker football is the state-sponsored religion. (Don’t believe me? The spring scrimmage game usually draws about 85,000 fans!)
We’ll answer your questions in a minute. First we ask two things. One, smile back at strangers. Two, relax, and leave your competitive driving skills at home (please don’t introduce that form of original sin into our fair city). Now, for that hair cut:
Go out to the fountain. (If you’ve had a rough day, go ahead and get wet. No one will mind.) Look up at the façade of St. John’s Church. You are now facing North. Stretch out your right hand. You are pointing toward Downtown (and Iowa); street numbers go down in this direction. Raise your left hand and you are pointing West toward the new pedestrian bridge crossing the interstate, 30th Street, 72nd Street and beyond. Numbered streets run east west.
Go back outside and look up at St. John’s. Four blocks behind you is Dodge Street, a major east-west road. Addresses north of Dodge look like this: 701 N. 40th Street (7 blocks north of Dodge on 40th); and south of Dodge look like this: 3701 S. 10th Street (37 blocks south of Dodge on 10th). Deglman Circle (off to your right) is at the intersection of 24th Street and California.
Hint: The larger streets clustered around Dodge are roughly in alphabetical order (from North to South: Cuming, Burt, California, Cass, Dodge, Douglas, Farnam, Harney, Howard, Jackson, Jones, Leavenworth, Pacific). If you’re lost somewhere near Dodge Street, this may be helpful to finding your way to the correct destination.
You’ll find local maps in the front of any yellow pages telephone book. Or, you can go online and click on the “About” section to find the “Omaha Maps” page for a simple map of area attractions.
Metro Area Transit runs the bus system. Fares run $1.25 for adults, $1.50 for Adult Express and 25 cents for transfers. Schedules are available in the student center and online at http://www.ometro.com/
Go north on 24th Street two blocks to Cuming Street. Turn left (west) and go about 1.5 miles. At the 5th light, turn left (south) on Saddle Creek Road. Here you’ll find groceries, (Family Fare Supermarket and a Walmart Neighborhood), a hardware store, Panera bakery, etc.
For a wider selection of stores and a multiplex movie theatre (AMC), go a little further west to Westroads Mall, located at 101st and Dodge. Further west, you will find Oakview Mall, located at 144th and West Center Road, and Village Pointe shopping center on 168th and Dodge.
Go south on 24th to Dodge and turn right. Cross over the highway, go through one light, then make your first right (just after the gas station). The on-ramp is a right turn one block ahead. I-480 South takes you (in about 3 miles) to the intersection with I-80 and Highway 75 South.
The Creighton Mail Center is located in the Bluejay Print and Post in the Pittman Building at 2002 Burt Street. They can handle regular mail, UPS, and FedEx.
The closest prescription pharmacy is the Creighton University Campus Pharmacy which is located at 2412 Cuming Street (behind the McDonalds). (402-449-4560)
A Walgreens can also be found on Dodge at 30th Street (402-342-3301)
If you need serious medical attention, dial 2911 on any campus phone or go to the Emergency Room at University of Nebraska Medical Center located at 4305 Dewey Avenue.
For less serious medical care, start with Student Health (402-280-2735), located in the CHI Health Clinic – Student Care Clinic at 2412 Cuming Street
A third option would be to go to Sancta Familia Medical (402-991-3393), located at 10506 Burt Circle.
Dr. Tom Hejkal
8141 West Center Road, Suite #100
402-391-1100
(For your out of town guests - ask for a Creighton discount)
These are businesses that we locals have found convenient or especially helpful.
We hope your experience is the same!