By Mike Moylan, CCIM, President, Shamrock Development, Inc.

“I’m moving Downtown!” is a statement we hear frequently as more Omahans opt for the urban lifestyle.

Omaha has a strong public and private collaboration that is encouraging development of the city’s urban core which means Downtown is beginning to develop a number of fun, vibrant, synergistic and culturally diverse neighborhoods unique to our city.

When people begin to talk about moving their residence or business Downtown, we often preach, “Blocks Downtown are like miles out west.” That is, we want them to make sure they understand the importance of their chosen location in relationship to the reasons for moving Downtown.

We want them to think about how convenient their location will be to walk to work, shopping, entertainment, and visit friends without having to drive. It helps to prioritize your reasons for moving Downtown and discover the different neighborhoods and make sure the neighborhood and location serves your needs.

As the Downtown area matures we are now seeing people relocating from one neighborhood to another. There are a variety of causes, but generally convenience is the major reason: If you thought driving 10 miles to shop out west was inconvenient, you will think the same of 10 blocks Downtown.

While those who live and work in west Omaha may consider Downtown one neighborhood, we have watched the area grow into many diverse neighborhoods.

So when people tell us they are moving Downtown, we remind them, “Blocks Downtown are miles out west.” We urge them to consider the convenience and characteristics of the various neighborhoods within the downtown area before making their decision on where to move.