The Destination Midtown area consists of a series of hills that run parallel to the Missouri River. A major ridgeline runs north-to-south and is located between 38th and 40th streets. East of this ridgeline, water flows into the Missouri River, and west of this ridgeline, water flows into the Platte River.
The major watercourse within the area is Saddle Creek, which forms the western boundary of Midtown. Saddle Creek is enclosed in an underground culvert, but the valley created by the creek remains a significant topographic feature within the area.
Nearly all of Midtown Omaha has been developed to some extent. The majority of the area contains residential neighborhoods situated between commercial corridors. The largest open space within the area is Hanscom Park, which is located near the southeast corner of the Midtown area. This regional park contains large stands of trees and significant changes in elevation. In addition, a sizable fishing pond located in the middle of the park draws many people to the area.
Hanscom Park is connected to a sizeable portion of Midtown by Omaha’s existing boulevard system. Woolworth Avenue connects Hanscom Park with the Field Club neighborhood to the west, and Turner Boulevard extends northward toward Dodge Street Along the way, Turner Boulevard connects Leavenworth Park, Dewey Park and Turner Park. Gifford Park, a small neighborhood park, is located a short distance to the north and west of Turner Park. This complex of boulevards and parks comprises the vast majority of the public open space within the Midtown area.
Other significant open spaces within Midtown include the grounds around the Joslyn Castle and the Field Club, a private golf course centrally located in the southern portion of Midtown. In addition, the Field Club Trail runs north-to south through the area, and connects the Leavenworth corridor with neighborhoods south of Midtown. This trail follows the route of an abandoned railroad spur, and will ultimately connect with the City’s regional trail network. Plans are currently underway to design and construct a trail along Turner Boulevard.
Omaha’s street grid has been imposed on top of the area’s undulating topography. This has established a unique framework for development. As Omaha expanded westward, civic uses such as St. Cecilia Cathedral or the homes of well-to-do residents (Gold Coast and Field Club, for example) typically lined the tops of ridges within the area. Residents of lesser economic means then filled in the hillsides and valleys. Today this can be observed in many locations where masonry clad homes line the ridges and wood-sided homes fill the valleys.
Commercial corridors typically developed in an east-to-west direction through Midtown. Key corridors include Cuming Street, Dodge Street, the Farnam and Harney one-way pair, Leavenworth Street, and Center Street, Saddle Creek Road and 24th Street are the primary north-to-south corridors within Midtown.
The densest area within Midtown is the central corridor located between Dodge Street and Leavenworth Street. This mixed-use corridor includes institutional, office, commercial and residential space, and is an extension of the downtown core into Midtown. Densities decrease (although they are relatively high for Omaha) as one moves north or south from the central corridor. With the exception of the commercial uses that front directly upon the corridors listed above, single family neighborhoods are more common in the areas north of Dodge Street and South of Leavenworth Street.
Major businesses and institutions that are located within Midtown include Creighton University and the Creighton University Medical Center, Mutual of Omaha, Peter Kiewit Sons’, Inc., Berkshire Hathaway and UNMC/NMC. Daytime employment within Midtown tops 34,000 people, and drives the need for additional services within the area.
Most residents of the Omaha metropolitan area have visited the area on at least one occasion. Whether it was on a field trip in elementary school or driving through for an event downtown, Midtown contains several icons that most residents of Omaha can identify. These include the bell-towers of St. Cecilia Cathedral, the Mutual of Omaha tower and dome, Joslyn Castle, the Blackstone Hotel, the Ford Birth Site and the mansions in the Gold Coast neighborhood.