Prairie Lane - Omaha, NE

After its founding, Omaha continued a slow expansion west as settlers and commercial enterprises followed the railway lines through the city. Prairie Lane and the surrounding neighborhoods boomed again after the 1950s.

Prairie Lane's arts scene remains in the educational stages, with several dance, theater, and performing arts schools nearby. It's Your Pottery, a family friendly do-it-yourself studio, provides instruction in pottery, canvas painting, clay, and glass fusion. Go alone or bring a friend for Tuesday's half-priced paint glazing.

The German American Society, headquartered in Prairie Lane, brings a burst of immigrant-inspired culture to the neighborhood with language lessons, a Christmas festival, folk music classes, and the annual Oktoberfest. Join in one of the city's biggest celebrations, complete with live bands and polka dancing, German food and beers.

Greasy spoon breakfast dives, steak houses, and cafes reminiscent of grandma's kitchen all beckon from just beyond the neighborhood's borders. While a smattering of ethnic restaurants grace this corner of West Omaha, burgers still beat out burritos and pho.

Shuck's Fish House & Oyster Bar features the area's freshest seafood flown in from both Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Try the lobster bisque and catfish fingers, or splurge on the Blue Pointe oysters -- only $.85 each during happy hour. The adjoining market counter also sells fish and crustaceans for home cooking.

Twisted Cork Bistro pulls double duty as both a wine bar and burger joint. The owners relocated from the northwest, and their food demonstrates that region's love of seafood. Try the shrimp Cobb salad and salmon -- ingredients come locally-sourced whenever possible. Due to its cozy space, tables fill up fast, so book ahead on the weekends. If you can't decide what to order, start with the Juan de Fuca tacos.

While Prairie Lane has few bars inside the neighborhood, nearby choices along West Center Road and Pacific Street keep locals close to home. Pop into Corkscrew Wine and Cheese for a casual aperitif and snack; customers can taste wine flights based on grape variety or uncork a bottle from the adjoining bottle shop. Featured cheeses and wines change often, but the smoked salmon tray remains too popular to take off the menu.

Tailgators Sports Bar attracts a louder crowd on Sundays when it runs all-day happy hour specials and shows NFL games on TV. The bar also brings in live bands each week.

While sidewalks in neighborhoods are great for evening strolls, you'll need a car in Prairie Lane. West Center Road is the major roadway through the neighborhood.

Cruise along Interstate 80 and reach downtown Omaha in 14 minutes in light traffic. Interstate 80 acts as a speedy and efficient link to other parts of the city; it also sends residents outside of the city and into rural Iowa in less than 30 minutes. Parking is rarely an issue, with plenty of street-side residential spots and ample lot space near commercial venues.

Two bus routes of the Omaha public transportation system, OMetro, service the area. Route 15 and 94 follow West Center Road, linking passengers with downtown Omaha, Midtown Crossing, the Midtown Transit Center, and Oakview-Lakeside in West Omaha. Buses run about every 30 minutes and deposit you downtown in one hour and 20 minutes.

Or if you prefer a private vehicle, call Happy Cab Dispatch, which operates in the area. The ride-sharing services Lyft and Uber also operate around the city, both using mobile applications to locate drivers near you.

While Prairie Lane has no official bike lanes, its roads are rated "continuous" by cyclists. This means they cover mainly residential property and carry low levels of traffic.

Prairie Lane Park gained citywide notoriety with the introduction of its multicourt pickleball facility. This unusual sport blends tennis, badminton, and ping-pong, and it can only be played in a few locations around Omaha. For less adventurous athletes, the park also features a baseball diamond and plenty of open grass for picnics. The playground, attached to Prairie Lane Elementary School, and the public swimming pool provides physical activities for area children.

Big Papio Trail, the nearest maintained bicycle trail, stretches from Bellevue to West Maple Road. Its northern section, between Pacific Street and West Maple, is considered one of the most scenic routes in the city.

The cost of living in Prairie Lane is about six percent higher than the average cost of living in Omaha. While goods and services remain on par, housing costs increase slightly. For this reason, expect to pay around $745 for a one-bedroom rental unit.

A single-fare ticket from any of the neighborhood's OMetro stops costs $1.75. Fill up your car and pay approximately 11 percent less than the national average for gas. Planning a night out? Make sure you have $3 to $4 in your wallet for a pint of beer and an extra $12 for dinner.

Bel Air Plaza, on the west side of the neighborhood, provides immediate retail access with a mix of apparel, hobby, and service stores. One such shop, Bliss Boutique, draws folks from around West Omaha with its stock of women's fashionable and designer labels at affordable prices. Browse jewelry, accessories, and gifts, or let one of the knowledgeable staff members act as a personal shopper for you.

For groceries, residents visit one of the surrounding chain supermarkets: Baker's, No Frills, Aldi, or Bag'N Save. On Pacific Street, a specialty Middle Eastern market and halal meat shop merges with the fast food counter, Sizzl'n Kabobs.

The nearest farmers market, Tomato Tomato, lies 12 minutes west. Due to its indoor setting, over 100 vendors, many of the same from outdoor seasonal markets, peddle their fresh wares here. If you don't have time to shop yourself, sign up for a weekly prepackaged box of bread and produce, along with cooking suggestions.