Midtown Crossing At Turner Park
The neighborhood sits between Farnam and Dodge Streets and 31st and 33rd Streets, east of the Blackstone District and west of downtown Omaha. Free community events in 7-acre Turner Park are a hallmark of the development and include festivals, concerts, and health and wellness gatherings.
Events
Midtown Crossing hosts approximately 100 events each year, including:
- Omaha Performing Arts' Jazz on the Green
- Turner Park Night Market
- Chalk Art Festival
- Neighborhood food & drink crawls
- Wednesday Workouts
- Yoga in the Park
- Bocce Ball Leagues
Retailers & Restaurants
- Anderson O'Brien Fine Art
- Callahan Financial Planning
- Chase Bank
- Chef Around the Block Pop-Up Shop
- Cold Stone Creamery / Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
- Collins Law Office, PC, LLO
- The Corky Canvas
- Definitive Vision
- Element Omaha Midtown Crossing
- The Empire Room
- Fashion Cleaners
- Garbo's Salon and Spa
- Gel Nails
- Genesis Health Clubs
- Graze Craze
- Long Dog Fat Cat
- Milan Laser Hair Removal
- Modern Love
- Pa Mas Taqueria & Grill
- Pickleman's
- PROOF
- Ray's Wings, Pizza and Drinks
- Rexius Nutrition
- Sea Thai Restaurant
- Smokin' Oak Wood Fired Pizza
- Sofra Kitchen
- Spielbound Board Game Cafe
- Stories Coffee Company
- Thirst Tea Cafe
- uBreakiFix
- Verizon
- Waxing the City
- Wohlner's Neighborhood Grocery & Deli
- Yummy 365
Community
Minutes from the vibe and excitement in downtown, UNMC and Creighton University, guests relish being steps away from the off-leash Dewey Dog Park, Omaha's bike trail system called the "Paths of Discovery", countless city parks, and the iconic Blackstone neighborhood. A short walk away are historic and intriguing finds including the Gold Coast's mansion Joslyn Castle, the Gerald R. Ford Birthsite and Gardens, and Saint Cecilia's Cathedral.
Turner Park
Turner Park dates back to 1900. Charles Turner, a Nebraska pioneer and prominent real estate professional, donated the original land to the city as a public park. (It was a gift of six acres. The park grew to 7.5 acres with the development of Midtown Crossing.) Turner wanted the park to be known as Curtiss Turner Park in memory of his son, 35-year-old Curtiss C. Turner. A prominent civil engineer, Curtiss Turner, was killed in a snow slide in 1898 while working in Alaska's Klondike country at Chilkoot Pass.
Beginning in 1922, the American War Mothers labored to raise money for a World War I monument in Omaha. By 1925, an impressive $250,000 structure of Bedford limestone designed by famed war memorial sculptor Lorado Taft was proposed for a prominent point in Elmwood Park. However, after years of waning interest, a scaled-back monument was eventually sited and dedicated on November 1, 1937, at the southeast corner of Turner Park.
Turner Park was expanded to seven acres and completely renovated during the construction of Midtown Crossing. The most recent enhancement is the Pavilion at Turner Park, which provides a permanent stage and infrastructure for live music and performance arts on the park's east end.
Turner Park is a dog-friendly park, home to numerous art installations and amenities, including:
- K9 Kobus Sculpture
- World War I memorial
- Nebraska by Heart installation
- Permanent, outdoor ping pong and foosball tables
- Heartland Bike Share station
- Dog waste station
History
Led by Chairman and CEO Daniel Neary, Mutual of Omaha planned and financed the development, which opened to the public in 2010. Midtown Crossing represented the first major project tied to Destination Midtown, a public/private partnership focused on returning historic midtown Omaha to prominence.
See also
References
- ^ "Midtown Crossing is now open", Omaha World Herald. Retrieved 9/12/10.
- ^ "Midtown Crossing | Omaha, NE". midtowncrossing.com. Retrieved 2015-09-11.
- ^ "Restaurants Omaha | Dining Omaha | Places to Eat Omaha | Midtown Crossing Omaha Restaurants | Mexican Food | Seafood Restaurants | Deli | Happy Hour Specials |". www.midtowncrossing.com. Retrieved 2015-09-11.
- ^ "Retail in Omaha | Omaha Movie Theaters | Midtown Crossing - Retail Leasing | Entertainment & Dining Omaha". www.midtowncrossing.com. Retrieved 2015-09-11.
- ^ Report of the Executive Committee World War II Memorial Park Association, February 20, 1946, pp 3
- ^ “Taft Memorial Plan for Omaha is Huge Column” Omaha Bee, August 6, 1928
- ^ “War Memorial is Dedicated” Omaha World-Herald, November 1, 1937, p2