Omaha
Blackstone District
Blackstone is the stretch of Farnam Street in Omaha's Midtown that turned a run of aging mansions into a dense run of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and small stores. It's known for revitalization: a neighborhood that spent decades as boarding houses and funeral homes and came back as a place to spend an evening. You go for the food-and-drink crawl along one walkable stretch of Farnam Street, not for a single destination.
A Little History
Blackstone's story starts in the mid-1880s, when stone and brick mansions went up here during a westward push from South Omaha into what was then the edge of the city. After the 1929 stock market crash, families stopped keeping up such large houses, and many were converted into boarding houses and funeral homes, which is how Farnam Street picked up the nickname "Funeral Home Row" by the mid-1940s. What's now a mix of restaurants, bars, and shops is the neighborhood's second act, built inside those same classic structures.
The building at 302 S. 36th St. anchors a lot of that story. It's now the Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel, and by the hotel's history page, it started as the Blackstone Hotel in 1916, hit its stride in the 1920s as a stop between San Francisco and Chicago, and stayed one of the country's most successful small hotels into the 1970s. By that same page, then-Senator John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy spent their fifth anniversary there, and Richard Nixon announced his candidacy for the presidency from its rooftop ballroom in 1967.
Two food legends trace back to that same building. Legend has it the Reuben sandwich was invented at the Blackstone, dreamed up by regulars at a weekly poker game nicknamed "The Committee" sometime between 1920 and 1935 — a name the hotel's steakhouse still carries today. The hotel also claims the original butterbrickle ice cream recipe, a flavor you can still get a few blocks away at Coneflower Creamery. Both stories come from the hotel's own telling, so take them as neighborhood lore.
Where to Eat
Mula
Modern Mexican, self-described as "Agave Authority," at 3932 Farnam St. It's open Monday through Saturday and closed Sundays.
Cheeseburgers
Artemis Cheeseburgers
Serves smash burgers, hot dogs, and fried chicken at 4007 Farnam St., and stays open past midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
Ika Ramen & Izakaya
A ramen and izakaya spot at 3852 Farnam St., Suite 1, that's stayed open through the construction happening around it.
Koen Japanese BBQ and Izakaya
A Japanese barbecue restaurant with a Korean flair at 3863 Farnam St., Suite 201.
Lazy Buffalo BBQ
Does wood-smoked barbecue at 3924½ Farnam St. It's closed Tuesdays and Sundays, so aim for a Wednesday-through-Saturday visit or a Monday evening.
Cunninghams
An Irish pub and grill at 3814 Farnam St. with craft beer and big screens for the game.
Noli's Pizzeria
Serves New York-style pizza by the slice or whole pie, and stays open late on Fridays and Saturdays until 1 a.m.
The Committee Chophouse
The steakhouse inside the Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel at 302 S. 36th St. It's dinner-only, open evenings Sunday through Saturday.
Orléans Room
The Cottonwood Hotel's all-day restaurant, also at 302 S. 36th St., serving breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner, plus a lighter café menu at Petite Orléans. Its menu still carries the Reuben sandwich that debuted in the original Blackstone Hotel.
Coneflower Creamery
An ice cream shop at 3921 Farnam St. It is closed Mondays. It also carries a piece of neighborhood history: it pays homage to butterbrickle, the ice cream flavor the old Blackstone Hotel claims to have introduced in the 1920s.
Where to Drink
Bar 39
Runs a full weekly lineup: bingo on Tuesdays, karaoke on Wednesdays, live local music on Thursdays, and open mic on Sundays. It's closed Mondays.
Blackstone Social
A cocktail-and-late-night lounge that opens midday on weekends and in the afternoon during the week.
Scriptown Brewing Company
A microbrewery at 3922 Farnam St. It is closed Tuesdays.
Revival House Omaha
A cocktail bar at 3737 Farnam St., Ste. 114. It stays open until 2 a.m. every night of the week.
Corkscrew Wine & Cheese
A wine bar and retail wine shop under one roof, open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
Crescent Moon Alehouse
Omaha's original craft beer bar, pouring more than 65 taps between its upstairs bar and Huber Haus, its German beer hall downstairs. It's also where you can order the Blackstone Reuben, tied to the sandwich legend that traces back to the old Blackstone Hotel.
Archetype Coffee
A small-batch roaster's café, open mornings on weekdays starting at 7 a.m. and a little later on weekends.
Shops Worth a Stop
The Wandering Page
A bookstore café built for lingering over books and coffee. It's closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Paulette Home
A home decor and gift shop, also closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Super Groovy's
A smoke shop and novelty store for adults 21 and up, open every day of the week.
Link Gallery + Workshop
A photography gallery and tintype studio. It describes itself as sitting inside "The Mansion at Blackstone" at 144 S. 39th St.
Things to Do
Venues, Galleries, and Landmarks
Blackstone Theater
A nonprofit venue for live performances and the home of Big Canvas Comedy, described as Omaha's only family-friendly, short-form improv group.
Joslyn Castle & Gardens
A 1903 mansion that's now a historic home museum and community greenspace, with public tours several days a week. Worth noting: the castle describes its own setting as "the heart of Midtown Omaha," not Blackstone, even though the district's own directory lists it. Treat it as just outside the core rather than inside it.
Recurring Events and Markets
2nd Saturday
The district's monthly draw: live music throughout Blackstone, plus other events that change month to month. Check blackstonedistrict.com for what's on before you go.
Big Canvas Comedy
Puts on family-friendly, short-form improv at Blackstone Theater the first three Fridays of each month, with a different cast each week.
What's on
Coming Up in Blackstone District
Getting There and Parking
Parking Options and Costs
Blackstone has more than 2,000 parking stalls. There's no district-wide rate sheet on the district's site. The one specific breakdown available comes from the Blackstone Theater's own site, describing parking near its address at 3624 Farnam St.: metered street parking that's free after 9 p.m., a garage at 37 West Farnam charging $2.50 an hour, and a lot on 36th Street, north of Crescent Moon, at $5 a day. Rates on other blocks may differ, so use those as a starting point and check the signage where you actually park.
Walking, Biking, Transit, and Rideshare
Metro Transit's Route 15 bus runs near Farnam Street, but it's on a long-term detour around this stretch for streetcar and hospital construction — check ometro.com for its current routing. Bikes ride free on Metro buses, including the ORBT line, and Heartland B-cycle is Omaha's bike-share system if you'd rather pedal in.
Plan a Visit
An Evening Out
Start with dinner: modern Mexican at Mula, ramen at Ika Ramen & Izakaya, or steak at The Committee Chophouse inside the Cottonwood Hotel. From there, walk the same stretch of Farnam Street to a drink — karaoke or open mic at Bar 39, a cocktail at Revival House Omaha, or a glass at Corkscrew Wine & Cheese. If it's one of the first three Fridays of the month, check whether Big Canvas Comedy is on at Blackstone Theater before you head home.
A Daytime Visit
Get coffee at Archetype, then browse The Wandering Page and Paulette Home, all within a few blocks of each other on Farnam Street. If it's 2nd Saturday, build your visit around that: live music runs throughout the district. Round it out with a scoop at Coneflower Creamery, or a stop at Joslyn Castle & Gardens just up the road in Midtown.
Farnam Street rewards a slow visit more than a quick pass-through — pick two or three stops, and you've got a full afternoon or evening.