Omaha
Midtown Crossing
Midtown Crossing is the mixed-use development wrapped around Turner Park in midtown Omaha, built by Mutual of Omaha starting in 2007. It's the district's answer to a night out that doesn't need a second stop: restaurants, bars, and a park with its own concert series, all inside the same few blocks. You can walk it end to end without moving the car.
Where to Eat
These sit within a few blocks of each other, clustered around 31st Avenue and Farnam Street.
Mazza
Serves flame-grilled halal kebabs, including beef, lamb, chicken, and salmon, built on Middle Eastern, Central Asian, and Mediterranean flavors. It's closed Mondays, and Tuesday is dinner-only, 4 to 9 p.m.
Smokin' Oak Wood-Fired Pizza
Fires wood-fired pies at 32nd and Farnam, with a self-pour tap wall pouring more than 25 beers, wines, ciders, and cocktails.
Rays Wings
Bills itself as Midtown's only true sports bar, with buffalo wings in a homemade sauce and Buffalo-style pizza. Happy hour runs Monday through Friday, 4 to 7 p.m., a dollar off wells, beer, and select appetizers.
Pickleman's Gourmet Cafe
Covers toasted sandwiches, salads, soups, and pizza, open daily until 10 p.m.
Yummy 365
An authentic Chinese restaurant, closed Tuesdays.
Where to Drink
Pick your pace: whiskey flights at Proof, a glass of wine at Château Vin, or bubble tea if you're skipping the bar altogether.
Proof Whiskey Bar
Pours more than 300 whiskeys and bourbons, by the small pour or the bottle, open until midnight Monday through Thursday and 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
Château Vin
A wine store and bar, closed Mondays and open the rest of the week from noon.
Thirst Tea Cafe
Makes bubble tea and specialty drinks, open daily.
Things to Do
Turner Park and Outdoor Space
Turner Park is the 7.5-acre green space the whole district wraps around, a City of Omaha park that Midtown Crossing maintains and manages. It was revitalized and expanded as part of the development, which opened in 2010. The Pavilion at Turner Park, built in 2013 and funded through the Omaha Community Foundation, gives nonprofits a spot for community performances. Leashed dogs are welcome at every event, with six waste stations in the park and water bowls throughout the neighborhood. Dewey Dog Park, with a splash pad and a small agility course, sits just steps away. If you're hosting instead of visiting, Empire Room (200 S. 31st Ave., Suite 4107) seats up to 300 for a sit-down event, and its patio looks out on the park's holiday lights.
Jazz on the Green
Omaha Performing Arts presents Jazz on the Green, a free concert series on Turner Park's lawn on Thursday evenings each summer. It's free, open to the public, and pets are allowed. Garage parking is free during the show, courtesy of Park Omaha. See Midtown Crossing's Jazz on the Green page for this season's schedule and gate times.
Night Market and Other Recurring Events
Night Market, presented by Veridian Credit Union, brings more than 50 local vendors, boutiques, artists, and makers into Turner Park on a handful of Friday evenings each summer, 6 to 10 p.m. Admission is free, and the market welcomes families and leashed dogs alike. Every Thursday, College Night runs 5 p.m. to close, and a valid student ID unlocks a special menu at more than a half-dozen local businesses in midtown. The district also holds annual turns at the Game On Omaha bocce ball league and the Farnam Street Chalk Art Festival. Check Midtown Crossing's events page for what's coming up.
Public Art and Local Shops
Local artist Watie White has three permanent murals around the district: "Turner Park" on the southeast corner of 33rd and Farnam, plus "Monday Night Movies" and "Eastbound Zeppelins" elsewhere in the neighborhood. Omaha's largest remaining World War I memorial stands in the park's southeast corner, at Turner Boulevard and Farnam Street; it was dedicated in 1937 and restored in 2011. A sculpture honoring K9 Kobus, created by Michael Torres, is part of the Horses of Honor Omaha installation for fallen Omaha Police Department officers, a project that raised more than $130,000 for the Omaha Police Foundation.
For something more hands-on, Spielbound Board Game Cafe is good for a game-filled night out, and Corky Canvas (200 S. 31st Ave., #4104) runs wine-and-paint classes on a class calendar rather than fixed walk-in hours. Long Dog Fat Cat (3201 Farnam St., #6108), part of an Omaha-owned pet food and grooming chain in business since 2009, is worth the stop before a trip to Dewey Dog Park.
What's on
Coming Up in Midtown Crossing
Getting There and Parking
Parking Options and Costs
Two garages serve Midtown Crossing: Ramp A on the south side of Farnam and Ramp C on the north. Both are now run by the City of Omaha's Parking and Mobility Division. The first two hours are free, then $1 an hour, with a $15 daily maximum, and retailer validation is no longer offered. Metered parking lines Farnam Street and Turner Park, reachable from 31st Avenue, monitored Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and free on Sundays and holidays. Streetcar construction is underway nearby; garage access stays open throughout, though the district asks drivers to follow posted signs for current street routes. Handicap-accessible stalls are located throughout both garages. Mopeds and motorcycles aren't allowed inside the garages; park in the city's surface stalls instead. Rates and rules change, so check Midtown Crossing's own parking page before you go.
Walking, Biking, Transit, and Rideshare
Midtown Crossing sits just off I-480, minutes from downtown Omaha, Eppley Airfield, UNMC (University of Nebraska Medical Center), and Creighton University. It's also close to the Blackstone District; the planned Omaha Streetcar, still under construction, will eventually connect the two neighborhoods to downtown Omaha. Metro's ORBT (Omaha Rapid Bus Transit) line runs along Dodge Street and names Midtown Crossing as one of its route highlights. Bike racks are scattered throughout the district; bring your own lock. From here it's a short ride to downtown's Riverfront Trail, the 20-mile path that passes the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, and to the Field Club Trail, a mile-and-a-half path with street and trail links on to the Big Papio and Keystone trails.
A Little History
Midtown Crossing was the first major project tied to Destination Midtown, a Greater Omaha Chamber initiative to remake historic Midtown Omaha into a place where people would live, work, shop, and play. Mutual of Omaha broke ground on the 15.5-acre site in 2007, building seven buildings around what became the revitalized 7.5-acre Turner Park. The development opened in 2010. Of everything that followed, one credential stands out: Midtown Crossing holds LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification under the U.S. Green Building Council's pilot Neighborhood Development Certification program, the only project selected for it in Nebraska or Iowa.
Plan a Visit
An Evening Out
Start with dinner at Mazza, then a glass at Château Vin before the show — it closes at 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. Time it for a Thursday in summer and catch Jazz on the Green; see Midtown Crossing's event page for this season's schedule. Garage parking is free during the show. Finish at Proof, open until midnight Monday through Thursday and 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Staying the night? Element Hotel is right in the district.
A Daytime Visit
Bring the dog to Turner Park, then walk over to Dewey Dog Park for the splash pad and agility course. Pick up a treat at Long Dog Fat Cat on the way. Grab a bubble tea at Thirst Tea Cafe, then work it off on a walk past Watie White's murals and the WWI memorial in the park's southeast corner. If you'd rather sit still, book a spot at Corky Canvas and call it an afternoon.
Grab a seat in Turner Park, and you'll see why people keep coming back for it.