strchild65

North 48th St. offers something for everyone. I have been down this road many times because of it's convenience. North 48th St. starts by sprouting off O St. and heads north until you hit Cornhusker highway. When you first turn off O St, you are still in the major part of retail stores, restaurants and grocery stores. (I eat at Raising Cane's all the time, and it's very convenient to follow N. 48th to where my band practices.)

As you proceed down North 48th St., you make your way to some smaller businesses that have a definite variety of stores. There are small clothing businesses, restaurants and gas stations. As you proceed heading North, you reach a small downtown type district. This area has old fashioned brick buildings, old time lamp posts, small businesses and quaint little shops. It's a very cool area.

Once you pass this area, you go through a housing area, and then you reach the ever busy Cornhusker. Very cool area.


The great thing about O st is traffic moves quickly with relatively little stopage, and it transports you across town.

Lincoln has been growing astonishingly fast over the last several years. One of the streets that has gone from nothing to be a major road for the city is North 84th St. Within the last five years, this street has increased in traffic flow, and access to the city.

It wasn't all that long ago when I was traveling to Lincoln and I was use a road that was just short of a country road, to make good time to get to O st. Now, this street is a major connector for the east end of the city.

North 84th st, is the first major turn off from the highway to get into the city. As you reach the first gas station on the edge of town, that's where you jump onto north 84th st. Over the last couple of years, a multitude of housing developments have grown on both sides of the road. There are several cross streets which you can pull off into town. If you turn to the left, you will head into housing complexes, if you turn right you head into town, via some of the many busy streets.

Companies have taken notice of the amazing growth, and have started popping up along the road. There is a convention/exhibition center, a new Walmart, Walgreens, grocery stores, auto dealerships and several new restaurants. It looks like some of the farms are putting their land up for sale in hopes to cash in on the amazing growth, so there will be many more popping up.

I have only taken this road as far as O St. O has always been thriving, and is easy to spot. It is the point where the traffic and consumerism is the greatest. If you are coming from the east, and have to get to O st quickly (and are not wanting to go all the way downtown), this is the best exit to use.

I have used Homestead Expressway many times when we have been on the road. If you are looking for sightseeing, there is nothing to see. This expressway jumps off I-80 and is a direct route for heading to southern Nebraska towns like Beatrice.

There are a few cross streets and businesses as you head down this road, but it is truly on the outskirts of Lincoln. There are a couple of traffic lights where you can turn into town, and when you first turn off, there is one major exit that has business (your typical gas stations, motels, restaurants, etc.) but for the most part, the street is barren.

While there isn't much to look at, this is certainly one of the fastest ways to head south. The Expressway is double lane for a long stretch which helps you make good time. It does eventually thin out once you get beyond Lincoln and the higher traffic areas, but traffic still manages to move quickly.

There probably will be some growth on the sides of the expressway in the future. Lincoln is growing amazing fast, so there is a good chance there will be more off ramps and businesses locating near there. But for right now, there just isn't much.

One thing, if you need gas, make sure you gas up prior to hitting the highway. There are long stretches before you see any gas stations. Also, since most of the stations are on the edge of smaller towns, their gas prices tend to be a bit higher.

O Street is great! This street has lots of character and shows the diversity of Lincoln itself. I work with bands, and the clubs on O street provide some of the best live music in the Lincoln area. Their are several different personalities connected with O St in Lincoln, and the best thing I can say about it, is it is diverse.

Depending on where you jump onto O St., you get a different vibe. The area I am most familiar with is downtown O St. This is walking distance from UNL and offers a variety of downtown businesses and activities. If you take a walking trip down O St., you will see there are a ton of small bars and restaurants that cater mainly to the campus crowd. At night you can find a wide variety of music coming out of the clubs. The streets are usually filled with college kids goofing around, seeking food, looking for one the small shops to purchase records, memorabilia, clothing, etc.

This is downtown O st. If you are to jump into your car and head east, you get less of the downtown feel. There is more of a city feeling. You see some ethnic shops that offer speciality clothing, foods, groceries and other amenities. Then the city starts to take a turn and becomes more commercial. There are familair gas station chains, realty offices, corporate restaurants and grocery stores. This is the meat of O St for families that live in the city. Then when you get about 1/2 way down O, you come across Westgate/Gateway Mall. This has been Lincoln's largest mall for some time. You can find a little bit of everything, from major chain stores (Penny's) to more quaint little shops. Surrounding the mall is a wide variety of great restaurants. This is the location most families shop.

As you make your way further east, you will see a few more restaurants, hotels, and then a few abandon buildings. They once tried to start a night life here, with hot spots and Guitars and Cadillacs. They didn't make it, and several of the buildings remain empty today.

There are a few car lots at the end, and a Kohls, but once you hit the highway, you are kind of done. I'm sure there will be more building on the other side of the street but right now, it is mainly a few houses and a couple of farms.

If you go west from downtown O, you go over an overpass, round a curve and then there are a few businesses, but I believe that it ceases being O and becomes another street.

Cornhusker Highway is the main passway through the city of Lincoln. This old highway, has been converted to a main lifeline that connects the old highway, with the major city. This highway is the first exit you find when you jump off I-80, from either direction. It was, at one time, the major highway that connected Lincoln with the other major cities in the state.

When you jump on the east end of Cornhusker, you will find busy industry. There are several major industrial plants, a large church, and numerous storage and industrial work spaces. As you proceed further into town, you find a jump off for a couple of small towns that Lincoln has grown around. As you get closer to the hub of downtown and the college, you see more familiar commercial properties. There are gas stations, restaurants and a few retail businesses.

Once you have passed the overpass that heads to the college campus, you will notice that the street becomes less populated with businesses, and becomes more sporadic. There is a huge nightclub, a couple of gas stations and a few turn offs to more industrial sites.

Eventually the road curves around and connects with the interstate. On the other side of the interstate, is the once bustling airport area. While a lot of the airport traffic has been diverted to Omaha, several businesses use the strip. There are hotels and restaurants also located here.