Downtown Omaha top next Settlers ferried across the Missouri River to set up a fledgling city where downtown Omaha now sits. Downtown's popular Old Market area reflects the city's early life. Brick warehouses are now trendy apartments, condominiums, restaurants, shops and artists' lofts. Lining the brick streets are artists, musicians and horse-drawn carriages. Kite flying, walking in the parks, and enjoying a latt in an outdoor caf are popular activities.
People flock to art gallery openings.
Downtown residents are living in the midst of Omaha's cultural center. Joslyn Art Museum, the internationally-known Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, and Creighton University's Lied Education Center for the Arts are downtown arts centers. Companies such as ConAgra, Inc. and Union Pacific Railroad maintain their headquarters downtown. Towering new buildings sit next to historical office buildings such as the 1910 Orpheum Towers and the 1879 Burlington Building. First National Bank is constructing a 40-story tower.