Vinton Street- South Omaha Neighborhood with decent Main Street and large Mexico Population

Vinton Street developed in the late 19th and early 20th century neighborhood thanks to the growth of the Union Stockyards in South Omaha. In the early 20th century the neighborhood was filled with Irish, Poles, and Eastern European immigrants. Since the 1970s the neighborhood has increasing seen an influx of Mexican Immigrants although nowhere as concentrated as the CPL district south of here.

From an urban perspective Vinton St has a solid historic commercial district running for about 4 blocks. This is where the concentration of the neighborhood’s retail and cultural amenities are located. Also a couple ugly strip malls along 24th St and some commercial mixed into 13th Street. Vinton St also has great access to Dwtn across all modes of transportation and is generally a pretty safe community, albeit still struggling with some blight thanks to its post industrial legacy. For Vinton St to be a great urban district it needs to start with better schools, more density, and in-fill development (especially along the main streets). More park amenities is certainly needed as well.

Click here to view my Vinton Street album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Decent urban density. 
* Solid public transit access. Convenient access to Dwtn across all modes: 5 mins by car, 25 by bus & 20 by bike. Nice bike lane running north directly to Dwtn and one bike station in the Vinton Street.
* ADA and sidewalk infrastructure is generally good on the main streets. About half the residential streets have ADA curbs and many of the sidewalks are very narrow.
* Good diversity metrics, especially economic. Hispanic population is probably around 50-60% but good White population too.
* Decent cultural amenities including several restaurants & bars, a couple night/dance clubs, a live music venue, a couple art galleries, a performing arts theater.
* Decent retail amenities as well including 2 large supermarkets, a couple grocerias,  a drug store, several clothing & dress stores, a couple of banks, a furniture store, a couple Mexican bakeries, a floral & plant store, several churches.
* Generally a pretty safe community but some blight is certainly pockets.
* Pretty good urban form along Vinton but some terrible autocentric blocks on 24th Street.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

• Only a handful of listed rental properties but generally affordable.
• Only one poorly rate elementary school in the neighborhood. No other walkable schools really in around Vinton Street.
• Not a lot of for sale housing variety as most options are modest working homes. 2-beds sell anywhere from 50K-230K 3 & 4 beds sell btwn 60K-300K.
• Only a handful of smaller parks within Vinton but a couple larger parks on its bounders. Spring Lake and the Omaha Zoo are just to the south but divided by a highway.
• No local public library or post office.
• Historic housing is pretty underwhelming a mix of 1920s & 1940 working housing without much ornamentation. Historic commercial district is decent but nothing spectacular.
• Not much in-fill and what does exist is generally strip malls and auto centric commercial.
• Pretty good urban form along Vinton but some terrible autocentric blocks on 24th Street.”