Named after the French word for "beautiful", the town of Bellevue is indeed a beauty, even when it floods. It's easy to be charmed by this suburbia in the prairie-lands of the Missouri River, but first, let's hammer out the nitty-gritty details of renting in Bellevue, Nebraska.
Like most of Nebraska, public transportation just isn't a practical way of getting around
Named after the French word for "beautiful", the town of Bellevue is indeed a beauty, even when it floods. It's easy to be charmed by this suburbia in the prairie-lands of the Missouri River, but first, let's hammer out the nitty-gritty details of renting in Bellevue, Nebraska.
Like most of Nebraska, public transportation just isn't a practical way of getting around. In Bellevue, most people drive their own car, while the rest carpool, bike, or walk to work. Traffic is never too bad for drivers, however, and the weather is often nice enough for people to prefer cruising to work along the miles of creek side bicycle trails that run across the city. The Big Papio and Keystone Trails run along Papillion Creek all the way from Omaha to the Missouri River, snaking around multiple parks, golf courses, college campuses, popular pubs and eateries, as well the Offutt Air Force Base. For a good trail map, visit omahatrails.com.
While Bellevue weather is nice the majority of the time, this region has been known to experience extreme thunderstorms, flooding, winter storms, and tornadoes. As a renter, it would be wise to purchase renter's insurance, especially if the apartment is located in the flood plains of the Missouri River or the Platte River. And, as a typical human resident, it would be wise to stock up on bug spray, or else get eaten alive by the swarms of mosquitoes attracted to marsh lands and flood plains along the rivers.
With the Offutt Air Force Base, this city sees a lot of military families moving in and out that could benefit from some Bellevue basics: First of all, this suburban city is basically worry free. There are few neighborhoods with high crime rates, the schools are all good, commutes are easy, weather is typically nice, and houses, townhomes, duplexes and apartments are all very affordable. Second on the list of Bellevue basics is knowing what the heck people do for fun around here. Well, this is certainly not a nightlife city, however, the day-life is thriving. Mountain biking to and from work, playing on the Missouri River, competing in local golf tournaments, ice skating at Hitchcock Park, and taking the kids to one of the many summer hydrant parties are some of the most popular activities. Food is the other favorite pass time, with some of the best burger and barbecue joints you will ever eat at, and plenty of places to hang out for an afternoon of football.
Bellevue West. From the older neighborhoods to the newer developments, Bellevue West has plenty to offer. It is a neighborhood of churches, outnumbered only by military retirees, Offutt families, and neighborhood parks. Cyclists especially enjoy the west side, as most of it is easily bikeable, with the Keystone Trail meandering around the movie theater, the south side golf courses, and then across to the east side and passed the Offutt Air Force Base. $$$ - $$$$
Bellevue East. On the east side of town, you can really have it all. There is shopping at the mall, as well as camping on the river. There is classic Swine Dining BBQ, or fried egg-burgers at the popular house-turned-burger-joint, Stella's Hamburgers. There are groceries and goods at the local farmers market, as well as at Walmart's monstrosity of a shopping scene. There is the military life surrounding Offutt Airforce Base, as well as the campus life of bookstores, pizza places, and coffee shops surrounding Bellevue University. And, in the northeast corner of town you can find the hugely popular Fontenelle Hills Country Club, which hosts some fun local tournaments, as well as the Fontenelle Forest Nature Center, a favorite among nature lovers and families with kids, with preschool programs, day camps, and scouts. $ - $$$
In addition to the suburban life within the Bellevue city limits, there is a much larger life of outdoors fun to be found throughout the area, including snowmobiling, hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, mountain biking, horseback riding, jet skiing, and boating. The list goes on and on, but you get the gist of it. Now, it's time to live large while paying little. It's time to find your Bellevue rental.
