Established in 1907, the city of Ralston’s beginnings got off to a rough start. Following a fire in 1934 that destroyed a city block, the city became one of the first cities in the country to declare bankruptcy. However, this is not a story of failure, and Ralston has bounced back to become a flourishing Omaha suburb with a population of around 6,500. Today, it has multiple city parks and popular restaurants and is home to one of Omaha's largest Independence Day Celebrations. It feels like a small town in a big city,” says Amy Roeder, the tourism and events director for Ralston, who has also been a resident for 18 years. “You can walk down the street, recognize your neighbors, and people know each other. I think that is why people stay here because of that sense of community.”
Ralston is a mixture of older buildings and new development.
Ralston has a small town feel in the center of greater Omaha.
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Ranches and bungalows in hilly neighborhoods
Sporting a hilly terrain, tight neighborhood streets are lined with lush old-growth trees. While home inventory spans multiple time periods, and some houses date back to the city's inception, the selection is predominantly ranch homes and bungalows. The properties are on compact lots and feature well-maintained lawns with space in the backyard. Depending on size and condition, prices range from $176,000 to $405,000.
Ranch homes are a staple homes style in Ralston.
You will find a wide variety of split level style homes in Ralston.
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Locally owned restaurants
“We are known for our restaurants. People always say I come to Ralston to eat at Maria’s," Roeder says. Maria’s has been serving authentic Mexican plates to the city and surrounding communities since 1976, and the Lemon Tree Café across Main Street is open for breakfast and lunch. What small town is complete without a local watering hole? Residents flock to the Village Bar for a frosty beverage to end the week. The Applewood Center shopping center features a Hy-Vee grocery store, other small storefronts and chain restaurants like Wahlburgers.
Lemon Tree Cafe has friendly staff and a small cafe atmosphere in downtown Ralston.
Rice Noodle Thai offers savory bowls and a cozy atmosphere near Ralston.
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Ralston’s Independence Day extravaganza and community concerts
Maybe Ralston’s claim to fame is its Independence Day celebration, which is so jammed pack it is two days. Events get underway on July 3, with a picnic on the Granary Green, a concert, and a dance party. The party continues into July 4 with the Optimists Independence Day Fun Run/Walk, one of Nebraska's oldest runs, followed by a children’s parade and the Independence Day Parade, which is capped off by fireworks. The city puts on Tunes on the Green, which runs from the spring to the fall and features an artisan market with local artists. Sports fans don’t have to travel far to find minor league sports, with the United States Hockey League’s Omaha Lancers and the National Arena League’s Omaha Beef (indoor football) calling the Liberty First Credit Union Arena home.
Liberty First Credit Union Arena is a large event space in the Ralston area.
You will find great entertainment options near Ralston right off of 72nd Street.
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Educational journey through Ralston Public Schools
Children will attend Ralston Public Schools, which grades as a C-plus on Niche and has five elementary schools, a middle and a high school. The district serves 3,304 students with a student-teacher ratio of 14-to-1. Depending on location, children could attend Seymour Elementary, Ralston Middle and Ralston High School, which grades a B-minus, C, and C-plus, respectively. Ralston has the Blueprint program, which offers its students a career and technical education.
Ralston Middle School is just north of downtown Ralston.
Ralston High School is also home to the Ralston Community Theatre.
Seymour Elementary School is committed to academic success.
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Staying active in Ralston City Parks
Scattered throughout the city, walking trails through some of the area’s lush trees can be found at Oak, Wildewood and Ponderosa Parks. Children love Wildwood Park for its ‘story walk,’ where the Ralston Baright Public Library has ripped pages from children’s books, lamented them, and spread them out across the walking trail. Spanning along Big Papillion Creek, the Big Papio Trail makes its way through Ralston, allowing locals to enjoy waterfront strolls. The Granary Green has become a community hub featuring live music and open green space, and the city also runs free yoga classes there. “We have really great parks, and you always see families out there taking advantage of them,” Roeder says.
Wildewood Park is a great outdoor space for the entire family.
Big Papio Trail connects Ralston to Omaha's vast trail network.
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Multiple public transportation options
Ralston residents have multiple options for public transportation. For just $1, locals can get around the Ralston and La Vista communities using the La Vista/Ralston Special Service bus. On the city scale, Ralston is along two Omaha Metro bus routes – the Route 55 Q Street and the Route 93 South 84 Street Express lines. The city is conveniently south of Interstate 80, which heads downtown and from New Jersey to California.
A bus route runs through Ralston and connects to the greater Omaha area.
You will find great entertainment options near Ralston right off of 72nd Street.
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Associated risks of living in Tornado Alley
Nebraska is one of seven states in Tornado Alley, a loosely defined term of the central United States where tornadoes are most frequent. While twisters can occur all year, the most common time in Nebraska is during spring and early summer, and they tend to happen in the afternoon and early evening.
You will find a wide verity of home sizes in the Ralston neighborhood.
you will find several homes with large pouches in the Ralston neighborhood.
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