Old Market puts a home search within Downtown Omaha’s former warehouse district. Benson starts farther west around the Maple Street business center, with a direct bus corridor to Downtown. Both bring homes close to restaurants and arts activity, but work trips, food shopping and Sunday services fall into different patterns.
The differences that affect a weekly routine
Decision | Old Market | Benson |
|---|---|---|
Downtown work | Already in the central area; the home and workplace entrances determine the walk. | Route 4 runs via Maple and Cuming; add the walks to and from its stops. |
Food shopping | Godega for convenience items; the 2026 Saturday market season has ended. | Baker’s Benson Plaza is a separate 72nd Street destination from the Maple music blocks. |
Sunday library visit | Downtown Branch opens 1–5 p.m. | Benson Branch is closed. |
Building setting | Loft apartments among reused commercial buildings. | Maple Street venue frontage and surrounding residential streets; some small-lot infill. |
Housing settings: warehouse reuse and the blocks around Maple
The National Park Service’s Old Market description identifies loft apartments alongside restaurants, galleries and shops in adapted wholesale buildings. A residential entrance may sit close to café seating or another business entrance. At a loft viewing, establish the route from the street to the apartment and which rooms face the commercial frontage; the exterior’s historic character does not reveal stairs, lift access or the floor plan.
In Benson, The Waiting Room Lounge at 6212 Maple Street is one anchor of the music corridor. The OurStory demonstration project on Corby Street offers a specific compact-housing example: UNL describes one-bedroom and two-bedroom designs of 618 and 802 square feet. Those designs show one form of small-lot development; they are not current listings or a description of all Benson housing.
Photo: Ammodramus / Wikimedia Commons. CC0. Resized and converted to WebP; display layouts may crop the image.
Downtown travel: distinguish the bus ride from the complete trip
Route 4 runs between Westroads and Downtown through Benson, using Maple and Cuming. In the current weekday timetable, an eastbound bus passes 60th and Maple at 7:41 a.m. and reaches 14th and Dodge at 8:03 a.m. The scheduled bus portion is 22 minutes. Getting from a home to the Benson stop, waiting, and continuing from Dodge Street to a workplace are additional parts of the journey.
That Downtown timepoint is also separate from Old Market’s Howard and Jackson Street destinations. A Benson-to-Old Market visit continues after the bus, while an Old Market resident going to a Downtown office starts within the center. For the return to Benson, use the westbound timetable; Saturday and Sunday have their own schedules.
Metro’s adult regular cash fare is $1.25. A direct outward and return bus trip paid as two single fares totals $2.50, before passes or discounts. The 30-day unlimited pass is listed at $55. Fares and timetable details were checked October 18, 2026.
Food shopping: local convenience and a separate supermarket journey
In Old Market, Godega at 423 South 11th Street sells grocery items, ready-to-eat food and household essentials. Its Old Market store posts daily opening from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Its convenience-store range suits small top-up trips; a full weekly shop may require another destination.
The Saturday farmers market at 11th and Jackson ran May 2–October 10 in 2026 and has finished for the season. Its seasonal 8 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Saturday window is different from Godega’s daily schedule. The separate Sunday market is in Aksarben Village, outside these two search areas.
For Benson, Baker’s Benson Plaza at 4405 North 72nd Street lists grocery pickup, a bakery, deli and drive-through pharmacy. This is away from the 60th–62nd Street entertainment blocks on Maple. The supermarket trip extends beyond the Maple restaurant and music blocks.
Libraries: similar weekday evenings, different Sundays
Downtown Branch at 1401 Jones Street is the nearby library for an Old Market search. Benson Branch at 6015 Binney Street is on a separate street from the Maple venues and lists computers, Wi-Fi, printing and scanning, plus meeting and study rooms.
Both branches post regular hours of 9 a.m.–8 p.m. Monday–Thursday and 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Friday–Saturday. On Sunday, Downtown opens 1–5 p.m. and Benson is closed. Hours were checked October 18, 2026.
Thursday evenings: Bemis Center and Petshop
Bemis Center at 724 South 12th Street is near Old Market, at Leavenworth. It lists free admission for exhibitions, public programs and LOW END performances. Gallery hours are 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Wednesday–Sunday, extending to 9 p.m. Thursday; Monday and Tuesday are closed. Performances follow the event calendar rather than those gallery hours alone.
In Benson, BFF Omaha’s Petshop on North 62nd Street posts Thursday gallery hours of 5–7 p.m. and First Friday exhibition openings from 6–10 p.m. Artists use studios year-round, but public visits follow the posted gallery windows. These give the two neighborhoods distinct Thursday-evening options beyond their restaurants and bars.