Mockingbird Hills

Meet Mockingbird Hills. The tiny west Omaha neighborhood that offers growing families exactly what they want -- well-priced homes, nearby schools and a great park right in the middle. Bordered by its larger neighbors, the City of Ralston to the south, Paddock Road to the north, and Mockingbird Hills West next door, Mockingbird Hills by comparison is a tiny neighborhood of just one square mile. With a park and an elementary school located right in its center, it is also clearly an ideal residential neighborhood for families with kids.

Many of the homes were built during the post-WWII westward expansion of Omaha and are, in keeping with popular home styles of the 1950s to the 1970s, mostly raised-ranch and ranch-style homes. You may find a few split-level homes in the mix, too. A meticulously updated, three-bedroom split-level from 1967 on a cozy cul-de-sac recently sold for $302,000. A three-bedroom raised ranch-style home with 1,300 square feet and brand-new stainless steel appliances recently sold for $243,000.

Within the Ralston School District, students in Mockingbird Hills can attend Mockingbird Elementary, home of the Roadrunners. It offers pre-K through sixth grade and is ranked 90th out of 534 Most Diverse Public Elementary Schools in Nebraska. Ralston Middle serves seventh and eighth-grade students and offers athletic programs including football, volleyball and track, as well as extracurriculars including dance, choir, band and yearbook. Ralston High offers ninth through twelfth grades and has numerous athletic programs including baseball, basketball, bowling, weightlifting, soccer and softball. Ralston Middle and Ralston High’s mascot is the Rams.

Mockingbird Hills Park welcomes neighbors to its easy location right in the center of the neighborhood. It offers just over eight acres featuring a playground, tennis courts, a baseball field, walking paths and open green space. Residents and kids alike also enjoy access to the onsite community center and aquatics center. Take a dive in the swimming pool, play a game of basketball with friends inside the center’s indoor gymnasium, spar with a friend on one of their outdoor tennis courts or host a community gathering inside the events center.

Mockingbird Hills is notable for being home to a handful of long-standing family restaurants. Romeo's Mexican Food & Pizza is a successful local chain that started in 1976 and has expanded to four area locations. As their name boasts, they were the first restaurant in the area that offered both pizza and Mexican food. Try their Fajita-rito Combo, or their Romeo’s Special pizza. Spaghetti Works in Ralston is just a few minutes away on Park Drive. It has been as popular as its original, and still thriving location, in the Old Market neighborhood. Try one of their all-you-can-east pastas or load up on your greens from their Model-T salad bar.

There’s no need to drive toward downtown when shopping is on your “to-do” list. It’s All About Bees is the retailer you never knew about but will be delighted you met. Not only do they offer locally made honey and honey-infused products, but they also sell a clever array of gifts and clothing that the most die-hard of apiologists would covet. The Bookworm on S 90th Street is an independent local bookseller with a clear-headed mission to make the world a better place through books. They host several local reading groups. They post popular weekly reading recommendations online. They have a well-attended program for kids, called Wiggleworms. And if that’s not enough, they offer the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Selections – for adults and kids – for sale online and in-store.

Target is an eight-minute drive and a straight shot south on I-85 when you need school supplies, groceries or a new Keurig for your new home. Hy-Vee Grocery is nearby, open late and delivers. When you find the right home in Mockingbird Hills, you can look forward to enjoying its polished upgrades and improvements and settling into living where everything you need is conveniently close by.

Written By

Sarah Albiston

Photography Contributed By

Seth Johanson

Video By

Mallory Nolte