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Omaha Magazine

High in the Sky

May 23, 2014 09:21AM ● By Allison Janda
It’s an incredibly foggy, somewhat rainy morning but nothing can damper the amazing view. Chris Nelson and Gabriel Gianes call home the Highline Building, located at about 22nd and Dodge. “I love this building because of the views. I don’t think there’s anything really like it in the Downtown area to rent or lease,” Gianes says. He laughs before adding “Also I work just downstairs for [building owner] NuStyle Developments, so the commute is amazing.

It’s just an elevator ride away.”

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One wouldn’t think it to be easy to work in the same building that you live in, but Gianes disagrees. “For some I suppose it could be a bit much, but the apartment itself is just like a little oasis. I shut the door and I’m home.” He adds that the residents are fantastic as well as incredibly respectful of his space when Gianes is not in the office.  “They have awesome attitudes,” he adds.

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The apartment is deliciously high within the building and boasts two walls of windows spanning from floor to ceiling. Peering outside, you take in the full Downtown skyline all the way down to the river. Far below is the Joslyn Art Museum, one of Gianes’s favorite spots. “It’s so gorgeous there in the summertime. Everything is so green and they have the statue garden outside which we can see from the apartment,” he beams. “It’s also a great walk to the Orpheum Theater.”

The Highline has an array of great features, including an incredible gym with plenty of equipment, a rooftop deck that allows for outdoor grilling, and plenty of parking spaces for residents and visitors. “I like this location because it’s Downtown without being in the Old Market area. It’s nice to not have to deal with the traffic,” Nelson shares. “And it’s still close enough that in the summer we can walk downtown.” While pets aren’t allowed in the building, it has never been a deterrent for either of them, though Nelson wouldn’t mind adding a French bulldog if the opportunity arose.

When not walking to their destinations, Gianes and Nelson like to rent bicycles. They add that biking is a popular Downtown activity. “We started out with just two racks in the building but then added additional racks as we realized how many people owned bikes,” Gianes says. “It’s crazy.” For them, it’s an easy ride across the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge into Council Bluffs. They hope that, in time, additional entertainment will sprout up along the Iowa side of the river simply because it’s so easy to ride there.

Conveniently located about halfway between Downtown and Midtown Crossing, their apartment makes it simple to walk just about anywhere when a bike isn’t available. They’re near restaurants, bars, banks, retail and even a movie theater. Grocery shopping doesn’t pose a problem as Wohlners is located nearby for quick grabs as needed. “It’s nice being close to the interstate too,” Nelson says. “It’s very simple to get places.”

When asked for their favorite thing about living downtown as opposed to in an Omaha suburb, both men smile. “Location,” Gianes claims.  “It’s just an amazing location.”

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