A year ago this month, this block in the heart of Dundee was Uneasy Street. A recession that had largely bypassed the Midlands came rushing in.
And on the 5000 block of Davenport, a street of century-old homes that had stood through the Great Depression, the anxiety was palpable.
“There was certain disaster, Armageddon,'' recalled Mark Forster of the dread in the air.
Now one long year later, with the air filled with a fresh autumn chill and much talk of a recovery, The World-Herald revisited the block that sits in the middle of both the Omaha metro and the United States.
While there is no one typical block in Omaha, the new economic snapshot on Davenport probably is representative of the whole area's experience.
One family has struggled mightily, a laid-off real estate analyst now driving a cab to keep food on the table and the house out of foreclosure.
Several small-business owners experienced lean times.
A retired nurse returned to work to shore up her depleted retirement savings.
But most families have come through with only minor budget adjustments and sizable bites out of their 401(k)s.
To a person, they have persevered. While not everyone sees a bright future in the near term, most believe the worst is over.
“I'm still concerned,'' said Nancy Bacon. “But I've gotten over being a basket case.''
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