This is a directory of businesses at North 24th and Ames Avenue in North Omaha, Nebraska from 1854 to 2000. There have been more than 100 structures at the intersection since it was first established in the town of Saratoga in 1857. Today, there are fewer than 20 buildings left in the vicinity.

Here are some of the buildings that were once at or near North 24th Street and Ames Avenue in the Saratoga neighborhood of North Omaha. There is no rhyme or reason for how I ordered the numbers and letters in the image at the top of this article. Make a note that some addresses have changed significantly over the decades. Addresses given here correlate to Google Maps in 2024.

Addresses and Businesses

A. 4514 North 24th Street—John F. Kennedy Community Center aka Northside Recreation Center aka the Blackburn Community Center (1964-1970); Ace Furniture Center (1955-1966)
B. 4508 North 24th Street—Metropolitan Building and Loan Association (1922-c.1967)
C. 2402 Ames Avenue—Lane Drug (1898-1970); R. Kulakofsky Grocery Store; J.A. Gross Groceries; Johnson Hardware
D. 2410 Ames Avenue—Max I. Walker Dry Cleaners (1917-1969)
E. 2409 Ames Avenue—Chris Hansen, Jeweler(1916-1940); Omaha Watch Hospital (1940-1948)
F. 2411 Ames Avenue—Florence Transfer Company (1899-1919); Saratoga Transfer and Storage (1919-1925); Style Shoppe (1951); Ak-Sar-Ben Television Service (1961-1967)
G. 2401 North 24th Street—Afro Academy of Dramatic Arts (1969-1971)
H. 4418 North 24th Street—The Family Cafe (1911-1923); Charles Jacobsen Cigars and Tobacco (1911-1920); Cafe (-1954); Becky’s Cafe (1951-1966); North Omaha Scholarship Club (1973-1997)
I. 4416 North 24th Street—4416 North 24th Street—Barber (1903-1924); Ames Music Shop (1924-1930)
J. 4414 North 24th Street—Suburban Theatre (1900-1926); Drop Inn (1926-1928); Spic & Span Grocery (1928-1941); Ames Tavern (1941-1951); The Electric Refrigeration Company (1951-1957); Kato’s Bar and Cafe (1951-1981); Schollman Hardware (1958-1969); Stable Bar (1982-1987); Bill’s Barbecue (1982-)
K. 4410 North 24th Street—Modern Dry Cleaners (1920-1926); Sullivan Appliances (1955-1956)
* 4406 North 24th Street—4406 North 24th Street—Shamrock Radio Company (1926-1931); Del’s Artificial Flowers (1962-1965)
L. 2310 Ames Avenue—1st, 2nd and 3rd Saratoga School (1860-1917); University of Omaha Science Department (1927-1938); Wolfson-Gerber Motors (1955-1962)
M. 2373 Ames Avenue—Omaha and Council Bluffs Street Railway Company Barn (1899-1982)
N. 2322 Ames Avenue—Omaha Ice and Cold Storage
O. 2305 Ames Avenue—LaRue’s Cafe (1916 to 1946); demolished in the 1980s

Key continues after picture.

1. 2412 Ames Avenue—Druid Hall (1914-present)
2. 2419 Ames Avenue—King Solomon’s Mine; Run Johnny Run Teen Club
3. 4515 North 24th Street—A&P Supermarket (1900-1951); Hinky Dinky (1951-1965); A2J Truck Services (present)
4. 2202 Ames Ave—Former Omaha Fire Department Station 15 (1938-1983); Habitat for Humanity (1985-1998); Dino’s Storage (2006-present)
5. 4314 North 24th Street—Saratoga Laundry (1911-1937); Emerson Saratoga Laundry (1937-1959)
6. 2501 Taylor Street—Saratoga Stables (c1870-1911)
7. 2509 Taylor Street—Platner Lumber Company (1910-1962)
8. 2511 Taylor Street—Porter Trustin Carlson (1979-present)
9. 2413 Ames Avenue—North Star Theatre (1926-1955); Ames Theater (1955-1960)
10. 2415 Ames Avenue—Cafe (1926-1935); Borden’s Ice Cream Shoppe (1935-1936); Frozen North Cafe (1937-1950)
11. 2417 Ames Avenue—Safeway Store (1926-1933); Crestwood Shop, Shaver’s Groceries

24th and Ames History Slideshow

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MY ARTICLES ABOUT THE HISTORY OF N. 24TH ST.

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES: 24th and Lake Historic District | Calvin Memorial Presbyterian Church | Carnation Ballroom | Jewell Building | Minne Lusa Historic District | The Omaha Star
NEIGHBORHOODS: Near North Side | Long School | Kellom Heights | Logan Fontenelle Housing Projects | Kountze Place | Saratoga | Miller Park | Minne Lusa
BUSINESSES: 1324 North 24th Street | 24th Street Dairy Queen | 2936 North 24th Street | Jewell Building and Dreamland Ballroom | 3006 Building | Forbes Bakery, Ak-Sar-Ben Bakery, and Royal Bakery | Blue Lion Center | Omaha Star | Hash House | Live Wire Cafe | Metoyer’s BBQ | Fair Deal Cafe | Carter’s Cafe | Carnation Ballroom | Alhambra Theater | Ritz Theater | Suburban Theater | Skeet’s BBQ | Safeway | Bali-Hi Lounge | 9 Center Five-and-Dime | Jensen Building
CHURCHES: Calvin Memorial Presbyterian Church | Pearl Memorial United Methodist Church | Immanuel Baptist Church | Mt Moriah Baptist Church | Bethel AME Church | North 24th Street Worship Center
HOUSES: McCreary Mansion | Gruenig Mansion | Redick Mansion
INTERSECTIONS: 24th and Lake | 24th and Pratt | 24th and Ames | 24th and Fort | Recent History of 24th and Lake | Tour of 24th and Lake
EVENTS: 1898 Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition | 1899 Greater America Exposition | 1913 Easter Sunday Tornado | 1919 Lynching and Riot | 1960s Riots
HOSPITALS: Mercy Hospital | Swedish Covenant | Salvation Army
OTHER: Omaha Driving Park | JFK Rec Center | Omaha University | Creighton University | Bryant Center | Jacobs Hall | Joslyn Hall | Harlem Renaissance
RELATED: A Street of Dreams  | Redlining | Black History in Omaha | North Omaha’s Jewish Community | Binney Street | Wirt Street

MY ARTICLES ABOUT THE HISTORY OF STREETS IN NORTH OMAHA

STREETS: 16th Street | 24th Street | Cuming Street | Military Avenue | Saddle Creek Road | Florence Main Street
BOULEVARDS: Boulevards | Florence Boulevard | Fontenelle Boulevard
INTERSECTIONS: 42nd and Redman | 40th and Ames | 40th and Hamilton | 30th and Ames | 24th and Fort | 30th and Fort | 24th and Ames | 24th and Lake | 16th and Locust | 20th and Lake | 45th and Military | 24th and Pratt | 30th and Redick
STREETCARS: Streetcars | Streetcars in Benson | 26th and Lake Streetcar Barn | 19th and Nicholas Streetcar Barn | Omaha Horse Railway
BRIDGES: Locust Street Viaduct | Nicholas Street Viaduct | Mormon Bridge | Ames Avenue Bridge | Miller Park Bridges | East Omaha Bridge
OTHER: North Freeway | Sorenson Parkway | J.J. Pershing Drive | River Drive

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