Do you live in Hawaii? What's it like?

[Mrs. Charming]

I'm sitting here on a cold Pennsylvania winter day, and I have had the itch to move for a few years now. Every time I see Hawaii, I think, "Wow, wouldn't that be nice." My dad lived there in his teens, my grandfather passed away out there, so I don't like to ask him about it. He's actually buried in Honolulu.

I lived in Alaska for awhile, but the cold just wasn't for me. It was *gorgeous.* Nice people, too. The distance to the lower 48 was hard... but now I realize that it wasn't that bad!

So.. what's it like? Do you see the beauty every day or do you just get up, go to work, come home, feed the kids, and go to bed as if you lived in Pennsylvania? (zzzzz... bo-ring.) Do you get to take advantage of the beaches and nature?

Is it ridiculously expensive? We live in a pretty high cost of living area as it is, I wonder if it's a big difference, a little difference, or just the same. Is the economy in the toilet there too?

Would you raise kids there?


Thanks for answering my questions. I appreciate it.

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

Bumping this up because I want to hear about how awesome it is to live in Hawaii!

 

[FINFAN]

me too! Ihave no problem living vicariously!

 

[Mrs. Charming]

Hmm. Someone? Anyone?


I see your ticker, Mrs. Darcy!! How cool! September babies are awesome!

 

[Planogirl]

I never have but my mother lived on the Big Island for a few years. She lived close to Kona in a condo.

She loved the beauty and the peace and the people. She did say that everything was very expensive and that shopping was hard to do. However she loves to shop so I'm not sure how much that affected her.

She made friends easily and generally felt the most relaxed that she ever had. It actually got to be a bit much for her though because she enjoys spending time in a city.

Hopefully, an actual resident or two will come along soon.

 

[Minnie_Moo]

Several people from Hawaii have been chiming in on what it's like to live on the various islands on the Aulani threads on the DVC Mousecellaneous Board. You might try reading or posting over there.

 

[beachbunny]

Since no-one has responded, I'll give you a long answer.

I live on the beach on Oahu. Sun, surf, sand. I'm outdoors a lot. I enjoy taking the dog out for a run or going surfing before work. There are a lot of people who swim, fish, kayak and surf near my house so it gets crowded on weekends.

The last couple of days though, have been cold - for Hawaii. The high today was in the mid-70's and it rained for an hour or so in the late afternoon. I'm actually wearing a sweater as I type this. By the way, most people in Hawaii, unless they travel, don't own a winter coat, or any coat for that matter. For most of the year the temperature is in the low to mid 80's with tradewinds.

The Hawaiian people are generally friendly and will go out of their way to share the aloha spirit with visitors. Unfortunately, that's changing as our cities grow.

The best thing about Hawaii, in my opinion, is the food. You can get pretty much anything here. My favorite is sushi - you can get the freshest, best tasting ahi (tuna) here. I also enjoy pacific rim cuisine - my favorite being Alan Wong's. Last, but not least, plate lunches purchased from a lunch wagon - Haili's you da best!

It used to be that the cost of living was much higher in Hawaii than most of the US, but now we have most of the big chain stores like Target and big box stores like Costco, so we're pretty close in price to any large city, with the exception of certain items like gas which, at my last fill-up was $3.75/gallon for premium. The daily cost of living on Oahu is cheaper than living on the neighbor islands because goods are shipped to Oahu first and must then be shipped to the neighbor islands. This makes up for the fact that, for the most part, property prices on Oahu tend to be more expensive than the neighbor islands. The median home price on Oahu is about $590,000, much more near the ocean or on a hill with a view of the ocean.

One final cool thing - they are always filming Hawaii Five-O near my house or at my workplace. My co-worker actually got scolded for standing on our workplace building balcony taking pictures as they filmed.

 

[DMass]

Mmmmm....Hawaii

 

[FINFAN]

Since no-one has responded, I'll give you a long answer.

I live on the beach on Oahu. Sun, surf, sand. I'm outdoors a lot. I enjoy taking the dog out for a run or going surfing before work. There are a lot of people who swim, fish, kayak and surf near my house so it gets crowded on weekends.

The last couple of days though, have been cold - for Hawaii. The high today was in the mid-70's and it rained for an hour or so in the late afternoon. I'm actually wearing a sweater as I type this. By the way, most people in Hawaii, unless they travel, don't own a winter coat, or any coat for that matter. For most of the year the temperature is in the low to mid 80's with tradewinds.

The Hawaiian people are generally friendly and will go out of their way to share the aloha spirit with visitors. Unfortunately, that's changing as our cities grow.

The best thing about Hawaii, in my opinion, is the food. You can get pretty much anything here. My favorite is sushi - you can get the freshest, best tasting ahi (tuna) here. I also enjoy pacific rim cuisine - my favorite being Alan Wong's. Last, but not least, plate lunches purchased from a lunch wagon - Haili's you da best!

It used to be that the cost of living was much higher in Hawaii than most of the US, but now we have most of the big chain stores like Target and big box stores like Costco, so we're pretty close in price to any large city, with the exception of certain items like gas which, at my last fill-up was $3.75/gallon for premium. The daily cost of living on Oahu is cheaper than living on the neighbor islands because goods are shipped to Oahu first and must then be shipped to the neighbor islands. This makes up for the fact that, for the most part, property prices on Oahu tend to be more expensive than the neighbor islands. The median home price on Oahu is about $590,000, much more near the ocean or on a hill with a view of the ocean.

One final cool thing - they are always filming Hawaii Five-O near my house or at my workplace. My co-worker actually got scolded for standing on our workplace building balcony taking pictures as they filmed.

THANKS!

 

[FINFAN]

Mmmmm....Hawaii

Awesome!

 

[GothTink]

I live in Hawaii!


Oh wait...that's only in my mind...

 

[daughtersrus]

It used to be that the cost of living was much higher in Hawaii than most of the US, but now we have most of the big chain stores like Target and big box stores like Costco, so we're pretty close in price to any large city, with the exception of certain items like gas which, at my last fill-up was $3.75/gallon for premium. .

That's actually cheaper than I saw yesterday when I was in the city. The BP on Wabsash in Chicago was $3.86 for premium and $3.64 for regular unleaded

From what I read, Chicago has the highest gas prices in the nation.

 

[FINFAN]

That's actually cheaper than I saw yesterday when I was in the city. The BP on Wabsash in Chicago was $3.86 for premium and $3.64 for regular unleaded

From what I read, Chicago has the highest gas prices in the nation.

yep....I don't know about you but if I am standing there pumping gas at that price, I want to be feeling the sun on my face and be looking at palm trees swaying in the wind.

 

[Robmom]

I could only imagine. I was talking to someone a while back that used to live in NYC, and traveled to Hawaii. He said he never went back to NYC. He's been living there for many years, and has no intention of moving back. I can't say I blame him.

 

[bevgray]

I grew up in Hawaii but have lived on the Mainland since college. It is beautiful over there but some things that don't often get considered:

1. Stable climate. While there are seasons in Hawaii, the differences are very subtle. A bit cooler in January and February with rain. If you are a "seasons" changing kind of person (as in go bonkers with planting in the spring and love the change of foliage in the fall), you might find that stability a bit tiresome. Some of the flowers you may love best won't grow well there although they are replaced by extraordinary tropical plants.

2. If you enjoy traveling (think a quick hop with cheap fares to Disney World), you are going to be limited. Any place you travel (outside the neighbor islands) will be transoceanic flights (costing a bit more and taking a minimum of 4-5 hours flight time). For example, a quick weekend trip to San Francisco or Los Angeles will be more than a quick trip to NY or Chicago. This can also impact if you are close to your family (more difficult to get together for the holidays).

3. Cost of living: Very high. Even though you have access to Target etc., keep in mind that most everything is brought in on container ships. This also means that if the long shoremen strike (as they used to do when I was over there), things can get scarce. I remember one Christmas when they went on strike. The only people that had Christmas trees that year were military families because the Navy brought in a load on a naval cargo ship. Not a big deal to some but it is something to keep in mind. Hawaiian soil does not grow a lot of food products which also have to be brought in.

4. Depending on your financial situation, due to the cost of living, you may find that you have to work so much that you can't really get the benefit of the beauty of the islands. Your standard of living is going to be a lot lower. A simple two-bedroom condo in a modest area is going to be quadruple what you pay on the Mainland (with the exception of some of the higher urban areas like Los Angeles).

5. It really is paradise there IF you have the means to live comfortably and you don't get claustrophobic living on an island. My parents loved it there. Retired there after my Father retired from the army. Neither my brothers nor myself stayed. One brother had a house he kept up for years with the intention of retiring there himself. He ended up selling the house and opting for Florida. Still has the ocean (although the Atlantic rather than the Pacific) without some of the drawbacks of island living.

6. I didn't go back because I married a 6th generation Hoosier who can't conceive of living anywhere outside Indianapolis. I'm a good Army brat so people are more important to me than places. I've lived all over the world and have found that all locations have good and bad things. I loved Hawaii and enjoyed growing up there. Given the right circumstances, I know I'd be happy living there again. In my current situation, not so much.

7. Since you lived in Alaska, you're probably familiar with some of these issues: high cost of living, isolated area. So, maybe just revisit things you liked and disliked about living there to see if Hawaii has some of the same issues.

Have fun dreaming and planning.

 

[beachbunny]

Bevgray, has it been a while since you lived in Hawaii? Your comments used to be mine about a decade ago. I had the exact same complaints. Times have changed.

Now, prices on the mainland have climbed so living in Hawaii costs no more than, and is probably less than, living in any other big city such as LA, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, etc. Also, the days of shortages and being at the mercy of stevedores is pretty much non-existant because the big boxes with their large storehouses are firmly entrenched here. Finally, as far as growing our own food, we've become quite independant. In the wake of the demise of the big sugar cane and pineapple companies, the small farmer has made a come-back. Farmers' markets are very popular here. There are at least four operating in my neighborhood - all locally grown veggies and fruits and all very cheap. Last weekend, I purchased bananas, kona coffee, sweet potato, onions, choy sum, and manoa lettuce and spent about $12. I also had a hamburger made with locally raised grass-fed beef - absolutely awesome!

As far as travel goes, I guess I'm an old hat at it so I don't blink an eye at the 4 hour flight to the west coast. I travel a lot on business to the neighbor islands, the farthest of which is the Big Island, a one hour flight, which for me the same as a long commute. I guess it's like someone who regularly drives two hours to work, or someone who drives across several states to get to Disney World. It's what you're used to.

Daughtersrus, you'd better move to Hawaii - and fast! I didn't realize your gas prices had come up so much - while ours has been pretty stable for the last few months. And I do know that housing in Chicago is not cheap either!

 

[Judy from Boise]

I lived on Oahu from 1972-1976. I loved many things about the Island, the beauty, the food, and the weather come to mind. However I have pretty horrible memories related to bullying and racial prejudice that poison my view of the islands. As a red headed freckeled white person my life was not pleasant. There is a "locals only" mentality that can be hard to live with.