Looking to Move to the Big Island (from Socal)

[fireandh20]

Hey guys! I'm new to this board, so aloha!

I just returned from the Peace Corps after previosuly working in the film industry for five years. In the film industry, I did mostly administrative tasks but also have set experience as well (two tv shows and about 4 different films). I'm 28, single with no baggage. :)

I just had a preliminary phone interview with the Hilton Waikoloa and overall, it went pretty well. I also found some jobs with Remedy staffing that I would be qualified for!

So, I was just curious as to general advice for moving to the Big Island. I've found a few 1 bed / studios that are cheaper than anything out here (LA proper). I REALLY want to relocate and get out for awhile...

Advice? Suggestions? What's it like out there on the B.I? I've been reading a few posts and it seems that the island of Hawaii is the best bang-for-your-buck, less-touristy spot. What about particular areas to live? I would prefer to be relatively close to the Hilton (if all continues to go well)...

I appreciate your help!

Mahalo

Kurt

[tutusue]

Hi Kurt...I can't help you with the Big Island. I live on Oahu and work in the film industry. What area of the country did you spend 5 years in the biz?!

Welcome to Hawaii Threads.

[fireandh20]

Hey!

I worked in Los Angeles / Hollywood as a Key PA (twice), 1st AD, and as a PA on a few productions. I then worked in talent management for a few years, but found that babysitting actors who want 6000 / day instead of 5000 / day was not my cup of tea, so to speak..:) I decided then to go out and help the world as much as I could, so I packed up and joined the Peace Corps, serving in the Republic of Georgia (the former Soviet Republic) where I taught English to 2nd-8th graders...

My most recent experience was working on the Eukanuba Dog Show for Animal Planet as a Key PA in the Art Department. Fun, yes...stable? Nope..A two day shoot? Not exactly stable...

Where do you work in the industry? Would be awesome to know that I COULD still remain somehow in "the biz", although at this point I only have had the first interview with the Hilton...

AND on that note it pays 14/hour. You think it's enough? 40 hours/week + some weekends and holidays. I have a car payment but that's pretty much it...Thanks for your help!

[tikiyaki]

Hey guys! I'm new to this board, so aloha!

I just returned from the Peace Corps after previosuly working in the film industry for five years. In the film industry, I did mostly administrative tasks but also have set experience as well (two tv shows and about 4 different films). I'm 28, single with no baggage. :)

I just had a preliminary phone interview with the Hilton Waikoloa and overall, it went pretty well. I also found some jobs with Remedy staffing that I would be qualified for!

So, I was just curious as to general advice for moving to the Big Island. I've found a few 1 bed / studios that are cheaper than anything out here (LA proper). I REALLY want to relocate and get out for awhile...

Advice? Suggestions? What's it like out there on the B.I? I've been reading a few posts and it seems that the island of Hawaii is the best bang-for-your-buck, less-touristy spot. What about particular areas to live? I would prefer to be relatively close to the Hilton (if all continues to go well)...

I appreciate your help!

Mahalo

Kurt


The Big Island is amazing. The only really touristy spot is Kailua Kona. It's not crowded like Oahu (also amazing ). If you like hiking, swimming, snorkleing etc, you're in for a good time. South Kona is definitely my favorite area. It also still has alot of "old Hawaii" charm left to it, which is a good thing.

Coming from SoCal, you'll most likely prefer the west side of the leeward of the island (Kona) , much less rain...more like SoCal weather.

[fireandh20]

That's what I've heard, but do u think 14/hour is enough for a single guy on the B.I.? I would rent a 1bed / studio, and from what I've seen, the prices are reasonable. I know in L.A. 14/hour is enough to live on if you're single and are renting...I also saw that they have a Costco there...a big plus...

And I would want to live on the leeward side anyway...closer to work (assuming I end up at the Hilton)...BTW I interviewed for an Events Coordinator Admin Assistant position...

[tikiyaki]

That's what I've heard, but do u think 14/hour is enough for a single guy on the B.I.? I would rent a 1bed / studio, and from what I've seen, the prices are reasonable. I know in L.A. 14/hour is enough to live on if you're single and are renting...I also saw that they have a Costco there...a big plus...

And I would want to live on the leeward side anyway...closer to work (assuming I end up at the Hilton)...BTW I interviewed for an Events Coordinator Admin Assistant position...

It may be a little tight. The rents are maybe a little lower than LA (I live in LA too) but everything else costs a little more. Milk is $6 a gallon in Hawaii ! Gas is about 30 to 40 cents more a gallon. Car registration is alot more. Sales tax is less. Food overall is more expensive.

Also , it depends on your lifestyle. You may be ok on on $14 an hour, but some overtime will probably help out quite a bit. Alot of people living in Hawaii have 2 and 3 jobs. Some of the BI residents should weigh in on this...

[tutusue]

Hey!

I worked in Los Angeles / Hollywood as a Key PA (twice), 1st AD, and as a PA on a few productions. I then worked in talent management for a few years, but found that babysitting actors who want 6000 / day instead of 5000 / day was not my cup of tea, so to speak..:)[...]My most recent experience was working on the Eukanuba Dog Show for Animal Planet as a Key PA in the Art Department. Fun, yes...stable? Nope..A two day shoot? Not exactly stable...

Where do you work in the industry? Would be awesome to know that I COULD still remain somehow in "the biz", although at this point I only have had the first interview with the Hilton...[...]
A 1st AD? Was that on an indie film? I'm a casting director and would be loathe to work on the talent side! I was a script supervisor for years in LA. When I moved to Hawaii I had to branch out into other areas of production so that I could work more. I've been a PA, PM, PC and a producer. I owned a production company at one time...when I had energy to spare! I eventually found myself working around the clock and around the calendar. At one point I retired but after a few years I really missed working with my industry friends. I jumped back in and limited myself to casting commercials only and eventually limited myself to casting local commercials only. I got very, very tired with dealing with the mainland industry's demanding, ego-driven, do-it-yesterday-dammit mentality.

Stability is tougher in Hawaii than in LA...the Big Island, tougher still. Tax incentives are now in place for filming on all the islands but the incentive is higher for outter islands. I doubt you could make a living in the industry on the BI.
[...]Sales tax is less.[...]
Well...yes and no! It's not a sales tax; rather a general excise tax (http://www.hawaii.gov/lrb/lrbnotes02/0207notes.pdf). The rate is lower than California but we get taxed on almost everything...medical care, rent...you name it! No tax on drug prescriptions, tho! :rolleyes:

[tikiyaki]

Well...yes and no! It's not a sales tax; rather a general excise tax (http://www.hawaii.gov/lrb/lrbnotes02/0207notes.pdf). The rate is lower than California but we get taxed on almost everything...medical care, rent...you name it! No tax on drug prescriptions, tho! :rolleyes:


I was gonna mention the excise tax, but wasn't really sure on what it exactly included...RENT....damn, that's messed up. Thanx for clearing that up Sue.
Being only a visitor, I didn't get affected by the excise tax as much as you residents, but I did pay 11% on my rentals on everything, so maybe that's part of it ?

Anway, do you think it can be done on $14 an hour ?

[craigwatanabe]

Coming from SoCal, you'll most likely prefer the west side of the leeward of the island (Kona) , much less rain...more like SoCal weather.

Why would someone want to leave to go somewhere that person was trying to get away from?:D

Other than Hotels in Waiakoloa and a few Heiau scattered through out the west side there's not a whole lot going on in Kona. Yes it has somewhat of a nightlife but nothing comparable to anything in Honolulu much less SoCal.

Hilo (East side) has even less of a night life unless you consider hanging out at the Safeway parking lot at midnight drinking beer a wild night out on the town. There are a few clubs but pretty ghetto compared to Honolulu or even Kona to some level.

But if you're looking for a decent town to live in, Hilo's where you want. Yes it rains but not as much as it used to back in the 60's and 70's. The weather is pretty much like Honolulu.

[SouthKona]

Hilo (East side) has even less of a night life unless you consider hanging out at the Safeway parking lot at midnight drinking beer a wild night out on the town.
Hilo is way too quiet for us Kona people. Hilo only has a Safeway parking lot. Kona people like to hang out at the giant parking lot at WALMART! Because we really know how to live it up on this side of the island!!

[craigwatanabe]

I know I realy envy you guys on the West end. You guys got the best parking lots:(

[fireandh20]

Hmmm...ok....so 14/hour sounds tight. The rents I found though were pretty low...anywhere from 450-800 a month could be doable for a guy with no kids, and only a car payment, yeah? OT probably would be possible, since the job entails working in Event Coordination, which as you know is a round-the-clock venture...I suppose too, I could find a rommmate and split the cost for rent?

Regarding the film industry. I can imagine that jobs are scarce out there for production, and I know the pay is crap (here I was getting about 120 / day for my PA jobs)...The 1st AD thing was on an indie that never made it..a "Deffered Pay" job that as you know means 99 percent of the time you work pro-bono...<sigh>

So, the Islands are beckoning...based on general cost, especially the Big Island..BUT through Remedy Staffing I found a few opportunities that are more in the 30-40k per year range with benefits...one of which was a Television Executive Administrator job in Mapunapuna...very interesting...

The bottom line is I'm pushing really hard to get out there, but don't want to be left high and dry work-wise. I just had an interview with a temp agency whose jobs run in the 15-20 dollar / hour range in Honolulu...Is THAT worht looking into...I'm half-Italian and stubborn, so I will settle for nothing less than an encouragement to come! HOWEVER, bills are real, jobs are real, and so it's time for me to ask you...SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO? I really want to move out there!!!! :)

Oh and if there ARE production jobs out there (Commecial, film , television)...then I would be eager to work in that field (as that's where the majority of my experience is)...

[craigwatanabe]

What's out in Mapunapuna other than Olelo? As for rent plan for closer to $800 per month. I think you can rent a refrigerator cardboard box for around $450:D

If you plan on staying in the film industry, the Big Island may not suit you and may have to focus on Oahu.

[tikiyaki]

Have you actually visited the BI yet ?

I would recommend you at least go there first. Definitely DO NOT just MOVE there blindly....

You should most definitely read "So You want to Live in Hawaii". A revised 2006 edition came out last year and is pretty current.

Also, most people on this board have spoken of the high cost of living in Hawaii, but most say alot of things on the islands make up for it. It IS hawaii fer chrissakes ! It depends what makes you happy. My one friend living on the BI says "You bring yourself with you, wherever you go" , which is a great statement. So, a change of scenery isn't necessarily going to make things better for you, but they just might.
I know my move from depressing Long Island to Los Angeles sure did. Nothing better than the feeling of getting to start over. Just know that there are certain things that geography won't change, no matter how beautiful the scenery. Sure makes things a little sweeter tho'.

As for me, I like a little fast pace and city type energy, so I'm not sure a full time residence on the BI would suit me full time, thus, my goal is an eventual part time residence there. Once business is good enough to allow it, I'd ultimately like to spend 4-6 months living in Hawaii, and the rest in LA. It's a long term goal of mine that i'm working towards.

[fireandh20]

I will say that I honestly can't go there to see what it's like...I am working as a temp right now and need the $$ so I can save up a little bit more. This is why I have been scouring the net for ideas on what life IS like, so I can make a better decision.

Lifestyle-wise, I'm pretty much open. I do prefer more laid-back surroundings over the fast city life. I'm willing to deal with both, which is why I don't necessarily have an island preference. The only reason I have focused on the B.I is because of the Hilton (should I get the job there), but if I get a job in Honolulu then I will focus my energy on getting THERE. Fortunately the Peace Corps taught me how to scrape by with what little you have. Sure, sacrifices have to be made, but those are trite compared to what sacrafices I made living in a borderline third-world country. (I THINK anyway) :)

Ready to rock-and-roll and thanks for all your advice. Keep it coming! Should the HILTON work out tho, I would probably focus on living near Waikoloa. That seems to have the best values for living. Any suggestions on areas that are most cost-effective for a $14/hour job? Thanks again!!

[fireandh20]

Also, on Oahu I found these...

http://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/roo/

Pretty good deals...I can live with some of these...once again, cheaper than anything i've looked for out here in L.A. (unless you count the boondocks / valley)...If I ended up working in Honolulu (should the Hilton not pan out), which areas are relatively nice and affordable? Bang for your buck?

[craigwatanabe]

Also, on Oahu I found these...

http://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/roo/

Pretty good deals...I can live with some of these...once again, cheaper than anything i've looked for out here in L.A. (unless you count the boondocks / valley)...If I ended up working in Honolulu (should the Hilton not pan out), which areas are relatively nice and affordable? Bang for your buck?

Nice and affordable? On Oahu that's like an oxymoron. And it depends on what you consider nice.

Nice can mean Tutusue's Makaha area where the sunsets are spectacular and the price of housing is moderate but the drive from town can be miserable during rush hour.

Nice can mean where I lived on Oahu in East Honolulu where traffic is not a problem and is considered one of the safest areas on Oahu to live in but the housing prices are extremely high.

Affordable? Forget East Honolulu unless you go all the way to the eastern tip of Waiamanalo where the sunsets suck but the sunrises rock!

Affordable on the West end or windward side but again you have to deal with the traffic issues. And they are bad.

You can choose to live in Central Oahu where housing prices are moderate to high but crime is even higher.

Choose your poison. If you can afford to travel to and from the neighbor islands then by all means with your laid back attitude, the Big Island is a good choice. The Hilton Waikaloa is a great place to work but remember it's a tourist driven business so there will be it's ups and downs. Plus the traffic in and out of Waiakaloa to Kona or Waimea can be pretty bad as well and it's not because of too many people. If you take any of the two highways that connect Waiakoloa to Kona you'll be on a two-lane strip of asphalt, one going in and the other going out. Now they are beginning to expand the roads to accomodate better traffic management so it should get better in a year or so.

[fireandh20]

Nice and affordable? On Oahu that's like an oxymoron. And it depends on what you consider nice.

Nice can mean Tutusue's Makaha area where the sunsets are spectacular and the price of housing is moderate but the drive from town can be miserable during rush hour.

Nice can mean where I lived on Oahu in East Honolulu where traffic is not a problem and is considered one of the safest areas on Oahu to live in but the housing prices are extremely high.

Affordable? Forget East Honolulu unless you go all the way to the eastern tip of Waiamanalo where the sunsets suck but the sunrises rock!

Affordable on the West end or windward side but again you have to deal with the traffic issues. And they are bad.

You can choose to live in Central Oahu where housing prices are moderate to high but crime is even higher.

Choose your poison. If you can afford to travel to and from the neighbor islands then by all means with your laid back attitude, the Big Island is a good choice. The Hilton Waikaloa is a great place to work but remember it's a tourist driven business so there will be it's ups and downs. Plus the traffic in and out of Waiakaloa to Kona or Waimea can be pretty bad as well and it's not because of too many people. If you take any of the two highways that connect Waiakoloa to Kona you'll be on a two-lane strip of asphalt, one going in and the other going out. Now they are beginning to expand the roads to accomodate better traffic management so it should get better in a year or so.
Thanks again for your suggestions!

When I said cheap, I meant relative to what's out here in Los Angeles. I shared a 2 bedroom apartment and payed 622 / month while making 320 / week. I suppose it's similar, no?

Traffic-wise...well, I don't know if anything can beat rush hour in LA. I'm willing to deal with that, as I lived in Downtown LA for a year and lived about 25 miles from work. A commute and a half is what THAT was! :)

Whaddya think?

[craigwatanabe]

The rent prices are comparable to Makiki but it ain't gonna be no shining condo, more likely a three story walk up with limited parking right on the bus lines.

25-mile commute is a bit long for Oahu but standard fare for the Big Island. But travel distances aren't measured in mileage on Oahu, it's by time. Here on the Big Island I live about 25-miles from my work but I get there in half an hour. On Oahu half an hour is what it takes just to get thru town.

[fireandh20]

The rent prices are comparable to Makiki but it ain't gonna be no shining condo, more likely a three story walk up with limited parking right on the bus lines.

25-mile commute is a bit long for Oahu but standard fare for the Big Island. But travel distances aren't measured in mileage on Oahu, it's by time. Here on the Big Island I live about 25-miles from my work but I get there in half an hour. On Oahu half an hour is what it takes just to get thru town.
Thanks a ton, Craig. I've been monitoring West Hawaii Today's classifieds as well as Monster / Careerbuilder / Honolulu Newspapers for job opportunties and found a few on the BI (though most are on Oahu, of course). Still "in the running" for the Hilton Waikoloa job, and the more I look into rents and transportation, the more it appears to be doable!

I will be ATTEMPTING to set up interviews for next week, during which I will fly out there and check out the BI. I would like to make the most of my time (8-9 days) and not fall into the "tourist trap". I'm looking to LIVE there, after all ;)

How accurate BTW is "Affordable Paradise"? I've been reading reviews and blogs and it seems to be fairly accurate, but only for the BIG ISLAND. Also, is Hilo really "improving and has become a fairly nice town" as the author suggests? Many responses have indicated that Hilo has really improved over the past year or two.

Obviously, should the Hilton job not pan out I may focus my attention to Hilo as that's where a few staffing agencies are. A few other agencies want to meet with me, but they are in Honolulu (although can't be too picky, I'm ready to rock and roll). I dunno...just some stream-of-consciousness babbling...

Also, on konaweb.com....if you click on the transportation link, then go to "driving on the big island" link...look at that picture...is that FOR REAL?! It said that it happened, but cmon...a cockroach thats about 3 feet long that flies? That would be one hell of an encounter!

So...further advice on my trip...if not Waikoloa, is Hilo worth looking into? I would prefer the BI over Oahu, but if the job search takes me to Oahu, then I have to go where I can pay rent! :)

Thanks!

Kurt

[craigwatanabe]

Hilo is "improving" for whatever that means. It's definately not the quiet small town as it was 30-something years ago. But it's not as congested as Honolulu. I tell people Hilo is what Honolulu was like 20-years ago, nice.

Rental prices are lower here and unlike Honolulu, for UH students, finding dorms and affordable housing isn't a problem here (Hilo).

The higher paying jobs are definately in West Hawaii but the downside is that housing prices are much higher there as well, compared to Hilo where the job market is limited with wages somewhat lower, but housing prices are better.

I would say find a job where you live on a part time basis that has the possibility of transfer, like Home Depot or WalMart. Work part time where you live for a short while, then when you're ready to move here see if you can transfer to the stores out this way.

That way you'll have a position waiting for you and won't have to start your employment history from scratch again. Use that job for income and benefits until you establish yourself in the job you're gunning for.