Neighborhoods around U of H?

[foxyfox31]

Hello. My husband and I are moving to Oahu this year. He will arrive in September to start a job at U of H and I will arrive in December (hopefully). What are the pros and cons of the neighborhoods around U of H? I know traffic is bad, so we'd rather live near than far. I have had a 50 min commute for 5 years now and I'm sick of it!

Some info: We may not have a car there unless we decide we need to lease (I don't know where my job will be just yet). Also we have two dogs, both over 25 lbs. I know dog friendly places are hard to come by, but I hope we can find something :)

Also, any recs on hotels/hostels my husband can stay in while he looks for a place?

Many thanks!

[helen]

I take it, it is at UH at Manoa as opposed to one of the five other UH campuses on Oahu (which are UH West Oahu, Kapiolani Community College, Leeward Community College, Honolulu Community College or Windward Community College)?

Assuming it is at UH Manoa and he doesn't mind taking TheBus (http://www.thebus.org) he might want to find places that are serviced by the City Express Route A (http://www.thebus.org/Route/Maps/rma.pdf), or Routes 4 (http://www.thebus.org/Route/Maps/rm4.pdf), 6 (http://www.thebus.org/Route/Maps/rm5.pdf) or 18 (http://www.thebus.org/Route/Maps/rm15.pdf).

Another route to consider is the number 1 (http://www.thebus.org/Route/Maps/rm1-21.pdf). It doesn't go to UH Manoa directly but it does stop about a couple of blocks away and runs kind of frequently.

[foxyfox31]

[quote=helen;150954]I take it, it is at UH at Manoa as opposed to one of the five other UH campuses on Oahu (which are UH West Oahu, Kapiolani Community College, Leeward Community College, Honolulu Community College or Windward Community College)?

Oops. I forgot that U of H had so many campuses :rolleyes: It will be Manoa. He has no problem taking the bus, so this info is very helpful. Thanks!

[DannyWilliams]

Okay you say ya got 2 dogs and i'd seek out apartment facilites that are pet friendly. There is a craigslist version of honolulu and map out surrounding cities of U of H ;) and see what ur able to afford for starters.

[kool_kat]

I am considering a move to Hawaii too. I have been looking at hicentral.com & also Honolulu craig's list. I'm afraid from what I have seen you will have limited selection on rentals with two dogs over 25lbs. I have two small dogs & have seen some rentals that will allow small pets, but not too many that allow all dogs.

Just wanted you to be aware that this may be an issue in finding a rental and you may have to look a little harder to find something. If you find other websites that has rentals, let me know.

Kathryn

[foxyfox31]

I am considering a move to Hawaii too. I have been looking at hicentral.com & also Honolulu craig's list. I'm afraid from what I have seen you will have limited selection on rentals with two dogs over 25lbs. I have two small dogs & have seen some rentals that will allow small pets, but not too many that allow all dogs.

Just wanted you to be aware that this may be an issue in finding a rental and you may have to look a little harder to find something. If you find other websites that has rentals, let me know.

Kathryn

Yeah, we got that feeling when we started looking at craig's list a few weeks ago. I did find this site: http://www.hawaiianhumane.org/programs/petshousing/index.asp

Good luck in the search for a place :)

[kool_kat]

Yeah, we got that feeling when we started looking at craig's list a few weeks ago. I did find this site: http://www.hawaiianhumane.org/programs/petshousing/index.asp

:)

Thanks for the website - that is very helpful. Also, have you looked at procedures for bringing dogs over? I glanced at it & saw it included having them tagged with an identification chip and some other procedures.

Kathryn

[anapuni808]

For all of you looking for living space in Honolulu - instead of going to Craigslist, why not just pick up the phone & call some property management companies here? They can give you better advice and also tell you what is out there price-wise and pet-wise. You can find listings for them in online yellow pages, then use your free long distance service (that many folks have), and talk to a person. and just talking to a management company is also free! Sometimes we are all too dependent on the internet and forget how simple it is to just talk to a person instead.

Also, I believe UH has some faculty housing for families - have you checked into that?

Well, that is what I would do if I were planning this kind of move.

[helen]

I forgot about the UH housing. Anyway here is the web site (http://www.hawaii.edu/fachousing/) for that but none of the rental units allows pets.

[foxyfox31]

I forgot about the UH housing. Anyway here is the web site (http://www.hawaii.edu/fachousing/) for that but none of the rental units allows pets.

Yeah, we saw that. It's too bad they won't allow dogs! My husband will be going to Honolulu in September without me or the dogs. He could always live in a place that doesn't take dogs temporarily while he looks for one that does. I will arrive in December, so that gives him some time :)

[foxyfox31]

Thanks for the website - that is very helpful. Also, have you looked at procedures for bringing dogs over? I glanced at it & saw it included having them tagged with an identification chip and some other procedures.

Kathryn

This stuff takes forever! There is a huge checklist and a required blood test that must take place 120 days before the dog arrives. If you are moving soon, get started now!! This is why our one dog can't arrive until over a month after Brian does...he just had his test done last week and so he can't arrive until October at the earliest.

[kool_kat]

Yeah, I was reading about that on some website. My one dog already has a location chip which I am thinking counts as the identification chip. I got her free and the previous people had it done. I would still need to get the other one done. What is the blood test testing for - rabies? I didn't know you could test for that by blood test.

Are you planning on following the procedures where you can take them straight from the airport or where they will have to go into quarantine? After you go through the process with your dogs, you'll need to post what you did and how it went and if there were any surprises.

For me right now, Hawaii is just a dream. I have a plan to get over there within the next year. I work for the Feds and am trying to get a job through my agency, so my move will depend on that.

[scrivener]

Clearly, the dogs are a priority and you need to find a place that will accept them. Keep looking for what you want, but realize that with priority #1 in mind, you may have to settle for something a bit further away than you'd like. But as Helen says, the bus system is good. And if you end up with a car and living in Pearl City or Ewa Beach or Mililani and you DO have to get back into traffic, at least you'll be in traffic in Hawaii.

Good luck. There are dog-friendly rentals out there. My friend just rented her house in Mililani to a man with a dog.

[foxyfox31]

Yeah, I was reading about that on some website. My one dog already has a location chip which I am thinking counts as the identification chip. I got her free and the previous people had it done. I would still need to get the other one done. What is the blood test testing for - rabies? I didn't know you could test for that by blood test.

Are you planning on following the procedures where you can take them straight from the airport or where they will have to go into quarantine? After you go through the process with your dogs, you'll need to post what you did and how it went and if there were any surprises.

You have to get a blood test done by your vet and sent to one of two certified labs in the US 120 days before your dog arrives in Hawaii. I believe the 120 days begins from when you get the results of the test. You also have to have the microchip number (your vet can do that) and two rabbies vaccine certificates for the two most recent vaccines given. Also, you have to ask your vet to admin a flea/tick preventative no more than 14 days before your dog arrives and you must check for ticks the day of.
If you do all this correctly, you have a 5 day or less quarantine. If not, it's 120 days! There is a checklist at the DOA Hawaii website. Start looking it over at least 6 months before you plan on arriving.
I hope you make it there and that this info helps :)

[kool_kat]

You have to get a blood test done by your vet and sent to one of two certified labs in the US 120 days before your dog arrives in Hawaii. I believe the 120 days begins from when you get the results of the test. You also have to have the microchip number (your vet can do that) and two rabbies vaccine certificates for the two most recent vaccines given. Also, you have to ask your vet to admin a flea/tick preventative no more than 14 days before your dog arrives and you must check for ticks the day of.
If you do all this correctly, you have a 5 day or less quarantine. If not, it's 120 days! There is a checklist at the DOA Hawaii website. Start looking it over at least 6 months before you plan on arriving.
I hope you make it there and that this info helps :)

That definitely helps. I'll start looking over this.

[foxyfox31]

Getting back to info on neighborhoods ;)
Craig's list lists the apartments/condos by neighborhood for the most part from what I've seen. I got a list of neighborhoods around UH from the UH website.
Any thoughts on these areas? Prices, buses, food, cost, like/dislike, any to avoid, etc.
Makiki
McCully
Punahou
Moliili
Waikiki
Kapahulu
Kaimuki
St. Louis
Palolo
Wilhelmina Rise
Diamond Head (I know its further from UH, but I thought I'd throw it out there)

This would be soo helpful! Thanks:)

[GeckoGeek]

Any thoughts on these areas?

Waikiki - $$$$ A pain to get into/out of (only 3 routes). Hardly anyone lives there. It's all transients (tourists).

Diamond Head - Very upscale $$$$

I think the rest of the list are fine places to live. The devil is in the details. It's still possible to have a run-down street in a otherwise fine neighborhood.

[foxyfox31]

I think the rest of the list are fine places to live. The devil is in the details. It's still possible to have a run-down street in a otherwise fine neighborhood.

Yeah, Brian is going to stay in a hotel or hostel for a week or two to look at places. I learned the hard way several years back to never rent a place without getting a look at the neighborhood...scary! I moved out 5 weeks later :eek:
Just trying to narrow it down a bit. Thanks!

[cynsaligia]

Getting back to info on neighborhoods ;)
Craig's list lists the apartments/condos by neighborhood for the most part from what I've seen. I got a list of neighborhoods around UH from the UH website.
Any thoughts on these areas? Prices, buses, food, cost, like/dislike, any to avoid, etc.
Makiki
McCully
Punahou
Moliili
Waikiki
Kapahulu
Kaimuki
St. Louis
Palolo
Wilhelmina Rise
Diamond Head (I know its further from UH, but I thought I'd throw it out there)

This would be soo helpful! Thanks:)\

quickly throwing this out there bcs i live in makiki and went to UH--the #4 bus runs on wilder ave in makiki and goes directly to UH and back. =)

[Honoruru]

I agree with GeckoGeek. Scratch Waikiki and Diamond Head ... and all the rest are good. But I notice that there's one neighborhood that's missing from the list--Manoa! This is definitely a high-priced neighborhood, but there are hidden gems to be found for students, and for faculty and family as well. They're not easy to find, but worth a try.

[GeckoGeek]

I learned the hard way several years back to never rent a place without getting a look at the neighborhood...scary! I moved out 5 weeks later :eek:

Mine was sort of the reverse. I was shopping for "affordable" on my just out of school pay. I'd find an ad that looked promising, and drive down the street. The street looked fine, but then I saw a old somewhat dilapidated building. Invariably, the number on the front of the building was the one I was seeking. The first few times it was just one of those things. But it became very frustrating.

[foxyfox31]

Brian and I have been looking through Craig's lsit to get an idea of what is out there and how much it all costs. Thankfully, we grew up in the DC Metro area, so these prices aren't too surprising...but having lived in the south for several years, I got used to a lower standard of living. I'm now amazed when I see how much some things cost back home and I'm sure they cost even more on Oahu.
The price to pay for not dealing with winter :)

Are there any cheap/decent hotels or hostels anyone could recommend that my husband can stay in for a week or two to look for a place? He'll arrive either at the end of August or the beginning of September. He will probably rent a car to see places, so it doesn't have to be central to the above listed neighborhoods (though that wouldn't hurt).

[foxyfox31]

How do people feel about the Ala Moana area? I'm sure it's pricey as the huge mall is there...but thought I'd throw it out there.

Also, I've seen a few nice apartment listings for Makiki. Any thoughts?

[GeckoGeek]

How do people feel about the Ala Moana area?
High-rise concrete jungle. Depends on how you feel about it. But if you're thinking about going without a car, that might be a great spot. Ala Moana center is a major connection point for The Bus system.

Also, I've seen a few nice apartment listings for Makiki. Any thoughts?
I live there. (oops, I think I just disqualified it. :eek:)
It comes down to the individual building or block it's on. By in large it's a good call. If you're thinking about biking between UH and home, I think it's a good choice as it has less of a altitude gain then the routes from some other neighborhoods.

[foxyfox31]

High-rise concrete jungle. Depends on how you feel about it. But if you're thinking about going without a car, that might be a great spot. Ala Moana center is a major connection point for The Bus system.


I live there. (oops, I think I just disqualified it. :eek:)
It comes down to the individual building or block it's on. By in large it's a good call. If you're thinking about biking between UH and home, I think it's a good choice as it has less of a altitude gain then the routes from some other neighborhoods.

Thanks for the info! We will be without a car for a while, at least until I have a job there. If my job is far enough away, then we'll lease one. If not, I'll take the bus.
I've always lived 30 mins or more away from my job, so hopefully this will be a nice change! :D

[GeckoGeek]

I've always lived 30 mins or more away from my job, so hopefully this will be a nice change! :D

Well, if you take the bus, I think your record will be unblemished. :(

While it's said we have one of the best systems, it's still a bus. Unless both your apt and the job are on the same line, it's inevitable it will take time to get there.

However, for all the neighborhoods mentioned, a moped is viable primary transportation. If you're into bicycles, The Bus has a bike rack on the front so hybrid bus/bike is possible.

[foxyfox31]

Well, if you take the bus, I think your record will be unblemished. :(

While it's said we have one of the best systems, it's still a bus. Unless both your apt and the job are on the same line, it's inevitable it will take time to get there.

However, for all the neighborhoods mentioned, a moped is viable primary transportation. If you're into bicycles, The Bus has a bike rack on the front so hybrid bus/bike is possible.

Oh, its not that I mind how long it takes...it's that I've spent every one of those minutes driving! I want someone else to drive for once :D I took the bus when I lived in Richmond. Although I didn't have to transfer and was only going about 5 miles, it took about 30 mins. I biked too when I lived close to work, but when the forecast is for "98 F but feels like 107 F" in August, that sucks.
Biking/moped driving is also an option. I won't really know how to go about this until I know where we'll live and where I'll be working. My husband will be at UH and he plans to take the bus.

[cynsaligia]

i love living in makiki. ala moana beach, which is great for families and is a popular spot for joggers/in-line skaters as well as beachgoers is all of eight minutes' drive away. walmart is within the same drive-time radius, as is ala moana shopping center, ward warehouse, ward centre, a large movie-plex. additionally, there are many different korean, chinese, thai, vietnamese, japanese, gosh i could go on, very yummy hole-in-the-wall type places to eat. there's also a jazz club within 30 minutes walk (yes, i said walk) away (well, it's 30 minutes from where i live). there's even a great little wine store just one street over in the little shopping complex one street over from my condo.

and i did already mention that the #4 University bus runs right through, and in fact, it takes only 15 minutes to get to campus?

anyway, to make this post more even-handed, this piece from the honolulu advertiser two years ago (http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Jan/09/ln/ln03p.html).

[808shooter]

you should really forget Manoa unless you don't mind paying a premium.

Apts are in high demand and the homes will be very pricey as Manoa is a very desireable neighborhood. 40-50 year old homes run average 700K-800K. Newer ones are all 1mil+. That makes renting them very pricey.

I recommend looking in:
Kapahulu
Kaimuki
Moilili
Kakaako
Makiki
Ala Moana
University

All of these neighborhoods will have some reasonableably priced apts. Check out the local newspapers. starbulletin.com honoluluadvertiser.com

[GeckoGeek]

40-50 year old homes run average 700K-800K. Newer ones are all 1mil+. That makes renting them very pricey.

That's if you rent the whole house. :D

There's a number of them that are a "home within a home" type of arrangement. Own entrance. Effectively an apartment within a large house.

Yes, the money may not go as far, but if it's in the price range, give it a look.

[foxyfox31]

i love living in makiki. ala moana beach, which is great for families and is a popular spot for joggers/in-line skaters as well as beachgoers is all of eight minutes' drive away. walmart is within the same drive-time radius, as is ala moana shopping center, ward warehouse, ward centre, a large movie-plex. additionally, there are many different korean, chinese, thai, vietnamese, japanese, gosh i could go on, very yummy hole-in-the-wall type places to eat. there's also a jazz club within 30 minutes walk (yes, i said walk) away (well, it's 30 minutes from where i live). there's even a great little wine store just one street over in the little shopping complex one street over from my condo.

and i did already mention that the #4 University bus runs right through, and in fact, it takes only 15 minutes to get to campus?

anyway, to make this post more even-handed, this piece from the honolulu advertiser two years ago (http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Jan/09/ln/ln03p.html).
Thanks, the article was very interesting. Our friends of the family have family in Honolulu, so they are going to give us some info, too. I'm so glad I found a place to get info before hand. I never again want to move into a neighborhood without asking locals about it first!

[foxyfox31]

you should really forget Manoa unless you don't mind paying a premium.

Apts are in high demand and the homes will be very pricey as Manoa is a very desireable neighborhood. 40-50 year old homes run average 700K-800K. Newer ones are all 1mil+. That makes renting them very pricey.

I recommend looking in:
Kapahulu
Kaimuki
Moilili
Kakaako
Makiki
Ala Moana
University

All of these neighborhoods will have some reasonableably priced apts. Check out the local newspapers. starbulletin.com honoluluadvertiser.com
Thanks. We've been checking Craig'slist and we will check out these papers as well. We are only going to rent and start with an apartment for a while. When we've lived there a bit and gotten a budget set (and gotten me a job!!), we'll reassess and see where we stand. We probably won't be on Oahu for more than a few years (Brian's job is a 1-4 year post-doc), so we definitely don't want to buy...not that we could afford to anyhow :)

[foxyfox31]

I've heard that Honolulu has microclimates...that some areas get more rain than others and that some are hotter than others. Can I get more info on this? This would also help us decide on an area to live in. There really isn't much info on the net about this that I could find.

[GeckoGeek]

Manoa gets more rain (aka Manoa Mist). You'll notice most of the students run around with folding umbrellas sticking out of their backpacks.

For the areas discussed, in general you'll be wetter as you get closer to the mountains, hotter as you get to the beach. However, except for the valleys (like Manoa) I don't think there is that much difference. It will vary more neighborhood by neighborhood depending on the building blocking the trade winds.

As you get away from Honolulu, you'll see more variation. The Windward side is wet. The Leeward side is dry. Mililani is higher and cooler.

[DKP]

I was born and raised in Palolo. Cool as hell.

Most culturally active of all the places you listed (Polynesian-wise).
Also, music wise, we had as residents:

- Bruddah IZ
- Ernie/John Cruz (Bruddah John won a grammy and is from accross the street!)
- Troy Fernandez
- The group 'Palolo' and 'Ooklah the Moc'
- Moe Keale
- Kelly Boy Delima
- Many more, and many jam here in garages...so tuff crap if you don't like hearing live music from your neighbors. Know before you go, don't wreck up the tradition here. :)

Might be hard to find a rental as there are many around my age (25) in my situation who still wish to live in 'da valley, but not with 'da parents (I don't and found another place here)...and add to that the proximity to U.H. Manoa and K.C.C. (community college), and their shortage of dorms for students...so it may be tough in this area.

Property values are rising here. Don't blame some of the people in the housing for being 'wild'. Most of my lifelong friends live in 'da housing, and they are well aware of risisng property taxes in the area. They are doing their part to keep them as low as possible (this valley used to be hardcore b/c of Polynesian and Asian gangs, much more mellow now).

I don't really care how people feel about all this, becuase it is benefitting our family as homeowners (and renters, as the high taxes will most likely be passed on to tenants).

PALOLO PRIDE!

[DKP]

Forgot to mention, Palolo is the next valley Koko Head (east) of Manoa. Not many apartments/condos here (similar to Manoa...a little cheaper). You may be able to rent a floor/multiple rooms in a house w/a yard for the dogs. W/your husbands job, it should be affordable.