Tell us the pros and cons of where you live!

[Hope]

This should be fun, tell us the pros and cons of where you live! There are good and bad aspects of every city, what are yours?

[1stwahine]

This should be fun, tell us the pros and cons of where you live! There are good and bad aspects of every city, what are yours?

Hmmmmm...let me see. K-den. I'll start with the following: :rolleyes:
http://hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=5533&page=1&highlight=making+community

I'm a Candidate for President of the MWH Tenant Association Board. Election Night - September 27, 2006. 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. MWH Community Hall! :D

The Fire was lit. It is shining brightly.

Auntie Lynn

[Erika Engle]

Pros:
No big box stores on the Windward side.
The windward climate in general -- esp. its cool breezes.
Great beaches and alternatively, great district park pools for when we don't want to deal with sand/salt water/pinic-packing/parking space hunting.

Cons:
Gotta drive over the hill to shop at a big box (using all that gas to save money to buy cheap gas and other goods).
No Marukai membership store this side, either. :(
For those with a night life (not me!), the drive back over the hill after all the fun.

Exceptional blessing: Now that my eldest is in the Army Guard we can shop on base -- and nearby MCBH has wonderful facilities. Of course the blessing is mixed.
As proud as I am of my late father's 27 years in the Army of these United States, and as proud as I am that my son has now enlisted and could, over time, wind up an officer with great career opportunities -- I know in the back of my mind, that he could be deployed to a combat zone at some future point. I don't want that for him -- but what mother would?

[lavagal]

Erika, you don't LOOk like you could have a kid in the guard!

Hawaii Kai:
Pros:
1. Great school at Koko Head Elementary.
2. Great area to be a fitness enthusiast.
3. Wonderful scenery.
4. Easy access to fun surfing spots.
5. Close to work (Oceanic Institute).
6. Quiet.
7. Great restaurants, shopping centers, movies.
8. Knowing just about everyone, or being friends of friends with people in the area.
9. Home gardens and private backyards.
10. Sharing avocados and lemons from the trees and getting eggplants from the neighbors.

Cons.
1. Lots of new houses going up.
2. Developers threatening to build cabins to ruin residents' vistas.
3. The ride into town.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Pros:
-diversified ag
-green more often than not
-friendly people
-quirky local newspaper
-good public schools
-all my 'ohana lives here
-what it lacks in significant nightlife opportunities it more than makes up with its athletic activities of all forms for all ages
-diversified brain economy

Cons:
-land speculators are still bullish on these parts.
-vog
-ice use hasn't been stamped out yet

[Erika Engle]

Lavagal, you're too kind. I had my eldest son when I was three.
:eek: :rolleyes:

People often say I look younger than I am -- because I lie and tell them I'm older than I really am. Nah, j/k.

It's the hapa thing, I think. I can claim no credit for any youthful looks, rather, I think my skin has a fortunate genetic code. Of course, it won't last.

Cliff and I used to joke that one day, in my 50s or so, I would simply wake up one day with all the wrinkles I should already have had -- that they'd all "catch up with me" all at once. :D

I do hope that DOESN'T happen ... so, when I remember, I use moisturizer at night.

(Not the white or green scary kind, guys, FYI. No need to run screaming from the unfortunate visual.)

Oh - back OT -- I live near Castle High School, though my kids don't go there, but I gotta tell you, their marching band's drum line ROCKS -- I can hear 'em when they practice. DEFINITELY a "pro" about where I live.

The related "con" would be the uninformed, insensitive individuals of various demographic groups who park on campus and blast their %$#$##XX@!! hip-hop music before/after-school and on weekends.

[Hope]

Pros:
Really, really cheap food
The bluest skies I've ever seen
you can play bingo or eat a prime rib dinner 24/7
jobs, jobs, jobs everywhere
Lake Mead
there's no such thing as "last call for alcohol" :D
You can ask a bartender for a "to go" cup, and he'll give you one
Mt. Charleston, cool and beautiful in summer
Cirque shows that compare to no other in the world
sure is purdy here all lit up at night on the Strip
my nice, clean, quiet neighborhood
Your friends and family from other states WILL visit you, after all, you do live in Las Vegas!
The sun shines here about 300 days out of the year
The Valley of Fire, beautiful red rock area



Cons:
Traffic jams that start at 3pm Friday, and don't end until 9 am Sunday!
You get penalized by the DMV for having a newer car, the registration here is ridiculous!
Drunk, dangerous drivers, even at 7am as you're on your way to work
Having to obtain three different and costly work cards to work in the casino/bars. This takes hours of classes, and a "referral" from a job, even to GET the card in the first place. Frustrating, to say the least.
Seriously corrupt politicians, payoffs in all areas of city governments
Smog
gambling degenerates
sometimes, it's just too DANG hot here
no one, I mean NO ONE will talk to you in a bar, they're either "too cool", or they have their face BURIED in a video poker machine
It's extremely hard to meet someone to date, or new, "real" friends, for that matter
Californians who infiltrate the state, then expect us to do things their way. (welcome to Vegas, baby!)

[1stwahine]

Californians who infiltrate the state, then expect us to do things their way. (welcome to Vegas, baby!)

With all the Pro's, the best is HOPE! Das You!! :D

Auntie Lynn

[Konaguy]

Pros and Cons of the Big Island

Pros
Beautify scenery and beaches
Robust job market (especially in West Hawaii)
Still retains that rural charm in most areas
Comfortable weather most of the time

Cons
Inept,corrupted politicians and government
Mainland malihini's who insist on doing things their way
and expecting changes to happen overnight
greedy and corrupt developers
Infrastructure maxed to the limit
Horrible traffic jams especially in West Hawaii.

[Serenity]

Hm... Pros & Cons, huh??

Well...

Pros....

*It's quiet sometimes (no bird chirping early in the morning like it use to,
maybe the bird died, thank goodness. :p )

* Close to the #13 bus stop.

* there are small restaurants & stores close by.

* its near a small library.

* it is still still cheaper rent than the average.

* has less than 10 tenants ( I think 8)

* the apt building has either a studio or 2 bedrooms apt.

* my neighbors are really nice. =)

* I get my own computer/storage room.

*Only an upstairs & downstairs apt.

Cons...

*The next building downstairs stinks!!.

*it is surounded by short buildings (other apts.),
which becomes hot during the day & not much wind comes in!!. :mad:

* Has only 1 washer 1 dryer unlike the one we use to live, in wilder ave, which has more than 1 each ( I think maybe 3,4, or 5 of each washer, & 2-3 dryers).

* can't hang our wet clothes outside the padio, but I don't care, I still do it any way (but not for very long, until it dries completely, then I bring it in.)

*No pets allowed!!. (maybe I can have pet fishes in a fish tank, I am sure that's ok. Atleast that one I don't have to take it for a walk :p .)

* sometimes I have to call the landlord in regards the the apartment accross the way from us because they are making noise way after 10 PM!!.

* 0nly the #13 comesby there,
unless I walk by the library to catch a #2 bus.

* takes me 45 mins to go to KCC in the morning,
& 1 whole hour to get home in the afternoon by bus.

*I always have to transfer to any where (depending on where I am going).

*No swimming pool!!.

*only 1 parking stall per apt.

*The noise really echos!!.

*when it rains really bad, the end of our looong drive way,
it floods just a bit !!.

* the bills are all seprate & not included together.

*We had to get our own furniture, cooking stuffs etc!!.

*People with wheel chairs can't be accomodated, only have stairs that's it.

*The old lady's old dog (near our apt)(which is probably seanile itself) continues to bark (at anything) sometimes late after 10 PM & early before 8 am. The old lady can't seem to control her own dog!!.

*can't move because the other apts probably cost more in rent than where live now!!.

*sometimes the same building accross the way (top floor) makes so much noise.

* we live next to a convelasant home, sometimes they make loud music which we can't complain about!.

*can't place potted plants outside the padio.

* our apt is the top first door & near the stairs, so we can hear everyone going up with their loud conversation.

* any religious people can just knock at our door(s) at random to try to convert us to their religion(s).
(yeah right!!.)

so that is my pros & cons.

I think I got more, but I don't want to bore you anymore, plus I need to get ready to head out.

That's my two cents.

Aloha.

[SouthKona]

Pros and Cons of the Big Island

Cons
Inept,corrupted politicians and government
Mainland malihini's who insist on doing things their way
and expecting changes to happen overnight
greedy and corrupt developers
Infrastructure maxed to the limit
Horrible traffic jams especially in West Hawaii.

If you had somehow connected "inept" and "infrastructure" together on your list, well, it would have been just about ...a perfect description!!
Oh, except you left off "inadequate medical care" due to medical professionals not being able to afford to practice here - don't get sick on the Big Island.

[mel]

This should be fun, tell us the pros and cons of where you live! There are good and bad aspects of every city, what are yours?


Urban Honolulu area

Pros

1. Convenient shopping, close to big boxes, banking, restaurants, take-outs, many businesses open at convenient hours, some 24-7.
2. Short commute to work.
3. Weather is pleasant almost year-round.
4. Plenty of technology nearby - DSL, cable, satellite, stores, wifi hotspots, services
5. Nice beaches, some scenery & attractions nearby

Cons

1. High taxes and high cost of living
2. Overdevelopment
3. Crowded - shopping, attractions, beaches, etc.
4. Rail proposal - cost, disruption, possible displacement by eminent domain, impact on property values, property taxes
5. Far away from the country, other islands

[Konaguy]

If you had somehow connected "inept" and "infrastructure" together on your list, well, it would have been just about ...a perfect description!!
Oh, except you left off "inadequate medical care" due to medical professionals not being able to afford to practice here - don't get sick on the Big Island.

:D, I guess I'm at a point of my life, medical care is not on my radar.
That being said, it is definately a worthy "con" for the Big island.

[SouthKona]

:D, I guess I'm at a point of my life, medical care is not on my radar.
Unless you are in a car accident, surfing accident, poked in the eye with a sharp stick, etc etc. :eek:

[Vanguard]

Pros: Many artistic venues
Many good restaurants with diverse ethnic cuisine
Low crime
Nice place, not a depressing, mediocre "flyover state"

Cons: I hate winters
It's not Hawai'i

[timkona]

Kealia, South Kona

Pros
Hookena Beach 5 minutes to the south
Honaunau (2 Steps) 5 minutes to the north
Hookena School is excellent with only 150 students total from k-5
Kealia is a "dry" pocket in rainy South Kona
Property taxes in Hawaii are cheap, cheap, cheap


Cons
Traffic in Kainaliu at 5 pm
No Retail/Commercial businesses - so you always have to drive to town for goods
Heavy anti growth mentality, so the children inevitably must leave in search of jobs/housing.

[tikiyaki]

Sunland, CA - Just north/east of Burbank in "the Foothills"

Pro's - Not many, as I bought a house here 2 years ago, and am selling it already,just in time for the "cooling off period" :( that being said...

1. Nice Mountain Views all around
2. Lots of cool Mid Century Modern (1950's modern) and Post and Beam houses, some by known architects
3. The cooler temps in winter - We actually got Snow this past winter - in SO CAL ! The mountains get snowcapped, and it looks really pretty.
4. The smell of fireplaces burning, reminds me of the fall growing up on Long Island
5. Lower priced than most of LA

Cons -

1. It's NOT Hawaii
2. No good restaurants in area, just fast food
3. Our only decent retail store, K Mart closed right before I moved here, and Home Despot bought the lease. The town has been fighting tooth and nail for them NOT to open here, for which I agree. Now everyone has to leave town to shop for basic stuff like socks and underwear.
4. Lots of empty storefronts...no bigger businesses want to come here because of some stigma the area has...former Hell's Angles town Tujunga is right next door, that was in the 70's and 80's tho, but there still are leftovers, but they're older, sober, and more mellow now...so we have no really good retail and restaurants, making the main drag it look really crappy
5. Very remote and too far away from it all...for ME this is a con, for others this is a pro
6. Hotter in summertime
7. Coyotes and mountain cats in area...keep the pets closeby!
8. because of how far away from town I am, my friends don't come visit as much.
9. Some Meth lab tweakers in area...those creepy guys riding around on motocross bikes who are way too old to be riding them...usually they're dirty and shirtless.

I could go on....I can't wait to move :(

[D'Alani]

Kalihi born and raised...it's all good...can't think of any cons at the moment.:)

[beaker]

Hilo

Cons:
Living in Hilo is like being in state of suspended animation.
Inadequate coffee shop selection.
Incompetent post office.
Traffic jams.
High rent for single people and pets usually not allowed in rentals.
No seasons.
Mold.
Sweating buckets in the tropical heat and humidity. :P

Pros:
Typically 5 degrees cooler and shadier than the rest of hawaii and cools off at night.
Close to nature places and the best parts of the island (the saddle, mountains, volcano and ka'u).
Historical buildings and things, and older Hilo style houses.
Far from Konafornia and the resort mess in south kohala.
My orange tree.
Small enough to bike most places.
O'Keefe's bakery.
The University.

[tutusue]

Pros:
[...]
The bluest skies I've ever seen
[...]
Cons:
[...]
Smog
[...]
Hi Hope...
Must admit I'm a bit... :confused:
I know in L.A. smog equals brown skies. Not true in LV?

[SusieMisajon]

Cons:

It's not Home
Everybody here is French


Pros:

The grinds are good
I like the four seasons
My kids get to be bi-lingual
The schools are good

[Hope]

I know in L.A. smog equals brown skies. Not true in LV?

The smog is only hanging about if we don't have winds blowing, it gets trapped between mountain ranges. You can really see this at a distance, i.e., on approach to LV. However, mostly, I've never seen clearer, or bluer skies in my life.

Let me mention this con that I forgot...
really freaky, aggresive SPIDERS! Eeeeeeeeek! I wake up with bites on me all the time! :eek:

[blueyecicle]

Pros:
Green clean air

Mountains

Easy access to fresh produce and 100 farms

Great homeschool tools and access

The hippies

Jobs available

Lots of dairies and farms

Public markets and artsy type things!

Diversity and tolerance

Free activities all the time

1 hour from beaches and 1 hour from Cascades.....

Beautiful storms

Cons:

Bad Health Care/insurances (can't keep Dr's)

Too many people opposed to bathing :rolleyes:

Too many strips clubs! More per capita in my town than in 90% of cities. We are in the top 6 !!

Poor schools

The hippies

Low wages

Bars every 2 feet and by every elementary school. (Don't get me wrong I go to bars occasionally)

College town

Sometimes too much tolerance! RIOTS even...

Anarchists burning our local buildings and vehicles

[Hope]

Too many strips clubs! More per capita in my town than in 90% of cities. We are in the top 6 !!

Yep, we suuure have our fair share of them here in LV, and...our kids get to see the backs of girl's arses, advertising the clubs, right on the backs of taxicabs!

Too many people opposed to bathing

You're...um...KIDDING, right? :eek:

[Bard]

Too many strips clubs! More per capita in my town than in 90% of cities. We are in the top 6 !!

And IIRC, Portland is #1 ;) Oregonians looove their strip clubs I guess.

Too many people opposed to bathing

You're...um...KIDDING, right? :eek:

Not even a little bit, unfortunately...

[blueyecicle]

[I]



Not even a little bit, unfortunately...

You beat me to it....if I was kidding it would have been funnier ...I hope! :p

I know people who don't bathe on purpose ...contests even! YUCK :(

[Bard]

I know people who don't bathe on purpose ...contests even! YUCK :(

I heard a guy on the light rail the other day bragging about how he'd once gone 3 weeks without a bath. He was pretty fragrant when I saw him this time too...

Well, now that I'm here anyway, Blue pretty much covered the pros and cons of Western Oregon in general. For Portland in particular, I'll have to throw in...

Pros:
- Right next to the Columbia River Gorge (awesome!)
- Fantastic bike support (bike lanes, bike signs with directions, mileage and time, multi-use paths, etc)
- Fantastic public transit (bus, light rail, street car)
- Urban Growth Boundary, no superlative sprawl here...
- Super cool old early 1900s houses

Cons:
- Those super cool old houses are PRICEY (though I guess I won't get much sympathy from this crowd ;) but a doctor friend of mine recently bought a modest house for $600K...)
- 4 months of 45 degrees, gray, rain, and 8-9 hours of "daylight"
- Large homeless population (pro: we try to take care of them here...)
- Taxes, taxes, taxes
- Stuck in the Willamette Valley all winter unless you've got a 4WD and snow chains

And one that could go either way depending on your perspective:
- Anything goes in "keep it weird" Portland!

[jessicat]

Even though I'm new (and kind of young), I figured I'd join in.

Ewa Beach:
+ OceanPointe, getting pricy, but with fabulous new housing, and soon to be marina, etc. It's opening a new elementary, pre-school, neighborhood park, etc.
- Terrible traffic getting out in the morning, terrible traffic getting in, in the evening.
+ JCHS, a good high school.
- Some pretty sketchy areas, needs to be cleaned up a bit.
+ By the beach (of course, it is Ewa 'Beach').
+/- Never rains!

[U'ilani]

Pros:
Highly-educated, multi-cultural, family-oriented community (I lived in East King County)
Excellent public schools
Endless walking/biking/hiking trails
Large sidewalks throughout my community (safer for kids on bikes)
Low crime
Most pet owners clean up their dog's poop
Views of the mountains and lake
Good stores nearby (Trader Joe's, PCC, Costco; and Uwajimaya is only 20 minutes away)

Cons:
It can get extremely depressing in the fall and winter with the endless cloudy days and constant drizzle/rain.
I can't ride my bike (my primary form of exercise) half of the year due to the weather.
Ridiculously high property taxes.
Frozen lau lau from Zippys.com just doesn't do it for me.
Uwajimaya sells their poi for about $7 a bag--and of course it's never fresh poi.
No bakery goods to rival what you can get in Hawaii.

On the other hand, my husband bought a shave ice machine in Japan a few years back. He carried that bugger about 2 miles to the train station! There's nothing like finely-shaved ice on a hot, sunny day--in other words, our Hatsuyuki shave ice machine is only useable (sp?) 4-6 weeks a year.

[Kahalu'u_Chrome]

Let see , Kahalu'u...

Pros:
Its still country
Beautiful mountain views especially after a storm...
Valley of the Temples
Heeia Kea Pier ( only harbor on the windward side)
Peace and quiet, and a 1/4 acre on either side between me and my nieghbors
Ocean is less than a mile away

Cons:
Da frickin mosquitos can carry away your children if you not careful!
Ocean is close, but no sand, only mud :( ( unless you have a boat and got the Sandbar)
More development every year
No real stores, gotta go over the mountain, or at least Kaneohe



No matter what , the Windward side, and especially Kahalu'u, has always meant home to me - I wouldnt trade it for anything! Its where my heart is......

[Bard]

I can't ride my bike (my primary form of exercise) half of the year due to the weather.

I read a quote on a bike web site one time that went something like "there's no such thing as weather too bad to ride, just not having the appropriate clothes for it". This, IIRC, on a web site about biking in the snow. :D I've actually acquired enough gear at this point that I can usually keep commuting to work on my bike straight through winter. I think the big things I still need are some rain-proof foot covers and gloves, and I was considering getting a motorcycle helmet for the rain shield. ;) Then again maybe I'm just a masochist...

Beautiful mountain views especially after a storm...
Valley of the Temples

We visited Byodo-In when we were there, quite beautiful... especially with said mountain views behind it after rain :)

[Leo Lakio]

Pro: it's where my sweetie, the Alpha Female from Kane`ohe, lives.
Con: it's not where my daughter lives.

[Kahalu'u_Chrome]

We visited Byodo-In when we were there, quite beautiful... especially with said mountain views behind it after rain :)

Yes, I often go there to walk around, feed the koi or just sit and relax. Its also a nce place to go if you have wieghty issues on your mind - they tend to melt away.....

If anyone decides to visit the temple, tell the attendant in the little stand ( about a 1/4 mile or so down the hill from the temple) that you are going to visit a gravesite - then you ccan get in free :D

Otherwise even locals gotta pay.....


By the way Bard, in that picture you posted, your wife looks amazingly like my 17 year old daughter :eek:

Alohas

[Bard]

By the way Bard, in that picture you posted, your wife looks amazingly like my 17 year old daughter :eek:

Heh! Yeah, we're an odd couple. I'm about 6 feet tall and she's about 5. When we've been out with her mom before, she's been mistaken for my daughter before. I'm not sure if that says something good about her youthful looks, or something bad about my not-so-youthful looks ;)