Hilo or Kona no ka oi!

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Hilo or Kona no ka oi!

Tikiyaki's post made me realize I forgot to mention how much I like Koloko on the Kona side. I have friends who built a wonderful home at the 4000' level. They have a fireplace and forced air heating. It's a short drive down the hill to the beach. They have the best of both worlds I think...except during a 6.x earthquake.

and the 4pm rush hour traffic. It's bad there and I'm used to the gridlock in Honolulu too!

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Hilo or Kona no ka oi!

Notice how nobody mentions Hilo? It's because IMO, a lot of Hiloans are rude to "outsiders" and don't make them feel welcome. My wife has been here since 1999, and a lot of people treat her like an tourist. Maybe it's that "plantation mentality" that is pasted on generation to generation. BTW, I was born and raised in Hilo , but both my parents grew up in Kona with out a "plantation" background.

I lived 6 years in Ka'u and loved it.We can never get away from the "smoke"

auwe, Alohabear! I ~l~o~v~e~ Hilo! it is a beautiful small town! If it doesn't rain within three weeks, people fret the drought. There are enough stores to get whatever one needs, and the fact that there's a UH campus means all the good and diverse things that accompany a college town. There's room for the geeks, the freaks, the theatreheads, the jocks, the paddlers, the soccerstars, the football players, the gyms are stocked with vb and bb and school activities. It is a great place to raise a family, to buy fresh food and beautiful flowers and to move as fast or as slow as one wants.

[Jonah K]

Re: Hilo or Kona no ka oi!

He was Japanese (still is) and we were talking about the expansion into Keaau when he blurted out that only poor people or people that cannot afford to live in Hilo live in the Puna district.

I used to prefer Kona; however, after spending some time in Hilo and Puna, I prefer Puna. Quite a few folks that live in Kapoho Vacationland, Kapoho Beach Lots, Leilani Estates, HPP, and HSRE can afford to live anywhere in Hawai'i, so the stereotype that only "poor" folks live in Puna isn't entirely accurate. I'd much rather have several houses and a few hundred acres in Puna, instead of one or two houses in Lanikai on O'ahu.

[alohabear]

Re: Hilo or Kona no ka oi!

auwe, Alohabear! I ~l~o~v~e~ Hilo! it is a beautiful small town! If it doesn't rain within three weeks, people fret the drought. There are enough stores to get whatever one needs, and the fact that there's a UH campus means all the good and diverse things that accompany a college town. There's room for the geeks, the freaks, the theatreheads, the jocks, the paddlers, the soccerstars, the football players, the gyms are stocked with vb and bb and school activities. It is a great place to raise a family, to buy fresh food and beautiful flowers and to move as fast or as slow as one wants.

Pau'i- i love Hilo ...but you gotta admit this side of the island can be harsh to newcomers.

[Jonah K]

Re: Hilo or Kona no ka oi!

i love Hilo ...but you gotta admit this side of the island can be harsh to newcomers.

Hilo's not that harsh to newcomers as long as they aren't in a hurry and aren't concerned with appearances.

[blueyecicle]

Re: Hilo or Kona no ka oi!

this Hello Kitty kinda store in the Prince Kuhio Mall in Hilo

There's a HELLO KITTY STORE??? *perk's up*

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Hilo or Kona no ka oi!

Hilo's not that harsh to newcomers as long as they aren't in a hurry and aren't concerned with appearances.

I love it when people from Honolulu visit Hilo and come into Home Depot here and tell me, "...well in Honolulu where I'm from we have everything..." and I respond, "yeah, I'm from Honolulu...born and raised for 44 of my 46 years" they quickly shut up especially since they're not even 40 years old yet.

I tell them, "this is the Big Island, so leave Honolulu back on Oahu, you're here now so sloooooowwwww down braddah!"

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Hilo or Kona no ka oi!

Pau'i- i love Hilo ...but you gotta admit this side of the island can be harsh to newcomers.

I think that the local people in Kona are worse towards newcomers. In Hilo, folk are just niele, but in other areas were a lot of newcomer developments are encroaching on old neighborhoods, the fussy factor shoots up.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Hilo or Kona no ka oi!

... when people from Honolulu visit Hilo and come into Home Depot here and tell me, "...well in Honolulu where I'm from we have everything..." ... I tell them, "this is the Big Island, so leave Honolulu back on Oahu, you're here now so sloooooowwwww down braddah!"

"Mainland attitude" not exclusive to Mainlanders after all, eh? No surprise - I'm sure the "everything was better where I come from" behavior shows up across the globe; makes you wonder why people ever leave wherever they were "from."

[Bard]

Re: Hilo or Kona no ka oi!

"Mainland attitude" not exclusive to Mainlanders after all, eh? No surprise - I'm sure the "everything was better where I come from" behavior shows up across the globe; makes you wonder why people ever leave wherever they were "from."

I was laughing at Craig's post for the same reason. Man that sounds familiar!! I hear the same thing everywhere I've lived. I guess it's just heard a little more often (and is a little more annoying) in Hawai`i because so many people try to move there.

Craig, loved your description of the toy store owner encounter too. That's priceless.

[Konaguy]

Re: Hilo or Kona no ka oi!

I personally like Saddle Road area of the Big Island. Driving in between the massive Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa volcanoes presents some spectacular views.

[mel]

Re: Hilo or Kona no ka oi!

I'm originally from Honokaa and usually when I am back on the Big Island, I travel between there and Hilo and go out to Waimea-Kamuela. I like all points between Waimea and Hilo. Hilo is a great town that kind of qualifies as a city. I also like the Volcanoes National Park area for something totally different.

[sinjin]

Re: Hilo or Kona no ka oi!

auwe, Alohabear! I ~l~o~v~e~ Hilo! it is a beautiful small town! If it doesn't rain within three weeks, people fret the drought. There are enough stores to get whatever one needs, and the fact that there's a UH campus means all the good and diverse things that accompany a college town. There's room for the geeks, the freaks, the theatreheads, the jocks, the paddlers, the soccerstars, the football players, the gyms are stocked with vb and bb and school activities. It is a great place to raise a family, to buy fresh food and beautiful flowers and to move as fast or as slow as one wants.

I am fond of many spots on Hawaii. I love the Kohala beaches but not the offshore afternoon winds. Kealakekua is near perfect but what a commute home these days. I like the South Point area but not the drives to either side. I like Hawi but its changes over the years seem for the worse. Waimea is nice if you like Orange County. Hamakua is pretty and unpretentious but a bit moldy. I agree with you that Hilo a good place to raise a family and I am looking hard at that. Of all I just might like the Kapoho area the best.

[SouthKona]

Re: Hilo or Kona no ka oi!

If you like it on the Big Island, then comparisons of areas are just a measurement of how much you like one great place over another great place.