Kailua Questions (Honolulu: apartments, rentals, new home)

[akboy]

Hello Everybody,
This is my first post here, so please be kind lol, but i want all opinions if it is bad or good. I am humble.

I presently live in Fairbanks, Alaska, but wishing to relocate to Kailua. I work at Safeway here, and know there are 2 Safeways there in Kailua, so am hoping to transfer. Why is Safeway not in the big city of Honolulu, but 2 in Kailua with less population?

I have been trying to read here since i found this place 3 days ago, so excuse me if i have questions that has been here before. On this site, it says the population is 10,000, but other sites quote 30,000. Here it says Honolulu is 170 miles away, when it is only 12, just confusing to me.

I have never been to Hawaii, and i have read that most people say to visit first before moving there. I can not afford that myself. I have been moving around trying to find where i belong, where i want to call home. And have not found that place yet. But think it is there in hawaii now. What better place to call a new home?

I know the prices there are high, as the same here in Alaska, especially in nothern Alaska where i am at. I am tired of the cold and wish to relax in paradise. I just know i would love it there. If i can make it here, i should be able there too.

In the newspapers, Kailua has cheaper rent than in Honolulu. I will be renting a room or studio at first when i get there. I saw 36 ads for rooms for rent, at a cheaper price than i pay here. Since Oahu has a large population, will it be easier for me to find a job there? Well, in Kailua first? I am not a collar worker, so any job i will take. That is if i can not transfer from my safeway to one there.

Thanks for reading my post, and replies and advice is appreciated. I have to save money to move there, so thinking 6 months from now. Thanks everybody, anybody interested in communicating through e-mail, who lives in Kailua, i would love that. Thanks again.
George

[leilaniguy]

There are 2 places called Kailua in Hawaii: Kailua on Oahu (10,000) and Kailua on the Big Island of Hawaii (30,000) usually called Kailua-Kona, or just Kona. The rent in Kailua-Kona would be lower than on Oahu.

[Tantalust]

Originally Posted by akboy

Why is Safeway not in the big city of Honolulu, but 2 in Kailua with less population?
George

You should check the Safeway locations again, I think I've seen a couple of them in the Honolulu area.

[akboy]

Originally Posted by Tantalust

You should check the Safeway locations again, I think I've seen a couple of them in the Honolulu area.

Thanks Tantalust. Seems the resource i had was wrong, i found a new one which listed 10 Safeways in Honolulu. I am happy about that. More of a chance foe me to transfer. Honolulu or Kailua now? Which place is cheaper for rent? Studio or 1 bedroom. Thanks!

[kkkkk]

akboy, you can research Craigslist.org for rentals. I've only visited Kailua. Seems like a very safe, chilled out neighborhood.

[hotzcatz]

Jobs are much harder to get than apartments, see if you can transfer your job to any Safeway in the state and then find an apartment nearby.

[kani-lehua]

excellent advice from hotzcatz. but, i just read in another post/thread that you were considering the honolulu area instead of kailua, yes? you will be fine in either honolulu or kailua as far as "fitting in". the largest safeway in hawai'i is in kapolei, i believe. i think kapahulu comes in second.

[akboy]

Originally Posted by kani-lehua

excellent advice from hotzcatz. but, i just read in another post/thread that you were considering the honolulu area instead of kailua, yes? you will be fine in either honolulu or kailua as far as "fitting in". the largest safeway in hawai'i is in kapolei, i believe. i think kapahulu comes in second.

Thanks kani-lehua. Yes, i am thinking of Honolulu because there are more stores there. If i get a choice of a store, which part of the city would it be safe to live and work in? I am still researching, so do not know if there is a bad part or not.

[HankDfrmSD]

Originally Posted by akboy

Thanks kani-lehua. Yes, i am thinking of Honolulu because there are more stores there. If i get a choice of a store, which part of the city would it be safe to live and work in? I am still researching, so do not know if there is a bad part or not.

Honolulu is both a city and a county. "The City and County of Honolulu". It is the entire island of Oahu.

Here is a place to find all the Safeway stores on the island:

Honolulu County Safeway in Honolulu County HI Yellow Pages by SuperPages

I think your first task is to find out just where you will be offered a job. When that is settled, then you can decide where to live, based on the commute time to the job, and on your preferences about a place to live.

You could land a job in the downtown Safeway and live downtown, or land a job at the same Safeway, and live in Kailua (where I live), involving a commute of about 30 minutes, but putting you in a suburban town, with a "small town" feel, and a great beach.

The whole island of Oahu is only about 30 miles across, so, depending on commute times, you can live where you want (some places 10 miles apart take ten minutes to get there, others, same distance, an hour). Here's a link to explore, with some Safeways marked:

Oahu - Google Maps

If you find other Safeways from the first link, you can search the second link for the addresses.

I always advise folks moving to Hawaii to rent, short term, first. Their are different "flavors" to different neighborhoods in Hawaii, and you won't really find out what flavor tickles your palate until you try a few.

Good luck in your search.

Hank

[hotzcatz]

I don't think you have to worry about working at a Safeway in a bad neighborhood, they don't put them in bad neighborhoods. Any place there is a Safeway is a good neighborhood to live in. Probably not a cheap neighborhood, but you can't have everything.