Makaha (Honolulu, Nanakuli, Waianae: lease, condo, home)

[MsHell]

Originally Posted by apples1020

I don't know if anyone who has posted so far has ever actually lived in Makaha... I have and I loved it. It is in many ways one of the most beautiful places on the island. It's the first place I lived when I moved to Hawaii, and I miss it quite a lot. I'm white, and I used to hitchhike home from the makaha beach park or ka'ena point on a regular basis. Nothing bad ever happened. Locals are mostly friendly.

How recent did you live there? I worked with a haole gal that lived in Makaha and loved it, but that was 15 years ago. I have another friend who sold her house in Makaha last year because it was getting so bad, she felt she had to leave the area and moved to the North Shore.

Originally Posted by apples1020

I used to run into people walking in the valley or at a bus stop, and they would just chat with you about whatever was going on... That will not happen to you living in Honolulu.

I beg to differ, I live in Honolulu and chat with people on the street all the time. You can find friendly people in all areas of the island.

[DDane]

Ya back in the day Makaha was great.

Traffic, Homeless, pollution, overpopulation, now its not the same place.

[DML1651]

Enter Makaha with great care. It was a bit dicey 17 years ago... and it looked a lot worse when I was last there 2 years ago.

Not entering Makaha is a better idea.

[pj737]

apples1020 is a woman so that helps in the "not getting into trouble" category. Locals are not as nice to white men as they are to white women.

Makaha really isn't all that horrible but the opinions on this board do speak for the area - and it's pretty much accurate. As I mentioned before, my father lived out there and I visited often. So I know the area very well - day and night. I would spend some time out there to see if it's a place you wouldn't mind living long term.

[uhini]

First, Mahalo Nui for your positive thoughts on Makaha.

I have researched so much about Makaha...so much. Everyone I have spoken with who has any opinion on this place says the same thing... "too rough, too violent, lots of crime, poor "-- etc. And yet unfortunately, I have an incredible indescribable need to be there. it really makes no sense to anyone (even me most days). And still ---- I can't help it. I've visited before, but never a research trip for moving there. I will be on the island of Oahu the first week of December, this is my research trip. I hope to stay at the MVP.

I am meeting with the administrators at Halau Ku Mana in Honolulu. It is my hope to have my son (11) go to this school next year. However, work, job, home (and safety) are issues to resolve first.

Is anyone familiar with this charter school?

I've made the drive from town to Makaha - but not in traffic or with a deadline... how dreadful is it?

Any information about the Makaha Valley Plantation would also be helpful.

Again --- Mahalo for your help.

Originally Posted by apples1020

I don't know if anyone who has posted so far has ever actually lived in Makaha... I have and I loved it. It is in many ways one of the most beautiful places on the island. It's the first place I lived when I moved to Hawaii, and I miss it quite a lot. I'm white, and I used to hitchhike home from the makaha beach park or ka'ena point on a regular basis. Nothing bad ever happened. Locals are mostly friendly. I even got a ride from one of the so called "lazy welfare recipients" living on the beach. He was super nice, full of the "aloha spirit" and saved my dehydrated okole a long walk home.

There are shanty towns or tent cities on several leeward side beaches, generally a bit off the beaten track, such as past Makaha but before Yokohama. Housing prices are out of control here, and many families and otherwise decent folk have been forced to live on the beach after not being able to keep up with rising rents. That said, there are also a number of meth addicts.

I should qualify my love for the leeward side by saying a few things:

I moved there with a local boy, so my experience is colored by being more "a part of" because I was with a local guy and attached to a family. After we split up I moved into town because I wasn't totally comfortable being a white girl living out there by myself. And it is FAR AWAY from town. (TheBoat was not around then.) This said, I still think about moving back. If not for the commute, I would do it.

We also lived in the towers, which is the only place I can recommend living. They have security, gated entry, and it's a beautiful location. Never had to worry about safety up there. Certainly no cockfights. Other places are not necessarily as comfortable after dark.

Speaking of which, we didn't go wandering at night beyond going to the store. We went down to the beach at night a few times, but I generally wouldn't totally recommend it. The times when racial tension comes alive in the form of violence are usually after people have been drinking. So I chose to stay away from the beach at night, just because rowdy drunk kids are never a great idea.

However, I have seen mainland-local fights break out on the beach in Lanikai (a really wealthy area on the windward side) in the afternoon. Everyone was drunk in that situation, but it goes to show that problems can spring up everywhere from time to time.


Makaha gets a bad rap. I don't think it's deserved. I have heard from my ex that Nanakuli is a "whole different story," but he may just be biased towards the area he grew up in.

Living among locals, it'll be good for your friend to know that there is a benefit to being respectful, being friendly, not staring, taking time to talk story. I used to run into people walking in the valley or at a bus stop, and they would just chat with you about whatever was going on. (Shark spotting at the beach. Where are you going? Where are you coming from? Whatever...) That will not happen to you living in Honolulu. To me, the leeward side is the most true to "Hawaii" of all of Oahu.

[kani-lehua]

[quote=uhini;1958885]I've made the drive from town to Makaha - but not in traffic or with a deadline... how dreadful is it?quote]

dreadful!

[HankDfrmSD]

Originally Posted by uhini

I've made the drive from town to Makaha - but not in traffic or with a deadline... how dreadful is it?

There is a new Bus/Boat service from Waianae to Downtown:

http://www.thebus.org/Route/Timetables/rtfthebus.pdf

A little under two hours.

Hank

[rap808]

hi i have lived in waianae and makaha mojority of my life. it is not ghetto and not dirty. if you live there your whole life you get use to it and it is home. when i have seen tourists no one would bother them at all. yeah makaha and waianae may be known as ghetto to people but if you really don't know the place, you shouldn't really talk das how you get into trouble. you can't just look at it and be like oh dis place dirty. but alot of people like ot there and have moved there. i love it where i am froma d will always love it. i don't live there now miitary and i am a nurse. but i want to go back home. every other place on oahu is not better whereever you go get murders and drugs so think before you talk.

[shawna marie]

My husband and I rented a vacation house on the beach in October on farrington hwy before we knew anything about the area. We were told not to go out at night, and avoid eating at any resterants in town by the flight attendant on the flight over. When we arrived I was afraid to go to the store to get groceries.
We spent 11 days there and loved it , it wasnt bad at all, every one we met, or talked to was very nice. We went out at night and no one bothered us, we also survived grocery shopping at tamuras.
My husband will be there for 6 months working, his boss has agreed to give me a round trip ticket once a month, and we hope to stay in makaha while Im there.

[Renton]

Shawna Marie -- Nice to hear something positive about Makaha. We were there years ago and it was so beautiful. And, with that in mind, we booked a place there for this spring. After reading the current postings, I was a bit uncomfortable with our choice until I read what you had to say. Anything you could add would be appreciated.