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Interesting thoughts from the editor of Honolulu Magazine.
I would love to post a link to the article that he referred to but it's not available online right now. I assume it will be when it is archived---I'll do it then.
Until that time, here's the editorial:
My own interpretation of the article is that many HI people are happy to pay for "America’s most expensive ordinary life" compared to many CA people who don't feel getting good value for money spent in CA, thus: "California is now America’s least favorite state". Being a former Bay Area resident, I can certainly say that given the choice, I'd much rather spend the same insane amount of money for similar 50s or 60s era bungalow in HI than in the Bay Area.
Interesting about Las Vegas though:
"Top three places to which Honoluluans fled: Los Angeles, San Diego and—shocking, I know—Las Vegas."
I can understand San Diego and even LA but going from beach lifestyle to middle of the desert? Is it just for the jobs and low cost housing or do they really like Vegas' lifestyle and attractions after HI? I personally enjoy visiting Vegas but dont look forward to live and work there.
I'll take a stab at the Las Vegas question, seeing as how I live in Vegas.
We have a tourist-based economy, so perhaps, people who leave Hawaii like the transition here. Also, because of the large number of Hawaiians here now, there is a good support network in place.
We have a low tax base and costs are relatively cheap, especially now since the housing bust.
FYI, in the interests of self-disclosure, I must admit having lived on Guam for a while, so I do know a little about island living.
Chickenchaser: Hawaii residents have had a long relationship with Las Vegas. Since a long time (70's? 80's?) it has provided several advantages that make it attractive for vacations: cheap accomodations and especially the gambling. I may get flamed for the stereotype, but the impression is that the Asian cultures tend to be gamblers, and nearly all forms of it are forbidden in HI. So before the Indian casinos opened in CA, LV was the closest place to go. And with package deals and direct charter flights, it has always been easy to go there.
From there, the tourist-based, service-job economy theat johninvegas mentions was familiar to those who visited, and more than a few saw opportunities for decent jobs and cheap housing. In the end, enough Hawaii residents moved there for it to become a small community, which then naturally attracted more to come. By now, it's jokingly called the 8th (inhabited) island.
Some parts of Hawaii get hot, so while not as hot and dry as the desert, the climate isn't entirely unfamiliar. And for many, it's preferrable to be in a hot climate rather than a cold one like the Bay Area (yeah, I said the Bay Area is cold).
Neither Nevada or Hawaii are Education Meccas....so it's not like Education is going to be a big factor.
Both Hawaii and Nevada are tourist meccas...with most people making a living in some capacity related to tourists.
Vegas also has a highly visible Asian population. Go into any casino, and easily half of the dealers will be Asian females. Plenty of Asian gamblers as well.
However, Vegas is just a fraction of the price. So, basically people in Hawaii can move to Vegas, find a huge 4 bdrm house, and have a relatively small commute. There life just visibly 'looks better' in relation to their income.
I can't imagine why a Hawaii person would ever want to move to Los Angeles, still not be able to buy a house, and have much worse commuting and everything else. And lose out on everything in Hawaii. The beach in Los Angeles isn't all that great, and for well over half of people in metro Los Angeles, you're probably looking at a lot of traffic trying to get there, which makes it less of a factor.
I can't imagine why a Hawaii person would ever want to move to Los Angeles, still not be able to buy a house, and have much worse commuting and everything else. And lose out on everything in Hawaii. The beach in Los Angeles isn't all that great, and for well over half of people in metro Los Angeles, you're probably looking at a lot of traffic trying to get there, which makes it less of a factor.
Education and career opportunities.
In the Los Angeles area alone, there's UCLA, USC, CalTech, Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, Occidental, the Claremont Colleges, Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Northridge, and several other colleges and universities that are more academically rigorous than the colleges and universities in Hawaiʻi. If Barack Obama had attended UH Mānoa instead of Occidental College after graduating from high school, it's unlikely that he would've ever become President of the United States. Then there's the lure of the entertainment industry and "Hollywood." Folks like Bruno Mars and Tia Carrere would be still be relatively unknown if they had remained in Hawaiʻi. Los Angeles is only a five and a half hour plane ride from Hawaiʻi, so it's not that big of a deal to reside there for a while in order to achieve one's long-term goals and aspirations.
In the Los Angeles area alone, there's UCLA, USC, CalTech, Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, Occidental, the Claremont Colleges, Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Northridge, and several other colleges and universities that are more academically rigorous than the colleges and universities in Hawaiʻi. If Barack Obama had attended UH Mānoa instead of Occidental College after graduating from high school, it's unlikely that he would've ever become President of the United States. Then there's the lure of the entertainment industry and "Hollywood." Folks like Bruno Mars and Tia Carrere would be still be relatively unknown if they had remained in Hawaiʻi. Los Angeles is only a five and a half hour plane ride from Hawaiʻi, so it's not that big of a deal to reside there for a while in order to achieve one's long-term goals and aspirations.
Well, for the upwardly mobile, of course Los Angeles makes a lot of sense.
But, we can't assume that people who leave Hawaii, are all going to be upwardly mobile, doing so to get into great colleges, or pursuing the Hollywood dream.
Very enlightening responses. I see that I have a very limited view of Vegas from restricting my visits mostly to the strip.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KauaiHiker
And for many, it's preferrable to be in a hot climate rather than a cold one like the Bay Area (yeah, I said the Bay Area is cold).
I would have protested after living in the PNW but now I agree.
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compared to many CA people who don't feel getting good value for money spent in CA, thus: "California is now America’s least favorite state". Being a former Bay Area resident, I can certainly say that given the choice, I'd much rather spend the same insane amount of money for similar 50s or 60s era bungalow in HI than in the Bay Area.
