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I go fairly often to the beach in Waikiki - and they did a nice job with the beach replenishment project. To park - you can park by the Waikiki Shell for free and after the beach partake in Happy Hour at Tiki's from 2-5 - or, park at the Royal Hawaiian Mall - validate at PF Changs (don't have to eat there), 4 hours for $3.00
Despite the high cost of living in Hawaii, when I was younger I use to go out to the bars in Waikiki almost every week.
Sometimes I would splurge and even buy some pupus to go along with my cocktails. I was still able to live comfortably and put some money away in savings.
I guess I was lucky in always having decent paying jobs which allowed me to live independently within a budget. And I could still eat well and able to afford the vet costs for my pets.
Last edited by Honolulu21; 05-04-2012 at 01:15 AM..
When I lived on Oahu, I was always down in Waikiki because I lived just on the other side of the Ala Wai. I would either ride my bike or walk down (never had to worry about driving/parking) to hit the beach, hang out with friends, go out, etc. We always did Moose's $3 you-call-it's on Friday nights since no one wanted to splurge all the time.
I never cared for Waikiki. My friend and I did a Tour of Beaches and hit 51 of them, including that beach. 49 of them were better than Waikiki, which is always crowded with tourists and their trash. I found much more fun things to do around the island.
My typical routine is come home from work, change into board shorts, walk down to the beach and go surfing till dark (swell permitting). We don't go to the nightclubs, as playing in bands for 10 years on the mainland burnt me out on being in bars. The weekend events are nice, like Spam Jam last weekend. Occasionally we'll eat at Blazin Steaks or hit a fast food place if we are in a rush. If we want to really "eat out", there are a few places that have Kama'aina discounts, like California Pizza Kitchen. We try to walk over and watch the friday night fireworks at least once a month. We have a parking spot and live up high in our building, so it's quiet at night and the view is stellar. A walk to red box takes about 12 minutes round trip when we want to watch a move. It's usually sunny in Waikiki when other parts of the island are getting rain, so that's a perk. Overall, we LOVE living here.
The only time I go to Waikiki is if I have to go to a wedding or some other type of party at a hotel. I cannot stand Waikiki. I've lived in Hawaii almost all of my life and Waikiki never feels like home.
Waikiki has gotten a lot better than before. Beach walk is a wonderful place for locals to look for dining.
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despite the high cost of living...
