KONA Paradise neighborhood (Holualoa, Waikoloa Village, Captain Cook: rentals, condo, daycare)
Big IslandThe Island of Hawaii
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I have been trying to get someone to answer this for me as well....I am very interested in living in that area too...seems even further south than Captain Cook though....and I hear island driving is s.l.o.w. - long (45-60 minute) commutes here on the mainland don't bother me because I can speed along without traffic to speak of.... and I'm concerned about the commute into Kona from so far south, but I love the privacy/views and think it might be worth it.....I drove it online via satellite on Google Earth, etc. and it took forever
Unlike your situation, we are raising a young family and are not in the retirement phase, but I think (from the research I have done the last six months online, although I have never visited) it would be ideal for retirement because you are far enough away from the crowds and the prices are down right now - so much so that it seems an ocean view in Kona Paradise can be attained for a reasonable / middle class price.
From what I can tell, it seems Kona Paradise is almost exclusively VRBO rentals ...I'm having a hard time finding a full-time/year-round resident (especially with kids) in that subdivision to ask questions to....but I did find a decent daycare and decent school nearby, grocery store, etc.....let me know if you find someone (even a retiree) that lives there full-time...I'd love to pick their brain too!
I'm just curious if the school bus would even go to Kona Paradise (considering the steep hill) and have lots of random questions like that, as well as how bad the vog is in that subdivision, how dangeous the Pebble Beach undertow is, how loud/noisy it is (leaving your windows open) with transient renters/vacationers in the subdivision on a rotating basis, if there are very many other children that live there full-time for my kids to play with, etc...in fact, I don't even know what my kids would DO in their spare time that far out in a rural area without a traditional yard to speak of, considering the houses are all built into a steep cliff of sorts....how close the nearest playground is...or park....or if there are any after-school activities in the Capt. Cook vicinity...I presume we would have a lot more choices of clubs/sports/etc. closer to Kona where they could simply walk to the library after school, etc.
What I do know is that most of those houses in Kona Paradise are on catchment systems and the property taxes seem more reasonable down there than in the North or South Kona neighborhoods.
It does seem greener and less dry than farther north, so I presume a little more rain than Waikoloa, for instance, but it also seems far from decent swimmable beaches I don't know how important that is to you, but for us, we like to go to the beach every weekend and if we have to drive an hour or longer up to the Kohala coast just to go to the beach....well, where we live now, we can be to a secluded beach in 2 minutes and are a little spoiled in that respect. (Granted, we can only go to the beach here in June, July and August.)
Right now, I am debating whether to rent a condo in Alli Cove right in Kona, being central to everything, yet paying at least $400 in monthly association fees, or whether to spend the $400 in gasoline per month driving two vehicles back and forth twice a day from south of Capt. Cook to Kona for work? I just can't decide which lifestyle would be better and am toying with the idea of renting for 30 days in each area to try it out. Or, I may fly there for an interview next month and check out both in person...but I still think you have to "live it" instead of just experiencing it as a tourist to really know what will work for you....
I love the idea of zero maintenance and being closer to beaches/activities right in Kona, yet I hate crowds/tourists and love my privacy and just can't picture being in a condo long term...feeling like I'm in a fishbowl with people everywhere (community pool, neighbors, more of a Florida feeling than a Hawaii feeling to me).....when I could have my own home in a more rural area like Capt. Cook/Kona Paradise with nothing but quiet roads, a little hardware store or little produce stand alongside the road, very small town feel, Old Hawaii feel....a lanai and ocean views and the windows and doors open and really feeling like we're in Hawaii, as opposed to just another beachy tourist town with people coming off cruise ships, etc....know what I mean? I don't see many meals eaten outside or doors/windows open all the time in a condo...something about their design just limits the ability to do that as often to me....but maybe being a retiree, you may want to consider a condo with zero maintenance too....they are appealing and surprisingly affordable right now with the state of the market...I watch the prices dropping every day on the plethora of realtor.com listings I have saved.
Sorry to take over your post....I have just read every single thread on this forum, dating back several years, and can never get the specific answers I want about Kona Paradise specifically either, so I was excited to jump into the conversation I hope you don't mind!
Happy Retirement and congrats on your choice to retire to the most beautiful place on the planet
I'll chime in a little with how we made our proximity decision. Maybe it will help.
We chose to rent a fairly expensive rental home, because it was a close driving distance to the things we like to do frequently or even daily, but wasn't right in town in a neighborhood.
We could have paid quite a bit less to rent in an area half an hour away from our frequent-to-daily routines, but we looked at the mileage, and time spent in traffic, and decided that in the end, time was more valuable and the increased wear and tear on our vehicles, plus cost of fuel, wasn't worth it. One hour a day less in the car really adds up over time...think of what you can do with 365 hours a year...that totals to 15 days, or half a month!!!
Plus wear and tear on tires, more frequent oil changes, more gasoline, and of course the more miles you drive, the more chance you have of an accident. The more miles you put on the car, the sooner you have to replace it.
Good points guys. I commuted an hour each way to work for 11 years at my last position and it was worth it to me to live in the country and have the views & privacy/acreage...however you are right...wasted daylight in the car is time that could be spent with family or having fun instead.
I'm at a crossroads and won't be able to decide until I see everything firsthand.
Until then, I greatly appreciate hearing all the different perspectives, even though it's all relative
I do not think that anyone who is currently frequenting this site is a resident of Kona Paradise.
MOMK, perhaps your decision making could be focused by making a list of what your priorities are. As you know, you'll not to find everything you desire in one single location, so you'll need to make choices. Your list might include such things as:
Near to any type beach (even if cannot swim there)
Nearby to swimming beach (safe for children)
Well-performing school
Public school transportation available
Driving time to Kona (or work location)
Convenience to youth activities locations
Privacy (no nearby neighbors)
Catchment system
Public/private water system
Nearby library
For anyone who may across this thread in the future, I have compared the schools and it appears that the elementary options in Capt. Cook are superior to Kona (just from my research, no firsthand knowledge.) Again, it's all relative based on personal preferences.
The class sizes in Capt. Cook are smaller (only 100 students in the school, with an 8 out of 10 parent rating on Great Schools and therefore better student-teacher ratios).
However, I'm not certain about their budget for things like technology, or after-school programs/activities/field trips, etc.
Being in a more rural area, I presume its budget is limited....so that could be the caveat.....whereas the elementary school in Kona has 600 students, but only scores a 3 out of 10 stars...trade offs either way, just like with anything else.
Although I thought I read something somewhere in my research months ago that Hawaii schools weren't budgeted the way ours are here in Michigan (based on property taxes in the corresponding neighborhood, etc.)...I'll have to go back and look at the school discussions on here again and refresh my memory.
It may be worth it to me to have the commute down to C.C. for the better education in the country....with the smaller, close knit / ohana oriented / first name basis thing...that's what we have here in our rural small town and it's invaluable when the teachers treat your children as if they were their own. They make your child feel special and inspired to learn. The ones you remember 20 years later that made an impact on your life in some way.
We've done the big schools in the city in the past and although they offer more programs (iPads for every student, more choices for electives - cooking classes/foreign language/wood shop/choir/photography, etc.)....when your child is just one out of 500 or more, the atmosphere just isn't as warm/friendly....more sterile, structured, rigid...not as invested into wanting your child to succeed and communicating with parents about any concerns, etc. At least that has been our experience - but again, that's here, not there.
Would welcome any opinions as always on comparing the two- especially anyone with firsthand experience!
CoachSean - OpenD is right....try driving around via Google Maps and try researching the (limited) amount of local businesses nearby where you might stop in to eat a burger or an ice cream cone, shop for basic staples, attend church (if you do), pick up supplies at the hardware store, etc.
Maybe see if there's enough for you nearby without driving all the way to Kona....there is a state historical park / marine sanctuary that looks worth checking out, but I'm not sure if it's the type of place that after you've seen it once, you don't really feel the need to return....other posters on here would know. I think there are also coffee farms in the area, which adds to the charm.
It won't take you long to research the surrounding areas of the Kona Paradise subdivision - there's not much there! But maybe, similar to me, that's what you are attracted to....the slower pace away from the hustle and bustle As I said, I've been looking into it for a long time and it's hard to find information on it anywhere on the internet. I did watch a YouTube video of people that stayed there on vacation and drove around the subdivision and down to Pebble Beach - you might want to try that too - it at least gives you a feel of what it looks like. Clark Realty also has a nice community video that gives a good overview - they actually go around the island, town by town, showcasing what each area offers in a video tour. I found that stuff helpful to get a feel from my computer screen anyway, until I get there and can see for myself.
I'm just worried that after snorkeling at Kealakekua Bay a few times, we might run out of things to do on the weekends down there, without driving 30-60 minutes to find activities Looking for quality family time enjoying the outdoors in Hawaii....but as CityData said, you can't have it all...gotta prioritize my lists of lists of lists.
Last edited by mommyofmanykids; 01-09-2013 at 09:44 PM..
If you like the greenery of Honokaa, you may also like Holualoa....from what I can tell, it's a quaint artsy coffee town. Out of my family's price range, but seems like a nice escape for retirees...quiet, peaceful, charming.
Or, if you're interested in the more traditional/typical retirement scene like what you might expect in other parts of the U.S. if you were a snowbird (golf, resorts, restaurants, planned communities/associations, high end shopping for the wife - more to do)...Waikoloa Village might appeal to you, although drier and not as green.
Just throwing out some ideas for you based on the research I've done
Holualoa is NOT close to Captain Cook. It is mauka (up country) from Kona.
MOMK, it is good to hear from you again. I was wondering where you were!
Kona Paradise is pretty far from the kinds of activities you are looking for with your kids. Any nearby beaches are not the swimmable beaches that you would picture as an idyllic Hawaiian beach. You are right that you will end up driving 30-60 minutes to get to any activities for the kids. From what you've posted in the past, I can't see Kona Paradise or Captain Cook being for you.
Coach Sean, what are you looking for? Price range? Wetter or drier? Proximity to shopping?
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I don't know how important that is to you, but for us, we like to go to the beach every weekend and if we have to drive an hour or longer up to the Kohala coast just to go to the beach....well, where we live now, we can be to a secluded beach in 2 minutes and are a little spoiled in that respect. (Granted, we can only go to the beach here in June, July and August.)
