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I moved from Manhattan to Hawaii. Groceries prices are about the same, but much fewer selections here than in NY. Rents are distorted in NY by rent stabilized apartments which are subletted illegally, and shrink the market unnaturally. HI does have similar rent prices for other messed up reasons. Big dif here is that the 'outer boroughs' are not connected by subways for a low fare. But by plane rides for $300 rt as they are called 'outer islands'. And the 'outer islands' have undesirable, cheaper areas to live in and certainly difficult to do business in. To get anywhere one needs a car or is limited to the bus system (barely working in rural areas). Cabs are more expensive and there's no subway in HI. Electric is way more expensive than in NY. Races & cultures deal with each other in NY as in HI: Don't mix but get along, despite both call each other melting pots. TV commercials are truly hideous in HI vs advertising slick NY. Weather is all the time like those 5 perfect spring or fall days per year NY has. Crime is lower in HI but it's here--especially where everyone congregates. Forget about living close to beaches: That's like finding affordable rental on Park Avenue, Upper East side (You can find those in Park Ave, Upper Harlem, but those areas are not safe here either). NYU kills affordable rentals in downtown Manhattan, so does UH Manoa in downtown Honolulu. The body cult is alive here as well, but a girl has fewer options to cover flaws (plenty of moisture to ruin hair, layered clothing too hot, high heels frowned upon). Finding a 'good guy' is probably easier here (fewer gays, wannabe actors, and metro sexuals). But chances are they are not having their own place, already a child with someone, and not much of a job, or career drive.
"Making it in NY and therefore making it everywhere" is a myth. Unless one started a successful biz out of nothing and got to the top of the Manhattan pecking order and can afford "to buy" him/herself a place in HI society. The market is oversaturated in both NY & HI with jewelry designers. Always open for somebody who knows how to run a business and is dedicated, however! Getting local HI PR is less based on quality but solely on paying for ads in the respective media. In NY it is slightly more professional. Don't underestimate the lack of inspiration: In NY you stroll along Mott and delaney street, MoMa and you'll get creative jolts. It won't happen here!
You will get the same amount of people wanting to visit you for the same reason in NY as in HI (free room and fridge access). If your business is depending on trunk shows and you eye the US West coast markets, get ready for ever rising air fares. Those stop the 'friends' coming around Christmas and in summer though.
I advice to really invest the $$$ for a 2 week trip, check the jewelry scene, the feel in the street, the local Neiman MArcus, etc and what it does to your psyche. Look at your receipts and be realistic. Rather spearhead something in NY with your experience to melt yourself into the local HI culture from afar.
Here's an idea: Make yourself smart about beautiful and expensive, unigue Ni'ihau Shell Leis. Bet you don't know these. Here's a starting page: Ni`ihau Cultural Heritage Foundation - Ni`ihau Jewelry, Culture, Language and more... Become their unpaid NY ambassador to Bergdorf and Takashimaya and the likes. Get the accessoires buyers excited for an exhibition or to have some show pieces, hook them up with the ladies from Ni'ihau. Somehow you'll integrate yourself into the HI culture and history and use your assets ( being in NY, working in jewelry, having a craft background) into an advantage. Patience, enthusiasm and diligence will get you to HI by bringing NY with you. And making friends with true Hawaiians along the way. Because they can make leis, but know nothing about NY.
Hey! I like the truly hideous TV commercials! The worse they are the more hilarious they generally are!
Awhile back; around the late seventies, early eighties - there was a craze for puka shell necklaces. Folks from NY and the East Coast would visit Hawaii, stock up on the puka shell necklaces and then take them back and sell them to pay for their vacation. Didn't do anything for the local folks who sold them other than they were able to sell more necklaces. Even if they knew they were going to be able to sell a $5 puka shell necklace for $100 back in NY, they still didn't pay more than $5 for it. I doubt anyone would buy Ni'ihau lei and sell them for loads of money and give loads of money to the lei makers. Sales folks just don't seem to work that way.
I advice to really invest the $$$ for a 2 week trip, check the jewelry scene, the feel in the street, the local Neiman MArcus, etc and what it does to your psyche. Look at your receipts and be realistic. Rather spearhead something in NY with your experience to melt yourself into the local HI culture from afar.
Your whole post was filled was sound advice, but this point is especially worth underlining. With just "a few thousand" saved up, the original poster is running a real risk of a regrettable decision. I'm very familiar with the high cost of living in Manhattan (my wife lived there for five years and we still have friends/family there), which is similar to that of San Francisco. The huge difference with Hawaii, as you and others have pointed out, is the difficulty in earning enough money to afford the cost of living.
To the OP,
You may have interpreted people's responses as rude, but understand that people here have seen countless people make the mistake of thinking it'll be easy and that the money thing will somehow take care of itself. If you were looking for everyone to say "Go for it!" without pointing out the pitfalls of such a move and the need for research and preparation, you came to the wrong place. Don't take it personally.
Make sure you have plenty of money to make the long haul move from NYC to Hawaii. Do you have a plan for a job here in Hawaii? Because jobs here are not as plentiful as they are in the Big Apple. The pay here, depending on which field you're working in, tend to be less than a lot of the major mainland cities.
There is also a BIG/HUGE cultural difference between living in the Big Apple versus Hawaii. Hawaii is very very slow-paced, and being upfront with some of the locals is considered to be very rude.
And be very patient when pedestrians are crossing the street. I've noticed, when I was visiting friends in NYC, that drivers there would honk their horns at pedestrians crossing the street. Don't even think of doing that here in the islands. If the pedestrian happens to be a big Hawaiian or some Micronesian gangster-wannabe dude, he will walk over to your driver window and smack you in the face.
They aren't gonna smack folks in the face! That's rude and if they live here everyone will know them and word will get around that they are misbehaving, so generally folks that live here behave themselves pretty well. If someone honks the horn rudely at them, they might give 'em stinkeye, though!
It is considered terribly rude to honk your car horn unless it's a friendly beep to folks you know.
They aren't gonna smack folks in the face! That's rude....
I don't know which island you live on, Hotzcatz. But here on Oahu/Honolulu, I have seen trashy Hawaiian teenage pedestrians get into their rage mode and punched an old man seated in his driver's seat, after he honked his horn at three fat-obese teenagers crossing the street SLOWLY during rush hour in the morning.
There was also another incident near Makiki last year where an ambulance with its siren on was approaching an intersection with a moke-looking Micronesian crossing the street slowly. Rather than hurry up and run across the street to let a left-turn vehicle turn onto the roadway to get out of the way, he kept walking slowly. Then the driver honked his horn at the Micro dude, and the Micro dude threw a huge rock at the car. What a punk.
Just saying, be careful with the usage of the horns, esp around ghetto Micronesian and Hawaiian teens. Especially folks from NYC who like to liberally toot their horn at anybody as if it's radio music from a speaker.
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and if they live here everyone will know them and word will get around that they are misbehaving, so generally folks that live here behave themselves pretty well. If someone honks the horn rudely at them, they might give 'em stinkeye, though!
Not true. It depends on the person, and from what I have seen while living here on Oahu, there are trashy teenagers who don't care if they get arrested for assault/battery. Jail means free food, free shelter, and free hot shower.
So nice not to hear the aggressive horns and get the 1 finger salute by drivers with Road Rage, which is very common on the mainland.
Well, unfortunately, this aloha is slowly eroding away. I grew up here in Hawaii on Oahu, moved to the mainland for college, worked on the mainland, and decided to come back to the islands to go back to school to change my career.
After moving back to Hawaii in 2010, I have noticed a HUGE dramatic change in personality in the driver's here.
I hate to pick on the military people. But a lot of them tend to tail-gate, speed up and down the H-1/H-2 freeway, and yes, use their horn. I see more of this kind of "rough" driving behavior by the military people in the Aiea/Pearl City area.
Well, unfortunately, this aloha is slowly eroding away. I grew up here in Hawaii on Oahu, moved to the mainland for college, worked on the mainland, and decided to come back to the islands to go back to school to change my career.
After moving back to Hawaii in 2010, I have noticed a HUGE dramatic change in personality in the driver's here.
I hate to pick on the military people. But a lot of them tend to tail-gate, speed up and down the H-1/H-2 freeway, and yes, use their horn. I see more of this kind of "rough" driving behavior by the military people in the Aiea/Pearl City area.
Not so bad with the marines in the Kaneohe area.
We live on the Big Island and (so far) it hasn't been as apparent, but I understand what you're posting and believe bad manners are everywhere.
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