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I have experienced "real" gridlock on the mainland freeways. no maui is nothing like that but it is relative and maui has gridlock. so. kihei rd is a mess in the summer and so is dairy road during certain times as well as the pali. we have traffic jams times when the shift workers get off and come home as this happens to be the same time some planes come in and tourists are trying to get to the lahaina side. the shops at wailea are nice but after you have seen them once or twice you have seen all there is to see. it doesn't change. if your wife is a true shopper she will go nuts here on maui and need trips to oahu. if she isn't a serious shopper or she becomes less interested in it here, as time goes by, then maui would be ok. we truly are like a very small town, once you have experienced what there is to see and do, life becomes normalized and if what we have is not enough you will soon get island fever. it is a way slower pace for the people that live here. consumerism is not high on the list. oahu has a much more busy life style with more of everything to offer. you can get away from the hustle and bustle of downtown oahu if you need or be in the thick of it as well. with that being said even oahu does not have enough to offer some people and soon enough island fever gets them on oahu as well.
If you want better private schools, cultural events, and upscale shopping, you really might want to reconsider Oahu. I grew up in the O.C., and spent one additional year there before I moved here about 18 months ago. It is NOTHING like the O.C. here, crowds and traffic-wise, and I live really close to downtown.
You don't mention if you'll be working... but it sounds like probably not. If you don't have to drive during major commuting hours or you can at least avoid the H-1 during those times, traffic is really not bad here... nothing like So Cal. (I commuted from O.C. to USC for a year. Ugh! I often spent 4+ hours a day in my car. I've never seen anything like that here.)
We do have the upscale shopping. There are several Calvary Chapels around. You've got Punahou and some other good schools (Iolani and Mid-Pac, for example, plus the University Lab School). And there's lots of cultural events... art museums, the Bishop museum, the symphony (well, there used to be a symphony... we hope they'll be back), several local theaters. If you end up on one of the other islands, you'll probably be coming to Oahu pretty frequently, based on what you like to do. Is that really less of a hassle than traffic that you don't really have to deal with?
Just my 2 cents... this So Cal girl loves Honolulu. (But I'm never on the H-1 during rush hour!)
Thank you to all who have been responding. It has been such a huge help. I greatly appreciate it. Let me answer some of the questions some of you have asked
1. Will we be working? Yes and No. My wife and I do a lot of work with kids around the world to help make their lives better. However, we will not be working any 9 to 5 jobs thanks to a couple of lucky investments among other things. We do travel quite frequently as part of our "work" for others.
2. Shopping- Let me say my wife is not an "avid OC shopper" like many here in OC. She does occasionally like to go to the nice stores that are high end, but that is once in a blue moon.Mainly, she likes to read a good book, go swimming, and be in a place that is quiet and seren and very importantly FRIENDLY and SAFE!!
3. Oahu- I know many of you are of the impression that Oahu would probably better suit my families needs. However, we just aren't interested in Oahu for a variety of reasons. We are trying to get away from the "big city life".
4. Beachfront- I have been intently looking for properties in Maui on the beach, that are also on a very good swimming beach. I have also looked and looked online to find a HOUSE that is BEACHFRONT on the Big Island, but I am having no luck in doing so. Where might I go to look?
Overall thoughts- We knocked Kauai off the list. Its absolutely beautiful and serene, but we weren't wasn't impressed with any of the schools in the area.including the private ones. The churches there seemed to be very lacking in terms of activities for kids to get involved with. We attended CC North Shore before, and the difference between that and CC South Maui was like night and day. So far, we are really leaning towards Maui, but have included the Big Island for a number of reasosn as well.
Question to you all- I called HPA and spoke with them on the phone. I was very impressed with their level of professionalism and their academic work load. My question I have is this. Are there ANY schools on Maui that can compare academically to HPA? Maui Prepatory Academy? Seabury Hall? Are they as academically rigorous?
Also, and I know this is a stupid question, but I know Maui has a Best Buy the last time I was there. Does Big Island have any stores at all for technology(sans Wal-Mart, Costco)?
Thanks for all the help. We both are very grateful.
my friend in honolulu bought his daughter a $10 million beachfront home in kahala. we had the best kahala moon parties there.
all beaches in hawaii are public but almost nobody is ever on hers so it is almost like her own private beach.
big island has less sandy beaches than maui or oahu.
tech shopping through amazon is easy and shipping is cheap.
maui doe not have a best buy that I know of. we have a few radio shacks and a walmart but have not seen a best buy. can't help w/school I have no school age children. but I hear seabury is excellent
3. Oahu- I know many of you are of the impression that Oahu would probably better suit my families needs. However, we just aren't interested in Oahu for a variety of reasons. We are trying to get away from the "big city life".
That's fair, but you should realize that you have very conflicting desires. You will not find the schools, shopping, and cultural activities on other islands that you seem to be looking for. It says a lot, I think, that no one has jumped into the discussion to tell you how amazing the Maui private schools are. You won't find anything of the quality you seem to be seeking, and that's a simple fact. So if getting away from big city life is worth that sacrifice, awesome and have fun. Just be aware that it's a choice. People on the boards who live here are telling you pretty clearly that you can't find everything you're looking for if you're not on Oahu.
newuh, correct me if I am wrong, but there are still areas of oahu that are prety quiet and not "big city. pretty much waikiki is the only really big bustling place no?
newuh, correct me if I am wrong, but there are still areas of oahu that are prety quiet and not "big city. pretty much waikiki is the only really big bustling place no?
Definitely true. But if they're on Oahu, they probably want the kids to go to Punahou or one of the other big private schools, which are in town. Getting the kids to school from the North Shore would be tough! Lanikai and Kailua are much less built up and you can still get there. Hawaii Kai is somewhere in-between I guess... closer to town for the schools, not quite as built up as downtown / Waikiki but still lots of folks around.
I am really liking Hawaii Preparatory Academy VERY MUCH. I also like that fact that seems very focused on the arts, which is very important.
We are just going back and forth on Maui and Hawaii in terms of which island to go to
Big Island pluses- Airports- My wife and I travel a lot outside the country so this is quite convenient having 2 international airports on the island.
Hawaii Preparatory Academy- My wife and I LOVE its rural campus, which has a lot of open space. Would be perfect for our kids
Maui pluses- Great fellowship at Calvary Chapel South Maui, great beaches, Maui Cultural Arts Center
Couple of more questions for you my friends.
1. Is their anything on Big Island that compares to the Maui Cultural Arts Center?
2. Please compare technology stores on both of these islands. Which island would have a better resource available?
3. Does Seabury Hall compare academically to Hawaii Prep Academy?
4. I have seen OCEANFRONT on Big Island, but not BEACHFRONT HOMES, on a very good swimming beach. I have seen plenty that would be great for our family in Maui, I have seen nothing on Big Island
5.Could someone tell me the activities that would be available to both kids on both islands? Which offers more?
If Hawaii Prepatory Academy was on Maui, this would be a non-brainer decision for us.
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