Moving from Hilo to Maui, which town? (Kahului, Kihei: how much, houses)

[makaiamore]

I am moving from Hilo, HI to Maui sometime before the year is over. Anyone have advice on which town would be best? I would like to be near accessible surf and be able to bike or moped to surf, work, grocery shopping, etc. I don't care too much for amenities, other than what the aina offers, but will need to be close to work (school, restaurant).

Also, are there more pet friendly beaches on Maui than the Big I? They are banned everywhere here, but there also aren't as many beaches as Maui. Are all beaches on Maui state/county parks?

[whynot?]

The three places that immediately come to mind for me are Paia, Kihei, and Lahaina, all of which have beaches and some surfing within biking distance of the towns. They all have some reasonably-priced housing and some restaurants, but not many jobs right now.

We see dogs on almost all of the beaches in West Maui. There is a leash law that is not particularly well observed or enforced. (Kind of like the "no alcohol" law.)

Best of luck.

[makaiamore]

Which town would you recommend? Which has less traffic, more beaches, and at least some school system close by? I've been told Haiku would be a good spot, but I am interested on the west/northwest side of the island as well. Anyone know much about the surf around the island?

[hothulamaui]

depending on what you are going to do for work would be a big consideration. the best beaches are a matter of opinion.

[whynot?]

When you say "west/northwest," do you mean the area known as West Maui which includes Lahaina, Kaanapali, Honokowai, Napili, Kapalua?

If that's the area you're interested in, there are some surf breaks that are pretty dependable and some that are really good seasonally. West Maui has plenty of beaches and reasonable access to schools, but there's a fair amount of traffic, especially in the early morning and late afternoon.

Same for Kihei, beach, school, and traffic-wise. (Kihei is in South Maui.) Haiku -- which is kind of on the border of Maui's "North Shore" -- is a little mauka of the beaches (there are fewer on the North Shore as you go east from Paia). It's not a town so much as a neighborhood with a few stores in one local shopping center. It is close to Paiatown, though, and to Kahului. I don't know much about access to schools there, and I can't imagine it really has "traffic," although there is really only one (mostly two-lane) main highway around the perimeter of the island and that does back up in Paia quite a lot.

Paia is a tiny town with a lot of traffic for its size. It's a nice place to visit and has good beaches but whether one would enjoy living there really depends upon how much you can afford. The "nice" houses and the "okay" houses are really pricey and the "not-so-nice" houses tend to be a moving wave of seasonal surfers, windsurfers, and hanger-outers. If you're up for a more transient, "alternative" kind of place, Paia is perfect. Haiku is kind of like a suburb by comparison.

Where will you be working?