Quickest commute into downtown Honolulu and Fort Shafter? (Kaneohe, Kailua: apartments, condo)

[subba]

Thank you to all responders, and to IslandGirlGoingHome...I love your responses as they are so positive and seem to have something very intangibly Hawaiian about them - maybe its your use of pidgin and smiley faces? Yes, a house would be awesome. We live in a small apartment/condo now, so it would be nice to transition to a small house -3 bedrooms, small yard, would be perfect. But we are ok with a condo too. Are there homes available that are duplexes or townhouses (ie, not a single family home, some shared walls, but you have your own little patch of yard, and maybe a few different families in a large unit? not sure if I am explaining myself well). Anyway, seems like in a condo you can leave windows open, and save $ on electric, whereas in a house, I am a bit concerned about leaving windows open (i.e., when living on the ground floor). Maybe I am just cautious b/c we are coming from a high crime location and I would never leave my windows open here (if I lived on the ground floor). I am assuming that the same is true in Honolulu? Not very wise to leave windows open on the ground floor? BTW, we do not qualify for housing on Shafter. Also, how long are we talking in terms of commute if we live in the areas I mentioned above? Thanks!

[lost_traveler1]

I actually disagree, I think coming from Hawaii Kai is easier than coming from Ewa side.

I live in Hawaii Kai (HK) and traffic in the worst hour isn't that bad. Traffic always flows, vs. going west where it can be bumper to bumper. And the upcoming construction isn't as bad as it seems, if one looked further than "oh, there is gonna be construction in HK" than you would see its like a quarter mile of work to add a lane. But this will improve traffic flow to the deeper parts of HK so why would this be bad?

Saltlake area is pretty good. Drive to Fort Shafter is short, drive to downtown is so-so but much closer than Hawaii Kai.

So is Manoa, I'd look into that area, its East of downtown and close to everything.

But are you more concerned about drive time or the quality of area to live in? If it is the latter, then without a doubt HK is waaaayyy better.


Pros vs Cons:

Hawaii Kai:
-Beautiful scenic location
-Safe isolated neighborhoods ( away from town)
-Proximity to outdoor activities like surfing, hiking, paddling, etc.
-Downtown to the beginning of HK at peak rush hour is about 30 minutes.
-If spouse is working at Fort Shafter traffic can be bad right at Manoa and clears up after downtown off ramp. If working 8-5 then think 40 drive per way on average, if off peak hours then 25-30 would be doable.

Eva Beach:
-Hot, dry, dusty dirty
-Safety is pretty random, big mix in financial levels
-Traffic is rediculous, especially in long term, construction for rail and development in Kapolei add to greater congestion.
-Most activities are closer to town area, not much to do out at Eva except go to outlet shopping centers.

Nuuanu is ok, not much community, seems pretty random type of people.
A lot of cheap rentals so some crime and sketchy people, but growing up there on weekends, I never had any problem.

Kukui Gardens, while close to downtown scary area at night with prostitution and drugs, not very neighborly like area for kids.

Also try look at diamond head area right behind Kapiolani Park. Great lively area close to beaches, park, concerts, some food places......

Also look at:
Kaimuki (mountain areas)
Upper Kahala
Aina Haina
Niu Valley

[subba]

I am most concerned with commute time and safety of the neighborhood. Although it would be great to live in a beautiful area (I love the pictures of Hawaii Kai that I have seen), it is more important to us that we have commutes that are as short as possible so that we can spend more time together as a family, esp. while our child is young. So, we prefer a safe place with the best commute time - it'd be great if it was beautiful too, but I am willing to give that up. I always thought Nuuanu was a good/safe area, but maybe I am mistaken? Can you name some of the areas that are close to downtown and Shafter that we should stay away from? I have heard to stay away from Kahili (or is it Kalihi)? Thanks again.

[eksotia]

We just move to Oahu this month also still living in hotel, and I suggest if you have young kids and would like to live in a condo you find one with playground. Even if your home is small, you still have a safe outdoor space for your kid(s). Moana Pacific and Capitol Place (http://www.capitolplace.com/amenities.php - broken link)are great, their pool is gated so it is safe for the little ones to run around in common area. These two are my favorite, newer and more sophisticated buildings.

I viewed about 20 condos in 5 different highrises for the past 2 weeks and I must say they are all really tiny for the price! I liked Honolulu Park Place, it's got great amenities, best location, but no playground, and it's old with problematic elevators, the biggest condos are the penthouses (1200sqf) which don't have lanai. With weather like Hawaii I *need* an open lanai to enjoy it.

One waterfront condos are HUGE compared to everything else, around 1400sqf for 2 bedroom (average is in 800s) but I find it a bit boring and 'dead' for some reason. Great looking building, tho! If I take this condo it's only because of the space.

From those areas, it took me 45 min with the bus (not including walking) to the gate of Ft Shafter in the morning. I'm sure it will take less time with the POV. I haven't checked, my car is still in the middle of the ocean!

[in_my_travels]

Thank you for your kind words, subba! It makes me feel good.

lost_traveler1 is right about the commute starting from Hawaii Kai being easier than starting from the Ewa (pronounced "eh-va") Beach side. Hawaii Kai is a very nice and safe neighborhood, but can be very expensive.

Kalihi can wrack your nerves, but it really depends where you live. It's like that everywhere, isn't it? I could name a few places to avoid, but it's better not to point fingers...

I was going to suggest a place near Chinatown in downtown Honolulu, where there is a nice apartment complex that has a really terrific garden area with pool, tables, picnic area, etc. My cousins lived there when we were younger and we just loved going over there to play with them. If kids can have fun in an apartment complex garden, the place can't be that bad, yeah? I think the place was the Kukui Plaza. It has a two-acre garden.

Check Google Earth and you'll see the neighborhood. It's great. There are tons of photos on Google Earth.

You'd be close to Chinatown (for the food and shopping! Oh I can't wait to eat dim sum again!), close to the Freeway, Botanical Gardens, and very, very central to Honolulu and Fort Shafter.

Chinatown got a bad rap for a long time, but Hawaii is really trying to spruce it up and really are succeeding in this area: Welcome to Honolulu's Chinatown!

Moderator cut: Because members who are realtors are not allowed to post listings here, we ask other members to send recommendations thru DM. Thanks.

I don't think you'll have a problem finding a nice condo/apartment complex. There are so many! Happy condo hunting!

[hotzcatz]

Hmm, it's been a decade or so since I've been in the Kukui Plaza area, but it is very much in downtown Honolulu. Over on the Chinatown end of it, too. I don't know if it would be an area I'd want to raise a child in although parts of it can be nice. The building of Kukui Plaza itself is nice and I think some of the surrounding buildings are nice, but it is also quite close to some of the not so nice areas, too. So it's something you'd want to check out personally before renting. There is a lot of traffic noise, too, so you may want to check out the exact apartment as well as the building itself. I'd think an apartment overlooking the street would be very noisy. Depending on where you are moving from, the housing might be seen as really dense.

It is really difficult to tell without going to look. All of Oahu is like that, though. None of the areas are very homogenized, there are really nice areas directly next to OMG areas and unless you go there and look personally there's no way to tell from online pictures. There's nothing like looking at things in person before deciding where to live. Another option might be to rent a vacation rental for a month so you have a bit of comfortable breathing space while looking for a place to live. Vacation rentals are already set up with linens, dishes, cable, power, water, etc., so it is a comfortable spot to be while waiting for your stuff to be shipped over.

[in_my_travels]

hotzcatz is right. You really just need to go to O'ahu and check it out. You're doing the first step in getting advice/recommendations, but it will all boil down to you feeling comfortable where you live. Chinatown is great in the daytime, but can be sketchy at night depending on where you go.

That website that listed many condos can help you find a nice place and know where to start. I can't even believe how many there are.

I just thought of the Kukui Plaza because I enjoyed going there to visit my cousins. We had a blast. We never felt uncomfortable or unsafe, but we never went out at night.

[subba]

We will be there in mid-August. We got a hotel room at the Hale Koa for the first 5 days (sort of a mini-vacation before we start working), then we will have a vacation rental for 2-4 weeks, and we will be looking for a place to rent/live during that time. Thanks for all the helpful suggestions.

[Balad1]

Something I just thought of that might be an option for you is military housing at Fort Shafter or Tripler. As a DOD employee your spouse is eligible to apply; though I am not certain of current availability or your priority. http://www.armyhawaiifamilyhousing.com/

Army housing in Hawaii has been privatized and much of it is larger homes and new.

Housing issues in Hawaii are unique and this is something to consider. Army housing would be nicer, cheaper, safer and cleaner also there would be less hassle if you have pets.

PS: I verified on the website your eligibility; I believe it was under FAQ

Added later:

I know DOD civilians on Kauai that live in Navy housing, not sure about Oahu though. Might be worth looking into: http://www.fcnavyhawaii.com/index.asp (broken link)

[subba]

Thank you Balad1 - that's something we never even considered!