My friend literally couldn't get away from Honolulu fast enough! (Hilo: real estate market, rentals)

[JULANI]

Originally Posted by kaimuki

It is certainly possible in Waikiki, after all both the Kahala Crips and Kahala Bloods have been fighting over the control of Waikiki for years. LOL! There are drive-by shootings all night....that is tourists shooting their cameras. LOL!

And I had thought police in Waikiki sometimes only used batons for law enforcement , rather than guns

[lokahi]

Oahu is a beautiful place full of wonderful ppl. - sure, there are issues and rough areas just like any other place in this world. Maybe she hasn't seen much of the world and missed Portland b/c it was familiar to her. Alot of ppl. blame homesickness on the new place that they've relocated to. I don't think it was her style, and no one should ever take anything sight unseen, not a dog, a boyfriend, a car....whatever, you have to know what's going on.

Did she go up to the North Shore? Did she drive up the Pali hwy? Did she walk thru the Chinatown markets? Did she watch the sunset? Did she hike any trails? Did she go to WalMart and hear "Spill on Aisle 9, Mahalo!" Those small things are what I love about Hawaii, and it doesn't sound like she gave it a real chance...

[Galactastica]

I think a lot of people make rash judgments about Hawai'i, and it's because it's true: it is almost as far away as you can get, and very, very much different from wherever they are from. I heard it all before i moved here, to the big island.

I chose to move here because, after visiting several times i knew i didn't like O'ahu. It was just wasn't for me. It was too expensive for my budget, and i just didn't enjoy it, the city life. I wonder if your friend would have been happy anywhere else on the islands. but then again, i think most people set themselves up for failure before they get on the plane. It's pretty easy to find out all info before hand; what rental prices are like, whether it's craigslist or the classifieds, you can look at them for a week and get an idea of prices and areas...then you take it from there and actually DO research. I know people who have moved here and didn't do any of that. Moving from austin they were like "what? where is the live music? where are the parties omg!" well duh. no where is going to be where you are from, esspecially not hawai'i.

and maybe it's just me, but since when did the color of our skin define who we are and what what our behaviour is like... i was under the impression it's your personality and being..not the fact that my skin happens to be whatever shade of flesh. If people were "mean" to her or whatever and that's the reason she felt like a minority, that is different from the simple simplton fact of "oh my god, my skin color isnt dominating here! i'm scared!" implying that your skin color makes you mean, good, or in any terms, better than anothers skin colors. lame!

[chopstikz85]

I'd have to agree with your friend and I've been living here all my life. Hawaii is in business for tourists and I am sick of seeing everything geared and priced towards tourists. About the gunshots and police sirens, well the latter I can say I hear at least once everyday. There are no hip/downtown/hangout areas not unless you want to shell out $$$. As for the apartment situation, you basically don't get what you pay for and remember I said don't. Besides the weather and scenery, Hawaii isn't all that great.

[Huckleberry3911948]

sounds like detroit. makin me think twice bout my trip. 1st i have ever heard bout guns.
that is something new. 2800 a month for apt that is new too. dont sound like the waikiki i know.

[in2fords]

Hawaii has SOOO much to offer, I think its funny when people dont like Hawaii but it turns out they never even left Waikiki!! Go out to Hauula, eat at Papa Ole's, the people are nice and the food is good, travel around. Waikiki is NOT Hawaii, its what the tourists like so thats what they make it into. Try North Shore, Haleiwa or go check out Pali lookout overlooking the east side. No just stay in the trap called Waikiki! Just because you dont think you fit in doesnt mean anyone else notice's, its MOSTLY in your own mind!!


I grew up in Hauula. East side Oahu near Polynesian Cultral Center. I only visited the mainland couple times when I was in Highschool and joined the Marine Corps right after. I've been more places around the world then in the US. I recently moved to Medford Oregon and now moving to Lincoln City Oregon. I like Medford/White city OK, but really boring compared to Hawaii. I've been here since the 1st of july, I still sticking it out.
Talk about racist, I look Haole, I just have a decent tan but still get stink eye from all the Haoles cause they think Im mexican. I get told by people driving by "go home S P I C"!! none of them have the guts to say it to my face tho, only if they think I cant get to them thay say something. normally they mostly just give me dirty looks or act like Im going to steal something. the lady at the real estate office assumed I wasnt going to be able to afford anything in lincoln City so she gave me very little attention. she was really suprised when I had CASH to buy my beach house and I was in fact not a drug dealer!! I didnt deal with her, I asked the nice brown lady to help me.
Of all the Haoles I hear complaining about rasism in HI it seems like its mostly the Haoles who care about race on the mainland!. most people in Hawaii dont care what color you are cause get so many different races there. Hawaii weeds people out, if you act like a punk you will get punked out.
Jeremy

[orangeblossom]

That's awful to hear! My husband and I are going for a visit soon. The only thing I can tell you is that people I know who have moved there and either have stayed or moved back tell me. You'll love it b/c you're a person of color so you'll feel more comfortable. Ive never heard this said to a white person. Its always," its beautiful you've got to visit".

Ive heard more than one story of the racism there. My friend who is white said he would get beat up almost everyday,so thats how he knows how to fight.

This is really sad to hear. I'm not too far,I'm in Seattle,so I'm just going to see the sun.

Sorry to hear that your friend had a terrible experience though. Portland isn't exactly multicultural.

[snowthedirtbub]

She just wasn't cut out for a life in Hawaii, I use to always want to live in New York, but when i traveled there last year I got back and thought to myself there is no way i would live there, its just not the place for me. Its the same thing with your friend, great place to visit, but not so good to live in.

[NOTAM]

I am a 43 year old Emergency Room Registered Nurse. I have been visiting Kauai for all of my 43 years, and have family there. So I know every inch of the island. Not like your average tourist-I never did the "touristy" things-I always stayed with family, and sometimes for several weeks, so I had a good feeling of what it was like to live there. And my family has been homeless, living on the beach in a tent for many years at a time, so it's not like I was visiting a luxurious home and lifestyle there-sometimes I even pitched a tent next to my family's tent and thats where I stayed!
Two years ago, I decided to go live there with my family and got a job (of course) that paid my relocation etc.
I thought for sure I would NOT be one of the mainlanders who move there, disillusioned, thinking they are moving to paradise and then find out what its "really" like. Oh, and I have lived overseas-had most of my school age years in Japan, so I am used to different cultures etc.
Once I actually moved there, and started working there, I COULD NOT GET BACK TO THE MAINLAND FAST ENOUGH. I lasted ONE MONTH. I went broke paying to ship my truck and belongings back, but I didn't care.
There are so many reasons, I don't have enough time in the world to even list them.
But the one BIG thing that people have to realize, is that if they are NOT very wealthy, the dreams of home ownership and having your own land are ZILCH, IMPOSSIBLE, NOT ATTAINABLE.
I am so thankful and blessed to be back in the greatest state in the union, Texas, where I can buy a home for under $30,000 out in the country, or buy a decent suburbia style home for $70,000, or a ranch style home with 5 acres of land for under $120,000 easily.
The one good thing that came out of my move, is that from that day on, I never again envied my famliy for living there. They can talk to me about what a great beach day they had yadayadayada..and I don't get the least bit jealous. Not ONE BIT.
I stay here in Texas. I go to the asian market and buy me some kona mochi ice cream, and kona macamadia nut coffee, and some ahi to make poke, and crackseed li hing mui whatever and enjoy all the great yummies and live here very affordably and happily. And we have 3-4 Hawaiian restaurants here with all my favorite plate lunches!
I will continue, of course, to visit, because I have family there, and of course I love to visit.
But I will NEVER EVER live there again.
On the other hand, my family would never leave there. My sister says, (and she has lived there 22 years), "I would rather be homeless in paradise, than live on the mainland".
To each his own!

Originally Posted by The French Maid

I have never been to Hawaii mainly because I never had the itch to go although every person I know has been and I hear amazing things about it, especially Maui.

However, I have to share the experience my friend had when attempting to relocate to Honolulu from Oregon. She is a single (no kids) energetic 30 year old who was anxious to move from the 9 months of coulds and rain that plague Portland, OR. She wants warmth and sun... that's her thing. She is an out-going and very positive person just looking to start her life and maybe find that right person.

She got a job with one of the larger companies in Hawaii. She had one maybe two interviews with them and accepted the job. She never had a face to face with the people at the company and she never had been to the big island which I thought might be a problem. I don't believe in ever moving anywhere without seeing it first

She quit her job at a very well known company, gave up her GREAT apartment, the relocation company came and picked up her car, and belongings and she flew off last Sunday morning and left all her friends and family behind. Later that evening she called and was very distraught... mainly because she felt displaced and was in a state of shock over what she just did. I told her she was just going through a HUGE change and that once she found a place to live, she would start feeling better. I also told her that she would meet new people right away because she is just that kind of person.

Well, by Tues morning, she was already booked to come back. She called me and I picked her up from the airport. I asked what in the world happened and she said it was one of the worst experiences she ever had. This is a girl that does NOT exaggerate.

She said she looked at 6 different apartments (I believe one was 2800 per month) and they were all in bad areas. She said the two nights she stayed in her hotel, she heard gunshots and there were always cop cars and sirens. She said she was the only (sigh) how do I say this without getting slammed ....white person in most of the areas. She said there were no trendy, downtown, single type areas and that some of the places she was walking were just downright scary during the day and she wouldn't walk there at night. She said it was filthy, trashy and people just threw their trash on the street, in other words, no sense of pride whatsoever.

I told her she probably didn't hit the "right" area on the island and she stopped me dead in my sentence and said "I walked EVERYWHERE and it was the same"... She did say there was Waikiki but that it wasn't a suitable place to start your life since it was mostly geared to tourists. She said "I'm there to work and live, not party with the tourists every night."

She told me on the way back from the airport that (and this is a girl that LOVED Hawaii since she was a teenager) I NEVER want to see that place again! I said "even Maui"? and she said YES, I AM DONE!

Then as we were driving back into Portland, the place she do dearly wanted to get out of and was very negative about, she sighed a big relief and said "oh Portland, I missed you!" I have to say I was stunned

The good news is she got her apartment and job back but the bad news is she will have to pay for the shipment and services of the relocation company. It hadn't left the docks yet.

So given that, can some of the folks here shed some light on this story? As I stated before, I have never been to Hawaii but my friend is someone that is a pretty positive person and she was downright traumatized.

Thanks

TFM

[VlyRoadKid]

I was aghast when I read your post! I posted here before, as my 18-year-old son is moving to stay with a girlfriend in Waipahu. He was going to go a few months ago but they broke up---now are back together and he's totally fixated on leaving.

I was given all kinds of advice, about the culture, work opportunities, travel (he doesn't have a license yet) and so on. Some people were negative, some positive and some neutral. One of the best pieces of advice I got was from a guy who said he should go, but make sure he has a round-trip ticket (which he doesn't). I'm so worried not only about him living there, but just GETTING there! He's a total space shot, knows NOTHING about geography (thanks, public school!) and not that given to planning.

I also worry that, as a skinny, white teen, he might get picked on, or just lost. There's the issue, too of cost of living and whether or not he'll get along with this girl's parents. It's a long story, but thanks for posting. Maybe YOUR friend didn't give it enough time, but sometimes, you just don't click with a place (I hate Boston, for instance!).