How bad is living in Waianae? (Honolulu, Ewa Beach: houses, neighborhoods, tenants)

[agita_san]

Waianae is difficult to pin down. I know a lot of people out there and they are all (for the most part) good people. I've gone out there on my own without trouble quite a few times, but it's hard to predict when it will get bad. I've gone to a friends house once, and he lives at a dead end. Afterwards I was trying to leave and a group of guys who were drinking at the entrance to the road decided that they didn't like me (a haole) on thier road. They completely blocked my way out. I had to end up calling the cops...

[da808gypsy]

Originally Posted by Waianaegirl

We lived in Waianae for 6 years. We treat everyone with respect and especially the land. However, we were not treated with the same respect. We had a few neigbours that were cool with us (mainly other white families) but those born and raised there, not so much. Sometimes if you treat people with respect they will return it back to you, but not always. We wanted to hear the stories of their culture and learn why they do things, traditions, etc,etc. We tried to get along with everyone, but trying is all you can do. We had a lot of Japanese and Samoan friends, but it seemed like the Hawaiians wanted nothing to do with us, some did. But the majority did not. This is just my personal experience, doesn't mean that everyone will have the same one, but I noticed that a few people are saying that if you are nice and respectful to others they WILL treat you the same way. I'm just saying that that is not always the case. I wish it was

Its not just Waianae that is like that.

[Kapuna]

I have an interesting perspective...I live here and I love it. I am native American and I typically fit in. My husband is white and I have kids that look both. You know how you get that uneasy feeling sometimes about someone? Something is just not right? People who live here are pretty intuitive. If you are a visitor and have uneasy feelings about the people here, they will sense it and therefore they will protect their own. I can tell the genuine visitor apart from the visitor looking down their nose at us. Classic was at Waianae L&L...this lady pulled out a roll of papertowels and covered her bench to sit on, her table, and kept looking around with a sour expression on her face....ugh! I love it here and Waianae is greatly misunderstood, however that being said, we don't mind that we have that reputation, because we want it to stay just the way it is with those of us in the community looking out for improvements. You will never see brighter eyes, bigger smiles from the keiki here, warmer hugs from kapuna...It's truely a big Ohana and I love my family here!

[SoloPilot]

Originally Posted by Kapuna

Classic was at Waianae L&L...this lady pulled out a roll of papertowels and covered her bench to sit on, her table, and kept looking around with a sour expression on her face....ugh!

So, what you should have done was THANK her for going the extra mile to protect others -- most people with infectious diseases only wear face masks . . .

[mcbdp]

I've lived here on the Waianae coast for at least 10 years and I love it because this is still a little bit country. There are not high rises everywhere, actually no where close. Even though my commute to work is long, my time at home is quiet and relaxing, unlike hearing and being in the city traffic. I am originally from the mainland and have never felt anything except grateful to be here where most people are family oriented. I have never been uncomfortable in any group or walking down the sidewalk or shopping in the stores. We're all just people trying to take care of ourselves and our families. The Hawaiian community has their own culture and they are concerned about their own families, but given a social situation; their families are warm and friendly. Some do have concerns about mainland people coming here to make everything like the mainland. So sometimes it takes awhile for neighbors to warm up. I'm so grateful to be living here. So good for my soul.

[1st.thess28]

Looking to move to Wainae with my 11 yr old and 23 yr old daughter. My adult daughter has been on the island for 3 years now, living more in town. My question is regarding schools. I am moving from the Northwest, a small town, and Wainae seems like it will be nice because of 'small town' living. But the 'grade' for the schools is very low. Can someone who has children attending the schools, let me know what their recommendation would be. I am Puerto Rican, but my daughter is white with a touch of hispanic in her looks. How would my daughter do in the local schools, not being a local? Looking forward to living at a slower pace.

[ohhboy]

hahaha! what kind of thread is this?


is the rich folks that invented wainae.

[studephan]

We too relocated from a smaller town in the Pacific Northwest to Makaha (adjacent to Waianae), love it and haven't regretted it for a minute. Don't have school-age children, but neighbors that do mostly report that school is what you make of it, that is parental involvement is key. The issue of a child being "picked on" is certainly not exclusive to schools in the Waianae area, or anywhere else. The area from which we moved had fairly good schools, but also had interracial issues crop up from time to time due to an influx of migration from Mexico. Please be aware that you may feel at times as though you're a stranger in a strange land, because you are! However, relocating is what you make of it. My main advice to anyone thinking of moving to Hawaii is this: 1. you MUST be able to accept Hawaii on its terms (part 50th state, part third-world country). The folks who seem to do well here keep an open mind and have an adventurous spirit; 2. Try a long-term (2-3 months) stay before you move. Residing in Hawaii is not like vacationing here; 3. Seriously consider the reasons and pluses and minuses of the move. Make a list, take a good long, hard look at your lifestyle and living situation to determine if relocation is truly realistic. Believe me, your lifestyle and living situations will be different! Making friends and acquaintances is sometimes easy, sometimes not, but success is generally better the better connected you are. Get out and find folks who share your interests and hobbies. Give it time. It's going to take a least a year or more before Hawaii will feel like "home." Finally, for affordability and quality of life, in my opinion the Waianae area is the place to be. Since relocating here we have, of course, traveled the entire island of Oahu, and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else!

[whtviper1]

Part 3rd world country? When people say then I know they haven't been to one. 3rd world countries mean no sanitation (no indoor plumbing), garbage piling up on the streets, sweatshops, lack of mandatory schools, transportation by animals, etc.

I'm pretty sure even Waianae isn't that bad.

If you mean no Applebee's or Olive Garden - good Mexican food or gas under $4 gallon, then you are on to something.

[ohhboy]

lets put it this way. i doubt many hi residents want to move to waianae. no offense to those who live there.