moving for school; questions (Kaneohe, Waimanalo: apartments, condo, university)

[emmaamazon]

My husband and I will be moving to Oahu later this year for him to attend UHM. While I am having some luck in finding apartments fairly close to the campus or within a close distance, I was just wondering:

How do you learn your way around a completely new town?

I have grown up my entire life in Las Vegas, so I could always build upon my previous knowledge if I had to go to some new part of town. Luckily, I hope to have a job by then with a national company that I can do at home. Is it best to just set out and explore out a little more each time?

Does living in a fairly highrise building help with the bugs? (Especially those centipedes I've heard about? Don't need the kitty playing with those. ;P)

From the Manoa campus area, how long does it take to get over to Kaneohe by bus? Is it possible to drive over there on a moped/is it common to see that? My husband might start off with community college over there at Windward while we establish residency and get basic classes out of the way, and we'd prefer not to bring over one of our cars if we don't have to.

I know I have more questions, despite having lurked around these forums for a while, but I will ask another time. Thank you for your time and thoughts.

[emmaamazon]

No responses?

[hotzcatz]

There is a book called "Bryant's Sectional Maps of Oahu" which is available at the local bookstores. That is really useful to get around with until you get the general lay of the land figured out. There aren't any billboards and usually the signs are at the street and not posted in advance so it really helps if you kinda already know where you're going.

Generally mopeds don't go over the mountains between Manoa and Kaneohe since there aren't any side roads and the mopeds would have to go through the tunnels. I suppose you could go around Waimanalo side, but that would take awhile. The Bus is pretty good for getting around with and once you got to know some folks at the windward school, perhaps car pooling would work?

[tyvin]

No mopeds in the tunnels. You'll know why once you've had the opportunity to see.

The bus system is very good.

Manoa is spread out all over and there really isn't a town but lot's of restaurants and shop areas and many ways to get on the freeway and into to town and other places. The University has a beautiful track that's open to the public I use to run on it before time,

There isn't a "Welcome to Manoa" population etc.. sign as there probably is in Las Vegas (is there?). Don't get me wrong there are huge signs for the freeway but as far as going around it's a lot of streets and the like,

I would be really surprised if you came across centipedes in a high rise in Manoa. That is reserved for the more rural, earthy places.

Are mopeds and scooters street legal? - Yahoo! Answers

I know dirt bikes can be made street legal. Currently mopeds and scooters are considered not street legal. I recommend a dirt bike and then making it street legal to ride over the tunnels. If he gets a four-stroke he could book up over that Pali in no time. It would have to be ridden like a regular motorcycle (no helmet's required law still stands in Hawaii).

Good-luck to you and your husband (sounds like fun).

[jmlowman]

As a point of reference, we had rented a condo on the 18th floor for a week while my wife attended a conference at UH.

The last night we were there, we were relaxing on the lanai when she was stung by a bee.