The Best Place to Live on Oahu

by guest writer Chantel

note from Lisa: I also like Ewa beach area as a good place to live on Oahu – this is where my good friends live and they’ve got an awesome place right on the really long beach. It’s a nice residential area that has grown quickly (and may be getting a bit packed by now).

My husband used to live right in Honolulu, giving him the advantage of not needing to commute or going the opposite way of the commute jams when he worked outside of Honolulu. Everywhere in Hawaii, you are going to pay a premium for space – yards are expensive and big houses are more expensive than their counterparts on the mainland – but nowhere will you pay a premium more than right in downtown Honolulu.

I also like Kailua and Lanikai areas, but these are windward side, and not everyone likes the windwards side (where the tradwinds hit the islands, a little windier, rainier, and cooler than south and leeward sides.) They are also not so much growth areas and relatively affordable areas, like Kapolei is.

For those looking to move to the beautiful island of Oahu, Hawaii, there are quite a few areas on the island that are wonderful to live in. But first, it is important to know what brought you to Oahu. Will you be working, going to school, or simply trying to escape the “rat race” for a few months until you have a solid plan in place? Knowing and understanding why you are there will help you figure where on the island is the best place for you to live.

Since traffic obviously is huge factor while living on an island (especially Oahu), you may want to live right outside the main congestion area and major cities, such as Honolulu and Waikiki. A benefit to this, is you will be conveniently located to your work downtown, but may pay a slightly lower price to live there.

Keep in mind; especially on Oahu the weather is quite different throughout the island. You may want to live more towards the center of the island, or perhaps live on the Windward side of the island where it cooler.

If you are relocating with your family, the quality of the area and how safe the neighborhood is, is an extremely important factor. Not only do residents want to live in a quiet and peaceful community, they would like the areas near their neighborhoods to be the same way as well.

With all of that being said, many who relocate to the island of Oahu find the Kapolei area to fit all of their needs. In the Kapolei area, are the communities of Ewa, Ko Olina Resort and Marina, and Makakilo. So here it is possible to live near the marina area or near the cool hillside of Makakilo.

Located in Honolulu County, Kapolei, is a fast-growing area on the island. There are many businesses and companies (such as Costco and Target), which have recently been built and therefore increasing the rate of employment in the area. Since this is a new and up coming area, the homes and townhomes here are also primarily new construction.

Many families have been moving into this area because of the above reasons and since the popularity of the Kapolei area continues to increase, especially families with children, there have been a multitude of new schools opening at a rapid pace. This is a wonderful family oriented neighborhood and with much more promise to come.

As for the recreation the Kapolei area has to offer, there is the Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park, the Ko Olina Marina, a multitude of golf courses, and many annual community events to enjoy throughout the year. As always, as with most gorgeous islands, there are many beaches, parks, and biking trails to enjoy!

Lisa’s Note again: if you read this page about the best place to live on Oahu, you may think that you’ll have to face a lot of racism in Hawaii if you are not Hawaiian. I want to be very clear here that I did not find racism against whites to be a problem for me in Hawaii. I lived in Hawaii for 14 years. I am white. more of my opinion about racism in hawaii here