LIVING ON OAHU
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Oahu, Hawaii is a great place to reside, year-round or part-time. It is the most "livable" of the Hawaiian islands in that it has the widest variety of businesses, schools, activities and amenities. It has climates to suit all and you can go from city to country in less than an hour. Oahu is famous for its diverse recreational activities which include world-class surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, sailing, paddling, golf, tennis & hiking. For more facts and information about Oahu click here. There are many great communities to live on Oahu, each with its own character.
 
Honolulu
If you love big cities, there is Honolulu, a major and culturally-diverse metropolitan area. One of the major tourist destinations in the world, Honolulu has art, music, schools, night-life, fashion, plenty of shopping and great restaurants. Honolulu is the location of the famed Diamondhead Crater and has a spectacular skyline. It is a large city with many diverse areas including Metropolitan Honolulu, Hawaii Kai, and Diamondhead. Honolulu is perhaps best known for Waikiki Beach, great for people watching, sunbathing and surfing.

 Honolulu Skyline  Waikiki Beach  Waikiki at Night
 Honolulu Skyline  Waikiki Beach  Waikiki at Night

Kailua
If you want a more of a small-town feel, with famed white-sand beaches and turquoise waters, there is Kailua and its many quiet family neighborhoods. Many have said that as they leave Honolulu and enter the Kailua area through the Pali Tunnel, they immediately feel a sense of peacefulness and relaxation. Perhaps, it is the beautiful views, but it also could be the friendly and laid-back people who live in Windward, Oahu. Kailua includes the upscale beachfront areas of Lanikai, Beachside, Kawailoa and Kaimalino, and many lake and canalfront homes, as well. Kailua is less than 1/2 hour drive from Honolulu, connected to the area by three highways (Pali/H-3/Kalanianaole). Kailua has a town center and several smaller shopping areas, plenty of restaurants, schools, movie theatres, and even a Macy's. Kailua Bay is where the sport of windsurfing first took off in the US, and this area is great for windsurfing, as well as kitesurfing, kayaking and paddling. There are also several options for golf courses, and tennis and country clubs in the area. There are no hotels in Kailua, but sort term visitors do find plenty of beach rentals and a few bed & breakfasts in the area.

For a Spectacular Photo Overview of Kailua & the rest of Windward Oahu be sure to pick-up the best selling book by Heather Titus: Passion & Beauty - available online or through your local bookseller.

   Kailua's Enchanted Lake /Kaopa Area  Kalapawai Market
 View off Lanikai Beach  Enchanted Lake/Kaopa Area  Kalapawai Market at Kailua Beach

Kaneohe
Near Kailua, also on the Windward side of the island, is Kaneohe. One of the rainier aeas of the island, Kaneohe has a good-sized business district and a shopping mall. It is a lush, green mountain & waterfront community, and many homes have spectacular Kaneohe Bay and/or Ko'olau Mountain Range views. There are also some affordable areas and many condos and townhomes. It's a great location for boat-owners, sport fisherman and other water recreation enthusiasts. Like Kailua, it is just a 1/2 hour drive from Honolulu, connected by three highways (Pali/H-3/Likelike) to Honolulu. Points of interest in the area include Marine Corps Base Hawaii (Kaneohe Bay) and the Valley of the Temples.

 

Kaneohe Bay Marina     Kaneohe Oahu Byodo-in Temple
Kaneohe Bay Koolau Mountains Byodo-In Temple Kaneohe, Oahu

 

Waimanalo, Windward & North Shore
If you like the country or a slower pace, Waimanalo, Windward (above Kaneohe) & the North Shore are great places to live.

Waimanalo is a Windward community, just 1/2 hour from Honolulu via the Kalanianaole or Pali Highways. It has a picturesque location, between Waimanalo Bay and the Ko'olau Mountain Range. There are some lovely beachfront properties, on beautiful and quiet white-sand beaches, and also some more affordable homes. Compared to other areas of East Oahu, Waimanalo has a more rural feel and more traditional Hawaiian culture. Local businesses include plant nurseries and farms, growing local produce. There are horse stables nearby, as well as a few small shopping areas and a golf course. It is also only about 4 miles or so from Kailua Town Center and its shopping district. Areas of interest include Sea Life Park, Bellows Air Force Station Recreation Area, and the Makapu'u Point Lighthouse.

 

 Bellows Beach Looking Toward Lanikai  Waimanalo Bay  
 Bellows Beach  Waimanalo Bay  
Windward (North of Kaneohe) This area is spectacularly beautiful and a relatively quiet part of the island, along the Kamehameha Highway up to the North Shore. Depending upon where you are, it will be a 45 min - 1 hr 15 min drive from Honolulu. Some points of interest in the area are the Polynesian Cultural Center and the Brigham Young University Hawaii Campus. There are some shopping areas, art galleries, eateries and tourist shops in the small towns of Waiahole, Kaaawa, Kahana, Hauula, Laie & Kahuku, along the highway. The area is populated mostly by kama'aina and those desiring a slow-paced island lifestyle. 


The North Shore is famous for its laid back life-style and international surfing competitions, as well as the community's strong desire to protect the area from further development. As of now, there is only one major resort on the North Shore, Turtle Bay. North Shore communities include Kawela, Sunset Beach, Haleiwa, & Waialua. Particularly in Haleiwa, there are lots of nice shops and restaurants, catering to locals and tourists alike.