I love the way you talk about things so many people can identify with. We rented a place from relatives in the center of the capital. I thought I could survive there for about six months and I dreamt of a suburban house. A friend said that after living with the convenience, we would never be able to live anywhere else. Thirty years later, we're living in another small apartment in the same place. Admittedly we also need the good social services here. When I go hiking, I take a huge breath of relief looking at the green and the mountains.
Hey Chris! I thought I was imagining things regarding "driving anxiety." I recently retired but prior to that, I made the early morning commute on H-1 from the west side to town every weekday. When you see the sea of red tail lights on the morning news, I'm in there somewhere! When I retired, I was so happy not to have to do that anymore. But a couple of months later, I had to be somewhere in town by 7:30 on a Monday, meaning I'd have to leave early. I wasn't sure of the timing and left at 6:00. It was packed! And yes, I felt this nervousness that I never felt before. And just a personal note: Whenever I make the trip to the windward side, as soon as I exit the H-3 Harano tunnel, it seems like I'm on a neighbor island! I just get that feeling because usually, the weather is cooler, often rainy, it's greener, and yes, no tall buildings.
I was born and raised in Kailua and lived there for 46 years. Then I moved near the Blaisdell in 2019 and absolutely love it. I don’t have to sit in traffic every morning and I’m a couple minutes away from Sam’s Club and Walmart. Kailua has changed so much, I don’t miss it at all.
wow, this is so interesting, I'm not going to lie, I get jealous of people who live in Kailua-- you know all the stereotypical stuff... closer to windward beaches, have more $, etc, but thismake some realize that we should appreciate where we are on the island!
I was raised in Waikiki. The weather is the best and the surf was a block away. This was in the 60’s. I absolutely loved it! I am also a Mckinley grad class of ‘71. I will say I loved being a townie back in those days..I moved to Kailua in my 30’s and it was wonderful as well! Still near the beach and it was quite peaceful. Lived there 30 years..But yes.. both places have changed so much and I do remember when I was a kid thinking “no one ever stays here long”….. I never felt like I “belonged” …kinda sad… in town we didn’t have any permanent connections with people. Kailua did have more of a sense of camaraderie I would say. I now live in San Diego as I couldn’t afford to retire at home. Sweet memories for sure. Love your videos. They are insightful and really give people things to ponder. :)
We visited Oahu for the first time in years (from CA), and all the local folks we have met have been so kind and helpful. You give that same vibe. Love the way you share your perspective, with humility and honesty.
I enjoy your videos of your life on Oahu. It gives a tourist like me a deeper understanding of how it is there. I’ll be there in May for 15 days. For the last 12 months I’ve researched extensively to get the most out of my time when I get there. Many thanks Chris 🤙
Kāneʻohe kid ftw :) Can't blame ya for going "townie". I did that for a bit too, now I make day trips via the Bus. There really is a change in mentality between the different sides of the island, but that is what makes our island a whole. Imagine at one point in history you could tell where a person was either from Kāneʻohe or Kailua, by how they pronounced the "k" sound. Great story, mahalo.
I found your channel recently and am enjoying your posts. Very thought provoking. Glad you have more time for your family. Children grow up much too quickly.
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts Chris. Big life changes are always challenging. In order to move forward, you typically have to make compromises and/or give things up completely. But you can learn to find new and maybe healthier ways to fill those gaps (e.g., take a walk when you might have otherwise used your commute time on the road).
Interesting perspective. Downtown is so different now than when I grew up in the Pacific Hgts./Pauoa Valley area. I am so old that I can remember when there weren't lots of condo/apts. on the slopes of Punchbowl and that you could actually see Diamond Head when walking on Kalakaua in Waikiki. Except for 2 years in the early 90's I/we have lived in the San Francisco Bay Area since the mid '70s. When we moved back we rented a condo right in downtown, Harbor Square/Towers. It was cool on te weekends because downtown emptied out and we felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. We would go to the Iolani Palace grounds and have picnics and yet we were close enough to go to Ala Moana or Waikiki/Queen Surf to go swimming and hanging out. Since my folks still lived in Pacific Hts. we were up there often. And we explored the entire Island a lot since my wife is from Colorado. We loved taking drives out to Kahuku to get shrimp lunches and then shave ice in Halaiwa or head to Waimanalo side. Since I worked in downtown, we would visit family all over the island at the drop of a hat on the weekends. I laughed when my cousin apologized that they made us drive all the way to Kailua to visit for dinner. What?!!!! But then my wife and I loved to travel by car, which, I know, is different than the grind of a daily commute (which I've managed to avoid most of my life). If I ever moved back I'd probably still try to find a place in Honolulu but not downtown. I still feel that Honolulu is where my heart is!
I love this guy. Just reminds me of Hawaii vibes. Keep posting! I haven't driven in years and now I'm afraid to also. Like when I first started at 16. It seems crazy dangerous. I'm sure I'd manage if I had to, and get used to it again, if I had to.
Have a house at Waikele and the traffic is crazy in the morning and afternoon but cannot believe the maintenance cost on the condos in town. It is too high for 900 square feet.
Wow this made me feel better about living closer to west side. I love all of hawaii and I'm not gonna lie I get jealous of people who live in town, and have easier access to al the town stuff....but this made me feel better about how i live ina very quiet area that might seem cookie cutter (okay, waikele...), but yeah this helped me feel less envy when it comes to location....Thanks for another awesome vid!!!
I loved living in Waikele. Especially after living in Ewa Beach for 7 or 8 years. Knocked off a lot of time from my commute into town every day but still had a "country" feel. Was peaceful when I lived there. Not all the developments there were built yet.
@@christopherturco197 yes that commute can be quite taxing! So great you had such a nice experience here. I’m having a newfound appreciation for it as I do love how peaceful it is. Feeling grateful :)
Thanks for the video! We also moved into downtown/Kaka’ako several years ago after living west side. The cost was 100% worth it. I felt like I gained so much time back! Now I can run errands, go for a walk or jog, all without having to get on the freeway or spend time in traffic for the most part. So much less stress! We feel really lucky to be living in town.
Yes, that traffic was killer. I understand that we could have bought a single-family home with the price that we bought our condo, but we’d be in traffic 1.5-3 hours a day. :( no time to enjoy our home.
Chris, I live now on the mainland in the Riverside County. Specifically Menifee since leaving San Diego in 2017. I used to live in the Carmel Mountain / Poway area since 1993. That’s when I retired from the Marine Corps and packed up with my wife and son’s and headed to San Diego. I was living in the Mililani area and was driving to Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps Air Station for 2 straight years. I don’t think the H-3 was built then, but imagine driving from Wahiawa to Kaneohe Bay. I did that for 4 years. Back and forth. Those days I was younger and can put up with the driving. But from 1976 to 1979 wasn’t bad. From 1980 to 1984, we lived on base in Kaneohe. So driving to Wahiawa to see my parents and In-laws was fun because we didn’t leave the base on the weekdays. But when I returned to Kaneohe Bay for the last time in 1991 to 1994 it was just maddening driving from Mililani Town. So, I know what you’re going through. Hey Chris, wait till you get to be 69 years old. You just do a lot of walking because driving here in California is completely nuts. Anyway thanks for always sharing your thoughts and time with all of us mis-placed local folks in the Mainland. Do we miss Hawaii? Sure do. Do we want to come back during our Senior Years? Not on your life. Mahalo nui loa to you and your family. Kaupe’s of Southern California.
Mahalo for sharing. We used to drive from Kaneohe to Salt Lake for school and then Pearl City for golf. And didn't have H3 back then. Fortunately, I didn't drive and could sleep in the car. So thankful my dad drove all those years.
Thanks for this vid. I am back in the mainland but my dad is retiring this or next year and has been asking when or if we're moving back lol. My husband and I aren't really sure yet but we watch your vids so thanks for making them. If I had my way, we would probably try and live in town for the reasons you said. Commuting is so draining, especially from the west side where we grew up... I don't care what all those articles about commuting (being healthy) say, LOL. No one can convince me the benefits to shorter (or no) commutes are better, especially longterm.
Mahalo for watching the videos. Yeah, the day I posted this video there was an accident on the west side. Lol. Took some coworkers hours to get to work. 😂
Always interesting thoughts. A lot of what you say about living downtown in Honolulu holds true in other cities, as well, I think, although not all cities are as walkable as downtown sounds. Thanks for your thoughts!
Hello Chris, this video offers some really nice insight of a local's perspective. Your comparisons also ring true for someone who grew up very far from Hawaii on the mainland, just west of Lake Michigan. I grew up in the far western suburbs of Milwaukee. The far western suburbs could have been (30-40 years ago) described as-- small town, farm land, county parks that are filled with trees/woods, hiking paths, small inland freshwater lakes, mostly a quiet and slower pace of life. Growing up, It was so quiet and peaceful during the day, if you lived near a lake you might hear jetski or motorboats, maybe somebody cranking loud music--but still pretty quiet. It was especially quiet at night in the far western suburbs. Then--I went to college in Milwaukee in a building that was on one of Wisconsin's largest freeway interchanges called the Marquette Interchange Very Noisy, and I needed to walk to class on a very busy street (Wisconsin Avenue) . Public transit busses roaring past me, giving puddle showers if you 'turned your back on the ocean sized puddles' :-) The Marquette Interchange had semi trucks downshifting as they rolled through the interchange, then the horns the sirens, car alarms, people yelling in the street. After a semester of living there, I grew accustomed to the noise and could actually sleep through it...well mostly sleep through it..at night. I would go home on holiday break to stay again with my parents in the suburbs, and the silence and experienced surprise at the silence as if it was something new to me. Such an odd experience. It was so freaking quiet here at my old hometown is what I would think. You can hear crickets and birds, and a light breeze passing by. A lot of what you said sounds so similar to my experience . Thank you/Mahalo for sharing!
I don't miss those commutes I used to have coming in to downtown from Ewa Beach. So long, and even more harsh when you're driving - especially when driving a stick shift. When riding the bus into town I could catch more sleep 'cause I would get on the bus at the beginning of the run and get a seat. I'd be asleep before reaching the intersection of Fort Weaver and Geiger Road. Got where I would almost always wake up just a stop or two before my stop. Ha Ha! I laugh thinking about the times when I wouldn't wake up until I had passed my stop. I'd be so disoriented and panicky trying to figure out where I was. More easy to laugh about it now.😆😂
Many of my coworkers live in Harbor Court which is a short walk to the office. They used to be the envy of other coworkers who commute because it was convenient for them but now most people work from home also plenty of good places to eat in downtown are closing :( also thank you for sharing your driving anxiety. I don’t like driving too to the point I find riding the bus more comfortable and safe.
I moved from urban California to near downtown Seattle. Now, I can walk, bike or take public transit nearly everywhere rather than sit for so many hours per week in a high stress driving situation. Being outdoors and moving my body myself improves my physical and mental health so much more than sitting in heavy traffic in a car. It's a big quality of life improvement.
Dude, the money aspect is just kicking my ass but the traffic is getting tough! My commute is not long compared to people coming from North Shore but if I stay in Honolulu/Waikiki too late I am stuck in traffic, rain, etc going home to Waipahu. 😳🚙
I had to chuckle thinking about the six years living in town and the college/post college life on the mainland that has been mentioned in the past. Having friends/relatives in various parts of the nation, the distances between some of the urban and rural living, distance and time is not always a big issue for when they talk about work and living. It's part of the choices that they've made regarding what they can afford, want to live and what pays for their employment. It's the quality of one's life and the choices. I grew up in Kailua, all through elementary, middle, high school and worked part time in Kailua for 10 years, attending UH for several years undergraduate/graduate education. As soon as I could drive Kailua, while home was just one location, like windward, town, that was travel. Adulthood career was town, commuting was fine, which isn't a problem as it was shift work and being single, it was fine as there was no traffic until the career started taking off, but commuting was okay until the bills came. We evolve/grow as we age, and situations change our priorities as they do for everyone. Take care of what's important and enjoy the small things that one enjoys. Time passes too quickly and sometimes we underappreciate the things that we cherish the most. I enjoyed the life in Kailua, the living in Nuuanu, Leeward, the living in Alexandria and travels to places for work, school, and pleasure, but at the end of the day, I cherish the clean air, blue skies, and water with the green mountains, which whether Oahu, Maui, Hawaii, Kauai, or Molokai, will always feel like home.
Mahalo for sharing. It's strange how distance is relatively different in Hawaii vs the mainland. Hawaii has relatively short distances, but the commutes can be long. And because we don't have those big open roads, short trips are relatively long for us.
I've always lived in cities, so living in Honolulu is more familiar to me and I don't drive, so it is more convenient. When I lived in Waipahu, it was really difficult. Despite the bus being close to where I lived, it would come so infrequently that going anywhere would be really time consuming. And despite living near 2 supermarkets and shopping areas, there were limited options for me as a vegan. I do love exploring other parts of Oahu though, but don't get to do so as often as I'd like to because I don't drive. I'm a typical New Yorker. No license and no car. 😅
Have you ever thought about coming to the Mainland. I live in East Tennessee and it's gorgeous here. Beautiful mountains and lots of hiking. I live close to the North Carolina border and also the Virginia border. I was raised here and every time I go on vacation I can't wait to get back home
I grew up in Makiki but live in rural Northern California now. Wherever you live, it’s the same trade offs between city and rural. It just depends what your current priorities are. Thanks for your great videos!
Aloha, Your choice to move closer to work was a wise decision, I see that H1 is choked coming into Honolulu in the morning and reverse is true after work. I have stayed in downtown, and after 5 pm it’s kind of really quiet and not much is happening, and lots of homeless are roaming around downtown & china town.
I was born and raised in Southern California, just outside Los Angeles, where you have to drive everywhere. Now I have lived in Waikiki for 9 years and love almost everything about it. My favorite thing is being able to walk to almost anything I want to do. Having been a beach kid, I love that I can walk two blocks to the beach and don't have to pack the car, drive to the beach, where you can't find a parking spot, or if you do, you pay an arm and a leg. Also love being able to walk to restaurants, especially happy hours, 😉. My gas bill went from about $250 a month in SoCal to $50 a month here.
I moved from Kapolei to Waikiki. Best decision I’ve ever made. I love living in town. And now driving to north shore or west side etc… is my escape, which I love having. Now I don’t think I could ever move out of town.
You are success. Handling your life with great composure. Ok juggling many challenges. A couple of kids! You and the Mrs. Chris. The monthly bills, work, .Getting the youngsters to all their appointments. While goofballs like me are laptop surfing for vacation ideas...Let's all give Chris a Brah-Vo...You can make your own little community by extending or accepting invites...Aloha Chris and family...
I totally agree with you. Living around family makes reunion sweet especially when family visits from afar. I love living outside of the city, probably that's the reason I chose a profession to work near home. Communities now have if not but do have better eateries you don't always have to pay lots just to go to a good restaurant. Theatres, shopping malls, and higher education are in small communities. I don't need to live in the city. The city has its charms positive and negative. It is our preferences that direct our personal choices.
Been there, done that. 😂 Years ago, I lived in Kailua and went to UH Manoa for 3 years. Woke up EXTRA early and slept in my car until class started. Later, I lived in Makaha and worked in town and then worked in Kahuku. The drive into town was HORRORS! I was relieved to drive the long scenic route! A few years ago, I moved to Waikiki and now I am back in Kaneohe with my ohana and work in Kailua, so no more long drive. So happy 😊
I retired two years before the lockdown and didn't have a lot of places I was required to be so I didn't drive much. Yeah, if you don't drive regularly, driving anxiety is a real thing. It's ok now that everything has opened up and I have places to drive to, but for a while, the anxiety to drive was bad.
@@HelloFromHawaii During the lockdown when people were so isolated, not just driving, but just getting out of your house was hard for a lot of people. I'm so glad we all got through most of it.
Very interesting. I’m learning a lot about Oahu from you and hopefully will be able to be a better visitor which is coming up soon. The real burning question I have though is: where can I get one of those “Hello from Hawaii” t-shirts!?
There’s give and take in each option. I loved living in downtown when I was a young single man because it was just so darn convenient when compared to commuting from up Westside. In town I moved around on moped so I never worried about paying for parking or finding parking. My moped was uniquely ugly so it was almost theft proof (I think most criminals wouldn’t waste time on an easy to spot old ugly moped). But after marriage and kids I have been privileged to be able to live on the westside with a humble yard. Early on I got scoldings from the association for having a beat up front yard but after i was able to hire for new landscaping and I was able to keep up with yard care, it was worth it to see kids grow up in that kind of environment where they can run and play in the yard and in the neighborhood. The trade off is that we needed to wake up early to commute to town for work and school but kids mostly slept in the car and if they were awake, that was my time to have a captive audience to talk story or listen about their day. I was able to get used to this routine. When the kids grew up and had some funky schedules and I worked on the westside then it became crazy commuting 100 miles a day but now things are settled down for me. I find it kind of hard to drive to town these days. That skill has kind of diminished from lack of daily practice. I sometimes wonder what is the difference between kids that grew up in a condo vs kids that grew up in a house with a yard. My stereotype is that a yard kid had a fuller childhood of doing various kid things in the yard and the condo kid is maybe more book smart from schools on that side but less trusting of strangers because of the dangers in town.
Mahalo for sharing about the changes in your life. I think our boys would benefit from a yard versus condo life. I grew up in a house, but didn't really utilize the yard. However, the big living space was nice.
We were able to move out of town only when I went full time remote, because I have no patience for sitting in traffic for 1-2 hours a day. We love it but I do miss all the variety in town, especially the food. As I age, I just want peace and quiet and to drive into chaos and activity only when I want to lol
When I read your anxiety on driving after becoming an infrequent driver, that's me after retiring when I no longer have to drive my daily one hour commute to work. Btw, I'll be on the Big Island next month. I was thinking about Oahu, but can't deal with parking fees, resort fees, and if AirB&B/VRBO, cleaning and AirB&N/VRBO charges. The total 18% tourist tax is more than enough.We will be at places away from the resort areas at local hotels and B&Bs.🌴🌴🌴 Also, the less I fly the more anxiety I have about flying😆
My Mrs and I have talked about moving there from TX when we retire, I'd prefer being able to bike/walk to the grocery store every few days at Ala Moana than make the haul to the suburbs. The only drawback I see if you move into a condo downtown is the city noise, which I've dealt with over the years.
Living in Waikiki, I am more of a pedestrian and the furthest I go is taking the bus to Ala Moana Mall, lol. What I noticed is that the drivers in town are pretty rude, like Jersey rude. Other than that I couldn't live anywhere else on the island (lived in Ewa for a few months and commuting sucked). Lived in New York for about 10 years so I am used to taking trains and I must say the transit system here is not bad at all.
I'm going home to retire in 2 years and plan to be in the downtown/university area. Everything's close, within walking distance really, while all the other places on the island where I lived at various times growing up, are a bus ride away. North Shore, Windward Side, Hawaii Kai, etc. Yeah it takes some time to get there on the bus but it's soooooo much cheaper than owning a car.
Grew up in Kaneohe, then moved to town on Ward Ave right up the road from the Blaisdell and lived there for 25+ years. Now back in Kaneohe and prefer Kaneohe over town. Have my space, my garage with parking all the time, my yard and many more pros than the cons that I had in town. I feel it’s much better raising a family than in a congested area with a lot more crime. That’s just my take but lived in both places for years. Town does have it's perks but for me, the peacefulness of the Windward side and non congested areas are better for my kids since they too prefer living in the more open place. I went to Castle and they went to Mckinley and one went to Roosevelt. I guess we just like more open places. If the driving gets bad for me later on, we have the bus, Kaneohe has a lot more buses these days. I have one son that works in Kaneohe so he doesn't have to worry about rush hour traffic ne just walks to work.
Grew up on the leeward side and learned how to navigate the bus routes around the island in elementary school so I could go fishing, sports, and fun factory or Ala Moana lol. Then moved to HK side and then Town and now neighbor island. But I feel more comfortable in town because I also have friends in the area but then again I’m semi nomadic so I think I can adapt to going from leeward to country to town and repeat the cycle again lol I also hate driving in traffic but in Oregon and Washington for some reason I’m willing to drive around the state looking for food lol. I drove from forest grove to Eugene Oregon to take my brother for lunch 2.5-3 hours away one way driving and drive back after lunch to eat dinner soon lol.
Yeah, the long drives on the mainland aren't as bad. Maybe because the distances are longer and not much in between. That must have been a fun drive to Eugene. Pacific U in Forest Grove? So many Hawaii kids. 😁
Haha...as a Kauai boy who also moved to town 6 years ago as well, it was so refreshing to hear an Oahu guy admit that Hawaii doesn't revolve around Oahu 😂.
Years ago, back when I lived and worked at an auto manufacturing plant in Michigan, an engineer who worked with my team at the company I worked for had just got back from her vacation to Hawaii. When I asked how it was, she highly recommended that if ever I visited the Islands, to not visit Honolulu. As she put it: "That place looks like Detroit". as in Michigan's Detroit). And I thought- "If I want to visit Detroit, all I have to do is drive 90 minutes down the highway to Detroit. No way I am getting on a plane to fly some 8-9 hours westward out in the middle of the pacific ocean to visit and stay at 'Detroit' ". Mainlanders have this fixated view of a tropical lush laded garden paradise of Hawaii. Filled with inviting pineapple trees covering these majestic mountains by the beeches and deep blue waters. To a degree yeah Hawaii has that. But that does not take in the complete Real and urban Hawaii. Me? If I were to visit Oahu, I might feel right at home in Kanehoe for its laid back countryside vibe, but yeah most definatley take a day trip to check out Honolulu. But stay in Honolulu? Probably not.
Bub…..a lot of us on the mainland have a Hawaiian dream too!! IT GOES…….tons of rum….day and night…..topless huly-huly girls…..great feasts….some more rum…..AND them huly-huly babes again…..swimming with sharks……yup…..some more of them babes!!!!! NOT THE ONES WITH THEIR BRA ON!!!!!!! Taraaaaaaa…..HAWAII!!!!!!!!!
Get a bicycle to get around town. You can walk around and unwind. Get out of town every weekend. So hard to drive 5 miles? I grew up in town, but lived in PC. Went to school half in town half in PC. They're a connection. You have to build bridges with people. You have to talk story with people. I miss living in town when I was small. Cities are designed around people, suburbs are designed around cars. go hiking in the mountains. They're so many trails to hike. Join the Sierra club.
Great discussion & thoughts. What stood out for me was the driving anxiety. I felt the same way as well. Since the pandemic & being able to work at home, I noticed I've been more anxious about driving. Maybe it's age or the lack of driving or combo of both. I live in CA so I drove a lot & you dealt with constant traffic. I'm curious your thoughts about living in downtown & crime. How bad is it? I know like all cities you have good & bad areas. Is there a strong or weak police presence?
We hear about crime here and there. Crime was on the rise before the pandemic. I remember hearing stories about kupuna being robbed or attacked. I think the levels are back to normal. We just have to be mindful when walking around.
I lived in Honolulu and had no idea Kaneohe was that much different than Honolulu and thought Kaneohe was way too urban to be "country". They give you stink eye in Kaneohe all the same. How do you afford Kaneohe?
How do you feel about the safety of downtown, especially with small children? I've lived in an urban environment my whole life and I'd hate to have my children feel unsafe even if living in one of the safest states in the country.
I’d love a video on your thoughts on the subway being built. I know my mom complains about the cost and that no one will use it, and I always ask, “but what’s the alternative?” You can’t build more hiways, how to you mitigate the problem of 2 hr commutes each way for people?
They said that rail should be operational, at least part of it, this summer. Maybe I can try it out and talk about the experience. Not sure where I'd park, though. 😅
Its funny, makes me think at one time I just met someone who's from McCully which is 20min walk away from where I lived Kapahulu and was like "woo you from McCully we neighbors brah.
Kaneohe girl, born and raised. Love living this side. But I totally enjoy cruising to the West Side and around to the North Shore. Ummm…guess I coulda just said “around da island”. 😊 My drive to work was easy. Worked in Iwilei by Costco. I can’t imagine driving to downtown Honolulu to work. Ugh! Ppl I know would pay about $200 a month for parking. And that was a good price!! Now that I been retired, I despise driving to town…so unless I absolutely have to….I don’t. LOL. 🤞🏼🤞🏼. Love your insight on living here. Mahalo
Is that Downtown Honolulu? Having lived in town most of my life, I would say that you are in town and not in downtown. Downtown Honolulu is Bishop and Merchant Streets.
Growing up in a condo, I wanted to give my kids something different. We live in the suburbs where backyard parties, organized sports, and playing outside the house with the neighborhood kids and our dogs are the norm. The sense of community is everything to us and easily worth the commute to work everyday. Not to mention, never having to pay for parking anywhere.
It sounds like your driving anxiety might actually be PTSD. Emphasis on the "P" for post. You were probably stuck in the trauma of coping with it every day until you stopped doing it. Now you're finally experiencing the symptoms. Trafic trauma is real! Also, thank you for the video! Very informative!
Negatives is crime and homeless. I live in Hawaii Kai and it’s the best of both worlds. We so close to town and Nalo’s. Plus we have our very own Costco and some of the best beaches… cheeeee
I grew up in town, bonafide townie (grad McKinley 2010) and it’s not that there is no community, but most of the community is on ice so it’s mostly community of crack heads. You can get into a lotta trouble on the streets in Honolulu.
@@HelloFromHawaii luckily I made the right choices and didn’t get stuck pretty much anywhere between downtown and Diamond head, but that was then. I’m not kolohe no more, I’m good now 😂😂😂😂😂
I cannot imagine having a 9-5, living in kapolei/ewa beach and working in town. Half your life in traffic. No way. On a side note: I feel like riding an electric scooter around blasidell just watchig this vid.
I grew up Honolulu, like near mapunapuna , near the airport, and my mom moved to Ewa beach, so now i get family there too and spend a lot of time in Ewa. I think ewa gets a bad rap but I think ewa is nice if you really value quiet time. it feels more spacious there. Hopefully someday it won't be seen as this "no mans land" kind of place.
Please don't misunderstand what I'm about to comment. But as a local boy I'm surprised how you pronounce Honolulu. You seem to be pronouncing it HA-nolulu like a mainland haole instead of how it's really supposed be pronounced ... HO-nolulu. Just saying lol! Like you and like your channel! 👍😉
Mahalo for the comment. I was called out on my pronunciation a while ago and talked about it in a past video. I actually think a lot of locals say the "ha" rather than the "ho", but I understand sound difference. 🤙
I'm shocked too. This might be fairly recent? (I don't go home much.) Locals' Hawaiian pronounciation isn't perfect anyway, but HAH-nolulu from a local is not good.
Young man…….be glad you’re out of the country!!! Yes…..even downtowns provide a sense of bond….belonging!!! Becoming a part of a small community for LIFE????????? What the hell is that????????????? Spells……HICKSVILLE to me!!!
I love the way you talk about things so many people can identify with. We rented a place from relatives in the center of the capital. I thought I could survive there for about six months and I dreamt of a suburban house. A friend said that after living with the convenience, we would never be able to live anywhere else. Thirty years later, we're living in another small apartment in the same place. Admittedly we also need the good social services here. When I go hiking, I take a huge breath of relief looking at the green and the mountains.
Mahalo for sharing. Glad that you're able to enjoy the location. It's really a quality of life issue, not just square footage.
Hey Chris! I thought I was imagining things regarding "driving anxiety." I recently retired but prior to that, I made the early morning commute on H-1 from the west side to town every weekday. When you see the sea of red tail lights on the morning news, I'm in there somewhere! When I retired, I was so happy not to have to do that anymore. But a couple of months later, I had to be somewhere in town by 7:30 on a Monday, meaning I'd have to leave early. I wasn't sure of the timing and left at 6:00. It was packed! And yes, I felt this nervousness that I never felt before. And just a personal note: Whenever I make the trip to the windward side, as soon as I exit the H-3 Harano tunnel, it seems like I'm on a neighbor island! I just get that feeling because usually, the weather is cooler, often rainy, it's greener, and yes, no tall buildings.
Yeah, I love that view on H3. Just the mountains and K-Bay.
I was born and raised in Kailua and lived there for 46 years. Then I moved near the Blaisdell in 2019 and absolutely love it. I don’t have to sit in traffic every morning and I’m a couple minutes away from Sam’s Club and Walmart. Kailua has changed so much, I don’t miss it at all.
wow, this is so interesting, I'm not going to lie, I get jealous of people who live in Kailua-- you know all the stereotypical stuff... closer to windward beaches, have more $, etc, but thismake some realize that we should appreciate where we are on the island!
I was raised in Waikiki. The weather is the best and the surf was a block away. This was in the 60’s. I absolutely loved it!
I am also a Mckinley grad class of ‘71. I will say I loved being a townie back in those days..I moved to Kailua in my 30’s and it was wonderful as well! Still near the beach and it was quite peaceful. Lived there 30 years..But yes.. both places have changed so much and I do remember when I was a kid thinking “no one ever stays here long”….. I never felt like I “belonged” …kinda sad…
in town we didn’t have any permanent connections with people. Kailua did have more of a sense of camaraderie I would say.
I now live in San Diego as I couldn’t afford to retire at home. Sweet memories for sure. Love your videos. They are insightful and really give people things to ponder. :)
Yeah, it's nice to live so close to Sam's and Walmart and Target. Although Kailua is pretty nice. 😁
We visited Oahu for the first time in years (from CA), and all the local folks we have met have been so kind and helpful. You give that same vibe. Love the way you share your perspective, with humility and honesty.
I enjoy your videos of your life on Oahu. It gives a tourist like me a deeper understanding of how it is there. I’ll be there in May for 15 days. For the last 12 months I’ve researched extensively to get the most out of my time when I get there.
Many thanks Chris 🤙
Mahalo for the comment. May will be a nice time in Hawaii. Hope you have a nice trip.
Kāneʻohe kid ftw :) Can't blame ya for going "townie". I did that for a bit too, now I make day trips via the Bus. There really is a change in mentality between the different sides of the island, but that is what makes our island a whole. Imagine at one point in history you could tell where a person was either from Kāneʻohe or Kailua, by how they pronounced the "k" sound. Great story, mahalo.
Yeah? Didn't know that about the "k" sound. I always viewed Kailua as Kaneohe's rich cousin.
I found your channel recently and am enjoying your posts. Very thought provoking. Glad you have more time for your family. Children grow up much too quickly.
Mahalo 🤙
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts Chris. Big life changes are always challenging. In order to move forward, you typically have to make compromises and/or give things up completely. But you can learn to find new and maybe healthier ways to fill those gaps (e.g., take a walk when you might have otherwise used your commute time on the road).
True. The walks are nice in town on the weekends. Less traffic.
That was a nice video. Striking a balance is so important. Hopefully your kids can get around your extended family enough to have a good bond.
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Interesting perspective. Downtown is so different now than when I grew up in the Pacific Hgts./Pauoa Valley area. I am so old that I can remember when there weren't lots of condo/apts. on the slopes of Punchbowl and that you could actually see Diamond Head when walking on Kalakaua in Waikiki. Except for 2 years in the early 90's I/we have lived in the San Francisco Bay Area since the mid '70s. When we moved back we rented a condo right in downtown, Harbor Square/Towers. It was cool on te weekends because downtown emptied out and we felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. We would go to the Iolani Palace grounds and have picnics and yet we were close enough to go to Ala Moana or Waikiki/Queen Surf to go swimming and hanging out. Since my folks still lived in Pacific Hts. we were up there often. And we explored the entire Island a lot since my wife is from Colorado. We loved taking drives out to Kahuku to get shrimp lunches and then shave ice in Halaiwa or head to Waimanalo side. Since I worked in downtown, we would visit family all over the island at the drop of a hat on the weekends. I laughed when my cousin apologized that they made us drive all the way to Kailua to visit for dinner. What?!!!! But then my wife and I loved to travel by car, which, I know, is different than the grind of a daily commute (which I've managed to avoid most of my life). If I ever moved back I'd probably still try to find a place in Honolulu but not downtown. I still feel that Honolulu is where my heart is!
I love this guy. Just reminds me of Hawaii vibes. Keep posting! I haven't driven in years and now I'm afraid to also. Like when I first started at 16. It seems crazy dangerous. I'm sure I'd manage if I had to, and get used to it again, if I had to.
Mahalo for the comment 🤙
Have a house at Waikele and the traffic is crazy in the morning and afternoon but cannot believe the maintenance cost on the condos in town. It is too high for 900 square feet.
My Aunty lives around there. At least you can get off the freeway before the H1-H2 split. And there's always the zipper lane.
Wow this made me feel better about living closer to west side. I love all of hawaii and I'm not gonna lie I get jealous of people who live in town, and have easier access to al the town stuff....but this made me feel better about how i live ina very quiet area that might seem cookie cutter (okay, waikele...), but yeah this helped me feel less envy when it comes to location....Thanks for another awesome vid!!!
Waikele is very nice
I loved living in Waikele. Especially after living in Ewa Beach for 7 or 8 years. Knocked off a lot of time from my commute into town every day but still had a "country" feel. Was peaceful when I lived there. Not all the developments there were built yet.
@@christopherturco197 yes that commute can be quite taxing! So great you had such a nice experience here. I’m having a newfound appreciation for it as I do love how peaceful it is. Feeling grateful :)
@@BobThebuilder-bh5jz :)
Mahalo for the comment. Yeah, living in town is great most of the time, but there are drawbacks. Not all positive.
Thanks for the video! We also moved into downtown/Kaka’ako several years ago after living west side. The cost was 100% worth it. I felt like I gained so much time back! Now I can run errands, go for a walk or jog, all without having to get on the freeway or spend time in traffic for the most part. So much less stress! We feel really lucky to be living in town.
That's great. I only commuted from Kaneohe for years. Can't imagine driving in from the west side.
Yes, that traffic was killer. I understand that we could have bought a single-family home with the price that we bought our condo, but we’d be in traffic 1.5-3 hours a day. :( no time to enjoy our home.
Chris, I live now on the mainland in the Riverside County. Specifically Menifee since leaving San Diego in 2017. I used to live in the Carmel Mountain / Poway area since 1993. That’s when I retired from the Marine Corps and packed up with my wife and son’s and headed to San Diego. I was living in the Mililani area and was driving to Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps Air Station for 2 straight years. I don’t think the H-3 was built then, but imagine driving from Wahiawa to Kaneohe Bay. I did that for 4 years. Back and forth. Those days I was younger and can put up with the driving. But from 1976 to 1979 wasn’t bad. From 1980 to 1984, we lived on base in Kaneohe. So driving to Wahiawa to see my parents and In-laws was fun because we didn’t leave the base on the weekdays. But when I returned to Kaneohe Bay for the last time in 1991 to 1994 it was just maddening driving from Mililani Town. So, I know what you’re going through. Hey Chris, wait till you get to be 69 years old. You just do a lot of walking because driving here in California is completely nuts. Anyway thanks for always sharing your thoughts and time with all of us mis-placed local folks in the Mainland. Do we miss Hawaii? Sure do. Do we want to come back during our Senior Years? Not on your life. Mahalo nui loa to you and your family. Kaupe’s of Southern California.
😂 Driving here is such a pain…
Mahalo for sharing. We used to drive from Kaneohe to Salt Lake for school and then Pearl City for golf. And didn't have H3 back then. Fortunately, I didn't drive and could sleep in the car. So thankful my dad drove all those years.
Thanks for this vid. I am back in the mainland but my dad is retiring this or next year and has been asking when or if we're moving back lol. My husband and I aren't really sure yet but we watch your vids so thanks for making them. If I had my way, we would probably try and live in town for the reasons you said. Commuting is so draining, especially from the west side where we grew up... I don't care what all those articles about commuting (being healthy) say, LOL. No one can convince me the benefits to shorter (or no) commutes are better, especially longterm.
Mahalo for watching the videos. Yeah, the day I posted this video there was an accident on the west side. Lol. Took some coworkers hours to get to work. 😂
Always interesting thoughts. A lot of what you say about living downtown in Honolulu holds true in other cities, as well, I think, although not all cities are as walkable as downtown sounds. Thanks for your thoughts!
I miss living in town! But loving the quietness of where I’m at now. That driving tho 😩
Good trade-off. Miss the quiet.
Hello Chris, this video offers some really nice insight of a local's perspective. Your comparisons also ring true for someone who grew up very far from Hawaii on the mainland, just west of Lake Michigan. I grew up in the far western suburbs of Milwaukee. The far western suburbs could have been (30-40 years ago) described as-- small town, farm land, county parks that are filled with trees/woods, hiking paths, small inland freshwater lakes, mostly a quiet and slower pace of life. Growing up, It was so quiet and peaceful during the day, if you lived near a lake you might hear jetski or motorboats, maybe somebody cranking loud music--but still pretty quiet. It was especially quiet at night in the far western suburbs. Then--I went to college in Milwaukee in a building that was on one of Wisconsin's largest freeway interchanges called the Marquette Interchange Very Noisy, and I needed to walk to class on a very busy street (Wisconsin Avenue) . Public transit busses roaring past me, giving puddle showers if you 'turned your back on the ocean sized puddles' :-) The Marquette Interchange had semi trucks downshifting as they rolled through the interchange, then the horns the sirens, car alarms, people yelling in the street. After a semester of living there, I grew accustomed to the noise and could actually sleep through it...well mostly sleep through it..at night. I would go home on holiday break to stay again with my parents in the suburbs, and the silence and experienced surprise at the silence as if it was something new to me. Such an odd experience. It was so freaking quiet here at my old hometown is what I would think. You can hear crickets and birds, and a light breeze passing by. A lot of what you said sounds so similar to my experience . Thank you/Mahalo for sharing!
I don't miss those commutes I used to have coming in to downtown from Ewa Beach. So long, and even more harsh when you're driving - especially when driving a stick shift. When riding the bus into town I could catch more sleep 'cause I would get on the bus at the beginning of the run and get a seat. I'd be asleep before reaching the intersection of Fort Weaver and Geiger Road. Got where I would almost always wake up just a stop or two before my stop. Ha Ha! I laugh thinking about the times when I wouldn't wake up until I had passed my stop. I'd be so disoriented and panicky trying to figure out where I was. More easy to laugh about it now.😆😂
Long bus ride. I once fell asleep on the bus going to Kaneohe. I woke up around Kualoa Ranch and had to catch the bus back. 😁
@@HelloFromHawaii😝😂🤣
I love this. Trying to understand Hawaii from far away. Mahalo.
Many of my coworkers live in Harbor Court which is a short walk to the office. They used to be the envy of other coworkers who commute because it was convenient for them but now most people work from home also plenty of good places to eat in downtown are closing :( also thank you for sharing your driving anxiety. I don’t like driving too to the point I find riding the bus more comfortable and safe.
That's a convenient place to live. I used to have a friend who lived in Harbor Court. Nice pool.
I moved from urban California to near downtown Seattle. Now, I can walk, bike or take public transit nearly everywhere rather than sit for so many hours per week in a high stress driving situation. Being outdoors and moving my body myself improves my physical and mental health so much more than sitting in heavy traffic in a car. It's a big quality of life improvement.
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Dude, the money aspect is just kicking my ass but the traffic is getting tough! My commute is not long compared to people coming from North Shore but if I stay in Honolulu/Waikiki too late I am stuck in traffic, rain, etc going home to Waipahu. 😳🚙
Yeah, tough drive, especially in the rain.
I had to chuckle thinking about the six years living in town and the college/post college life on the mainland that has been mentioned in the past. Having friends/relatives in various parts of the nation, the distances between some of the urban and rural living, distance and time is not always a big issue for when they talk about work and living. It's part of the choices that they've made regarding what they can afford, want to live and what pays for their employment. It's the quality of one's life and the choices. I grew up in Kailua, all through elementary, middle, high school and worked part time in Kailua for 10 years, attending UH for several years undergraduate/graduate education. As soon as I could drive Kailua, while home was just one location, like windward, town, that was travel. Adulthood career was town, commuting was fine, which isn't a problem as it was shift work and being single, it was fine as there was no traffic until the career started taking off, but commuting was okay until the bills came. We evolve/grow as we age, and situations change our priorities as they do for everyone. Take care of what's important and enjoy the small things that one enjoys. Time passes too quickly and sometimes we underappreciate the things that we cherish the most. I enjoyed the life in Kailua, the living in Nuuanu, Leeward, the living in Alexandria and travels to places for work, school, and pleasure, but at the end of the day, I cherish the clean air, blue skies, and water with the green mountains, which whether Oahu, Maui, Hawaii, Kauai, or Molokai, will always feel like home.
Mahalo for sharing. It's strange how distance is relatively different in Hawaii vs the mainland. Hawaii has relatively short distances, but the commutes can be long. And because we don't have those big open roads, short trips are relatively long for us.
I've always lived in cities, so living in Honolulu is more familiar to me and I don't drive, so it is more convenient. When I lived in Waipahu, it was really difficult. Despite the bus being close to where I lived, it would come so infrequently that going anywhere would be really time consuming. And despite living near 2 supermarkets and shopping areas, there were limited options for me as a vegan. I do love exploring other parts of Oahu though, but don't get to do so as often as I'd like to because I don't drive. I'm a typical New Yorker. No license and no car. 😅
Yeah, Oahu is doable by bus, but challenging unless you live and work in Town.
Akamai brah.. totally agree with you. Another good one
Have you ever thought about coming to the Mainland. I live in East Tennessee and it's gorgeous here. Beautiful mountains and lots of hiking. I live close to the North Carolina border and also the Virginia border. I was raised here and every time I go on vacation I can't wait to get back home
I grew up in Makiki but live in rural Northern California now. Wherever you live, it’s the same trade offs between city and rural. It just depends what your current priorities are. Thanks for your great videos!
Makiki is nice. One of the places I'd look to move with our family of four.
Aloha,
Your choice to move closer to work was a wise decision, I see that H1 is choked coming into Honolulu in the morning and reverse is true after work. I have stayed in downtown, and after 5 pm it’s kind of really quiet and not much is happening, and lots of homeless are roaming around downtown & china town.
Spot on observations. Town is quiet after 5 pm and on weekends.
Very nice video Mahalo 🤗 ( be happy you don’t have to drive in LA traffic 😅😂😊 )
That driving anxiety is real! I went from daily 1-2 hours one way commute to minutes and now I freak out if I gotta go over the Pali.
Pali not so bad, although the hairpin turn is still sharp 😅
I was born and raised in Southern California, just outside Los Angeles, where you have to drive everywhere. Now I have lived in Waikiki for 9 years and love almost everything about it. My favorite thing is being able to walk to almost anything I want to do. Having been a beach kid, I love that I can walk two blocks to the beach and don't have to pack the car, drive to the beach, where you can't find a parking spot, or if you do, you pay an arm and a leg. Also love being able to walk to restaurants, especially happy hours, 😉. My gas bill went from about $250 a month in SoCal to $50 a month here.
Waikiki has pros and cons… the crime made me fearful
Mahalo for sharing. Waikiki seems like an interesting place to live. Tourists and long-term and short-term residents.
I moved from Kapolei to Waikiki. Best decision I’ve ever made. I love living in town. And now driving to north shore or west side etc… is my escape, which I love having. Now I don’t think I could ever move out of town.
You are success. Handling your life with great composure.
Ok juggling many challenges. A couple of kids! You and the Mrs. Chris. The monthly bills, work, .Getting the youngsters to all their appointments. While goofballs like me are laptop surfing for vacation ideas...Let's all give Chris a Brah-Vo...You can make your own little community by extending or accepting invites...Aloha Chris and family...
I totally agree with you. Living around family makes reunion sweet especially when family visits from afar. I love living outside of the city, probably that's the reason I chose a profession to work near home. Communities now have if not but do have better eateries you don't always have to pay lots just to go to a good restaurant. Theatres, shopping malls, and higher education are in small communities. I don't need to live in the city. The city has its charms positive and negative. It is our preferences that direct our personal choices.
Been there, done that. 😂 Years ago, I lived in Kailua and went to UH Manoa for 3 years. Woke up EXTRA early and slept in my car until class started. Later, I lived in Makaha and worked in town and then worked in Kahuku. The drive into town was HORRORS! I was relieved to drive the long scenic route! A few years ago, I moved to Waikiki and now I am back in Kaneohe with my ohana and work in Kailua, so no more long drive. So happy 😊
Makaha to town to Kahuku 😲
I retired two years before the lockdown and didn't have a lot of places I was required to be so I didn't drive much. Yeah, if you don't drive regularly, driving anxiety is a real thing. It's ok now that everything has opened up and I have places to drive to, but for a while, the anxiety to drive was bad.
Glad to know I wasn't the only one. It's easier to drive now.
@@HelloFromHawaii During the lockdown when people were so isolated, not just driving, but just getting out of your house was hard for a lot of people. I'm so glad we all got through most of it.
Very interesting. I’m learning a lot about Oahu from you and hopefully will be able to be a better visitor which is coming up soon. The real burning question I have though is: where can I get one of those “Hello from Hawaii” t-shirts!?
There’s give and take in each option. I loved living in downtown when I was a young single man because it was just so darn convenient when compared to commuting from up Westside. In town I moved around on moped so I never worried about paying for parking or finding parking. My moped was uniquely ugly so it was almost theft proof (I think most criminals wouldn’t waste time on an easy to spot old ugly moped). But after marriage and kids I have been privileged to be able to live on the westside with a humble yard. Early on I got scoldings from the association for having a beat up front yard but after i was able to hire for new landscaping and I was able to keep up with yard care, it was worth it to see kids grow up in that kind of environment where they can run and play in the yard and in the neighborhood. The trade off is that we needed to wake up early to commute to town for work and school but kids mostly slept in the car and if they were awake, that was my time to have a captive audience to talk story or listen about their day. I was able to get used to this routine. When the kids grew up and had some funky schedules and I worked on the westside then it became crazy commuting 100 miles a day but now things are settled down for me. I find it kind of hard to drive to town these days. That skill has kind of diminished from lack of daily practice.
I sometimes wonder what is the difference between kids that grew up in a condo vs kids that grew up in a house with a yard. My stereotype is that a yard kid had a fuller childhood of doing various kid things in the yard and the condo kid is maybe more book smart from schools on that side but less trusting of strangers because of the dangers in town.
Mahalo for sharing about the changes in your life. I think our boys would benefit from a yard versus condo life. I grew up in a house, but didn't really utilize the yard. However, the big living space was nice.
We were able to move out of town only when I went full time remote, because I have no patience for sitting in traffic for 1-2 hours a day. We love it but I do miss all the variety in town, especially the food. As I age, I just want peace and quiet and to drive into chaos and activity only when I want to lol
That's good that you were able to move out with remote work. Not sure how many people did that, but it sounds like the best of both worlds.
Love this video.
When I read your anxiety on driving after becoming an infrequent driver, that's me after retiring when I no longer have to drive my daily one hour commute to work. Btw, I'll be on the Big Island next month. I was thinking about Oahu, but can't deal with parking fees, resort fees, and if AirB&B/VRBO, cleaning and AirB&N/VRBO charges. The total 18% tourist tax is more than enough.We will be at places away from the resort areas at local hotels and B&Bs.🌴🌴🌴 Also, the less I fly the more anxiety I have about flying😆
Have a great time on Big Island. I'm sure staying away from the resort areas will be a nice setting.
My Mrs and I have talked about moving there from TX when we retire, I'd prefer being able to bike/walk to the grocery store every few days at Ala Moana than make the haul to the suburbs. The only drawback I see if you move into a condo downtown is the city noise, which I've dealt with over the years.
I am as close to downtown as i want top be. I'm across the river over bye the dorms and i dread when i have to go to Walmart.
Would you mind sharing what your gas bill was before when you did have to commute ?
Living in Waikiki, I am more of a pedestrian and the furthest I go is taking the bus to Ala Moana Mall, lol. What I noticed is that the drivers in town are pretty rude, like Jersey rude. Other than that I couldn't live anywhere else on the island (lived in Ewa for a few months and commuting sucked). Lived in New York for about 10 years so I am used to taking trains and I must say the transit system here is not bad at all.
Good thoughts…. I bet you move back to your grow up space. I’ve moved everywhere. Now I visit everywhere. Life is grand… 🌴🌴Aloha
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I'm going home to retire in 2 years and plan to be in the downtown/university area. Everything's close, within walking distance really, while all the other places on the island where I lived at various times growing up, are a bus ride away. North Shore, Windward Side, Hawaii Kai, etc. Yeah it takes some time to get there on the bus but it's soooooo much cheaper than owning a car.
Should be nice in the Town area. And you can always ride bike.
Grew up in Kaneohe, then moved to town on Ward Ave right up the road from the Blaisdell and lived there for 25+ years. Now back in Kaneohe and prefer Kaneohe over town. Have my space, my garage with parking all the time, my yard and many more pros than the cons that I had in town. I feel it’s much better raising a family than in a congested area with a lot more crime. That’s just my take but lived in both places for years. Town does have it's perks but for me, the peacefulness of the Windward side and non congested areas are better for my kids since they too prefer living in the more open place. I went to Castle and they went to Mckinley and one went to Roosevelt. I guess we just like more open places. If the driving gets bad for me later on, we have the bus, Kaneohe has a lot more buses these days. I have one son that works in Kaneohe so he doesn't have to worry about rush hour traffic ne just walks to work.
I WENT TO CASTLE TOO!!!
Some people think Hawaii is just Waikiki or Maui.
Grew up on the leeward side and learned how to navigate the bus routes around the island in elementary school so I could go fishing, sports, and fun factory or Ala Moana lol. Then moved to HK side and then Town and now neighbor island. But I feel more comfortable in town because I also have friends in the area but then again I’m semi nomadic so I think I can adapt to going from leeward to country to town and repeat the cycle again lol
I also hate driving in traffic but in Oregon and Washington for some reason I’m willing to drive around the state looking for food lol. I drove from forest grove to Eugene Oregon to take my brother for lunch 2.5-3 hours away one way driving and drive back after lunch to eat dinner soon lol.
Yeah, the long drives on the mainland aren't as bad. Maybe because the distances are longer and not much in between. That must have been a fun drive to Eugene. Pacific U in Forest Grove? So many Hawaii kids. 😁
@@HelloFromHawaii yup Pacific U is the school my younger brother chose. I went to UofO.
Haha...as a Kauai boy who also moved to town 6 years ago as well, it was so refreshing to hear an Oahu guy admit that Hawaii doesn't revolve around Oahu 😂.
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Years ago, back when I lived and worked at an auto manufacturing plant in Michigan, an engineer who worked with my team at the company I worked for had just got back from her vacation to Hawaii.
When I asked how it was, she highly recommended that if ever I visited the Islands, to not visit Honolulu.
As she put it: "That place looks like Detroit". as in Michigan's Detroit).
And I thought- "If I want to visit Detroit, all I have to do is drive 90 minutes down the highway to Detroit. No way I am getting on a plane to fly some 8-9 hours westward out in the middle of the pacific ocean to visit and stay at 'Detroit' ".
Mainlanders have this fixated view of a tropical lush laded garden paradise of Hawaii. Filled with inviting pineapple trees covering these majestic mountains by the beeches and deep blue waters.
To a degree yeah Hawaii has that. But that does not take in the complete Real and urban Hawaii.
Me?
If I were to visit Oahu,
I might feel right at home in Kanehoe for its laid back countryside vibe, but yeah most definatley take a day trip to check out Honolulu.
But stay in Honolulu?
Probably not.
Bub…..a lot of us on the mainland have a Hawaiian dream too!! IT GOES…….tons of rum….day and night…..topless huly-huly girls…..great feasts….some more rum…..AND them huly-huly babes again…..swimming with sharks……yup…..some more of them babes!!!!! NOT THE ONES WITH THEIR BRA ON!!!!!!! Taraaaaaaa…..HAWAII!!!!!!!!!
Get a bicycle to get around town. You can walk around and unwind. Get out of town every weekend. So hard to drive 5 miles? I grew up in town, but lived in PC. Went to school half in town half in PC. They're a connection. You have to build bridges with people. You have to talk story with people. I miss living in town when I was small. Cities are designed around people, suburbs are designed around cars. go hiking in the mountains. They're so many trails to hike. Join the Sierra club.
I'M 70 YEARS OLD. LIVE IN CALIFORNIA. 50 YEARS AGO, I USE TO COMMUTE TO PEARL CITY FROM KANEOHE TO GO TO COLLEGE. DON'T MISS THAT COMMUTE
The town you grew up in, is it Kaneohe?
Great discussion & thoughts. What stood out for me was the driving anxiety. I felt the same way as well. Since the pandemic & being able to work at home, I noticed I've been more anxious about driving. Maybe it's age or the lack of driving or combo of both. I live in CA so I drove a lot & you dealt with constant traffic.
I'm curious your thoughts about living in downtown & crime. How bad is it? I know like all cities you have good & bad areas. Is there a strong or weak police presence?
We hear about crime here and there. Crime was on the rise before the pandemic. I remember hearing stories about kupuna being robbed or attacked. I think the levels are back to normal. We just have to be mindful when walking around.
How much is your downtown apartment 😢?
I lived in Honolulu and had no idea Kaneohe was that much different than Honolulu and thought Kaneohe was way too urban to be "country". They give you stink eye in Kaneohe all the same. How do you afford Kaneohe?
Aloha from kalihi. Crazy, on the mainland its nothing to drive 7 hour to visit grandma. But here 60 mins is a long time. Different mind set.
Yeah, different mindset. I miss those open road trips.
How do you feel about the safety of downtown, especially with small children? I've lived in an urban environment my whole life and I'd hate to have my children feel unsafe even if living in one of the safest states in the country.
Certain areas are okay. There are certain parts that we avoid with the kids (Chinatown and other areas with homeless)
Brother, we gotta monetize all these views! Let’s do a tour company!!! 🙏🙏🙏
Great video lotta good insight
Glad you enjoyed it
I live in k bay while the marine had a place near yhe windward mall beautiful place miss it
So why did you go to McKinley High?
Parents worked in town.
OK😊😊😊
How will the new Honolulu railway affect this ?
We'll see when it gets to Town. It could be a long time.
@@HelloFromHawaii Uggghhh... delays !
I’d love a video on your thoughts on the subway being built. I know my mom complains about the cost and that no one will use it, and I always ask, “but what’s the alternative?” You can’t build more hiways, how to you mitigate the problem of 2 hr commutes each way for people?
Do you mean the rail? 😂 If we built a subway… it would probably be underwater since we are surrounded by ocean… 😊
They said that rail should be operational, at least part of it, this summer. Maybe I can try it out and talk about the experience. Not sure where I'd park, though. 😅
#Grateful 🙏 love you guys, thank you, #mahalo
I live west. Work downtown. Still country vibe but due to the work conditions...town changes a person. As a driver
Try Hawaii Kai, theres a condo building called the Heritage House, u can prob get a two bedroom place for $500,000.
Mahalo for the suggestion. Those HOA fees! 😆
@@HelloFromHawaii its the cheapest place in that row of condos, my mom lived there on social security for 20 years. Sold her place in 2017
What do you do for work there?
I'm an Analyst.
There's some nice high rises along the Ala Wai.
Its funny, makes me think at one time I just met someone who's from McCully which is 20min walk away from where I lived Kapahulu and was like "woo you from McCully we neighbors brah.
😁 And Makiki
Next time mention the actual financial cost of town vs country. Mahalo
Mahalo for the suggestion 🤙
Aloha 🌺🥰
Kaneohe girl, born and raised. Love living this side. But I totally enjoy cruising to the West Side and around to the North Shore. Ummm…guess I coulda just said “around da island”. 😊
My drive to work was easy. Worked in Iwilei by Costco. I can’t imagine driving to downtown Honolulu to work. Ugh! Ppl I know would pay about $200 a month for parking. And that was a good price!! Now that I been retired, I despise driving to town…so unless I absolutely have to….I don’t. LOL. 🤞🏼🤞🏼. Love your insight on living here. Mahalo
🤙
Alamoana MaLL is my Kinda Thing to do when I Visit to Honolulu
I relate
Is that Downtown Honolulu? Having lived in town most of my life, I would say that you are in town and not in downtown. Downtown Honolulu is Bishop and Merchant Streets.
Downtown is more west of Richard Street. But as someone who lived in Kaneohe, anywhere close to Town I consider downtown.
Let's all move to Okinawa and hoard all the Okinawan Sweet Pototos and make Hapa kids
FBI. 'Ae, good reminder not to take da natural beauty of Hawai'i nei for granted, Mauna Kea, Mauna loa, rain forest, streams, waterfalls, 🌊🌴
i live in maui in my mind
😁
Growing up in a condo, I wanted to give my kids something different. We live in the suburbs where backyard parties, organized sports, and playing outside the house with the neighborhood kids and our dogs are the norm. The sense of community is everything to us and easily worth the commute to work everyday. Not to mention, never having to pay for parking anywhere.
It sounds like your driving anxiety might actually be PTSD. Emphasis on the "P" for post. You were probably stuck in the trauma of coping with it every day until you stopped doing it. Now you're finally experiencing the symptoms. Trafic trauma is real! Also, thank you for the video! Very informative!
"Country Boy" growing up 12 miles from downtown? You have to be kidding.
“I from up country.” “Where?” “Da kine backroads..Alewa Heights “
Never considered Kane’ohe as country. The North Shore of Oahu is considered “country” imho.
Well, if you've been to Kaneohe, you'd see that it's pretty country in comparison to Town. 🤙
Negatives is crime and homeless. I live in Hawaii Kai and it’s the best of both worlds. We so close to town and Nalo’s. Plus we have our very own Costco and some of the best beaches… cheeeee
I grew up in town, bonafide townie (grad McKinley 2010) and it’s not that there is no community, but most of the community is on ice so it’s mostly community of crack heads. You can get into a lotta trouble on the streets in Honolulu.
lol. What streets are you traveling on?
@@HelloFromHawaii luckily I made the right choices and didn’t get stuck pretty much anywhere between downtown and Diamond head, but that was then. I’m not kolohe no more, I’m good now 😂😂😂😂😂
All those cement buildings are so ugly
I cannot imagine having a 9-5, living in kapolei/ewa beach and working in town. Half your life in traffic. No way. On a side note: I feel like riding an electric scooter around blasidell just watchig this vid.
Yeah, that's a tough routine, but lots of people do it.
Ah you gotta go home cook rice like that lol ……. Aloha from Kaneohe …. Ben paker and king zoo lol and castle high with a K 😂 castle knights 😂
I lived Nuuanu…worked Windward…no rush hour traffic either way!🤣 Best of both worlds! 😊
Hanalulu
Ewa Beach
I grew up Honolulu, like near mapunapuna , near the airport, and my mom moved to Ewa beach, so now i get family there too and spend a lot of time in Ewa. I think ewa gets a bad rap but I think ewa is nice if you really value quiet time. it feels more spacious there. Hopefully someday it won't be seen as this "no mans land" kind of place.
Yeah, everything is "the state of Oahu"
Nope, gotta move mainland already. Hawai'i is only for the rich and poor. Middle class, who carries everyone else gotta move.
Great video. I am getting hired by the state and I am figuring out to live downtown or outside.
Try Makiki, Nuuanu Heights or Kaimuki.
Chris……don’t you people have light rapid transit that gets you into town comfortably, with video game, work, or snooze???
Please don't misunderstand what I'm about to comment. But as a local boy I'm surprised how you pronounce Honolulu. You seem to be pronouncing it HA-nolulu like a mainland haole instead of how it's really supposed be pronounced ... HO-nolulu. Just saying lol!
Like you and like your channel! 👍😉
Mahalo for the comment. I was called out on my pronunciation a while ago and talked about it in a past video. I actually think a lot of locals say the "ha" rather than the "ho", but I understand sound difference. 🤙
I'm shocked too. This might be fairly recent? (I don't go home much.) Locals' Hawaiian pronounciation isn't perfect anyway, but HAH-nolulu from a local is not good.
Young man…….be glad you’re out of the country!!! Yes…..even downtowns provide a sense of bond….belonging!!! Becoming a part of a small community for LIFE????????? What the hell is that????????????? Spells……HICKSVILLE to me!!!
High school buddies FOR LIFE?????????? WHAT A HORROR SHOW!!!!!