My husband, 2 year old boy and I are moving to oahu because I got a good job offer. We should be able to afford 2500 – 3000/mo for rent, are very into outdoors life and ocean sports, kayak, snorkel, scuba. I was thinking kailua looked like a good area but worried about a commute to Aiea on H3, is this a bad/crowded commute? Any other areas that you could recommend that are family oriented (not city like)?
Asked by:shani w
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I know someone who does a similar commute and he says it is not a problem, probably 25 minutes when you get the timing right. Yes, Kailua is good and you don’t want any further west than Aiea as that traffic would be horrible. H3 is new and in good shape. If you can find in the Aikahi Park area, you are right near the onramp. It would be slightly cheaper in Kaneohe, but you have to be more careful where you get a home. I would suggest looking close to H3 on the Kailua-Kaneohe side as any further south will be a traffic problem (like Enchanted Lake area near Castle Hospital). I know someone who lives in Aiea and goes surfing every day, but you are closer to the beaches in Kaneohe Bay area.
well at the schools all the kids are mokes, so its not the best place to raise kids especially if they are asian or white… hawaii kai is the most decent neighborhood on oahu…hope i helped!
I would say to most stay in the Kailua area, it’s a cute little city and nice beaches. The commute to Aiea is only about 15-25 minutes not bad at all. By the way, Hawaii Kai is far, it’s in Honolulu and it is expensive.
The commute on H3 is excellent. It drops you within a mile of Aiea. It is right on the edge of Pearl City, Aiea and Pearl Harbor.
Kailua is good. It has good schools and the water activities you mentioned.
Anything from Kaimuki to Hawaii Kai is good too. I really like Kilohana Preschool and Holy Trinity. It’s in Aina Haina. You can also get to the beach or town easily from that area. The commute will be a little longer because you have to go with/through the commuters to UH, Iolani, Punahou, etc., it’s pretty thick from Kaimuki to Pali, but then it clears going to Aiea. From Hawaii Kai, plan on 45 minutes to Aiea, but you will often make it in 30 minutes or less. Same from Kailua. Plan on 45, and you may get there in 20-30 to Aiea.
For $2500-$3000/month, I would buy a condo or townhome or rent on the water in Hawaii Kai. Email me if you have more questions.
Kailua is a great community to live in. If you’re planning on leaving home during the peak morning time, sometimes getting out of Kailua to get onto the H3 on-ramp can take a while. But, once you’re on the H3, it’s usually smooth sailing to Aiea. Time from the on-ramp (not from Kailua) to Aiea is about 10-15 minutes.
Have you checked out — Oahu Properties for Rent?
Kahala and Hawaii Kai have one of the best neighborhoods as far as reputation. Most of the people that live there are rich. The down side is that they are both far from Aiea. Luckily, you will be traveling the opposite of where the heavy traffic is.
If you are going to be commuting to Aiea, why not consider living in Aiea or Pearl City. Both are right next to each other and since they are centrally located, you can travel pretty much anywhere on the island within 30 minutes w/o traffic. Both have a pretty good reputation for raising a family. With what you can afford on rent, you can pick a nice neighborhood in Pearl City (like Wailuna). Also, it’s a fully developed community, so there are plenty of restaurants, grocery stores, movie theatres, and a mall. Very convenient neighborhood.
I think Kailua is about as close to heaven as you can get on earth. It would be a very decent commute to Aiea over H-3. Hawaii Kai is nice, but I still prefer the windward side. The suggestion to look in the Aikahi Park/Mokapu Blvd area is a good one.
Not sure. I’ve lived in Oahu my whole life. I live in Waipahu. I can tell you one thing though: Don’t ever move in the heart of Waipahu; has lots of mean filipinos there. Not good for family at all.
Kailua’s a good place to go though. You’re going to need a lot of money if you want to live in a house one day though…