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Does anyone have info on the U of Hawaii regarding housing. I know the dorms are not an option and rents around the University are outrageous - any suggestions?

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Guest keejo

I would also like to know about U Hawaii housing (potential astronomy grad student)... I'm guessing Hawaii is super expensive in general. What are the usual apartment rates? Is there any university grad student housing?

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i live on the big island, Hawaii- as a potential astronomy student you might end up here for research at the institute for astronomy to work on one of the telescopes on Mauna Kea. The market for houses is tight (Big Island) with lots of people buying and selling their houses. There are also not a lot of rentals available, but there is always something to find. email me if you want to know more. I cannot tell a lot about the housing on Oahu (Honolulu), other than that it is more expensive (but I don't know how much etc.). The weather is great - very stable, lots of sun and palmtrees, and gorgeous beaches.

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  • 1 month later...

i think finding housing down there is going to be a HUGE headache. from what i see, you can find a room in a house/apartment to share averaging between $500 - $750. a studio/one bedroom is going to be $1000-1200. oh and its will be shoebox tiny. i haven't seen an ad for a one bedroom over 400 sq ft, and even saw something that was like $900 for 136 sq ft. i think i'd be better off bringing a box with me to live in. i haven't heard the most fantastic things about living in the manoa area, but who knows i guess. i've also seen people renting out their living rooms too or partitioned rooms as well. personally i think that if you're going to be paying that much for a shared space, you might as well pay the extra to get something more appealling.

the costs of living in paradise, i guess. :?

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  • 3 years later...

Is there anybody to avoid renting from in Manoa? Any good landlords/rental agencies? What about resources in general (i.e., places to find an apartment)? Also, is Manoa, and the university itself, bike-friendly?

Edited by Multiple Infusions
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  • 4 weeks later...

I can't speak to grad student housing, but I used to live in Manoa, and might be able to give some advice...

Thinking about neighborhoods, Manoa can be a little bit expensive. The houses are very nice and there aren't a huge amount of apartment buildings, even of the small variety. It's a pretty safe area as a result, so biking around there shouldn't be a problem (people do it pretty frequently, as far as I recall).

Consider living in Makiki or Moiliili - they border UH pretty closely (the latter more so). Makiki has more reasonably pricing since it's not on the beach and doesn't really offer great views, and it's also just generally a cheaper area (I lived on the border of Manoa and Makiki, so if you have questions about anywhere in that area, send me a message).

Moiliili is where you'll probably find more students, since it's between Waikiki and UH. I'm not sure if, in either case, those are the kinds of apartments or rooms that'll show up on Craigslist too frequently. You might have better luck securing a lower-rent location using a realtor. And, since it's probably a far distance for many of you, you might be able to do the realtor process remotely.

Do note that your UH ID will get you on the city buses for free, and they run frequently. Living in Waikiki is also doable from a distance standpoint, if you want to be in the thick of the tourist industry. Alternatively, it's something to keep in mind if you'd rather live near the beach but cannot afford to: you can always take the bus there very easily.

If you have specific questions about neighborhoods, apartment buildings, or anything like that, feel free to message me. Though I no longer live in Hawaii, tons of my friends do (many in/around UH), so if I don't know the answer, chances are someone I know might :) Moving there from the mainland can be quite a shock, so gathering information at this point can only help you adjust!

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  • 11 months later...

Wanted to bump this up... anyone heading that direction this fall?

I can't speak to grad student housing, but I used to live in Manoa, and might be able to give some advice...

Thinking about neighborhoods, Manoa can be a little bit expensive. The houses are very nice and there aren't a huge amount of apartment buildings, even of the small variety. It's a pretty safe area as a result, so biking around there shouldn't be a problem (people do it pretty frequently, as far as I recall).

Consider living in Makiki or Moiliili - they border UH pretty closely (the latter more so). Makiki has more reasonably pricing since it's not on the beach and doesn't really offer great views, and it's also just generally a cheaper area (I lived on the border of Manoa and Makiki, so if you have questions about anywhere in that area, send me a message).

Moiliili is where you'll probably find more students, since it's between Waikiki and UH. I'm not sure if, in either case, those are the kinds of apartments or rooms that'll show up on Craigslist too frequently. You might have better luck securing a lower-rent location using a realtor. And, since it's probably a far distance for many of you, you might be able to do the realtor process remotely.

Do note that your UH ID will get you on the city buses for free, and they run frequently. Living in Waikiki is also doable from a distance standpoint, if you want to be in the thick of the tourist industry. Alternatively, it's something to keep in mind if you'd rather live near the beach but cannot afford to: you can always take the bus there very easily.

If you have specific questions about neighborhoods, apartment buildings, or anything like that, feel free to message me. Though I no longer live in Hawaii, tons of my friends do (many in/around UH), so if I don't know the answer, chances are someone I know might :) Moving there from the mainland can be quite a shock, so gathering information at this point can only help you adjust!

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  • 2 months later...

I've lived here for about a year and I'm starting at UH in the fall. I live in Moiiliili, kinda below Manoa and between UH and Waikiki. I'm about a 15 minute bike ride from UH. My boyfriend and I split a 500-sq ft one bedroom for $1200 month; that includes water, cable, and a reserved parking space (if you have a car here, do NOT take a place without parking. parking and traffic in this city are insane). It's a nice place too, recently remodeled with new appliances. Finding apartments pretty much sucks, and you are going to have less space than you do on the mainland, so be prepared for that. The city is small, but for finding cheap housing, Makiki and Moiliili are your best bets. Kaimuki is really nice, with more of a downtown feel to it (the commercial strip along Waialae Ave helps), but it is more expensive and harder to find an apartment. Look in the "shares" section on Craigslist to get a feel for it.

I have a friend who lived on the GA stipend, and he said it was fine, but they definitely weren't rich. He was also splitting costs with his girlfriend, she was working.

I bike almost everywhere I go. A lot of people say it's unsafe, it doesn't really bother me. But I'm used to cycling in crowded cities so YMMV. There is a bike lane on University Ave that goes up to campus, but it cuts straight by a freeway onramp, so I take a back way to get up there through a residential neighborhood.

Honolulu is amazing. There's a lot to do, free or paid. There are also lots of part time jobs to be had (retail, food service) if you need a little extra money.

Let me know if anyone else has questions, I'd love to help if I can.

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  • 9 months later...

I found a thread on this from back in 2006, but I figure some things may have changed since then. :)

Can anyone give me any tips about living near UH Manoa? Prices, rental situations, etc? I'm moving with my SO and 2 cats, so we are looking for an affordable one bedroom. I've heard that the cost of living is quite high in this area, so if anyone has any tips on how to live on a budget that would be great. :)

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Alright, someone I can really help! My first suggestion for neighborhood would be Makiki. It is pretty close to UH, takes me less than 15 mins by bus or about a 25 min walk. Will you have a car here? I need some more information! If you have any specific questions please ask!

As far prices go, you can get a 1 bedroom in Makiki for $900-1800 depending on how nice it is. Be prepared, apartments in Honolulu take getting used to. You will, I repeat you will have cockroaches to deal with. Also landlords tend turn apartments around fast. When I lived in SoCal and Oregon it was generally accepted that you'd move in at the first or maybe the fifteenth of the month. Here apartments will literally turn around in days, and don't expect landlords to do a whole lot of maintenance in between.

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http://honolulu.crai...2874498393.html

http://honolulu.crai...2853660017.html

http://honolulu.crai...2853163158.html

Specifically states cats are ok!

http://honolulu.crai...2845643454.html

Also, the cost of the bus pass for the entire semester is included in your fees and really cheap!

Who is your POI at UH? My thesis advisers husband is a professor in the linguistics department!

Edited by xdarthveganx
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Wow, thanks for the info! I will be shipping my car there but I plan on using it sparingly, so I'll be taking the bus to campus most days I guess. My cats are great pest control, so hopefully the roaches won't be too much of an issue (I hope!).

I'm wondering how far in advance of classes starting I should be moving out there. (classes start on the 20th, and there are exemption exams the previous week). I plan to fly out in advance of my SO and find an apartment while he packs up the shipping container (we plan on taking the essentials only). Is there anything I should prioritize taking, such as items that are hard to come by in HI?

I'm not sure who my adviser will be, I've been admitted to the MA program, and I hope to continue on to the PhD program. My focus is mainly on bilingualism and second language acquisition (which is what makes UH Manoa such a great fit!)

Thanks so much for the advice, it's good to feel like I'm not going in totally blind! :D

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There really isn't anything you can't get here. We have all the big box stores (except Ikea).

Come as early as possible so you can enjoy your new surroundings! One can certainly slack on their academics and enjoy themselves plenty. But if you're anything like me, your memory of wonderful beach days and cliff diving will become hazy quickly as you spend countless hours in Sinclair studying!

The roaches are unavoidable here unless your wealthy enough to pay a company to come spray on a regular basis. Roach motels help, but I can guarantee that you will have them at least in your kitchen. It is a way of life. Glad to hear you're bringing your car, the best parts of the island IMO are east side (Kailua) and the North Shore.

I did the exact same thing as you. I flew out a month ahead of time of my partner and she met me out here. I was lucky enough to have friends who let me sleep on their couch while I looked for an apartment.

Any other questions feel free to ask, oh and PM if you wanna be friends on facebook (and can handle my radical politics) haha.

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FYI, check on shipping cats to Hawaii. We are a rabies free state and your cats will have to go through quarantine. There is a cheaper way to do it by getting your animals vaccinated and checked out by a vet before you come over, plus making reservations with the quarantine facility (see link). I live on the Big Island, not Oahu so I'm not much help on finding housing. It is very expensive to live in Honolulu, but it is a modern city and you will find just about everything you need there!

http://hawaii.gov/hdoa/ai/aqs/info

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Yeah, getting animals into HI is crazy! I already have them in to start their rabies vaccine series...I think moving them will be more complicated than moving me! I grew up near the beach in CA, so I think I'll enjoy the atmosphere in HI. The roaches on the other hand... :blink:

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roaches that aim for your head? what am I getting myself into! Just out of curiosity, is O'ahu mainlander friendly? I've heard some parts of the islands are less than welcoming (not that I blame them at all, just curious)

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roaches that aim for your head? what am I getting myself into! Just out of curiosity, is O'ahu mainlander friendly? I've heard some parts of the islands are less than welcoming (not that I blame them at all, just curious)

You will be just fine. It's all a matter of how you carry yourself, show respect and you'll get respect back. No worries, and I am sure you'll love the time you spend in the islands.

You might need to pick up some pidgin though. Where you stay? (where do you live)

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FYI, check on shipping cats to Hawaii. We are a rabies free state and your cats will have to go through quarantine. There is a cheaper way to do it by getting your animals vaccinated and checked out by a vet before you come over, plus making reservations with the quarantine facility (see link). I live on the Big Island, not Oahu so I'm not much help on finding housing. It is very expensive to live in Honolulu, but it is a modern city and you will find just about everything you need there!

http://hawaii.gov/hdoa/ai/aqs/info

Ditto what Nari said.. our cat was able to do a one month quarantine (years ago) however apparently a typical stay is 3 months, if you don't get your ducks in order ahead of time. They will take your cats from the plane straight to quarantine.. it's so sad. And the quarantine is outside, no A/C, etc.

And yea, cockroaches fly, bite, are huge, and fly TO you.

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roaches that aim for your head? what am I getting myself into! Just out of curiosity, is O'ahu mainlander friendly? I've heard some parts of the islands are less than welcoming (not that I blame them at all, just curious)

Oahu is a bit more mainlander friendly because there are so many tourists there. Most locals don't have a problem with people from the mainland, it's the attitude. Eaxmple: People come to Hawaii from the mainland and love the atmosphere because it's laid back and relaxed. They move here because they loved their visit, and then they move here and try to change things to make their lives more convenient. The other thing is they move here and keep the same attitude that they had in the mainland rather than appreciating the laid back style in Hawaii. Sorry in advance but you'll probably be called "haole" at least a few times while you're here. Its modern meaning is "foreigner, particularly white" but it depends on its context and use. I'm a born & raised 1/3 Native Hawaiian, yet I've been called haole becuase I speak with good English and go to college, not because I look white. I think it is more of a way that you carry yourself and attitude that is perceived as foreign. Since you're moving to Oahu.....be prepared to see a plethora of Japanese tourists. Also white people are the minority here, so be prepared for that. Honestly though most people really don't care about race. Hawaii is such a melting pot that most people I know are multiple ethnicities. If you're studying language or culture this is kind of the gold mine, because you also see the interaction between cutures. The food.....amazing!! You're gonna find lots of different kinds, plus hybrids of several cultures. As for areas to avoid....I would stay out of Waianae for a while till you gain a bit of local cred. The more country areas are like that and not so much in town....beautiful, but rugged!

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I'm actually really looking forward to being a minority :D where I come from is very mixed, but here I am still in the majority, ethnicity wise. I'm definitely looking forward to the mix of languages, cultures, and the food!

Does anyone know if the housing prices are noticeably higher right around the UH campus? After commuting 45minutes every day for undergrad, I'm hoping to live a lot closer to campus this time :)

Great info in here, really appreciate it.

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Honestly, the prices don't really get better until you get out towards Aiea and Pearl City. I personally would not recommend living out that far. I think Makiki is your best bet 100%

Have you checked out padmapper.com?

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