Honolulu, HI

[Lt. Mango]

ooh yeah, I'm on padmapper every day haha. I'm just not sure how far of a commute it is from anywhere to the school. Where I'm from, 15 miles could end up taking an hour, depending on the time of day I've heard the traffic in Honolulu can be pretty bad sometimes, so I've tried to look in neighborhoods that are within a few miles of UH.

[Darth.Vegan]

Oh yeah no kidding. I would say 1-2 miles max would be best.

[phemgal]

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.

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!

Thanks for all the tips in this forum. I just got into UH/Social Work and will be moving in July.

We are just starting the pet forms/rabies shots and tracking---what information did you find on shipping your car? Was it reasonable? I haven't yet looked into that.

Me and my husband are both moving and he is about to secure a job there (thank goodness). We were really worried about finances especially with me paying out of state for that first year. But I think we will be okay with that job and my F/A. It's such a big leap!

[Lt. Mango]

Thanks for all the tips in this forum. I just got into UH/Social Work and will be moving in July.

We are just starting the pet forms/rabies shots and tracking---what information did you find on shipping your car? Was it reasonable? I haven't yet looked into that.

Me and my husband are both moving and he is about to secure a job there (thank goodness). We were really worried about finances especially with me paying out of state for that first year. But I think we will be okay with that job and my F/A. It's such a big leap!

Congrats on getting in!

As far as shipping the car goes, I've received estimates ranging from $950-$1070. Some companies will ship your car and a container full of your stuff, so I'm looking into a few of those to try to simplify the process. I can pass along the names if you need (but having never used any of them before, I can't really say which one is best!).

I also feel like moving to HI is a big leap! You can't just load up a U-Haul and drive there I hope everything goes well for you and your husband during this crazy moving process

[Stitch808]

Hi! I'm a local boy born and raised in Honolulu. I'm graduating in May from UH, the school that I've been at for a very long time. Commuting is NOT bad. I live in the Salt Lake/Aliamanu area by the airport, approx. 10-11 miles away from campus and the commute (back roads) is 45-60 minutes during traffic. No traffic on the freeway would mean your commute should be about 20 minutes, and 30 minutes on the back roads. You could honestly live in Salt Lake/Aliamanu area and commute happily to campus if your class schedule allows it.

The UPass (bus pass) for UH students that's good for the semester, is very useful BUT I heard sometime ago that UH may not have it in the coming semesters. You may want to contact UH regarding that because otherwise adult bus passes are $60/month.

The roaches are okay, you get used to them, and the ants. You could message me if you'd like regarding Oahu life. I am, as well as some other posters here, not considered the typical local because of my "perfect" english and ways of articulation. but i do speak pidgin when the occasion calls for it.

[inej]

Hi - we moved here last year and it is a great city. It is dense and cosmpolitan and you should be able to find almost anything you need here. We considered it a permanent move since we have family here so we shipped a 16' container via PODS, the car and the dog. We looked at paying for 3 years of storage and still needing dishes, furniture and my tools - vs shipping - same, same - so we decided to bring it all. However, there are many fully furnished rentals here too, and its a somewhat transient place because of the military deployments, so it is easy to find used things. Our SUV was $1400 to ship from the CA coast, plus you have to have it inspected and either permit or register it right away. If you are not enamored of your ride or your stuff, only plan to stay for your masters program and your parents have garage space, I might suggest sell it or leave it behind. It takes 120 days of prep work to ship an animal in and avoid quarantine, but we were able to pick him up right after the flight and take him home. There is lots of info on the internet about that so do your research. There are very few pet friendly rentals here, especially if you have more than one animal. Our fella is big, so we didn't have a whole lot of choices. There are more mid-high rises than SF houses in town. If you want a house, best to look just outside of the city. The bus system is great, traffic is horrendous. Everything is expensive, food will be probably 1/3 higher than the mainland and electricity is insanely expensive, like 2-3X mainland cost. So just plan for that in the budget. Residency is harder to get here and UH has some odd rules about that so don't just assume you can get residency status in a year, it may not be possible while you are a student. I have a GA so it didn't matter. Campus is lovely, and my faculty has been great. Overall very happy to be here.

[nari27]

Aloha! Is anyone out there looking for a roomate for this Fall? Female Preferred. I am noticing some really gorgeous 2bd/2ba apartments, but I can't afford them. I can definitely afford half though! I am starting a PhD program this Fall but all my classes are at the med school in Kaka'ako and not up at Manoa. I was thinking that area, or possibly towards Waikiki.

[Lt. Mango]

@inej - can you tell me more about the residency? My SO and I are planning to get HI drivers licenses, register to vote, and open a bank account, is there more we should be trying to do?

[huajai]

Hi Lt. Mango, I'm headed from California to UHM in the fall as well--SLS, so perhaps we'll run into each other. I ran across a brochure from the business school regarding a move to HI--including residency. http://www.shidler.hawaii.edu/Portals/0/StudentInfo/common/downloads/MovingToHawaii.pdf

[GeoLing]

Thanks for all the info on neighborhoods, it's really helpful.

 

I've applied for a PhD in Linguistics, and I just had an interview that went well, so I'm wondering about cost of living issues as well.

 

How much is a typical monthly grocery bill for a single student in Honolulu?

 

What about for a couple?

 

Also- would you recommend trying to find a place online before arriving or seeing everything firsthand before making decisions on housing?

 

Thanks for the info!

[Darth.Vegan]

I live in Makiki and pay $1350 a month for a decent 1 bedroom that includes a small study room, large lanai and dedicated parking spot in a gated garage. Makiki is your best bet IMO, it takes me about 15 mins to get to campus on the bus, walking takes about 30 mins. 

[kaister]

I'm going to have to agree the Makiki/Moiliili area is going to your best bet closest to UH.  Groceries are pretty high here, I would say maybe 200-300/month for groceries, but I like to cook a lot, so if you were to budget you could probably cut it down a little more.
I would say look at things before you sign any long term leases.  Sometimes things aren't always what they seem, or at least ask whoever you're talking with to take a lot of pictures.  If you need any advice on areas, I'd be happy to let you know about it.  Just be aware a lot of the apartments are pretty old here and have not had a lot of updates, so definitely check or ask, that's definitely not the case for all apartments.  

[LeatherElbows]

Thanks for the advice folks ... quite helpful. Does anyone know about couples housing through Hawaii Manoa? The housing website requires a student ID, so I have no clue.

 

Also, how extensive is The Bus? Is it possible to go around Oahu for free with a student ID, or is there a range limit?

[Sophielynette]

I lived in Honolulu for four years and took the bus everywhere.  There are certain out of the way areas you can't get -- secluded beaches and the like-- but for the most part you can go all around the island.  The student ID bus pass is a great deal.  

[GeoLing]

Is anybody heading to UHM this fall?

 

For those of you already in Honolulu, is it advisable to try to get a place to live arranged before you arrive? I'll be arriving on August 12th(ish) and classes start on the 26th. Will it be possible for me to find a place in two weeks?

[ZacharyObama]

I would try to get a place arranged before you move. I've pulled off finding a place in a week in Honolulu before but if you want to be really close to the UH the rental market is competitive. I'd say in terms of neighborhood my order of preference: Manoa, Kaimuki, Kapahulu, Palolo, Makiki, Moilili, Waikiki. Are you looking to rent a studio/apartment or go the roommate route?

[kaister]

I'll be going to UHM! I actually already live here and I would recommend getting something settled before hand.  To be safe get a rental that's only a year that way if you don't like it you can move.  If you find a place you're unsure of you can post it on here or PM me and I can let you know if it's a good area or place.  I know sometimes they aren't always what they seem from online listings.  Like Zachary said, Manoa, Makiki, Moiliili, and Kaimuki are good areas close by the university. 

[ZacharyObama]

Kaister is right about some places not being what they seem. I would take up that offer to check things out. There's actually quite the cottage industry in ripping people off with high rents for shit holes (the student housing buildings in Waikiki especially). So yeah, do as much research as you can before agreeing to anything. I would actually probably try to find roommates to rent a house with or do UH Grad Student Housing (I'm not quite sure what the situation is with that, but it's better than getting scammed on a roach pad.)

[GeoLing]

Thanks, y'all!

 

I'm currently in contact with some students who have a room available in Kaimuki, on Palolo Avenue. It seems close enough to campus, but I have no idea what the inside looks like. I figure if grad students have made it work in the past, I'll be able to do the same. Sharing really brings the rent down to a more reasonable level!

 

It would be such a load off to know I can go straight to my new home when I get off the plane.

[ZacharyObama]

Don't expect air conditioning. But yeah - that's pretty bikeable/walkable (10-15 minutes) to campus presuming it's not too far up Palolo Ave. That's really the Palolo side of the street, but people advertise places like that as Kaimuki because they think Palolo is kinda hood. I lived in the back of Palolo and in Kaimuki proper, really Palolo is not that hood, maybe a little bit country, but I lived above the housing project in the central part of the valley for like a year and the police were only there like once or twice. It's not a bad area at all and you'll be close to groceries/food/town/bus lines.

[GeoLing]

Thanks for the info, ZacharyObama!

 

As for no air-conditioning, at least it doesn't get as hot there as in West Texas. It sounds like that place will work out after all, and it's right next to Chaminade, so shouldn't be too far. Also, I'll be living with fellow Ling grad students who are already there, so they should be able to show me the ropes when I arrive. 

 

Another couple questions about the city:

 

What's a normal range for groceries for the week/month for a single person?

 

Any restaurants you'd recommend in the Palolo/Kaimuki area?

 

 

 

I can't wait to get there!

[kaister]

I would say I could spend around 50/a week.  But I like to cook and I like to make home lunches almost everyday.  Groceries are a bit more expensive here.  There are a bunch of restaurants up Waialae Ave. very near Palolo.  There is plenty of good Asian food here (Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, etc) so enjoy!

[GeoLing]

I can't wait for the food!!!

One of the students in my cohort is a Malaysian male who, because of int'l status missed the on-campus housing deadlines. I know he's on a pretty strict budget, so I was wondering if y'all knew of anyone looking for a roommate in Honolulu for this Fall? Lemme know if you hear about anything!

[Hige]

Looking to revitalize this section.

 

Am strongly considering UH-Manoa this fall and would love to hear thoughts and opinions on living near campus. I am moving with my GF and a cat from outside the country and am really bugging out about finding a place to live. 

Anyone who is a current student/lived in Hawaii have any suggestions for looking for housing beyond craigslist?

 

Thanks!

[Hige]

No one is going to Hawaii this fall? Only me?!