Honolulu, HI is the capital of Hawaii and one of the most popular destinations for tourists from around the world. It is known for its warm climate, amazing beaches, and breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. Visitors can enjoy a variety of activities such as visiting Pearl Harbor, taking in a luau, or taking part in some water sports or hiking. There are plenty of exciting attractions to explore in Honolulu that make it an ideal vacation destination. The city also offers plenty of dining options ranging from fine dining to casual eateries.
Reviews of Honolulu are generally positive as visitors typically find it to be an enjoyable place to travel. Tourists appreciate its many attractions as well as its great restaurants and shopping opportunities. The beaches are particularly praised for their stunning scenery and inviting waters. Many visitors also enjoy exploring the varied cultural history that Honolulu has to offer with many museums and historical sites to discover. All in all, Honolulu is a popular tourist destination with much to offer travelers from all over the world.
based on 14 ReviewsGet to know Urban Honolulu with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Urban Honolulu
Outrageously Expensive, Horrible place to live - 10/22/2021
I’ve lived in Honolulu for over 40 years and watched a mediocre city decline until it’s nearly a 3rd world destination. Unbelievably expensive (one of the top 4 most expensive destinations in the USA, hot and sticky humid every day, all roads clogged with traffic (like Los Angeles at its worst), hostile residents (everyone who lives here hates anyone not born & raised in Hawaii), and one of the worst public school systems in the nation.
To be fair the beaches are some of the best in the world. Unfortunately all beaches are packed with people all the time. And there is really nothing else to do here if you aren’t a beach fan. Hawaii isn’t “paradise” anymore. Average vacation choice but not somewhere you want to
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Great to make money in real estate. - 7/14/2019
It a hour or two. Wait a few years become richer by appreciation not pay unless a pro. No time share are good. Get real estate rent it out and sell when you need to and get a lot. Best in 2009 &10 for baseline. Since 2012 fast growth in high end so expect in the millions for best homes and condos. If tourism keeps expanding the economy will grow as the rest of the USA. REIT are here too. Commercial real estate is fine. Hard to do business as government is all dems. No happy high end jobs so many have two as part time is 20 hours not 30 like rest of the country. Live on east and windward sides but near is better. Horrible traffic from west and north. Get ready for culture shock with food. Milk $6-8 gal. So it is three times more. No exports so shipping charges twice as much one way. Cars low mileage as no where to drive more than 20 miles a day. Electric cars are able to charge and park for free many places. No Hydrogen. If a hurricane hits just call us Puerto Rico 2. Lots of great
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Before you move here consider this: - 2/5/2016
I have lived here, on and off, since 2008. Here are the pros and cons as I see them.
Pros: Mostly very good weather, sunny all the time. Friendly laid back atmosphere. Easy to get around the city without a car. Safe, very little violent crime.
Cons:
Very high cost of living. People routinely have friends or relatives on the mainland ship them basics, like soap or clothing rather than be overcharged here. High rents plus low salaries, you can do the math.
Traffic, terrible. The people here are very anti-mass transit and have done everything they could to stop the much needed rail project. All they succeeded in doing was making it much more expensive.
Jobs, awful. If you are non-Asian think twice before relocating here. You will find it very hard to even get interviewed unless you know someone or have an Asian surname. The attitude is to hire a local first, even if they are unqualified, which mostly they are. Don't even think about
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1988 comparing to present - 1/26/2015
I used to live in Honolulu (in Waikiki)for half a year in 1988. Everything was so cheap except in Waikiki where they usually had the high prices at the "tourist" stores. The rent there was wonderful - two bedrooms at $900 monthly and now it should be over $1,500 or so, I guess. I've heard that the prices there now are high. Remember, years ago it was cheap and now, it is no longer. Many different people really didn't bother me because I was at that time a very open-minded guy who is a white guy. I really enjoyed meeting so many different people, including locals. I felt that we all were as same as human begins, so nothing happened to me there. Many Japanese tourists made me sick because many stores and restaurants always cut the line and let them stand up in lines behind us, including Chinese, Koreans, Filipinos, whites, and even locals. That was the most thing I hated commonly. I have been deaf since I was born. I went to fast food restaurants, especially McDonald's and
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Be prepared - 4/8/2014
Honolulu is a great place to visit, but a difficult place to move.
First the obstacles:
You absolutely must have a job arranged before relocating (good advice for many places, but essential here) because if you don't you will run into the worst aspect of life here: they will not hire haoles or strangers. There is a strong, not-so-subtle racism against non-locals. Unless you are a local, and they will know when they see your resume, you will be passed over for a local, regardless of your qualifications. I have lived all over the country (NY, DC, LA, Seattle, Albuquerque, SF, etc) and have never faced this kind of discrimination over not being "from Here" anywhere except Hawaii. So unless you are fine with working in a hotel or a restaurant for peanuts (and the minimum wage is $7.25 which is not enough to survive in expensive HI) you better have your own gig, or a rock-solid job offer before you move here.
This attitude can extend into friendships as well, it will
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Pros and Cons of Living in "Paradise" - 2/11/2014
I have lived in Honolulu for nearly 2 years. While some categorize it as paradise, I beg to differ. Honolulu does have a host of problems, most notable expensive cost of living. Milk usually costs $5 per gallon, and other food commodities can be just as expensive. I am originally from California, and the equivalent house I would have gotten here was nearly twice the price! Decent housing runs at nearly $500,000 and up, and renting a decent house is over $2,000 per month. Worst of all, very few houses actually have air conditioning. Considering the fact the temperatures usually hover around 80 degrees year round, you would think that they would be a necessity. You have to go clear to the other side of O'ahu to get decent priced housing, and then you get the traffic. Traffic is so bad that some portions take 10 minutes for a 1/4 mile. Daily commutes that should take 15 minutes become an hour because of slow drivers and ridiculously low speed limits on freeways. Now, the weather (for me)
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A Nice Place To Live. - 9/2/2013
I think that (Honolulu), Hawaii is a nice place to live- because of the natural beauty of the islands, and because of the "Aloha Spirit" of the people- who call these islands their home. There is no nicer climate in the U.S., in which to live, and there are no people more accepting of racial or ethnic diversity, than the "Kama-aina" of Hawaii. There is no-place in the U.S., where I would rather
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A Nice Place To Live. - 9/2/2013
I think that (Honolulu), Hawaii is a nice place to live- because of the natural beauty of the islands, and because of the "Aloha Spirit" of the people- who call these islands their home. There is no nicer climate in the U.S., in which to live, and there are no people more accepting of racial or ethnic diversity, than the "Kama-aina" of Hawaii. There is no-place in the U.S., where I would rather
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A Nice Place To Live. - 9/2/2013
I think that (Honolulu), Hawaii is a nice place to live- because of the natural beauty of the islands, and because of the "Aloha Spirit" of the people- who call these islands their home. There is no nicer climate in the U.S., in which to live, and there are no people more accepting of racial or ethnic diversity, than the "Kama-aina" of Hawaii. There is no-place in the U.S., where I would rather
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A Nice Place To Live. - 9/2/2013
I think that (Honolulu), Hawaii is a nice place to live- because of the natural beauty of the islands, and because of the "Aloha Spirit" of the people- who call these islands their home. There is no nicer climate in the U.S., in which to live, and there are no people more accepting of racial or ethnic diversity, than the "Kama-aina" of Hawaii. There is no-place in the U.S., where I would rather
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