Gardyloo

We're thinking about a late fall-early winter shot to Hawaii and I've come across several attractive-looking beachfront house rentals in Ewa Beach around the bay from Honolulu. It looks like a pretty ordinary residential stuff, but can anyone tell me more about the area? Convenience to shopping/restaurants/etc? I'm assuming it's full of Navy folk and retired, is that right? Thanks for any insights.

lcuy

Very residential. The town has places to eat, but nothing I'd recommend or remember. My girlfriend recently had her office move out there, and complains bitterly about having nowhere decent to eat lunch.

There are some shops and a supermarket in the kapolei Center, but the closest real shopping would be either Waikele Center (big box and discount stores) or Pearlridge (your typical mall).

If you rent a nice beachfront house and just want to hang out on the beach, it should be fine, as the water is pretty out there. If you plan to do other stuff and go out for good food in the evenings, its a long way to anywhere.

Another factor with Ewa Beach is the killer rush hour traffic. There is basically only one road to the freeway, and tons and tons of people (who work in town and live out there) are on the road from 6-8:30 am and 3:30-6pm.

Not so many Navy folks anymore as the base closed down years ago.

islandmom

The old part is kinda ghetto and rough. Very Filipino. There are nice new family homes with young families. I hear it's a high drug area. Not a good or safe beach for swimming- deep and rough. The land is very flat and dry- not beautiful. It wouldn't be my first choice for what most people imagine for a Hawaiian vacation.

degas

Agree with islandmom.

Gardyloo

I figured there was more than meets the eye. Thanks.