Where to live in Oahu?
 

My fiance and I will be living in Oahu for three months (May-July) for his job, and we're trying to figure out where to live. I think it would be nice to find a place in Honolulu so we get a feel for the city and local people. The other option is a condo in Ko Olina (gated resort-condo community). I'm not so sure about that...seems like we would be too far removed from any action...easy access to restaurants, nightlife, etc.

Any opinions about which place would be better for a 3 month stay?

Thanks for any advise!

Is this for military, or....? If you give a hint as to where he may be working, us locals can give you a better idea....

As Melissa said, where your fiance will be working will make a big difference. If he's going to be downtown, that commute from the Waianae Coast will be rough, and that isn't the greatest area to be living in. There are a lot of nice neighborhoods in Honolulu, and there are even some cute ones just outside of Waikiki. You might want to check out the Pualei Circle area, or, if you want to splurge a bit and stay in great location, the Gold Coast.

hi-unless you're working on the leeward coast I wouldn't live out there. traffic to town is awful everyday. since you're only in hawaii temporarily you'd want to try living nearer the beaches and fun. that means town or the kailua area on the windward side . Kailua has a crowded commute into town also but it is only about 12 miles and the beaches are gorgeous. the most "action" and access to things will be on the town side (waikiki,east honolulu communities ,manoa,etc) You'll have a great time I hope while here.
rental market is tough but maybe work is paying?? there are likely more short-term rentals in the waikiki area. hope this helps
heidi

I would live in Honolulu, absolutely. I really like the city.

Not to mention, for me, especially if a "gated community" is the other option -yuck.

This will give you an idea of rental property availability & rent on Oahu:
http://www.hicentral.com/properties/...mp;type=rental

hi- my Sister lived in Kailua for 18 years and the beach there is truly fine! When she first arrived she lived around Diamond Head.

Over the years that traffic situation (commuting to Honolulu) has grown worse and worse, but I would still vote for the Kailua area, though it has gotten much more built up than it used to be.
Don't know much about Ko Olina though...

We owned a vary nice townhouse Wailuna townhouse area of Aiea/Pearl City and really enjoyed it. Close enought o Waikiki to allow approx 1/2 hour wrk commute to downtown..10 miutes to Peal Harbor area.
Otherwise if you want to be downtown consider long rental at Hilton Hawaiian Viliage Timeshare..concirege and great location...

Thanks to Melissa for the link to rentals. Of course most of us don't know the ins and outs of the various areas in Waikiki/Honolulu...Punchbowl, Kapiolani and so on. Is or are there any to definitely avoid due to crime and the like?
Often thought a year's lease there would be fun even if we couldn't stay longer, or maybe a year would be enough, don't know ;)

You know, nowadays it's hard to say exactly what area would be "bad" because I've run into some real surprises. For example, my friend rented a room in Kalihi, which we would normally not recommend. But the specific part of Kalihi she lives in is very tranquil and safe. So scout for local realtors, and they can help you with the rental hunt.