We've Made it!

[DRKWNG]

you're off til Tuesday right?...

So what, you guys are going to wait for me to call down at make the reservation?   

[eltristo]

Friday?  Saturday?  I'm down, I am.

[MadDuck]

Sounds like someone should organize another Thursday night dinner night... 

Don't look at me.   I'm pulling 13 hr days now that the boss is off to Italy for a month. Then there's what's left of my life waiting at the end of the day.

[eltristo]

Don't look at me.   I'm pulling 13 hr days now that the boss is off to Italy for a month. Then there's what's left of my life waiting at the end of the day.

Yow. 

I mean, yow.

[djrashonal]

Aloha Everybody!

reviving the old thread because we just got word we'll be there for a month long pediatrics GI rotation at trippler. Dates are august 6- sept 3.
Hopefully this will give us a better idea of what island life would be like (aside from a week long tourist trip). We're still waiting to get her orders along with the information packet but I'll soon be looking for a 1 month rental home/condo/hotel room that can be up to $170 per night, any ideas would be welcome.

I'm also going to be poking around in the job market there, to get an idea of what is (and is not) available. We find out at the end of december where she will be sent to residency, and our anticipated arrival date would be early june 2012

thanks for all the help already given, and the advice to come

Aarash

[freeflydive]

Aarash,

For the short duration, I'd recommend staying in Waikiki...which will keep a reasonable commute to/from work (aprox 20min).  This will give you the opportunity to enjoy downtown life w/ all the shops, restaurants and beach...all within walking distance.  We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort at the Per Diem rate this past Sept while house hunting on the island...we ended up renting a new condo a block away :-).    The "Hale Koa" is the military hotel...nice rooms, located next to the Hilton resort and shares the same beach.  PARKING: it can be pricey while in a hotel...you can purchase a 1x month pass through the Hale Koa parking garage for ~$90...even if you aren't staying there...must have a DoD ID.  If you are more comfortable in a furnished condo, there are few to choose from...but will likely have to wait until you get closer to your travel dates...most of the decent executive furnished condos in Waikiki will go for 3200+.  Good luck w/ the upcoming move and let us know if you have any questions.  

Semper Fi,
Majdi

[djrashonal]

Thanks for the help! You said you got a condo about a block away.....how far is your commute? how long does it take?

[freeflydive]

I'm stationed at Camp Smith (which is further than Tripler).  It takes me ~20min in the morning, but somehow it becomes an hour drive back into Waikiki in the afternoon.  I typically hit the road at 0630-0645 in the morning and return around 1700. 

[djrashonal]

Thanks for the info! I told the wife and she's already dreading the commute, but I don't mind driving so it wont bother me too much. Did you have the option to live on base? O did you have to find off base housing? Our BAH is gonna be around 27-2800 so we'll probably be looking for a condo or small house for around 2500ish. If things were a bit cheaper I'd like to buy, but i doubt prices will come down far enough by the time we get out there.

Does the constant crowd of tourists become bothersome living right in Waikiki? Any issues you've found aside from astronomical parking? (those are like DC parking prices there!)

[freeflydive]

We moved from NW DC (lived in Penn Quarters on Pennsylvania Ave), so we are used to being swarmed by tourists...parking has not been an issue since we walk to 99% of the events in Waikiki...they also have a decent public transportation system.  We didn't want to live on base (I prefer my personal & work life separate), however the wait list depends on rank...03/04 list is a 6-12 month wait!  If you PCS, one of your options Kailua (30min) or Kaneohe (20min); both are quaint beach communities...you would be able to commute to Tripler via H-3, which never has traffic (unlike H-1).  We decided against looking at Eva Beach area...while the houses are newer construction and reasonably prices, the commute would have killed me...traffic going/coming from there is beyond ridiculous during rush hour!  If you are considering bringing your pet(s)...that requires a bit of planning ahead (vet appointments, shots and documentation) to avoid the 120 day quarantine law...if it applies, PM me your email address and I'll send you the checklist.  

If this is your first time here, prepare for a different life style...things are much more laid back, people are friendly, family oriented and drivers let you over when you have your turn blinker on!!!  On a negative note, simple tasks typically take longer to accomplish, pronouncing street names feels foreign, there's always traffic some where and groceries are expensive!  After 16 years, we finally shop at the commissary, and pay extra for specialty foods in town.  While we have not experienced "island fever" we feel disconnected from the mainland when watching the news...while we are obviously in the US, we initially felt as if we were living overseas    Overall, living here is paradise, the beaches are amazing and and the weather begs for you to play outside...we feel very fortunate for being assigned here.

[DRKWNG]

I'd still say find a place in Kailua or K-Bay if the Mrs is going to be working at tripler. The H3 will be so much easier to deal with at rush hour and you'll have the recharging view each time you punch out of the tunnel on your way home.

[MadDuck]

I'd still say find a place in Kailua or K-Bay if the Mrs is going to be working at tripler. The H3 will be so much easier to deal with at rush hour and you'll have the recharging view each time you punch out of the tunnel on your way home.

Amen to the recharge but please don't advertise that too much. Kaneohe & Kailua are no where as "quaint" as they used to be and are getting worse all the time. I can remember when Kailua had only one stop light in the middle of town, when half the cars in town were VW Bugs and we rode bicycles to the movies. Half the time we didn't lock our cars or our houses. All of that is way gone now.   

[djrashonal]

Half the time we didn't lock our cars or our houses.

No, No, feel free to keep your houses unlocked 


thats actually what we love about Kailua. We went last summer and fell in love with the area, it just seemed more peaceful. Not to mention Boots and Kimo is there (the best breakfast place on the island as far as we've found!)

I've talked to her about Taking the H-3 from Kailua and she loves the idea...now we just need to find a house under 500k!

[DRKWNG]

I can remember when Kailua had only one stop light in the middle of town, when half the cars in town were VW Bugs and we rode bicycles to the movies. Half the time we didn't lock our cars or our houses. All of that is way gone now.   

Sure Rick, but that was in the late '40s.

 

[whackie]

I've talked to her about Taking the H-3 from Kailua and she loves the idea...now we just need to find a house under 500k!

kailua is a very nice area, but tends to be more expensive. if you want an enclosed garage, not sure your price range will work. we've been house hunting for a couple weeks, and our original budget wasn't going very far. we've ended up in makakilo, but the hubby leaves at 5:15 in the morn. our soon to be neighbors say they do the same thing.

if you haven't found this site yet, it's one of the more comprehensive for oahu. also has alerts and etc to use.

http://www.oahure.com/index.php