The word "Honolulu" means sheltered or safe harbor. This city has lived up to the name by being declared the second safest large U.S. city following Sunnyvale, California as being the first. It is constantly identified as one of the country's happiest places. Honolulu is the capital city of Hawaii. It is located on the island of Oahu.
With a population of a little less than one million, Honolulu retains its small town vibes. It is an Asian-influenced city where residents have preserved the Polynesian values of warmth, cordiality, and family unity. Museums, art galleries, and fashion boutiques are as respected as the green mountains with hiking trails and sparkling waters teeming with reefs, dolphins, whales, and turtles.
Hawaii's Pacific location has helped shape life here. Honolulu is the cultural and culinary hub of all the Hawaiian islands. It is a melting pot of cultures and races with Polynesian, Japanese, and others leaving their influences. One can easily spot this mix with a walk through Honolulu's historic China town. Here you will find Buddhist temples, Irish pubs, and Vietnamese restaurants. You can also find these influences in museums like the Bishop Museum, the Honolulu Museum of Art, and festivals like May's Lei Day and the Aloha Festivals in September.
Honolulu's weather plays a big part in why it is dubbed a paradise. Temperatures constantly hover between the mid-60s and the high 80s. It is cooler in the mountains. Humidity goes up in the spring and fall is the rainy season. An increase in the number of vehicles in recent years has caused spikes in traffic congestion. The area's TheBus fleet has over 500 buses that service Honolulu and other parts of Oahu. The average commute time to work is 28 minutes.
Honolulu has naturally divided itself into districts or neighborhoods. The metropolitan area encompasses the southeastern part of Oahu with downtown high rises that spread out to Waikiki beach. The arts district is located on the eastern edge of Chinatown. Upper class and working class residential neighborhoods such as Manoa, Makiki, Kaliki, and others are scattered throughout. These neighborhoods span from the verdant Ko'olau mountains in the northeast to Pearl City and its famous harbor to the northwest. Historic sites include Iolani Palace and Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial. State parks and nature preserves are located inland.
The average price of a home in Honolulu is over $500,000. Many people choose to rent instead of buying with the average monthly rental coming in at over $1,500. With such expensive real estate, finding the best places to live in Honolulu can be a difficult task. You can find out more about living in Hawaii with AreaVibes. Customize your search for data important to you such as education, employment, housing and more to find the best places to live in Honolulu.