Honolulu, HI

i loved it. it was paradise.

As a place to visit, it is sort of heavenly. Besides being too touristy, the weather is just about as perfect as it gets for someone like me. The beaches are beautiful but overcrowded if they're near the Waikiki district. Shopping is just like any tourist trap but to be honest, things in the market place is CHEAPER, yes, CHEAPER than Calgary, especially now the economy has been affecting the tourism in Hawaii and the price of living has gone down, but even when it was at its full strength, the prices of little items were still cheaper than what you would find in Calgary. Unfortunately, there's very little chance to find a decent job there especially one not involving tourism, selling souvenirs that are imported from China, or working in a pineapple plantation. As for people say that the locals are poorly educated, arrogant blah blah blah, but I do like the diversity. There are lots of Japanese who seem decent to me, but I got the impression that the white population there disliked the ... Read more

I think Hawaii has struggled since Dog the Bounty Hunter has moved there, and I saw that a boat has been named after Kenny 'Oahu' Rogers* *joking about the boat

It's okay.  I don't see the future here to be very promising... high prices, congestion, etc. is bound to get worse, yet taking action to resolve or prevent issues takes way too long. 'Locals' are very slow about catching on to new and improved things i.e. high tech, green building and so on even though Honolulu's infrastructure and economy desperately needs change and improvement.   Waikiki is a district all its own - very different from other parts of Honolulu which are more akin to a developing nation (mostly very poor neighborhoods w/ a few high-end enclaves). Even an area that people here consider "upper-middle to upper class", such as Manoa, is full of run down, shabby homes... basically eye sores.   The whole notion of 'local' is absolutely ridiculous simply because the place is completely dependent on importation.  I know local vs. non-local has a lot to do w/ mentality and way of life but come on, it's 2008.  Considering that Honolulu is a major U.S. city, it's way too provinc... Read more

awesome paradise atmosphere. Cost of living is expensive here, but I love Hawaii!

I have lived on Oahu long long time ago.  Yeah, it's true that the locals don't like mainlanders in general.  They do tend to be anti-haole.  But they also don't like mainland Asians (katonks) and to an extent, blacks in general. My grandfather grew up on the Big Island, so I have some connections to the aloha state.  Nevertheless, the cost of living in HI is too f--king expensive. Worse than Manhattan, NY and San fran.  It's because all the rich old peeps are moving to Hawaii, while all the locals who can't afford living in Hawaii are moving to the mainland en masse because it's too damn expensive to purchase a house in Hawaii or even support your family by just working at Safeway or some low-paying job.It also can get very boring living on an island for eternity.  It's a syndrome called "Island Fever."  Compareliving on a small island that to living on the mainland where you can take weekend road trips to go camping or go to an amusement park in a neighboring state.The weather is nic... Read more

Hawaii is heaven.  Its one of the best places in the country.  I lived there for 4 years as a howlee on the Windward side.  I am lucky I had connections, and put respect # 1.  I was tolerated by the locals.  I was very lucky.  Most mainlanders are disliked very much by locals.  The hard feelings go back all the way to 1959, Captin Cook and the capture of their Queen.  Some of my local friends were so extreme that they wanted Hawaii to break off the USA and become their own nation again.  You need to KNOW this people.  WARNING:  Do your RESEARCH before you move here.  People say you will have the "Aloha" spirt when you visit Hawaii.  Notice I said "visit".  Here me OUT:  There is a big difference between a Tourist from the mainland and someone MOVING and staying put on the islands.  The locals know the difference on the spot, and if you want to MOVE to anywhere on the island (excluding Honolulu) you have been warned.  The Main Idea:  If you want to MOVE to Hawaii make sure you1)  Do ext... Read more

I love Hawaii, but I don't care much for Honolulu. Too much the overgrown tourist trap, and too arrogant. It also seems to have no culture of its own, and reminds me of Denver with beaches.

I will state the Good about Hawaii: Pristine beaches, good international food, lovely weather all year round, Aloha spirit, family oriented, good smoke, it is a beautiful island for the most part... Bad side of Hawaii: High, high, let me say again H-I-G-H cost of living, old boys network with the Japanese, the natives HATE the military (even though they benefit from being a fiftieth state), board of education rated us a D-, one of the highest in the nation for use of crystal meth, many people are illerate and ignorant, close minded, intimidated by mainlanders, people still use the word "haole" (white people) and "popolo" blacks to describe people (words which are derogatory... It is a totally different vibe... Most local (native) men are very barbaric, simple minded, and ignorant. If you listen to some of the people here talk it will just blow you away by how illerate they sound. And trust me, they will NOT like you if you are not local no matter how much Aloha spirit they throw... Read more

Mark David Chapman lived in Honolulu and he flew all the way to NYC to murder John Lennon. My point? I read that there is a lot of depression and mentall illness in the land of "paradise." All is not that it is cracked up to be. pure myth.

It's a "been there-done that" kind of town. I made it there 3 times, but twice it was short liberty stops in the Navy and one short business trip, so I didn't get to do too much. The weather is quite pleasant. And Waikiki was worth seeing. I enjoyed ocean kayaking and was able to surf some smaller waves in the kayak. Pearl Harbor was interesting and poignant. I don't recall too much else that was eventful. I know one good bar "Studebakers" has long closed down. I remember hitting another bar that was doing a casino night. I must have won a fortune in funny-money (redeemable for chachkis, I think) playing blackjack and just gave it all to some dude as I left the joint. Food was pretty good, I had mostly seafood but also had a steak at Ruth's Chris. They still don't have any casinos there yet. I liked it, but wouldn't kill to go there again (the plane trip, from the east Coast, is brutal); however, I promised my wife to take her there some day.

I was lucky that my uncles apartment was right by Ala Moana beach park so we were right across from the beach and the mall. I was never bored...in case the beach and mall werent enough I could have taken the bus to get anywhere like waikiki or pearl city. There is no way to be bored in honolulu it is gorgeous and tourist friendly so don't worry about the locals "houlie bashing" you...I wouldn't want to be hanging out alone in parks at night but that's anywhere. :)

Honolulu is a great place to visit...and I would not mind living here. In fact I plan on moving to Oahu in the near future! The beaches on Oahu are nice...not that nice as opposed to Tahiti, Western Samoa or some of the beaches on the Carribean Islands....but better than what I've seen in places like So. Calif. The locals here are very friendly...neighbors have parties with one another...just a "wow" factor for me! Crime rate here isn't as high as opposed to other big cities on the continental mainland. I guess the high cost of living in Hawaii prevents ghetto people from living here. Nevertheless, Honolulu has its problems when it comes to homeless people...bums...etc. I also heard the public school system here is a joke...but I could care less as I've already graduated from college and am in grad school right now. If you're looking for more of a "paradise" vacationing spot, you should check out Maui, Kauai or the Big Island...as those islands aren't as "urbanized" as Oahu.

OK but visit the outer islands first and then look around Honolulu. There are some must places you must see: Punch Bowl, Pearl Harbor,etc.

Great scenery but too plastic and touristy!

Most wouldn't know it, but there are some very, very, very, bad areas of Honoloulou, I'm talking about third world poverty. Honoloulou has the highest percentage of ICE addicts in America. If you want a peice of paradise, go to the more remote areas of Hawaii.

Oh I love the paradise sceries of Hawaii. I have visited the Big Island and seen the Hei'aus and the Volcano National Park with the lava flowing out of the Kilauea crater. I also enjoyed Honolulu and the Hanauma Bay beach. I don't care much for surfing, so I never went to the northern part of O'ahu.

Awesome beaches. I love surfing on the north shore! Will be back for more fun this summer! Aloha!

I can't figure out why this city is so highly rated. Yes, the mountains outside the city are amazing. Yes, the view down to Diamond Head along Waikiki Beach is beautiful. Yes, Pearl Harbor outside the city is very moving and very powerful. But the city? Prostitutes on the corners at night, precisely one bar that actually goes down to the beach (Duke's) that is always ridiculously packed with tourists, little or no museums or culture, and ancient overpriced hotels? If the city of Honolulu was located anywhere but on the island of Oahu - Kansas, for example - I highly doubt it would be in the top five on this list.

A good city. I went there for a WWII history trip and actually ended up going on a job interview there. The city is large enough to have all the elements a major city would have. It was clean and there was plenty to do, mostly tourist-relating or tourist-involved things. Pearl Harbor is a must see place as is the Punch Bowl. They keep the Tourist on Waikiki and the mountians around the city are green and beautiful, esp, when the clouds roll across. You can also have the freshest fruits to eat. The cost of living is high and if you're not Hawaiian or aisan , you might feel out of place. It also feels far removed from the mainland. This does cause problems as far as news goes. The Sports reports actually tell you not to watch the screen if you dont want to know the Sports scores in advance. If I was younger, I could consider living here. If ( when) I win the lottery I'd buy a place there. Expect to see a rainbow every day.

I've been to Oahu and Kona last summmer. It was a great experience. I really enjoyed the beaches and some of the shows in Waikiki.

I was there once and enjoyed it but I haven't made it a priority to go back.

Hawaii is awesome..the weather. the chicks..the beaches. It deserves a five star!!

Hawaii kicks a$$. I love the Hanauma Bay beach, wish all the fish and marine life there to meet tourists. I also enjoyed Kona and Kauai. Although it's an island, the beatiful scenery, the friendly ohanas and the laid back lifestyle really makes me want to go back for another vacation!

North American cities? Then how did this city in the Hawaiian Islands make the list? Sorry, Politically American yes, Geographically North American, no.

I love the vacation atmosphere in Hawaii. The beaches also are great. The downside to living on Oahu is you run out of things to do..(AKA island fever). Another downside is people drive really slow in Hawaii. The aver speed on the freeway is 50MPH.

Its an excellent city to visit and live in, unfortunately the people that visit and have complained never venture beyond Waikiki which is a tourist area. If you'd like to experience the city first hand you've got to get out and meet the people, do research on where to go and what to see besides the usual attractions theres so much to do and see and its so rich in culture and history it would be foolish to stay in Waikiki and not experience it. Obviously Honolulu is very urban and its that way because its the center of government, education, trade, technology, military, etc for the entire state so it should be expected, that upon arrival its not gonna be some place with a bunch of hula skirts and mai tais and no people for miles. My suggestion to the first time visitor is that you do research and dont spend all your time in Waikiki, meet people ask questions, and for goodness sakes dont do your shopping in Waikiki they'll rob you blind, there are places that you can find bargains...aga... Read more

A cool place to visit but not to live

Hawaii (oahu in particular) is a VERY NICE place to vacation. I love the beaches. I enjoyed Hanauma Bay the most. The coral reef is nice (though plenty of tourists are stepping on them) and you occasionally have fish (I mean big beautiful fish) swimming close to you. I loved the golf course ranges on Maui. It's a quiet island..not too many people. Then there's the polynesian cultural center where you can see polynesians fire dance at night. I would definitely want to go back to Hawaii.

I love the great sceneries in Hawaii. I love the beaches, even in Honolulu where the locals complain that it's dirty. But the Honolulu beaches are a lot cleaner than the ones in LA. The people are friendly, and the weather is great, except for few showers.

Honolulu is not the nicest part of Hawaii. Waikiki reminds me a lot of Miami Beach, which is right across the bridge from where I live. The city is nothing to write home about. Pearl Harbor is very interesting. The damage inflicted on our fleet was so immense that petroleum is still leaking from the USS Arizona, which was sunk on that morning in December 7, 1941. I went there on a day when they were honoring veterans who were there on the day that the Japanese bombed the fleet. It was sad hearing them reminisce about that day when they lost a lot of their friends. But anyways, for the real Hawaiian experience, go to the Big Island or Maui. Very beautiful islands and great beaches. Honolulu and the island of Oahu are very similar to any other American city, but it does have great beaches as well.

It's not an authentic Hawaiian experience-you could be in Miami Beach-but it sure feels like America's most exotic city. You can stay in a 40-story hotel and enjoy the view, swim in the surf at Waikiki, hike Diamond Head, and, after several beers, look at all the Japanese tourists and bilingual signs and pretend you're in Tokyo. And history buffs can't miss the Arizona Memorial, right nearby.

Too touristy and expensive. Because the tourist trade thrives on a captive audience, you'll find that the food is terrible on Oahu, somewhat better on the Big Island and Kauai and much better in Maui. There isn't enough nightlife in Honolulu, and what there is of it is basically aimed at squares. Rent a car and go to the north shore of Oahu or out to Makaha and leave Honolulu to the Japanese in Bermuda shorts.

Oh Hawa'ii...the greatest place on the planet. I use to live there, and I miss it sooooo much. Great people who care for one another. I also miss the wonderful beaches. In fact the beaches are a hell lot better than Florida's scum beaches filled with bacteria.

Heaven!

The greatest city in the tropics.

I LOVE HAWAII!!

Could clean up the crime there more.

I stopped in Honolulu on my way to Australia, so I wasn't considering it a destination spot. In fact, I didn't expect to like it very much because I thought it was going to be very touristy. The minute I arrived, however, I absolutely loved it! Sure, it was touristy, but its spectacular beauty and unbelievably pleasant weather enabled me to overlook that fact. I did the usual tourist activities (Pearl Harbor tour, Dole Pineapple Plantation tour, etc.), and I really enjoyed them. The highlight was snorkeling in Hanauma Bay, where I saw lots of beautiful fish and sea turtles. I'll definitely go back to Honolulu sometime, and I'm thinking that it would be fun to visit some of the other Hawaiian islands as well.

There is no better place. Smoke a little, drink a little, and be a beach bum.