Calling - Hilo Hawaii - Anybody with info

[masmdu]

I'm considering a move to Hilo (area) Hawaii and would love to hear what others have to say about it.

Especially helpful would be anybody on DU who actually lives (lived) there. Or any Hawaiian who is in a different location but wouldn't mind sharing what you know about the place.

Any information would be apreciated about what life is like there...positives and negatives....things/places to avoid or to seek out.

All comments welcome...and if you have some knowledge you'd like to share in detail I hope you'll let me send a Personal Message to you.

Thanks....Mahalo

[The Sushi Bandit]

1. Hilo is BEAUTIFULL

quiet and very hawaiian.. can be boring for city types. live in town or just north.. avoid living in Puna. Problems with "ice"
I we didnt love Maui so much we would be in Hilo.

eat at Blane's Drive Inn Downtown, famous for "Loco-Moco" @ 217 Waianuenue Avenue.

http://www.kalena.com/merriemonarch/ Merrie Monarch is a week long hula fest that you cant miss in April.

[Goathead]

2. I live on the Big Island

I have lived in Puna and now live on the south side of the island. Hilo is great, it still has the charm of "old Hawai'i" with a lot of historic buildings in the "downtown" area it is truly beautiful. It rains a lot there though. Pretty much the whole island is rural with Kailau-Kona and Hilo being the big towns where everyone one goes to shop. I can send you some stuff if want it or if you have anymore questions.

[CitySky]

3. The Big Island is Beautiful and varied

The Hilo side gets a lot of rain. Consequently it feels kinda damp and mildewy indoors. Buildings might look a little run down.

People are very laid-back, and life is slower paced than the big cities I'm used to. PM me if you'd like me to put you in touch with folks I know there.

Volcano National Park is a short drive one way, Accaca Falls a short drive the other way. You can't beat the Big Island for gorgeous topography.

My parents have a house on the Kona (dry) side of the same island. It's different over there: more new development, and sort of a scrubby/high desert feel.

My Granny in Oahu once told me that there are something like 24 climate zones on the earth, all but two of which can be found on the Big Island. Enjoy!

[masmdu]

4. Kick for the evening crowd

.

[Cadence]

5. Make sure if you're considering a move to Hawaii

and have pets that you look at the quarantine laws. Other than that I'm jealous! Good luck! :hi:

[The Sushi Bandit]

6. You can now do quarantine on the mainland

it is 4 months long but better than having them stay in Hawaiian quarantine. goto the state of hawai'i website for more info

[Cadence]

7. Oh that's really good to know.

Thank you. I didn't move to Maui a couple of years ago because I didn't want my dog quarantined on Oahu for four months. It would have been hard on me and him. Thanks for the info! :hi:

[Radio_Lady]

8. We Love to Visit the Big Island...

but I don't think I'd like to live there. That's just me -- I was raised in Florida and still never adjusted to the heat.

We always stay on the Kona (dry) side of the island. However, we've been in Hilo and stayed at the Nanaloa Surf hotel in the 1980's. Still there when we went back in 2000 -- I jumped in the pool fully dressed because it was so hot.

My favorite thing is horseback riding in Waimea at a ranch, and the day we walked on the lava. It's really an amazing place.

What kind of work would you do there?

Here's a good web site run by a fellow who lived in Homer, New York and who lives in Hawaii now. Great pictures. You can email him, too! Good luck!

http://www.polihale.net

[The Sushi Bandit]

9. I have lived in both states

Florida sucks and can not be compaired to Hawai'i. The climate is really different.