What are the Pros/Cons for a single 28 y/o male, thinking about moving to Hawaii?

Question

I am very seriously considering moving to Hawaii...but that being siad I have absolutely no idea what local life is like there. If you are in my age bracket and have a clue as to what it is I need to now (social life, employment, weather, etc.) Please help!

Answer 1

Pros:

Year round weather

Night life in in Honolulu is pretty good

Jobs are available.

Lots of stuff to do and see.

People are pretty nice.

Cons:

Expensive living costs, a single bedroom apartment can go up to $2000/month.

Gas is pretty high.

Currently tourism has gone down, more layoffs on jobs.

If you plan on living here, I suggest you get a job that will be able to support your living expenses. If you don't have one, I hear construction is pretty big at the moment since a lot more people are moving down here and more condos being built.

Answer 2

I am 28 and was there in 2005 for 15 days and saw 4 islands.  I heard many different things like the locals get clautrophobic being in such a small area.  Some are desperate to move to the mainland.  I heard life can be anywhere from great to a living h**l and anywhere in between.  My wife's uncle live there for 2.5 years and loved it and said he can see us moving there someday...  I definitely would not move there if you have not been there before, that would be foolish.  You can only get so much of an idea from books or the net, but once you are there, you'll never forget the experience.  It is completely different from the mainland, whether that is good or bad depends on the person.  I would love to move there, but I have my reservations bc of how expensive it would be to come back to visit family and friends...  I personally like taking road trips which arent really possible there... Get a job before you go but before that visit there!!!!  My gut instinct is yes try it, but if you are not a nice friendly easy-going and happy person who enjoys nature, you may hate it.  Whatever you do, good luck.  I live in Pittsburgh btw.  One further note, a vacation there will not be the same as actually living there.  So maybe stay in a condo, buy food, don't go to the beach, don't go to a luau etc. and see if you still like it...  Just email me if you have anymore questions I'd be glad to help anyway I can.  Also look up Sistah Robi, good Hawaiian music!

Answer 3

My husband and I are 30, and just moved here 6 month ago.  Here are some important things that I wish someone had been honest enough to tell us beforehand.

You should do all you can to secure a job BEFORE you get here.  I don't care what anyone else says, I have a college degree, excellent work history and references and I can't get a job here to save my life.  I have applied at 76 places to be exact and if they didn't require you to speak Japanese, then they said "Oh, we only hire from within" I'm sure you know what that means.  I have even had some locals I've talked to about it tell me that if I dye my hair dark and work on my tan that I would have better odds.  So unless you want to work in the restaurant biz, or for minimum wage, get online and find a job before you get here.

There are so many social opportunities, as long as you are open to other cultures and friendly you should have no problem.

The weather is always the same (does tend to get old to me)

highs: mid to upper 80's  lows: upper60's  The rain is strange, it is mostly a sprinkling mist.  No thunderstorms.

The cost of living is getting out of control here!  Housing is insane!  $1000 will get you like a 300sq. ft. apt.  But check craigslist often - you'll get the best deals.

  

Answer 4

First off, you should consider that it is a military town, and there are a lot of 2o something single men there. People get island fever even in Honolulu.

Answer 5

Hawaii has a high cost of living. It is full of tourists. The weather is consistent-low of 68, high of 80. Lots of sun, clouds, some rain showers. The airports do not have air conditioning, as it is not needed.

It is a long, expensive way to the rest of the USA. It will be expensive to get your personal possessions there.

Regards,

Dan