Which island would you recommend me to live on?

Question

This is what im looking for, a nice house (dont mind small size) would prefer a big garden! (perhaps with a pool) some where quiet where my house is on a street with only a few other houses, but not too quiet, i still want to be close enough to drive to a city for shopping and jobs etc

i want to be surrounded by beautiful scenery and not loads of compact houses and traffic! i would like to be within an hours drive to the beach (not too close due to tsunamis etc) preferably live on high ground due to flooding. and would like to live not near a volcano where i am likley to burn to death lol! I am looking to move here with my husband and raise a family here. (i also need to be nearish to a hospital as i am a nurse)

I know i have asked for a lot, but taking into account what i am looking for, please tell me the best island for me and why?

Thanks soo much!!

Answer 1

It doesn't sound to me as if you have done any research on living in Hawaii. Do you know anything at all about life in the islands? Costs? Population? Geography? You don't tell us how much you can afford for a house. You ask for a house that is less than an hour from the beach. Hmm. I can't think of a place anywhere in Hawaii that is MORE than an hour from a beach! There hasn't been a tsunami in Hawaii since 1960, I believe. Hilo (on the Big Island) was hit by tsunamis twice last century: 1946 and 1960. Hurricanes are a reality here and pretty much everyone is affected. If you want to avoid tsunamis and hurricanes, you should live in Iowa. As for burning to death in a volcano, read the answer I gave to your other question. It's extremely unlikely.

Please, please, please do some research before you move here. A large number of people who dream of living in Hawaii don't take into account that it's not like being on vacation every day. Those of us who live here -- for the most part -- love it, but we pay the price for living here. It's very expensive and it's very isolated from the rest of the world. That part doesn't bother *me*, but in order to pay my bills, I have to work full time. I'm one of the lucky ones. I don't have two jobs or four other people living in my house to help me pay the bills. That is quite common here. So many people who move here complain about the high cost of living and how difficult/expensive it is to visit friends on the mainland...and they end up returning to the mainland within two years. If you're serious about wanting to live in Hawaii, great! But learn a bit about the islands before you take the plunge. Start with researching the four major islands: Hawaii (the Big Island), Maui, Oahu, and Kauai. Figure out which one is most to your liking and suits your needs/wants. Once you've chosen the island you want to live on, go more in depth learning about the various communities, job opportunities, activities offered (gyms, hula halau, other things you might be interested in), cost of living (groceries, gasoline, utilities, homes, etc.). You might want to take a couple of weeks or a month and come to Hawaii to live like a local. Stay in a condo, not a hotel. Buy groceries and eat in the condo, not at restaurants. Spend your days job hunting, not on the beach. Spend your vacation as if you live here. Don't go to luau, don't buy souvenirs, etc. If you can handle living like that for a few weeks, you might be able to cut it here full time.

ETA: I'm so glad you can afford to live here. You must feel very special. LOL! What a snotty response you gave. You said you are a nurse. I know what nurses make and it isn't enough to survive here without another income. I sure hope your husband is Bill Gates or someone like that. Honestly, you've done "loads of research" but you don't know that the last tsunami to hit the islands was nearly 50 years ago? You don't know that the Big Island is the only one with a current volcanic eruption? Please. You asked for locals' opinions and you got mine, but then you bashed me for it. Buh-bye. Best of luck to you. The islands chew up and spit out people like you daily.

Answer 2

Aloha Girl...that has to be one of the BEST answers I have ever read on this site...WOW...Great Pointed Information! Wish I could add something but I don't see how or what~~Aloha~~

Answer 3

Well if you want my oppion you should stay on Oahu the only reason is because it is more civiliced then the other islands and it therefor has more of a good lookout on food, water, and supplies you may need for any disaster and just in case something happens. It also has plenty of jobs and places for clean escapes. It has beaches and plenty of good weather (i know I said up above that it wasn't but it is). Another reasons to live is because there is a city so there are common facilities like fire stations and police stations. Hope I help, and congratulations!