Hawaii Island Lifestyle
Living and working in Manhattan lends itself to a set of urban lifestyles, specific to the place. When thinking about making a home in Georgetown Washington DC, Santa Fe New Mexico, or Sitka Alaska, three distinct lifestyle images may come to mind, all specific to the place.
What lifestyle images does living in Hawaii conjure? When thinking of Hawaii, what pictures come to mind about the physical environment, Polynesian and south Asian culture, architecture, local attitudes, beliefs, leisure activities and interests? Chances are, the Big Island has a community to fit your dream.
The Kohala Coast (South Kohala) features four very distinct luxurious resort areas offering different population densities and homeowner amenities. Golf, tennis, and beach activities are the primary interests. The climate is dry and vegetation sparse.
The south end of North Kohala is dominated by three luxury and near luxury gated communities: Kohala Waterfront, Kohala by the Sea and Kohala Ranch. Kohala Ranch is equestrian themed; Kohala by the Sea offers homes under one million, and upscale Kohala Waterfront is all about the consuming ocean views. There are no services here, simply three excellent neighborhood locations to best access the resort amenities of the nearby Kohala Coast, without the regular resort neighborhood fees.
The north end of North Kohala is very local. Little plantation homes cheerfully painted. There are two micro towns, Hawi and Kapa’au. Each has a restaurant and a handful of galleries. There’s local food, mom and pop groceries, and a library. Very quiet. Tropical homes with lush acreage can be found here. Artists and celebrities looking for a place to escape and not be found like it here.
The Hamakua is very much like Kohala, except it has Honoka’a town. This once sleepy sugar town has blossomed into one of the hippest zip codes on the island. In addition to the art galleries, healthy restaurants, the art house theatre, occasional live performances, rodeo, parades, and distinctive neighborhoods, the community is welcoming. When describing small old towns on the Big Island, “welcoming” is not a description frequently used. But that’s Honoka’a, thank goodness. Living happily in the warm Hawaiian rain, day in and day out without complaint, is a required perspective.
North Kona is the center of West Hawaii. Kailua-Kona is the town known as Kona. If you don’t want to be stuck in the boonies, Kona is where you want to be on the Big Island. Not that Kona is Waikiki: far from it. While the Kohala Coast resorts don’t even have sidewalks to roll up, Kona does have some entertainment after dark. The Ironman Triathlon takes over the town each October. Deep sea fishing tournaments are a major draw. Twenty somethings can always find something of interest. If sleeping in a hammock is your main goal, you can do better than Kona. If community involvement is what you are all about, welcome!
