09-08-2006, 06:07 PM
Glen, First this County (Hawaii) is almost the size of Connecticutt. Puna is smallish compared to Kau district, about 30 miles by about 25 miles, and growing (only U.S. place to say that). If you take Keaau as the nothernest town (6 miles out of Hilo), Fern Acres is over 7 miles up & SW (Volcano village almost 23), Pahoa is 11.5 miles SEish from Keaau, and the shoreline at Hawaiian Beaches/shores/Rec is about 6 miles E of Pahoa, and Kalapana is 6+ (how daring are you?) miles W of Pahoa. Now to help you get further boggled, there are 4 largeish (100's - 1000's of lots) subdivisions on the east side of 130, and 8 on the west. Lots sizes range from city 1/4 ac. or so to multiacre lots. Elevation range from shoreline to 4000', climates from hot & dry to cool and wet. Vegetation from none to dense forest. Public utilities from none (not even roads) to high speed internet. Income & property from dirt floor poor to million dollar mansions. For areas that get it, there is a very good free public transportation system, however most of the district has no access to it, and some areas have only rough four wheel drive roads.
So, research as much as you can before you get here (many of the large subdivisions have websites & forums, and some even have counter websites) ask, as you have, LOTS of questions (including honest ones to yourself, what do you want from the move? what will you miss when you move? is there anything here that can fill that?) We totally enjoy the theater, and coming from near a huge city, wanted to know what theater was available....luckily for us the UHH theater has many of the performances we would normally go see (and with the added bonus of VERY REASONABLE ticket prices!)
Hope this long message helps. It took us about 3 months to narrow down where we wanted to live on the East Side, and Katrina & renting in a 'dream location' to bring up what we really wanted at this time. (Our house & location are totally different than what I would have said the first week or two here, and had ever lived in before!)
Aloha, Carey
Edited by - Carey on 09/08/2006 22:12:29
So, research as much as you can before you get here (many of the large subdivisions have websites & forums, and some even have counter websites) ask, as you have, LOTS of questions (including honest ones to yourself, what do you want from the move? what will you miss when you move? is there anything here that can fill that?) We totally enjoy the theater, and coming from near a huge city, wanted to know what theater was available....luckily for us the UHH theater has many of the performances we would normally go see (and with the added bonus of VERY REASONABLE ticket prices!)
Hope this long message helps. It took us about 3 months to narrow down where we wanted to live on the East Side, and Katrina & renting in a 'dream location' to bring up what we really wanted at this time. (Our house & location are totally different than what I would have said the first week or two here, and had ever lived in before!)
Aloha, Carey
Edited by - Carey on 09/08/2006 22:12:29