O`ahu is home to some first-class institutions of higher learning, and students come from around the U.S. and around the world seeking a good education and an enjoyable experience in our beautiful and friendly state.
Of course, they need an affordable place to stay while here, and for newcomers, student housing is often the first choice, as the idea of being with a group of fellow students appeals in terms of camaraderie, convenience, and safety. Student housing is of course offered by many of the universities and colleges. Student housing is also available through commercial enterprises; a group of student housing properties is, for instance, administered by King Realty of Honolulu.
One of these properties is the `Ohi`a, on Kuhio Avenue in Waikiki. It's a nice looking building and appears to be well-maintained. Room pricing is, at least by Waikiki standards, quite moderate, and the location can't be beat; it's an easy bus ride to major schools and all the activities and attractions of Waikiki are at hand, from surfing to dining and more.
It's the "more" part that we found interesting.
The `Ohi`a is at the corner of Kuhio and Nohonani. Just `Ewa of the `Ohi`a is a J&L Hawaiian Barbecue fast food restaurant. But go one more property in the same direction, and we find ... Hawaii by Night.
And just what is Hawaii by Night? It's not a night club or a tour agency, that's for sure. Think the letter 'X' in capitals, repeated about three times, and you'll get the picture (no pun intended).
Now, we're not here to make moral judgments about "adult" entertainment; to each his own, although we don't think Hawaii by Night is helpful in enhancing the family vacation aspects of Waikiki that are so important to tourism.
But we do have some questions about such an establishment being literally next door to student housing. It's not necessarily that students need to be "sheltered" from "adult" material; they're exposed to it in many places and in many contexts. Our concern is that "adult" establishments can attract some pretty creepy people. Is this the kind of neighbor that's suitable for a student dorm? If you were the parent of a 20-year old student, would this make you think twice about the `Ohi`a?
Realistically, Hawaii by Night isn't going to move and for that matter neither is the `Ohi`a. Somewhere along the line, though, somebody didn't do their homework, and it wasn't the students.
6 comments:
When I worked at a library, two UH students from Europe complained to me about the noise in Waikiki, where they lived. It was so noisy, they spent most of their time in the library to study when they were not in class. Pity!
Gigi, that's a really good point, one that we overlooked, and it is much more the case in central Waikiki, where the `Ohi`a is located. If you're on a very high floor you don't hear the noise quite as much, but on the lower floors, it can be pretty bad from what we've experienced in various buildings.
Hawaii Student Housing has two other dorms in Waikiki. The Ohia is the last choice. And, the Ohia is indeed in the middle of nightclub city on Kuhio Ave. Must be extremely noisy late at night. Btw, that area is owned by Queen Emma estate including the International Market Place. I believe even the Ala Wai golf course was bequeathed to the city by the estate. Anyways, I'm glad somebody built more dorm spaces so the students don't overcrowd Honolulu and the rent goes up for everybody. The last dorm building UH built few years ago was the first new dorm in 30-years. And the other colleges around town don't provide their enrollment with housing, not that I know of. That's bad for the local renters.
Ronw, thanks for your additional info. Yes, there are other dorms in Waikiki. The location of the `Ohi`a seems unfortunate in many respects. Would parents want their 19 year old daughter staying in this area of town? Also, thanks for the clarification on dorm space; we should have said the schools have student housing offices but not necessarily dorm space owned by them.
..on the other hand, living in close proximity to bars and nightclubs cuts down on drinking and driving in the student population..
If you think the location of the student dorms is bad, you'd really like Hawaii Youth Ballet (or dance studio) which is located directly above Saigon Passion 3, a strip club on Kapiolani Blvd.
Jayme: The proximity to drinking locations doesn't seem like it's necessarily a good thing for underage students ... although as a practical matter, yes, they won't be driving, so we suppose they'll be breaking fewer laws.
And it sounds like someone else wasn't doing their homework, either. Though affordable space can be hard to find, there really should be some boundaries as to what's acceptable.
Thanks for your comments.
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