Metro Honolulu
While the various Oahu neighborhoods listed in this chapter are often referred to collectively as “Honolulu,” this name most literally applies to the neighborhoods nearest the city center. Located on the southeastern shore of Oahu, Honolulu is the 12th largest municipal government in the U.S., with a population of approximately 905,000 residents.
As the capital of Hawaii, Honolulu is the largest city in the Hawaiian Islands and the main airport and seaport location. Previously named Kou, Honolulu means “place of shelter,” and evidence shows that the first settlement in the area was as early as the 12th century. According to history, after Kamehameha I conquered Oahu, he moved his court to Waikiki in 1804. In 1809, his court relocated back to what is now downtown Honolulu. Kamehameha III moved the permanent capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom to Honolulu in 1845, and in the years that followed the area was transformed as a modern city and the center of commerce in the islands. The introduction of modern air travel helped bring rapid growth in development and tourism to the city.
One of the area’s darkest historical events occurred in 1900, when the Great Honolulu Chinatown Fire took place, in which fires set to incinerate garbage in response to the bubonic plague raged for 17 days, leaving 7,000 residents homeless.
The city of Honolulu is made up of various districts. Downtown Honolulu is known as the financial, commercial, and governmental center of Hawaii. The tallest building is the 438-foot First Hawaiian Center, located on King and Bishop Streets. The Hawaii Pacific University’s downtown campus is also located there. The Arts District is a 12-block area on the eastern edge of Chinatown, bounded by Bethel & Smith Streets and Nimitz Highway and Beretania Street. It is home to numerous arts and cultural institutions and part of the Chinatown Historic District. The Capitol District is the eastern part of downtown and is the current and historic center of Hawaii’s state government. It incorporates the Hawaii State Capitol, Honolulu Hale (City Hall), Iolani Palace, State Library, and the King Kamehameha I statue.
Downtown Honolulu is also home to various cultural opportunities, such as the Honolulu Symphony, which was established in 1900 and is the oldest U.S. symphony orchestra west of the Rocky Mountains. The Honolulu Academy of Arts has the largest collection of Asian and Western art in Hawaii, as well as the largest collection of Islamic art, in the Shangri La estate. The Hawaii State Art Museum also boasts a collection of traditional Hawaiian art. Other attractions include the Honolulu Zoo, the main zoo on the Hawaiian islands, the Waikiki Aquarium, as well as many botanical gardens. Named the fittest city by Men’s Fitness in 2004, Honolulu is also home to the Honolulu marathon, and the NCAA football Hawaii Bowl and Pro Bowl.
Real estate in the city of Honolulu is diverse, with a wide range of architectural styles to choose from. From luxury high rise condos to modest inland homes to stylish estates, the city offers something for every budget and buyer.
Testimonials
Sold a Condo home in 2013 in Kapolei, HI.
“My esperience working with Team Lally was outstanding! The entire team collaborated with me, even though I was 12 time zones away! Working together, we were able to focus my search on the selected properties during my inital 8 day visit to Oahu. Team Lally helped me understand the local market, while listening to, and addressing my concerns all along the way! The outcome was the right house, at a great price! We even closed on the property before my final arrival on island! My thanks to all! Team Lally is truly a customer focused team!”
“As first-time home buyers, I couldn’t have asked for a better realty than Team-Lally!Three months prior to moving to Hawaii from the mainland, we began our search online by looking at pictures and viewing videos of current listings in Kaneohe and Kailua. We were so fortunate to have Team Lally as our agent. Team Lally was knowledgeable, patient, and honest; they even went out of their way to record videos of a few homes. Via e-mail and over the phone, they addressed all my questions and concerns. By the time we arrived, we were so well prepared and closed on the house we wanted in no time! If we buy or sell again, we are definitely calling Team Lally”
“The Agents at Team Lally are experts in their field. Whether you’re looking to sell your home or buy one, these guys have a great team to take care of you throughout the entire transaction. Even if you looking just to get more information – I’d suggest to give them a ring and they can point you in the right direction.”
“Adrienne and her team helped us find our condo in Makakilo, HI. We were very happy with all of their on going help after purchase like referrals and yearly associate parties. Go Team Lally!”
“When my husband and I began working with Team Lally, we thought we were in an impossible situation. We had been working with our then current realtor for more than a year and to no avail. The short sale on our condo proved to be too much for her. Three failed contracts later, we were finally referred to Team Lally. At this point in the process, we were very disappointed and a skeptical.To our surprise we were greeted with smiling faces and reassuring words by Adrienne Lally and Attilio Leonardi, however, I still remained skeptical. Then we were introduced to Howard, an Agent with Team Lally. From the start he was professional and extremely efficient and patient. He worked day and night and made me feel we were Team Lally’s only clients. I would honestly have so much anxiety with our short sale and yet every time I spoke with Howard I was put at ease. It took six months to close, but it was to no fault of our Realtors but due to our Mortgage Company (GreenTree) dragging their feet and playing hardball. The entire process was made easy with Team Lally steering us. Howard’s communication and explanations in all of this is what made it straightforward. Whether via email or telephone, I felt informed of the whole process. Again, I honestly at one point thought we were his only clients. Thank you Howard. Team Lally is EXCELLENT! They used every avenue to promote our property, from the internet like Zillow and Trulia to mailings to magazines. They took a disappointing …
“I purchased my home as a single woman nearly 10 years ago in what I call a “big girl moment”. I improved it over the years, and then decided to move home to the mainland to be closer to my family. I was referred to Team Lally, and much differently than other agents I was referred to, they called me immediately, providing a full scope of their services, which is impressive. I liked the fact that they had me meet them in their office, outside the potentially emotional environment of my home. This is business, after all! My home was first shown on June 10 and closed at a handsome price on August 30. Wow. These guys communicate regularly by phone, provide excellent service via email and while closing the sale I experienced the best possible service. Were I to contemplate moving back to Hawaii, Team Lally would be my first call!”
“I walked away from my property three years ago and assumed that it would get foreclosed upon or just disappear….Three years later I was contacted by a tenant that was being rented the condo from a company that was operating illegally and claimed to have ownership of it….I contacted Team Lally and they were able to navigate these very difficult waters: me not having paid my mortgage for three years, a company claiming ownership, the condo association not happy because they were not paid for three years…Team Lally worked through all of this to complete a short sale of the property and I paid virtually nothing…I worked with other real estate companies in the past and Team Lally blows them away, I would highly recommend them for all your real estate needs”
“First conversation with Attilio Leonardi was a no pressure sales call. He was patient with all my questions, not hurried, and very knowledgeable about the short sale process. That helped establish trust and confidence in hiring their team. Other members of the team, with special mention to Howard Nett, all contributed to the successful negotiation. The short sale process was all together long and tedious; but as long as you commit to your part as a seller (i.e. providing necessary paperwork in a timely manner), team Lally will make the process as smooth and painless as possible with their professionalism.”
“Adrienne and her team were immediately responsive to my inquiry about their services and very thorough from the beginning. They applied their expertise through the listing, sale and close of my home at a high level of satisfaction for me. The sale of my home closed in just under 3 months. I moved out of state and felt they did an excellent job of communicating with me as an absentee seller.”