All About Kaka’ako
Kaka’ako
If you’re looking for a trendy, urban lifestyle in Honolulu, look no further than Kaka’ako. Not long ago, it was strictly a commercial and retail district. Now, it is brimming with new condos allowing residents, including the many millennials now calling Kaka’ako home, to enjoy the diverse restaurant, shopping and entertainment scene the neighborhood offers. In 2016, real estate site Trulia named Kaka’ako as the neighborhood with the best amenities in a small city. Millennials aren’t the only ones choosing to live in Kaka’ako. It also appeals to affluent retired people who appreciate its culture and services. And everything is close to the beach.
What You Can Find in Kaka’ako
Those aiming to live in this hippest of Hawaiian neighborhoods have several primary residential choices. There’s Ward Village, one of the top places for shopping in Oahu which now features new condos already built or under construction. A Whole Foods market opened in May, 2018. Ward Village is also home to Ward Entertainment Center. Prices for units in Ward Village towers start in the low $800k and range to over $20 million.
Kamehameha Schools is planning a mixed-income – and mixed use – neighborhood with a variety of housing types. Choose between living in a high-rise tower or a conventional low-rise dwelling. When complete, the project will include green spaces and walking paths, along with shops and eateries. The first building, “Six Eighty,” is complete. This former office building at 680 Ala Moana Boulevard now features 54 rental studio and one bedroom loft apartments for low and moderate income residents. Tenants must meet the credit history and income limit requirements and occupy a unit as their primary residence. Whether single or married, neither person may have owned a principal residence in Hawaii or elsewhere for at least three years before the application date.
The Collection, a mixed-used development designed by the prestigious firm of Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. contains 450 units. When it went on the market in 2015, 85 percent of the buyers were local residents. As of 2016, the average price of a unit was $663,000.
Development continues apace in Kaka’ako, and many of the towers planned for the neighborhood are not scheduled for completion until 2020 or 2021.
The Future is Here
The Hawaii Community Development Authority plans to create an entire new urban community out of the 600 acres of Kaka’ako. It will include bikeable neighborhoods complementing the proposed rail development for the area. In other words, Kaka’ako residents will enjoy their choice of the most convenient and easy commutes possible. If Brooklyn is the current center of the hip urban universe, Kaka’ako will become its tropical counterpart. The HCDA’s plans also include new parks and office space, the latter meaning many residents can stroll to their jobs.
Contact Us
If you’re looking to buy or sell a home or find a rental property in Kaka’ako or anywhere else on the island, you need a knowledgeable, experienced realtor. We’ll help you find the right home at the right price for you. Contact Island Realty Group LLC at 808-689-7407 or IslandRealtyGroup@irghi.com.
