Post #323901 by VanTiki on Tue, Aug 7, 2007 6:58 PM

On 2007-08-07 18:15, MTKahuna wrote:
The real sad part is that many Hawaiians can‘t afford the cost of living on the island. Therefore, you don’t see them in the tourist areas… unless they’re performing, cleaning, or serving you a drink.

It is true that the cost of living - and by this I am speaking specifically on the cost of housing (both rental and owning) - has priced a lot of folks out of living here in the islands. This isn't the reason the only "locals" you see in Waikiki are serving you drinks, though. Locals don't go to Waikiki because it caters to tourists and is super expensive. Why would we want to pay a fortune to park and eat the same food we can get elsewhere on the island at half the price? It is crowded, noisy, and dirty - I'd rather hang out on the north shore thank you very much! The only locals I know who head to Waikiki on a regular basis do it for the surfing. Now - please don't think I hate Waikiki or anything - I do like the place - it is simply that is is designed entirely for tourists, and I can only take that in small doses :)

Henrik "VanTiki"