Kaneohe is one of the two largest windward communities on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The other is adjacent Kailua. Ancient landscapes of dramatic mountains, streams, bay and ocean have formed natural divisions in the Kaneohe area, carving the town into unique smaller neighborhoods, each with its own characteristics. Join us on a trip around five Kaneohe neighborhoods as we explore the areas looking for the enclave that best matches your lifestyle and personality whether it’s boating, fishing or enjoying the view.
Let’s start our tour with the neighborhood that borders Kailua: Country Club, aptly named for its centerpiece, Kaneohe Bay Yacht Club. Kaneohe Bay Yacht Club is the foremost small boat harbor on the Windward side of Oahu and lends a country club atmosphere to the area. The Yacht Club is surrounded by semi-private lanes with luxurious homes fronting the Bay that take advantage of the stunning view. On the hillside of Kaneohe Bay Drive are two lovely and also well-established condominium complexes: Yacht Club Knolls and Yacht Club Terrace. Listings at these complexes are so well liked that in the past year they have averaged just 38 days on the market.
Since all the residents of Kaneohe’s Country Club neighborhood are tucked away between the hillside and Kaneohe Bay, access to the H-3 freeway and Marine Corps Base Hawaii are literally just minutes away. Shopping is a breeze with the Aikahi Shopping Center situated at one end of Kaneohe Bay Drive and Kailua’s famous beaches and Kailua Town just 7 minutes away. A top public school in Kailua, Aikahi School, is the elementary school zoned for this area. Many people even assume, incorrectly, that this Country Club neighborhood is still part of Kailua as it is so intertwined in the Kailua lifestyle.
Also located off of Kaneohe Bay Drive and nestled on the hillside is the Bay View Garden area which neighbors Country Club. These homes are built upon the hillside and most of them offer breathtaking views of Kaneohe Bay. Privacy is key to this highly sought-after neighborhood with homes that can only be accessed from the streets that travel up the hillside such as Bayview Haven Place, Puuohalai Place and Kalenakai Place. The properties here vary in size, age and condition which is reflected in the home prices from the low $800,000 to $2,000,000, making it definitely a neighborhood to consider for a variety of reasons. These numbers are often more reasonable than those on the hillsides of Kailua but offer the conveniences of Country Club and its close proximity to the centers of Kailua and Kaneohe. Whether a remodel or a ready-to-move in is in your future – this is a neighborhood to seriously consider.
Continuing on Kaneohe Bay Drive, towards Kamehameha Highway, turn left just past Kokokahi YWCA on to one of the most well-known streets in the Pikoiloa neighborhood, Namoku Street. Namoku runs from Kaneohe Bay Drive all the way past Pohai Nani, the highly respected senior-living facility. You’ll be driving through this lush, tropical Pikoiloa neighborhood with different view planes from every angle. It sits off the main road behind Castle High School with streets that branch off of Namoku featuring homes that are highly-sought after for their generous lot sizes, averaging 8,000 square feet, not very common on Oahu. Conveniently located for those commuting to Honolulu, it is only about a 10-mile drive, and both the Likelike Highway and H-3 are but minutes away. Windward City Shopping Center is right next door and features Foodland, Longs Drugs, Ross Dress for Less, Starbucks, as well as other smaller local eateries and merchants. 24-Hour Fitness, attracting residents from both Kaneohe and Kailua to its facility, is also an anchor of Windward City Shopping Center. Of great interest, is that Pikoiloa homes remain reasonably priced starting at $700,000 up to $1.38 million. With an average of 24 days on the market, Pikoiloa is an upcoming neighborhood to watch closely.
As you continue your drive into Kaneohe turning on to Kamehameha Highway through Kaneohe, to Windward Mall, a must-see is the neighborhood of Puualii. Puualii is on the ocean side of Kaneohe behind Kaneohe Bay Shopping Center and can be accessed by Lilipuna Road on either end of the shopping center. A wide variety of residential options are available in the Puualii neighborhood. Both large and small condominium complexes offer a variety of styles and options. For instance, the Poha Kea Point complex is expansive yet affordable with prices around $550,000 fee-simple, with stunning views of Kaneohe Bay and Coconut Island. Follow Lilipuna to Kahanahou Circle and Place for inner Circle homes with huge lots to Bayfront homes with their own piers for fishing and boating, across from Coconut Island. The exclusive boating community is also attracted to the bay front condos at Makani Kai while A-frames and townhouses (Kauhale Beach Cove) on the other side of the stream have a waterfall and a fishing pier too. Both condos and townhouses are just off Wailele that connects to Lilipuna Road. Puualii also features extraordinary condos on the hillside with ocean views to quiet streets of large family-friendly homes. This is not a neighborhood to just drive by. You actually have to search it out even with its close proximity to the center of Kaneohe, and its fishing and boating piers and views.
As you continue your drive along Kamehameha Highway along the ocean side of Kaneohe, past Heeia Kea Boat Harbor, you’ll come across another little neighborhood that will capture your imagination. It’s called Miomio Loop, and its exclusive homes may have the best views on all of Oahu. You’ll have to have patience and keep watching carefully as these homes rarely come up for sale – especially those directly on the water. If you can wait, it will certainly be worth it. Just a few minutes away from Windward Mall and King Intermediate School with quick access to Kamehameha Highway or Kahekili Highway, living on Miomio Loop will give you the feeling that you have driven off the main hub of activity into pure serenity with an enchanting view of Chinaman’s Hat. Kayak out to the island or take your sail boat out into the bay when you land a home on Miomio Loop.
The variety of Kaneohe homes and price ranges in these unique neighborhoods make owning your piece of paradise on the Windward side of Oahu an achievable goal. Of course, this is just a snippet of the housing options Kaneohe has to offer – look forward to a trip inland on our next adventure seeking your tropical paradise in Kaneohe.