Mililani

Located on the eastern coast of Oʻahu, Kahaluʻu is a tranquil neighborhood that hugs the coastline of Kāneʻohe Bay. Remnants of the once bustling agricultural and fishing community can be found at the Moliʻi and Kahaluʻu fishponds, which are still intact. <br><br>Luxury hilltop estates, classic midcentury homes and newly built single-family homes with spacious front and backyards are available. Kamehameha Highway runs along the eastern edge of the neighborhood, allowing quick access to Kāneʻohe to the south and other coastline neighborhoods to the north.<br><br>Young students in Kahaluʻu are split between Ahuimanu Elementary, Kahaluʻu Elementary and Waiahole Elementary. Middle schoolers are zoned to Samuel Wilder King Intermediate School, and older students attend James B. Castle High School, both in Kāneʻohe. <br><br>Kahaluʻu's parks and public beaches are hard to beat. Stunning views from Kahaluʻu Regional Park, Laenani Neighborhood Park and Kahaluʻu Beach are just around the corner.<br><br>Laenani Neighborhood Park, another local green space located near the historic Kahaluʻu Fishpond, is great for get-togethers with friends and neighbors. This oceanfront park has basketball and volleyball courts, as well as easy access to take a dip in the water. Plus, located next to Kahaluʻu Elementary School is the Kahaluʻu Community Park, complete with a football field and playground for children. <br><br>A drive up Kamehameha Highway will take you to the Kualoa Regional Park, where you can spend the day relaxing in the spacious grassy fields for a picnic or swimming in the Kāneʻohe Bay with views of Mokoliʻi Island. <br><br>Along Kamehameha Highway you’ll find several locally owned restaurants. For authentic and flavorful Hawaiian food, head to Nome Ono Food. The Koʻolau Center has several fast, casual joints and barbecue plate lunch options from the Koʻolau Drive Inn. For grocery needs, Times Supermarket, part of a beloved local chain, is also located in the shopping center, offering fresh produce, meat and seafood options.<br><br>The Kualoa Ranch Private Nature Reserve is a popular tourist destination located near the northern border of the neighborhood. This expansive 4,000-acre nature retreat offers a mix of guided tours, including UTV rides, ziplines and boat tours. Explore the Kaʻaʻawa Valley, where over 200 movies and TV shows were filmed, including “Godzilla” and “Kong: Skull Island.” <br><br>Another hidden gem of Kahaluʻu is the Kahaluʻu Gallery and Gardens. Patrons can take a walk along lush greenery and beautiful flowers while viewing oil paintings, clay sculptures, ceramics and other art pieces.<br><br>You can also take in picturesque mountain views at Kahaluʻu Regional Park, featuring spacious fields and a walking path, along with baseball and football fields. If you are looking to get your steps in for the day, walk the park’s Kahaluʻu Loop.

Given its name for the neighborhood's location on the mountainside of Mililani, Mililani-Mauka offers a residential respite near the center of Oahu.<br><br>Mililani-Mauka features some of the newer homes on Oahu, due to construction for this neighborhood beginning in the early 1990s up until the early 2000s. This neighborhood has wide, winding streets filled with pedestrian and bike-friendly sidewalks and roads that often end in cul-de-sacs. Single-family homes in this area often have three or more bedrooms and vary between single and two-story properties with manicured lawns and spacious yards. Homes usually come with split or central air conditioning, along with interiors featuring new appliances and fixtures. All homes throughout the different subdivisions that make up this neighborhood have a notable curb appeal with well-maintained exteriors but come with a price tag higher than the state average, typically priced from the mid $900,000 range up to $1.8 million. Nearby Launani Valley has an abundance of townhome units, often with spacious floor plans and modern interiors. Residents living in Launani Valley have access to basketball and tennis courts, a paved jogging path, and a playground within the community.<br><br>Three out of the seven recreation centers in Mililani are available in Mililani-Mauka, which feature event spaces for parties, pavilions, and swimming pools in recreation centers 6 and 7. Mililani District Park features a baseball field, as well as an abundance of green spaces for activities. If you're looking for a place to take your dog to make new friends, head to the Mililani Dog Park, an expansive fenced-in area with plenty of space for your dog to romp around in.<br><br>Mililani-Mauka is home to several public schools that are part of the Hawaii Department of Education. Elementary school students in this neighborhood are split between Mililani' Ike and Mililani Mauka Elementary Schools. Mililani Mauka is well-regarded for adopting Harvard University's "Project Zero Smart School" concept and using technology to assist their students' learning process. Many students will be able to walk to Mililani Middle School,<br><br>On the southern end of Mililani-Mauka you'll find a collection of restaurants and shops. Poke Stop offers a variety of plate lunches with tasty seafood and meat options, as well as burgers and vegetarian meals. Choose from a list of craft beer options at Taps & Apps, which features Karaoke on Thursdays and live music on Fridays. Everyday essentials and medicinal needs can be found at Longs Drugs. However, for groceries or more dining options, residents will have to travel over to Mililani Town.<br><br>The H-2 highway separates this neighborhood from Mililani Town, allowing residents access to other parts of the island. Public transportation options are abundant as well, with bus stops on several streets.<br><br>Mililani-Mauka offers many residential conveniences, with plenty of amenities right at your fingertips.

Master-planned in the 1960s as a modern suburb, Mililani Town, also called Mililani, offers a convenient town center, proximity to major military bases and plenty of recreation options. Meaning “beloved heaven” in Hawaiian, Milani is a tree-lined, sidewalked community that took shape on former pineapple fields. Today, it has its own exit off the H-2 freeway, making it easy to reach the rest of Oahu from its central-island position. In Mililani Town, residents drive into North Shore in 10 miles and to Downtown Honolulu in 15. Because it rests between the Ko’olau and Waianae mountain ranges, the fertile landscape surrounding Mililani still supports vast agricultural property. Mililani is Hawaii’s only city awarded the National Civic League’s All-America City award in 1986 for its high-tech filtration of community water. Says Michael Pieklo, Realtor with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage Realty North Shore, who grew up on Oahu and has been selling homes in the area for 7 years, “Mililani has a lot of the same attraction as nearby Wahiawa, but the homes are a bit newer. You’re not far from the North Shore, and the elevation is a bit higher, so temps are comfortably cooler.” More than a dozen different houses of worship dot the community, and essential services are easy-reach, including Straub Medical Center and the Ke Ola Pet Hospital. When don’t have to leave Mililani to shop, dine or golf. Military families can reach both Schofield and Wheeler Army bases within a short 5-mile drive. The main Meheula Parkway leads in and out of the community, winding past parks and schools, all the way back to an organic nursery. And while locals can walk to the Town Center at Mililani for dinner and a movie, Mililani’s vibe is decidedly more suburban than the walkable urban enclaves closer to the coast. No festivals close roads down here, but families do head to the open-air courtyard at the mall for fun hometown holiday celebrations. Miliani offers a variety of subdivisions and home styles, from townhouses in Nob Hill to single-family homes is Na Hale, built with a contemporary spin on Hawaiian plantation style. The neighborhood’s open layout treats homeowners to loads of natural light, and spacious lots are planted with tall palms. Adds Pieklo, “Architecture in Miliani is very unique. You’ll see high-peaked roofs and a lot of multifamily developments. And everyone there pays a monthly fee to belong to the Mililani Township Association which gets you access to all the public amenities. But it also means there are some restrictions to ensure curb appeal.” Homes here are older than in neighboring Mililani Mauka on the other side of H-2, and many single-family styles have carports. Condos average between $400,000 and $450,000, and townhouses ask between $450,000 and $700,000. Single-family homes fetch from $900,000 to $1.2 million based on size and build date. Recreation centers boast their own unique amenities. The central Recreation Center 1, known as Rec 1, features water park-style slides, and Rec 2 is where residents take swim lessons or play basketball and ping pong. Rec 3 is the pickleball place, and Rec 4 is the only center with a colorful splash park situated near two circular pools. Locals walk dogs and ride at the skatepark in the 16-acre Mililani District Park, equipped with lighted baseball diamonds and a soccer field. Golfers play rounds at the public Mililani Golf Club. Pieklo explains, “It’s more suburban than sort of old-school Wahiawa, with more of a planning essence because it has public green spaces spread all throughout and even an in-line hockey outdoor skating rink.” Public schools are within the Hawaii Department of Education District, given a B-plus on Niche. Kids start at Mililani Ike Elementary and move on to Mililani Middle, both of which earn an A-minus on Niche. Mililani High School gets a Niche A grade and features standout soccer and JROTC programs. Hanalani Schools offers a private kindergarten through 12th grade education option, which earns an A on Niche. Across from Mililani High, the Town Center of Mililani is an open-air, walkable collection of eateries and retailers where kids play in the courtyard and fountains bubble up next to red café umbrellas. Zippy’s is a neighborhood staple for burgers and pasta, and both family-centric and date-night options include Cookie Corner, Chili’s, California Pizza Kitchen and Assaggio Mililani for romantic Italian-style meals. There’s also a 14-theater cineplex in the center for movie buffs. Town Center is the community fulcrum for errands, outings, gym workouts and holiday fun from an Easter petting zoo to a Christmas Parade after-party. Across the parking lot, Walmart is the anchor for daily essentials. The shopping and dining scene isn’t exactly trendy, but there’s a wide selection of known favorites, and most people drive to and from the community’s plazas or to grocery shop at Safeway in Mililani Marketplace. Military employees have the option to shop at the commissary just 5 miles north. The community’s most unique shopping experience is Mari’s Gardens – a 17.5-acre organic growers’ market specializing in sustainable farming in expansive greenhouses. Their on-site farmers market stocks soil, pots, pavers and plants for home gardening as well as fresh eggs, chocolates, organic produce and gifts. Family-owned by landscaper-farmers, Mari’s mission is to bring more organic food to Hawaii using modern, efficient growing practices. Mililani borders the H-2 freeway, so residents can either travel through traffic lights up the main Maheula Parkway to take advantage of “zipper lanes” on the freeway or bypass the freeway and head south on Kamehameha Highway, known locally as Kam, to connect with H-1. Hawaii’s award-winning The Bus has a 501 route offering transit from Mililani to other Oahu areas. The Daniel K. Inouye Airport is less than 13 miles south of central Mililani. Popular hometown events in Mililani are movies by the pool at Rec 1 and family fun nights hosted by the Mililani Parent Teacher Student Organization.