Kāhala, Hawaii

Aerial view of Diamond Head with Kahala to the upper right

Kāhala, is an affluent neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii. Kahala is famous as an icon for wealth and the rich. It is famous in Hawai'i for its large concentration of expensive real estate and beachfront properties, which include some of the most expensive in the entire state.

Kahala is also home to the Kahala Hotel & Resort, formerly known as the Kahala Mandarin Oriental, and prior the Kahala Hilton. Also located along the borders are Kahala Mall, and Diamond Head crater.

Residents and owners are a mix of old timers living in older residences (many for more than half a century) and newer arrivals living in large, expensive, mansion-like homes. Many celebrities and business moguls have also bought vacation homes in the area. Kahala is a favored spot for investors to buy and fix old homes and sell for record-breaking prices. In 2006, typical prices for a tear-down house in Kahala was $1.4 million to $1.7 million, with beachfront land going for substantially more.

Kahala is one of the only areas of Honolulu to be fairly flat, and yet also be within 5 – 15 minutes' drive of Waikiki or downtown.

The district is also home to several secluded (though publicly accessible) sandy beaches. Unlike the beaches of Waikiki, those in Kahala are rarely crowded.

On 23 August 2014, two snorkelers visiting from Hawaii died while swimming at the beach.

Government

• City Council District IV, Stanley Chang
• Hawaii State House of Representatives, District 18, Mark Hashem
• Hawaii State House of Representatives, District 19, Bertrand Kobayashi
• Hawaii State Senate, District 9, Sam Slom

Education

• Hawaii Department of Education operates Kahala's public schools.
• Kahala Elementary School is located in the neighborhood.
• Kalani High School serves high school students in Kahala [1].
• Star of the Sea is a Catholic K-8 private school.