One of the world's most famous neighborhoods is Waikiki, on the southern shores of the island of Oahu. Separated from the rest of Honolulu by the Ala Wai Canal, Waikiki truly seems to be a city of its own. With about 25,000 residents and thousands of daily
Honolulu is on the island of Oahu, one of the eight major islands of Hawaii. ()
visitors, Waikiki never seems to sleep. It has more than 400 restaurants and well over 300 bars and clubs. Yet, remarkably, Waikiki architecture, except for a few buildings, is quite unremarkable. Most are large concrete monoliths with little visual interest. North of the city is the neighborhood of Makiki, one of the most densely populated areas in the city. Makiki Heights, which as the name implies, climbs up the hills that buttress the northern end of the city, is one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Honolulu. Just to the east is Manoa Valley, where beautiful residential homes are surrounded by lush green hills on three sides. It is also one of the rainiest areas in the city. One of the most typical buildings in the city is the "walk up," a two, three, or four-story building without elevators. Because of its benign weather, more than 80 percent of households do not use heating or air conditioners.
