Four Paddle #708

The one star is for the building manager's response when we asked if we could set up a donation corner in the lobby for our neighbors on Maui after the terrible fires. He cut me off before I could finish and said, “Absolutely not.” So much for that man's Aloha spirit. This isn't a hotel establishment. More than 200 units are in the building, some owned, some rented, and quite a few used as vacation homes. Those of us who live and work here, including the permanent residents, look out for each other. Neighbors are all kinds of people, from young folks to retirees. Word spread among the neighbors after that. By evening our car was full, along with two more neighbors' cars. We'll drop the donations at Pier 1 on Saturday, where a boat volunteered to take them to Maui for people in need. Mahalo.

Be careful here. I caught security on camera trying to get into someone's property across the hall. He only stopped when he noticed my Ring camera. The property manager, maintenance staff, and security are sneaky and not good people.

I really enjoyed staying here. The apartment was clean, the neighbors were quiet, and the area felt fairly quiet and safe. The price was reasonable too. Fort DeRussey beach park is about an 8-10 minute walk, Island Country Markets across the street is convenient and nice, and Ala Moana is a five-minute drive away. Over roughly a year I found three small roaches. For Hawaii, that isn't bad at all.

We lived in this building for four years and honestly it was pretty great, until our condo was burglarized while my wife and I were overseas. Nearly $15,000 in things was stolen. I don't know whether someone picked the lock or used a key. Security told me, “That's crazy. I don't know if I have ever heard of a theft here.” Later we learned ours was the third burglary in the building in 11 months. I have no proof, but, like another reviewer, I suspect building security might let themselves into units when residents are away. Install cameras in your unit. The older, short security guard who mostly works mornings is one of the rudest, hardest people I've dealt with. He seems to throw his weight around because of his job. Other tenants know exactly who you mean if you mention the terrible security guard. The building manager, Noli, is incompetent too. Getting a simple answer or help from him can turn into a 20-minute call where he says you don't understand, then only explains at the end. There's also a new fire alarm system with loudspeakers in every unit. It goes off for no reason at least once or twice a month, and it takes security or the manager 25 minutes to shut it off. The sound just blares in your unit the whole time. After the burglaries, I wouldn't recommend living here.