Welcome to Manoa
Charming, family-orientated neighborhood with excellent schools and ample tropical beauty
Manoa, meaning wide or vast, was formed from a volcanic eruption and was once home to the first sugarcane and coffee plantations in Hawaii. Now a quiet, charming community full of stunning homes and the state’s top schools, Manoa is the perfect place for families to set down roots.
This tropical paradise provides a lush backdrop for real estate, and Manoa offers an array of building styles, including vintage homes, classic colonial designs, and plantation estates. The architecture here incorporates the area’s incredible landscape into home design with open spaces and lanais that showcase the refreshing breezes and stunning valley views.
What to Love
- Top-rated education
- Beautiful homes
- Lush green space
- Family-centric community
People & Lifestyle
Manoa residents love living in this tranquil, close-knit community. With plenty of modern amenities and excellent schools, Manoa is made for family life. Many of the locals are young professionals with growing families and a love for healthy lifestyles. With plenty of recreational activities like tennis and swimming, it’s not hard to get in the best shape of your life in Manoa!
Dining, Entertainment & Shopping
Part of the charm of Manoa is the friendly, small-town atmosphere, and the restaurants here exemplify the warm, welcoming vibe. Family-run Andy's Sandwiches & Smoothies is one of the community’s hidden gems and is considered by locals to be the best spot in the neighborhood. This small cafe offers breakfast, sandwiches made with freshly baked bread, vegetarian treats, and juices. Try one of their specialties, the guava smoothie!
In the heart of Manoa, you’ll find the popular Manoa Marketplace. Featuring both regular merchants and pop-up vendors, this green market is the place to find local fruits, vegetables, and flowers, as well as arts and crafts. This is a one-stop shop with plenty of specialty stores, a variety of restaurants, a bank, a post office, a salon, and more. Grab some ramen or Italian food, get a manicure, and pick up groceries all in one spot.
For the freshest and best poke in Hawaii, head to Off The Hook Poke Market. Named "Hawaii’s Best Seafood,” this eatery is home to the famous Cold Ginger Ahi bowl. If smoked meats strike your fancy, you’ll love Guava Smoked. Specializing in local style smoked meats, this neighborhood institution offers an extensive menu of pork, chicken, duck, Kalbi, salmon bellies, Marlin, Ahi, and Butterfish collars, all smoked with a special strawberry guava wood.
Things to Do
Set against a lush tropical backdrop, this quiet, family-oriented town offers an inviting mix of cultural and outdoor fun. Take in the incredible greenery at one of the trails at Manoa Falls. Hike up through one and a half miles of bamboo and lush rainforest on the Manoa Falls Trail. The beautiful pathway is part of the Honolulu Mauka Trails System and leads to a popular 150-foot waterfall. The scenery is spectacular and well worth the hour-long trek.
Once you’ve explored the beauty of the island, settle in for some top-rated entertainment at the Manoa Valley Theatre. This small theater was founded in 1969, by a group of graduate students from the University of Hawaii, and has become one of the neighborhood’s best-loved venues. Offering plays and musicals, the lineup ranges from mainstream to off-Broadway picks.
Schools
Home to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, a major teaching and research university, Manoa offers some of the most prestigious educational opportunities in Hawaii. Top choices include:
