The Koko Head Terrace neighborhood represents Hawaii Kai’s very first single family home subdivision developed by
Henry Kaiser. Soon after the Kuapa Pond wetlands had been dredged around 1960 and early Hawaii Kai infrastructure and bridges were completed to create the central Hawaii Kai Marina, the very first Koko Head Terrace homes very built in 1964.
Perched along the western base of Koko Crater instead of Koko Head, Koko Head Terrace is a bit of a misnomer. The impressive Koko Crater towers over the neighborhood while the slightly smaller Koko Head is actually further south, across the street on the other side of Kalanianaole Hwy.
Koko Head Terrace is not only the very first, but is also the largest Hawaii Kai residential subdivision. It is bordered by Kalanianaole Hwy in the south, Lunalilo Home Rd in the west from 219 Lunalilo Home Rd to the corner of Hawaii Kai Dr, and Hawaii Kai Drive in the north up to 7849 Hawaii Kai Dr. Koko Crater marks the eastern boundary.
The Homes & Neighborhood Over a thousand single family homes were built here, the vast majority between 1965 and 1972. All originally built Koko Head Terrace homes had a single level layout, many as small as 3-bedrooms, 1.5-bath with only about 1,000 (!) sqft interior living space, others slightly larger with up to 4-bedrooms, 2-bath.
The vast majority of Koko Head Terrace residential lots range between 5,100 to 7,000 sqft. Some lots that are backing Lunalilo Home Rd and Kalanianaole Hwy are a little deeper with about 7,500 sqft and offer an additional buffer distance from the main road.
Koko Head Terrace is best accessible from Lunalilo Home Rd via the surprisingly wide Kaumakani St, Anapalau St, Ahukini St and Kalanipuu St. These streets offer an impressive entrance leading up into the neighborhood with a slight incline towards the imposing Koko Crater behind.
While most lots are level, the overall neighborhood is terraced with each subsequent cross street at slightly higher elevations. As a result, some of the back homes closer towards Koko Crater enjoy modest peek-a-boo marina and ocean views.
Original Koko Head Terrace signature home features include single wall (!) redwood brown colored lumber construction, concrete slab foundation, louver type windows and unfinished open beam ceilings with low pitch roofs. All original homes were designed with open carports, and some of the later 1970’s designs sporting cmu ventilation block carport walls.
Many of the homes offer a simple practical layout and have become popular homes to remodel. Over the years a number of homes have been nicely upgraded with enclosed garage, added skylights, enclosed patios and some even with 2nd story additions.
The Koko Head Terrace neighborhood also includes two churches, the
Hawaii Kai Library, several plant nurseries up to 5 acres in size at the foot of Koko Crater, and
Hawaii Kai’s Kaiser High School right in the heart and center of the neighborhood.
The
Koko Head District Park in the south, the
Kamilo Iki Community Park in the north, and the Koko Crater hiking trail offer nice recreational options.
Off course, the
Hawaii Kai Marina is just a stonethrow away, and so is the famous snorkel paradise
Hanauma Bay.
Koko Head Terrace offers good single family home options in what could be considered Hawaii Kai’s more affordable single family price range.
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