Leeward Estates is a neighborhood in the Ewa District of Honolulu County on the Island of Oahu. It is located to the west of Fort Weaver Road, about four miles from Interstate H-1 (the Nimitz Highway). Three and half miles to the west lies Barbers Point Harbor, which includes a commercial airport facility. The area also contains residential homes including several beachfront properties.
The Leeward Estates subdivision is home to about 500 people within five different areas designated as blocks:
- Block 2 – 50th Avenue to 53rd Avenue; Kupuoli Street to Kaleimomi Street, Kahekili Highway/54th Street Junction
- Block 3 – 53rd Avenue to 54th Avenue; Kalimoni Street to Keolu Drive
- Block 4 – 52nd Avenue to 53rd Avenue; Kaiholena Street to Kaleimomi Street, Kahekili Highway/54th Street Junction
- Block 5 – 50th Avenue to 52nd Avenue; Waihee Road/51st Street Junction to Kaiholena Street, Kahekili Highway/51st Street Junction.
Leeward Estates has a relatively young age profile of its residents. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median age for Ewa is 35 years old, compared with 44 years old for Oahu as a whole and 49 years for Hawaii overall. Only 9 percent (compared to 16 percent in Hawaii) of Leeward Estates is over 65 years old, while 33 percent of all Hawaiians are seniors; 82% of those living in Leeward Estates were born on the mainland or other Pacific states, and many of them moved there after 2000 when the housing market was booming before it went bust around 2007-2008; Because they own their homes outright and have no mortgage debt, the resulting drop in property values has not been a major financial hardship for them.
The median income of Leeward Estates residents is $43,220. The median home value is $342,500. The majority of the homes are owner-occupied rather than rented. Homes found in the Leeward Estates neighborhood vary from studio condos to single-family residences. There are approximately 103 detached homes, 20 townhouses and 40 condos.
Living in Leeward Estates, Ewa Beach
There are many perks to living in Leeward Estates along Ewa Beach. To start, residents have access to the world famous He'eia Fishpond and Park. This incredible destination features an old fishpond that was built by King Kamehameha the Great in 1848. The pond was stocked with salt water fish but today, it's a freshwater pond stocked with koi.
Residents can also take advantage of the Kewalo Basin Harbor on Oahu's Windward side. The harbor offers a variety of boating activities as well as other recreational opportunities nearby such as hiking along the Makapuu Lighthouse trail or taking in a movie at the outdoor theaters.
This Ewa Beach neighborhood is filled with several other options for beach- and park-goers including:
- Ahuimanu Beach Park – located between Pokai Bay and Keawaula Beach (Green Belt) near Barbers Point; provides access for swimming, surfing, snorkeling, fishing, canoeing & kayaking plus picnicking facilities with barbecue facilities.
- Ewa Beach Park – located on Kalanianaole Highway (Highway 76), a half-mile south of the Ewa Villages Shopping Center; provides access for swimming, surfing, snorkeling, canoeing & kayaking plus picnicking facilities with barbecue facilities.
- Kualoa Park – Located on Kamehameha Highway (Highway 83) at Castle Junction; provides access to the bay and ocean for swimming, surfing, snorkeling, canoeing & kayaking as well as picnicking facilities with barbecue pits. Kualoa Park also features great opportunities for fishing as well as public access to boat docks.
Leeward Estates residents can enjoy golf at two nearby courses:
Turtle Bay Resort Golf Course – located in Kahuku at 85-749 Kamehameha Hwy., This 18-hole championship course was designed by Robert Trent Jones II and plays 6,411 yards from the back tees. The facility offers 36 holes of championship golf including 3 sets of tee boxes per hole to challenge golfers of various skill levels.
Makaha Golf Club – located 80-600 Farrington Hwy. and features an 18-hole course designed by Dick Wilson and plays 6,382 yards from the back tees. The facility offers 36 holes of championship golf including 2 sets of tee boxes per hole to challenge golfers of various skill levels.
The Hawaii Department of Education oversees several public schools that serve students living in this area.
- Leeward Estates Elementary School – located at 92-374 Lehua Drive, Ewa Beach; this school is a Title 1 facility designed to serve students in grades K-5.
- Waipahu Intermediate School (formerly known as Waipahu High & Intermediate) – located at 96-1095 New Hwy., Ewa Beach; this school is composed of Junior and Senior high levels that together are designed to accommodate students in grades 6 through 12.
There are also a number of private schools in the area. They include:
- Our Lady of Sacred Heart School – located at 92-1492 Piikoi St., Ewa Beach; this Catholic school is designed to serve grades K through 8.
- The Montessori Academy of Honolulu – located in Kahaku at 85-1350 Kaheka St., Kahuku 96731; this is a co-educational, private school that offers preparatory and elementary levels for students in grades 2 through 6.
- Punahou School – located at 98-1001 Lower Punahou Rd., Waikiki 96815; this is a co-educational, private day school that provides education from grades 9 through 12.
- Kamehameha Schools- Kapalama – located at 560 N. King St., Honolulu; this is a co-educational, private school that offers education from kindergarten to grade 8 for students living in the Windward side of Oahu including communities within Leeward Estates like Ewa Beach.