The guide books like to describe Kailua-Kona, the man population center on the sunny western side of the Big Island, quaint, kitschy, cozy, whatever. Locals have another term for it. Depressed and dangerous. I have been back there a number of times but not at night. This Honolulu Advertiser article paints a pretty dark picture of the place, with nickel-bag drug dealers hawking their wares, agressive panhandlers demanding cashola, and blatant break-ins and car strippings even in the main part of town. Money quote:

"Concierges at Kohala Coast luxury hotels, 25 miles north of the village, tell guests not to bother visiting as it is unclean, unsafe and uninviting."

I think this article might be looking through the glass a bit darkly but, at the same time, the guide books will never call a slum a slum, particulary if they get comped to stay in a Kona condo complex. There are also a number of hotels in Kona proper that lots of people seem to like (budget travelers, of course), and Huggo's on the water is a favorite dining destination. It seems, though, that as money continues to flow North to Kohala and the big resorts and golf courses that Kona really needs a shot-in-the-arm or risk becoming a second-rate, bypassed town for backpackers.

—Alex, 06/10/07