Rising from the tropical Pacific, vast the Diamond Head (Lēʻahi in Hawaiian) volcanic cone is the famous anchor of Honolulu, the most recognizable landmark on Oahu, and the symbol of Waikiki.The 760 foot volcanic crater got its name from British sailors who mistook the sparkling white calcite crystals in the rocks for diamonds. It has been an extinct volcano for over 150,000 years and was the site of an ancient temple where the last human sacrifices were carried out on the island.

Residents of this northwestern part of the greater Diamond Head neighborhood need only cross ~440 yards of Kapiolani Park’s lovely green lawns, beneath a canopy of banyon, palm, and ironwood trees, often decorated by a flock of rose-ringed parakeets, to enter the tropical-blue, reef-protected, warm Pacific Ocean at Kaimana Beach.

According to vulcanologists with the USGS, the great Ko’olau Series of eruptions sputtered to an inglorious end 70-100 thousand years ago with side-hustles including Punchbowl, Tantalus, Diamond Head, and the Kokos: Head & Crater. Black Point likely appeared between 400-500 thousand years ago and its youth is apparent in its steep, craggy terrain. Jump forward to the 1920s and you see the beginning of its suburbanization, which results today in a primarily-gated, 75 homes on standard to large lots. The in-gate homes have associated and maintain an oceanfront, ocean-fed swimming pool that would be nothing to look at were it not for its location. Historic-to-new homes line roads that feel like they are sized more for donkeys than cars, but hopeful residents eagerly tolerate it to live in this exclusive community.