Moiliili

The H-1 Freeway is between University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and the business district.

• Illustration — Japanese cemetery in Mōʻiliʻili The community changed from an agriculture-centered town to an urban area in the early 20th century. 80% of Mōʻiliʻili's population was of Japanese origin as of the 1930 U.S. Census. The development of the H-1 Freeway took away commercial traffic that previously patronized Mōʻiliʻili's businesses. For 40 years before 2007, various members of the local community considered developing Mōʻiliʻili into a college town environment. Around 2002, Evan Dobelle, the president of the University of Hawaiʻi System, said he would prioritize developing a college town. He also discussed moving the UH system offices from University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa to Mōʻiliʻili. In 2007, Kamehameha Schools bought 1.7 acre of land from Pacific Theatres, including the Varsity Theatre and the Varsity Office Building, increasing its landholdings in Mōʻiliʻili to 11.4 acres (4.6 ha), mostly along South King Street and University Avenue. The Varsity Theatre, in operation since 1939, was demolished in 2008.

The area is serviced by Honolulu's TheBus service, including routes 1/1L, 4, 5, 6, 13, and 18.

Hawaii Department of Education operates public schools in the area, including King William Lunalilo Elementary School, Prince Jonah Kūhiō Elementary School, and Queen Kaʻahumanu Elementary School. Several charter and private schools also exist, including Voyager Public Charter School and ʻIolani School. Maryknoll School and Punahou School are near the border of the Mānoa neighborhood.

The City and County of Honolulu operates Mōʻiliʻili Neighborhood Park. The Mōʻiliʻili Community Center was established around 1950 and originated from the Mōʻiliʻili Japanese Language School, a Japanese-language school established by Kihachi and Shika Kashiwabara in 1906. At its pre-World War II peak, the school had over 1,000 students. Non-Japanese persons transferred board positions to non-Japanese and had a Boy Scout troop moved into one of the school's buildings to prevent the school from being confiscated during the war. The Mōʻiliʻili Community Association received the school's lands and assets in 1945, leading to the establishment of the community center. In 1996 the community center had programs for 660 children and about 600 adults of all ages.