bites the dust: Big part of semi-old Waikiki

[kimo55]

My old stomping grounds, in da early 70's will be levelled and redeveloped to a high end resort feel, so Waikiki can compete with Maui, apparently.
Thats the sum up in today's paper re; the Lewers St project.
Red Lion, davey Jones ribs, Waikiki broiler, La Tratt... Chuck's steak house.. lanai bar, the cool old Polynesian nautical bars and restaurants... all those cool older style places full of character are going going, gone. No longer will we see low level buildings, thatch roofs, and umbrellas, poolside lanai bars, wood, bamboo, or red brick facades.
Shortsightedness reigns. The modest budget traveller will be a thing of the past. They coulda spruiced up these old hotels, for 50 to 80 a night lodging, No, they gotta have more 35 story glass chrome granite fake icon/chevron design plastered towers blocking out our aina.
thank god i've been round that area for a while with my video camera. years hence, a few of us may enjoy tear-ey eyed reminiscing while watching the Lewers neighborhood documentary!
or not. who knows, who cares...

[craigwatanabe]

I think when the International Marketplace is remodeled, it'll lose its charm as well. The hustle and bustle of it's crowded pathways with merchants filling in virtually every nook and cranny makes for an interesting place to shop. I remember when Ferdinands and the miniature golf course was there before the Kuhio Avenue side of the IM was built. Anyone else remember that?

Those were fun times and when Waikiki was truly a family place to go to. There was Royal Theater where the Banyan Tree restaurant is now. That's where I went to see Merry Poppins when it first came out in the theaters!

Oh well so much for memories. I hate to see Honolulu change so much, it really has lost it's charm with all the nostalgic eateries going out of business such as KC Drive Inn. I'm glad I had that opportunity to go there for the Ono Ono shake when it was served by car hops, and that was at either it's original location in Waikiki by the Ala Wai or at it's last spot on Kapahulu Avenue.

Hmmm maybe we should start a new thread on Old Honolulu, now that would be classic!

[kimo55]

"I think when the International Marketplace is remodeled, it'll lose its charm as well."


definitley.
Already, it is a faaarr cry from the Polynesian crafts marketplace Donn beach envisioned when he created it so long ago.

"
The hustle and bustle of it's crowded pathways with merchants filling in virtually every nook and cranny makes for an interesting place to shop. I remember when Ferdinands and the miniature golf course was there before the Kuhio Avenue side of the IM was built. Anyone else remember that? "


when was that?
late 60s?


"Those were fun times and when Waikiki was truly a family place to go to. There was Royal Theater where the Banyan Tree restaurant is now. That's where I went to see Merry Poppins when it first came out in the theaters!"


I saw a similar movie there:
"Mary Poppins"
and once, aftah da toke up, went to see "2001 a space odyssey"


"Oh well so much for memories. I hate to see Honolulu change so much, it really has lost it's charm with all the nostalgic eateries going out of business such as KC Drive Inn."


Not only that, but other locales that definitely created that much bandied about, but now, worhtless and meaningless phrase: "a sense of place."

kaukau corner.
tahitian lanai.
Jolly Roger
da swamp
coco's
etc.
etc.


these places should have been landmark status. saved. preserved.
But as with our local mainland style goverment, dollar reigns supreme. so everything gets paved over.

Don't EVEN get me started on da haleiwa theatre and how it was decimated and then the devil's spawn, McDonald's sprouted up there to lay waste the minds and bodies of the our country kin.

[craigwatanabe]

Ferdinands and the miniature golf course was there up to the early 70's.

Ala Moana Center was interesting back then as well with Keiki Land where Radio Shack is, and that big sand box where the stairs is now located at the Mauka street level main prominade. Upstairs on the second level on the Makai side from the mezzanine overlooking center stage was a mosaic tiled water fountain in blue tile.

As for Waikiki I remember when there was beachfront behind the Aquarium at least a sandy shore, now it's just tako territory with coral heads and water. Then there was the Nadatorium! I took my final Red Cross swimming test at that pool. I remember keiki time diving down and swimming in the circulating pukas outside the nadatorium walls. There were two levels. The bottom puka was plugged up with muck.

Back at the International Marketplace anyone remember The Cock's Roost? Yeah that was a happening place ova dea!

[kimo55]

Back at the International Marketplace anyone remember The Cock's Roost? Yeah that was a happening place ova dea!


yep. and Beachcomber's tree house hut thing.
Got some great pics of that.
reminds me of da crow's nest above jolly roger.
Mary jane's Int. mkt
you could spok Royal Hawaiian from da two way Kalakaua ave.
before they performed an ultimate sacrilege and paved over the sacred coconut grove.
(That WAS what is was known as.)

India Imports
party center
(ala moana)

[craigwatanabe]

Oh man when they put up the Royal Hawaiian Shopping center, that was the biggest mistake ever in Waikiki by totally blocking the ocean view from the street. The old McInerny's building with the tall vaulted ceiling was a landmark in my eyes. Then there was the Waikiki Wax muesum.

Geez what's happening with Honolulu? Pretty soon there'll be nothing left to recognize! Oh the tears! :(

I remember the Party Center in the Ala Moana Center. You could buy all those gags including "Morning Glory" the perfume that smelled like rotten egg. I remember as a kid at Wilson Elementary School in Waialae Nui Valley when I poured some of that stuff down the sliding pole in the Monkey Bars. All the kids smelled like something died when recess was over. Oh man Mrs Bukwalter was pissed!

[LikaNui]

you could spok Royal Hawaiian from da two way Kalakaua ave. before they performed an ultimate sacrilege and paved over the sacred coconut grove. (That WAS what is was known as.)

Yep, I remember it well. Back in the early 1960s. The beautiful grove and gardens where the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center now stands.
And as you mentioned earlier, back then the International Marketplace sold local items and foods, not the cheap and cheesy Far East trinkets sold there now.
:(
And who remembers all those pink jeeps with the finged canvas tops?
:p

[craigwatanabe]

How about those stupid PediCabs in the 80's that obstructed traffic in an already congested Waikiki!

One good thing about those cheapo made in Malaysia products was that when I went back to Honolulu for a funeral a couple of weeks ago I ended up buying stuff so I needed another cheap lockable bag for my goodies I brought back. Too bad it says Hawaii in rainbow but hey for $14 it was a great deal.

[kimo55]

Oh man Mrs Bukwalter was pissed!


jeez! that name rings a bell!

[AuntieNellieKulolo]

I think when the International Marketplace is remodeled, it'll lose its charm as well. The hustle and bustle of it's crowded pathways with merchants filling in virtually every nook and cranny makes for an interesting place to shop. I remember when Ferdinands and the miniature golf course was there before the Kuhio Avenue side of the IM was built. Anyone else remember that?

I remember that mini golf colf course was a fun place to go before or after a movie at the Kuhio Theatre(which I also miss).

[kimo55]

How about those stupid PediCabs in the 80's that obstructed traffic in an already congested Waikiki!



waaaidamminite. Craig!


take a pedicab. Two people being ridden around by one "driver" Compare that size to a car with two people insai and the driver.

What causes conjestion? the big polluting vehicle!

Plus, those pedicabs added charm to da place. slowed down da pace.
and no foget:
"Slow down. dis ain't da mainland!"

[craigwatanabe]

Mrs. Bukwalter used to also write a column in the Honolulu Advertiser back in the early 60's

As for Pedicabs...They added no charm simply because they were worse at obeying the traffic laws than those Korean taxi drivers doing lane changes from the right side of Kalakaua to the left in a 45-degree angle, running red lights and squeezing between moving cars and buses AND telling you you're number 1! Nah I don't miss them at all.

[Miulang]

As they hinted last month, the Queen Emma Foundation has revised its plans for redeveloping the International Marketplace (http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2005/08/08/daily57.html?jst=b_ln_hl) and Waikiki Town Center: instead of tearing the buildings down, they will renovate them over the course of the next 2-3 years. So hopefully, even though some of the tenants might change, at least the buildings might retain some of that "old Hawai'i" look and feel.

Miulang

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Ferdinands and the miniature golf course was there up to the early 70's.


Ferdinands was there throughout the whole 1970's, because my mom was a waitress there just about that whole decade.

[kimo55]

Ferdinands was there


was where, exactly?

[Pua'i Mana'o]

was where, exactly?


oooOOOOOooo! You would make me ask my mother!

I just had a really cool phone conversation with her, actually. Ma worked at Ferdinands after the birth of my youngest sister (1969-1977). She worked as a waitress at Ferdinands and bartended at Lamariana, off of Sand Island somewhere, during the same era.

Ferdinands used to be on Kuhio Avenue, and on the same block of International Market Place, but on the back side of that block.

According to Ma, they had a Polynesian revue dinner show on the weekends, and she had to wear a tan uniform, which comprised of a dress, apron and nylons (this last point made me cringe).

My grandparents raised us in Hilo while Ma lived in Honolulu, working those jobs that employed her for her fantastic Hawaiian smile and humble nature and provided wages that matched her low education. We didn't see her much, but that was life back then in the 60's and 70's, when one's mother was singing for the Yankee dollar...

[kimo55]

There was Royal Theater where the Banyan Tree restaurant is now. That's where I went to see Merry Poppins when it first came out in the theaters!

what is the banyan tree restaurant?

[craigwatanabe]

The Banyan Tree restaurant was right across the street...oh that corner was kiddy corner from the Crazy shirts location.

Ferdinands overlooked the miniature golf course. The miniature golf course was torn down and the International Marketplace was extended to Kuhio Avenue on that sacred land (I cried when it was demolished as a kid). To go play a few rounds of putting then have a nice tall Coke Float was the perfect combination.

[kimo55]

I remember going there.
we have home movie footage of that minigolf place!


but banyan tree IS,,, or WAS? if was, what's there now?
The minigolf was called kiddy corner?
Oh, you mean "kitty-corner"!