Wisteria Restaurant site to become 7-Eleven

[mapen]

Re: Wisteria Restaurant site to become 7-Eleven

Hmm, seeing that brand new 76 gas station there on the old site of the Wisteria got me wondering about those many news articles I've read over the years saying that gas stations in Honolulu were a dying breed that were being squeezed out by the high cost of land.

I can't think of the last new station to get built in Honolulu besides the one at Costco (I'm not sure that counts), but I can think of a few that closed down and disappeared over the years. Anyone can remember the last new gas station in town?

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Wisteria Restaurant site to become 7-Eleven

Anyone can remember the last new gas station in town?

Hmmm, the one at Cooke and S. King? Tosaro(sp?) Island gas? I don't remember what it's called.

[kimo55]

Re: Wisteria Restaurant site to become 7-Eleven

I've read over the years saying that gas stations in Honolulu were a dying breed that were being squeezed out by the high cost of land.

well, I believe it was aloha gas and minimart just DH of Borders and compadres. That was good to have there. The only gas stations now are on gas station row. kapahuulu.
a friend of mine, when we pulled into that aloha gas nest to the IBM building sez; "this gas station is great!" Then, when it was torn down, and now we see another tall tower there, i lamented "damn overdevelopment, that gas station there was great. Now we have this". He replied, That gas station wasn't great! THIS is great. a tower. is the best use of this land!"

damn frustrating.

and to see the only other gas station in the area wiped out, (ward and auahi) for another of what my friend stated was 'the best use of the land. More shopping choices."

[oceanpacific]

Re: Wisteria Restaurant site to become 7-Eleven

Remember Holiday Action Gas in town, Pearl City, and Kailua? I wonder if any of the bumper decals still exist.

[tutusue]

Re: Wisteria Restaurant site to become 7-Eleven

It's not a new station but it is downtown...well, Kakaako...
Lex Brodie's on the corner of Coral and Queen.

[kimo55]

Re: Wisteria Restaurant site to become 7-Eleven

keep forgetting that. they fast. and cheap. it's kinda dt. on da border.

[tutusue]

Re: Wisteria Restaurant site to become 7-Eleven

keep forgetting that. they fast. and cheap. it's kinda dt. on da border.

The best part about Lex Brodie's for me is it's mini-serve. They pump the gas. No other services beyond that, tho'. Second best is their prices. IIRC, only Costco beats them. But, that probably changes weekly!

[kimo55]

Re: Wisteria Restaurant site to become 7-Eleven

costco get big line, but.

[Palolo Joe]

Re: Wisteria Restaurant site to become 7-Eleven

and to see the only other gas station in the area wiped out, (ward and auahi) for another of what my friend stated was 'the best use of the land. More shopping choices."

Oh come on... there's the Shell station on Ward, just mauka of Auahi.

And if you drive up to Kapiolani, there's McKinley Car Wash.

Lex's is BLOCKS from downtown. It's located in Kakaako.

Stop whining.

[LikaNui]

Re: Wisteria Restaurant site to become 7-Eleven

Stop whining.

Oh Gawd, here we go again.
I can't imagine how Kimo could possibly survive in life without Palolo Joe's incessant demands... er, guidance... and orders... er, advice.
PJ, please please take your own "whining" about Kimo to private messages. Which Kimo will, presumably, block.

[pzarquon]

Re: Wisteria Restaurant site to become 7-Eleven

Waitaminit. Kimo, you're lamenting the loss of a gas station to a condo/retail complex/anything else? A gas station?

I mean, if you're going to continue the "o woe, the loss of all that is good and wonderful about Hawaii" theme, at least be consistent. Who says high-density housing isn't the best use of a piece of property near downtown Honolulu (an area that is urban and probably won't go back to being a pristine rainforest anytime soon)? Living close to where one works sure reduces the need to sit on the H-1 90 minutes a day. And besides, doesn't having gas stations all over the place support the evil consumer's addiction to his or her car, which leads to freeways and parking lots and dirty air?

Anyway. Topic, please?

We all miss the Wisteria. We all agree we don't particularly need another 7-11, and that it's a rather sad successor to the previous tenant on that property.

But to me the Wisteria's end was pretty natural. It was in slow, decline for years. It had that old neighborhood charm, but newcomers probably balked at the musty smell, the sticky floors, the chipped plates...

I don't blame 7-11, or evil capitalists, or anyone. It was a long-time restaurant, but eventually keeping it open didn't make sense. (They closed KC Drive-Inn a year later.) Profits fell, and the owners wanted to retire, sell the property to live comfortably. Hard to fault that, after 52 years of hard work.

We have our memories. Cherish them. And the opportunity to periodically wag our fingers and lament the loss of the "good ol' days," I suppose... but that's a cycle that's gone on for generations.

[Palolo Joe]

Re: Wisteria Restaurant site to become 7-Eleven

Oh Gawd, here we go again.
I can't imagine how Kimo could possibly survive in life without Palolo Joe's incessant demands... er, guidance... and orders... er, advice.
PJ, please please take your own "whining" about Kimo to private messages. Which Kimo will, presumably, block.

I'd love to tell you how I really feel LikaNui, but I've been pre-emptively scolded... so I will just say thanks for the suggestion. It'll go in the circular file along with almost everything else that comes from you. Don't like what I have to say? Feel free to use the "ignore" function.

On topic: Has anyone actually driven by the old Wisteria location? Something that bothers me is how bright the lights are over the gas pumps... it's especially noticeable when you look across the street at the lights over the Chevron pumps. They're not nearly as bright.

[kimo55]

Re: Wisteria Restaurant site to become 7-Eleven

>Waitaminit. Kimo, you're lamenting the loss of a gas station to a condo/retail complex/anything else? A gas station?
yea. the last gas station for miles around. yea. the last low level. (read ONE story...) structure for miles around. next to the only other one story structure around... a cool lava rock fascade one story building. replaced by another beloved 40 story tower and all our surrounding parking taken away.

>I mean, if you're going to continue the "o woe, the loss of all that is good and wonderful about Hawaii" theme, at least be consistent.

pulEEEEZE don't tell me to be display anyone else's idea of consistency, cuz i don't work for anyone else but me. Until i am a paid writer on these chat room blogs, I will say waddah want. consistency?! In the mind of the beholder.
i bitch about what i wanna.
as lolo Joe does. as anyone else does with impunity. and I am told to be '"consistent"?! worse sins have been committed with no reprimand on dis sandbox. (but I am thankfull the consistent annoying lolojoe mosquito buzzing is swatted by the ignore feature) (but it really is not an ignore feature because there's a reminder ever few inches that says: "Remove user from ignore list - Palolo Joe - This message is hidden because Palolo Joe is on your ignore list." so. yer pretty tightly fhuqued with no crisco, either way here)



>Who says high-density housing sn't the best use ...
probably won't go back to being a pristine rainforest anytime soon
consumer's addiction to car, which leads to freeways and parking lots and dirty air?

OOOhhhhkay. a free for all. not any sense discussing THIS line of thought. cannot, cannot!


>the Wisteria's end was pretty natural. It was in slow, decline for years. It had that old neighborhood charm, but newcomers probably balked

who da phaque cares about what newcomers think?!


>I don't blame 7-11, or evil capitalists,
Hard to fault that,

blame. fault. I am simply in the observationist field. blame, fault? planny of that to go around.

>opportunity to periodically wag our fingers
lament the loss of the "good ol' days,"
but that's a cycle that's gone on for generations

I subcribe to the dictum "the unexamined life is not worth living"
I dun wanna be counted among those that can easily give up and say "well, it's the way of life."
I can't do that. Neither can I have any extreme perspective that says "we gotta get our rainforest back in Kaka'ako!" of course.

it's a little like; "hey; let's do sumpin to curb cancer a lil whaddya think?!"
"oh no! and put alla doctors outta business? and the A.M.A. will hurt. and you really want all those inlaws droppin in on ya and hanging around when they could all be dead and gone?! cancer is the way of the world. it's big business. part of the modern age. accept it. embrace it."

Jesus keerist on a pogostick. ya can't just say "well, let's let all this s#!t happen, cuz it's gonna, and after all, ya really wanna be futtin around in Flintstonemobiles in a thick coconut grove with no roads?

If that will always be the response, I am sadly lacking in my communication skills and have not at all gotten any of my points across or conveyed that it may be a good idea to question rampant overdevelopment.
well o.k. nobody's perfect.

[Palolo Joe]

Re: Wisteria Restaurant site to become 7-Eleven

as lolo Joe does.

The name-calling is cute. But you're still whining.

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Wisteria Restaurant site to become 7-Eleven

Has anyone actually driven by the old Wisteria location? Something that bothers me is how bright the lights are over the gas pumps... it's especially noticeable when you look across the street at the lights over the Chevron pumps. They're not nearly as bright.

Yup. Noticed that the first time I drove past after they turned them on. I'm not so sure that they are too bright as much as they throw too much light sideways instead of down. (But they seem plenty bright too.)