Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I really do not think you can blame mainland developers for any change in Hawaii. People born and raised here are not missing living in coconut houses, they want modern technology and modern conveniences and shopping just like anywhere else. If you knew how many people I know born and raised here who are clammoring for an Olive Garden Restaurant and Trader Joes! I realize the Saks is going to be geared to a touristt shopping experience, it simply makes sense (to them) to tap into the up and coming Asian market that is booming (not just japanese but korean and chinese), but like any city, Honolulu changes and is not the same as it was 10/25/50 years ago.
And it's not going to be the same in 10 or 20 years from now as it is today either. Imagine what the Kakaako area is going to look like with all the planned towers. Even Ala Moana Mall will look different with the planned condo development on top of the parking structure fronting Ala Moana Blvd and the one on top of the Nordstrom parking structure.
But it's the same everywhere. The little town I grew up in is now full of subdivisions and very different than when I grew up there. But it's still a great place, just different.
Growth and development is going to happen. In my opinion the key to what Hawaii will look like in 20 yrs depends on the local Hawaiian citizens elected to government and how they choose to manage and regulate the growth.
You've got politicians pushing for casinos in Waikiki. That's the kind of thing they can prevent and hopefully they will. But I believe the destiny of what Hawaii will be, rests in the hands of those elected to local government far more than anyone else.
Cheap air travel (it costs less to go to Hawaii than 30 years), home ownership equity, free long distance with your minutes, a culture of leaving after graduation to the mainland (all 3 of my interns from UH are moving to mainland from Dec Graduation and may come back), and the Internet changed Hawaii. Not developers tearing down the IMP selling cheap knockoffs.
Ok fine, close the I.M.P, pave every inch of Hawai'i, build every skyscraper 40 stories high. Then when every inch of Hawai'i is redeveloped to look like any city on the mainland and every luxury and big store is here. Then 20years from now when the cost of living in Hawai'i has even reached a higher record high, and homelessness has tripled in Oahu etc. Maybe we can finally agree and say that all the Saks Fifth Avenues and etc had nothing to do with helping the local economy or people living in Hawai'i. That would be a great day.
It looks like the Sak's will front Kuhio across from the Chilli's http://images.taubman.com/www.taubma...tSheet2013.pdf That is an improvement over what's there now. Has anyone heard if the Food Pantry will be removed? They were supposed to close in 2011.
It looks like the Sak's will front Kuhio across from the Chilli's http://images.taubman.com/www.taubma...tSheet2013.pdf That is an improvement over what's there now. Has anyone heard if the Food Pantry will be removed? They were supposed to close in 2011.
the hotel? Don't see anything presently wrong with that side.
I think Kuhio is fine everywhere. It's probablby the only street that a local would feel comfortable and/or serving the population that actually lives in Waikiki to a extent. ie bars, grocery, lower priced food. It's Kalakaua that I cannot stand. I was there last night and I thought I was in the Ginza, so crowded and all luxury shops. I actually loved the old Lewers and think the beachwalk is terrible in the sense its annother cookie cutter row of shops geared to the tourist. How many high end t shirt shops do we need? (can't remember the name of that high end popular t shirt chain all over). I agree to an extent, Waikiki has or is losing the last of its localness, and that is a shame. Hawaiian ness is becoming kitsch. I sort of feel bad for the people at that restaurant (the all you can eat one on Kuhio on the other end of the block of food pantry) where they have the tiki carver and the polynesian dancers entertaining the people lining up for a smorgie!) That area where the new ritz carlton on kuhio and launia all the way to the coming saks will change Im sure,. Thank God Velvet Video is still hanging on and there LOL.
The above is MY opinion. Im SURe others will disagree.
Mahalo, im glad im not the only one who feels the same way. Aloha
@everybody.
Eh, I can only speak for myself and say the old places in Hawai'i had value to me not because of the material things they could provide. But by the emotional feelings these places gave me while experiencing them. Like I.M.P in the 70s has some great emotional memories for me in my small kid time era. Sometimes after a day of being Kolohe running around the island doing whatever. I would go out of my way comming home to go thru the I.M.P at night.
I.M.P had an area in the middle of the market that was like a japanese garden, with wooden elevated walkways over koi fish ponds, bamboo was everywhere and the stores had what looked like silkscreen walls. At night the market would light up the koa fish ponds with perfect lighting. I would stand there in awe sometimes looking at the fish. Hardly anyone around, perfect warm nights. For those who remember the old places like Wai'alae Drive-In etc etc its an emotional thing.
If you think Kuhio is bad now, you should have seen it back in the 80's and 90's. It has majorly improved since then.
See what happens when I moved out of the area Auwe! Yeah Kuhio street couldn't have been all that bad if a 7 year old kid could be walking down it at night heading home from the I.M.P, to Kapahulu st where he lived at the time.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
That would be a great day.
