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Location: not sure, but there's a hell of a lot of water around here!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dthraco
I must admit that I haven't been to a city where I thought their Chinatown was a safe place to be. I'm glad I never saw Lewers street before it was updated.
Should have spent a little time on Hotel Street back in the 70s. Club Hubba Hubba, The Glades, and some old dance hall that is now long gone. Quite the experience. Have to admit, it was a mess, but was a part of Honolulu none the less.
Should have spent a little time on Hotel Street back in the 70s. Club Hubba Hubba, The Glades, and some old dance hall that is now long gone. Quite the experience. Have to admit, it was a mess, but was a part of Honolulu none the less.
Aloha
Yes it was colorful lol. That area of town for me was liberty theater and the empress with chinese new year. Being i was to young to experience Club Hubba Hubba etc i knew it was there. Here Jung since you remember.
That if chinatown is in so much neglect that it can't be saved then its the city/county government that is to blame and this supports my point that its probably because someone can't make billions. Because obviously the city/state government has the money to spend to aid development of Kakaako in the form of $212 million in Kaka'ako-area infrastructure improvements and another $253 million in state taxes for other kakaako development costs and $5.3 billion for new lightrail or how many millions spent on defunct superferry?
The city/county government isn't terribly interested in saving a dump with public money. Private enterprise will turn its sights on Chinatown after the buildout of Kakaaka is complete as it is part of the urban core.
Chinatown has opportunities to transform itself into a community much like River North in Chicago, The Pearl in Portland, South Beach in San Francisco, etc - a nice vibrant walkable community close to work and job creation.
The city/county government isn't terribly interested in saving a dump with public money. Private enterprise will turn its sights on Chinatown after the buildout of Kakaaka is complete as it is part of the urban core.
Chinatown has opportunities to transform itself into a community much like River North in Chicago, The Pearl in Portland, South Beach in San Francisco, etc - a nice vibrant walkable community close to work and job creation.
HPU saw opportunity at Aloha tower. More coming.
Like ive said when i was fairly new to CDF Hawaii that the events in history to get to this point are systematicly planned and its not by random or by accident either nor is it benevolent.
If Chinatown wants to get serious about revitalizing itself, buckets of paint, bulldozers to tear down the dilapidated buildings, and some serious street lighting. It is so dark and dismal - no wonder people don't feel safe once the sun goes down. Literally some better street lighting could help so much.
A good example of revitalization is nearby Kakaako - that soon will be a great walking community/neighborhood and Chinatown could learn a lot. Thing about all the long term job creation this revitalization will have.
I remember Lewers street before they tore down the worst buildings and gutted the others and created the beachwalk area. People wouldn't want to walk down that street - it was not safe, dark and dismal, and in the gutter. Now, it is one of the more popular places to go in Waikiki - lively, vibrant, and fun. Again, another area with massive long term job creation.
It may not be the type of gentrification you prefer, but Chinatown has already gone through significant gentrification over the last 6-7 years or so. There are many popular eateries in Chinatown now, and yes, they are even popular with white folks. Very popular. Many of the "hip" places to drink, socialize and party at also happen to be in Chinatown now. There was literally nothing there 8 years ago. Today, it's mostly a good clean crowd and altercations aren't anywhere near as commonplace as you would expect considering the social density and alcohol being literally everywhere.
If Chinatown were revitalized similarly to Kakaako and Waikiki, the place would be completely ruined. The appeal of Chinatown is that it's well, Chinatown. Old, a bit dingy and a bit dirty... which is good because it keeps rents low. This puts a lid on prices and gives opportunity to those that could not normally afford fresh produce a chance to eat something other than processed foods. Artists, clothes designers and other millennial generation-founded businesses are flourishing in Chinatown. Young urbanites need a place to practice their entrepreneurial endeavors.
Gentrification doesn't work everywhere. The cultural value of Chinatown is far too great to be ruined by the standard ideals of gentrification. What Chinatown is experiencing is a form of healthy revival and most people like it just the way it is. Most importantly, the Chinese would NOT appreciate any change to their tiny cultural alcove. They don't want it turned into "Haoletown"
It may not be the type of gentrification you prefer, but Chinatown has already gone through significant gentrification over the last 6-7 years or so. There are many popular eateries in Chinatown now, and yes, they are even popular with white folks. Very popular.
If you made that statement 3 years ago, I could agree but it has been in a decline - I go to Chinatown at least a couple of times of month and it is a shell of what it was just recently - many business have shuttered and to me - it seems far more sketchy than just a few years ago after dark - as in, time to go - it is dark.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pj737
If Chinatown were revitalized similarly to Kakaako and Waikiki, the place would be completely ruined. The appeal of Chinatown is that it's well, Chinatown. Old, a bit dingy and a bit dirty... which is good because it keeps rents low.
Hmmmm, my unit on Bishop St. in the Chinatown area used to rent for $3,300/month just a few years ago - now runs $5,000/month - hardly low. That is an expensive area to live since you can walk to work.
All one needs to do is walk around Chinatown at 8pm (or even daylight) to see a lot of abandoned and crumbling buildings. It is downright not safe during the week at night (better on the weekend with the bars being packed) and was far better just a couple of years ago.
And besides, I bet the big bad haole racist term thrown about on CDF already own most of Chinatown anyway (or in Native Hawaiian trusts - developers of Kakaako) so doubt the "Chinese" will care all that much.
My bet it is leasehold and the clock is ticking.
Last edited by whtviper1; 03-11-2015 at 01:35 AM..
Hmmmm, my unit on Bishop St. in the Chinatown area used to rent for $3,300/month just a few years ago - now runs $5,000/month - hardly low. That is an expensive area to live since you can walk to work.
All one needs to do is walk around Chinatown at 8pm (or even daylight) to see a lot of abandoned and crumbling buildings. It is downright not safe during the week at night (better on the weekend with the bars being packed) and was far better just a couple of years ago.
And besides, I bet the big bad haole racist term thrown about on CDF already own most of Chinatown anyway (or in Native Hawaiian trusts - developers of Kakaako) so doubt the "Chinese" will care all that much.
My bet it is leasehold and the clock is ticking.
I was referring to the rent paid by businesses that are located in Chinatown - not residential condos. The overwhelming majority of people that shop in Chinatown obviously don't live anywhere near it.
And there is a good bit of contradiction in your post. On one hand you say that over the last 3 years Chinatown has gone face first into the gutter... yet over the same period your rent skyrocketed a mind-boggling 50%. Could it maybe be there is some actual appeal of Chinatown to people other than yourself?
Didn't realize haole was a racist term. I better stop calling all my haole friends haole. Sheesh.
And there is a good bit of contradiction in your post. On one hand you say that over the last 3 years Chinatown has gone face first into the gutter... yet over the same period your rent skyrocketed a mind-boggling 50%. Could it maybe be there is some actual appeal of Chinatown to people other than yourself?
Didn't realize haole was a racist term. I better stop calling all my haole friends haole. Sheesh.
I doubt you don't know haole is racist.
50% increase the past few years is the norm from downtown to the east side.
And low rent for dilapidated and nearly condemned buildings isn't surprising.
50% increase the past few years is the norm from downtown to the east side.
And low rent for dilapidated and nearly condemned buildings isn't surprising.
Haole is not considered a racist term to everyone, me included. And I am part Haole.
Rent between downtown and Hawaii Kai is definitely up but not 50%. You may have found one person willing to pay your rent but $5,000/mo condos are not very common on Bishop St or anywhere for that matter. Maybe you're in the Pinnacle? Not aware of any other building on Bishop in that price range.
Ummm, that was exactly my point. Chinatown provides low rents for its businesses because buildings are dilapidated.. old and dingy. Once the type of gentrification you want takes hold, rents will skyrocket and those long-standing businesses will disappear forever.
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