Awhile back, I had written a post that was never published on how much Waikiki had changed since I was a kid.
It was aimed to run after the $115 million renovation to the Royal Hawaiian Center, which, in June 2008, transformed the more than 310,000-square-foot shopping and dining complex along Kalakaua Avenue. It’s got a decidedly Mainland feel, with huge storefronts for such retailers like Apple, Bebe, Tourneau and Bvlgari, just to name a few.
I was conflicted at the time: the streets were cleaner, the landscape more inviting. But it didn’t feel like the Waikiki I remembered growing up. And I couldn’t see the ocean.
But it’s Waikiki. It’s a playground for visitors to Oahu, with rows of hotels, restaurants and shops lining Kalakaua Avenue on both sides. It’s supposed to be tourist-friendly, accessible and self-contained. I get it.
But the North Shore?
The changes out there have been even harder to accept, with Haleiwa looking more like how Disney would interpret Hawaii for Disney World. You can’t rebuild old plantation-style structures and turn-of-the-century buildings. It just doesn’t feel sincere or authentic.
So when I heard about Kamehamehama Schools’ $12.6 million plan to redevelop four acres in this historic town, I didn’t know how to feel, exactly.
The plan calls for demolishing four of nine existing buildings — including the one that houses Aoki’s Shave Ice — and restoring two. The famous (particularly with visitors) Matsumoto Shave Ice will be spared.
It pits two long-time, family-owned shave ice stands against each other, and that makes me incredibly uncomfortable.
Talking with owner Stanley Matsumoto, there has never been an unfriendly rivalry between the two shops. They have coexisted for more than 30 years, offering similar but different flavors and goods. And both have devoutly loyal followings.
So it’s no surprise the outpouring of support for Aoki’s when several media outlets — and the shop’s own Facebook page — reported it would be closing up shop.
It’s hard to watch the North Shore turn into this visitor destination, though I know it was only a matter of time.
Folks are lured to this area primarily for the massive winter swells. But over the years, shops and restaurants have seen increases in traffic during the flat summer months, with visitors flocking here because of its reputation. The beaches are pristine, the snorkeling stellar. And now, thanks to development, there are lots of shops, boutiques, restaurants and cafes to patron.
It’s a hard balance: you want businesses on the North Shore to survive (and thrive!), but you don’t want to change its appeal and charm.
And building new and more shops and buildings may not be the answer.
What’s your take?
12 Comments
I wonder if they’re gonna change the “Historic Haleiwa Town” sign to something else say something else?
I recently “played tourist” with friends who were visiting from Seattle and liked the old shops and homey appeal to Haleiwa. The only constant is change, although it’s not always for the better.
wow, that’s sad. hadn’t heard about that. i favored aoki’s, mainly because the lines were usually shorter. having grown up around kahaluu, the north shore was just a short trip up kam hwy for me, so i went there fairly often, to fish, go beach or just cruise. sad to see (or hear about) the changes but i guess they’re inevitable.
I grew up in Raleigh, NC and live there now. In 1966 when I was 10 I could hunt squirrels in my back yard. Made jelly from the wild plums in the forest behind the house. Wake County, about the size of Oahu, was ~180,000 people. We were six miles outside the city limit. Raleigh is now 1 Million plus, we are 8 miles inside the city limits. Hunting is illegal in the county now. I can remember laying on the pavement at the top of the driveway looking up at the sky and it was full of stars, waste of time now. Everywhere we all experience these kinds of things. It is the byproduct of a) living in a desirable location b) the mad march to 7 billion people c) wealthier people forgoing yachts and big houses for travel and experiences.
But Hawaii has another issue. The economy is based on tourism and the military and without them there isn’t much left. They are such big industries they call the shots at all levels of government. Until tourists go elsewhere and the military pulls out Hawaii will continue to build. If they pull out then things could be rather catastrophic.
Post catastrophe might be the time to move back…
I’ve known about this for a while since I work in media and several months ago one of the magazines I shoot for met with both KS and the owners of those two shave ice stores.
I too understand that the biggest leaseholder in the state wants to see a successful area develop even more and become an even greater source of income. But in this case I think this has become the typical David and Goliath battle, but this time Goliath is winning.
I’m not sure that any of the businesses wanted the changes. Part of their appeal has surely been the nostalgic appearance of the place. And what business person in their right mind would want to change something that they know in the short term is going to cost a lot and lose them business.
It just feels like someone at KS needed to exercise some muscle and the long surviving store owners were the ones to bear the burden.
Sooner or later the places in Hawaii that were the places that brought me here will be nothing more than a duplicate of those California or Florida towns that I sought to escape.
Sad … Just plain sad!
Oahu is way over developed and I hate it. Is this supposed to be PROGRESS????
Hello Cat,
Live the country, country. There’s enough traffic already more development means more traffic.
I meant leave…. lol
Good Morning Cat,
Born & raised in Waimanalo (leaving in the ’70’s) then Kailua, I can’t begin to tell you about the changes! Went thru there a few years ago, before Pres. Obama made Kailua the place to be, & had a hard time recognizing the place. For all good & bad, change is inevitable.
btw, just came back from the East Coast, Talk about the past & the present living in such tight co-existence, see Boston.
Hey Cat … this reminds me of something Joe Moore said a few nights ago … something like “we all want progress as long as everything stays the same” … ok, not quite that but to the same effect …
… I’m really on the fence with this one … I see the value in progress and modernization and moving forward …
… but I’d be way more comfortable browsing, talking story and maybe eating in an old-style shop in Haleiwa … than in a shiny sparkly brand-spanking new store …
Maybe Aoki’s should relocate to the food truck lot. Last time I was there it was the busiest place there.
it’s tough. and it’s inevitable. every town gets boutique’d eventually. i’ve seen it happen in Texas, in Austin and the hill country and i’ve seen it happen in California in La Jolla and in LA in Hermosa Beach. it’s money that roots out and replaces cultures of human scale. and it’s wrong, i tells ya. it’s wrong.
During my youth I spent all my summers in Hale’iwa. As a rambunctious youngster I hated being cooped up in the country away from the action in town. But this is where my family established its roots in America. My mom, grandparents and aunties all were born in the North Shore. In fact, it was my family that sold their old dry goods store to Mr. Matsumoto back in the 1950s. Today, as an MLCer (Uncle Rod’s term) I have come to appreciate the charm and beauty of Hale’iwa. I also reminisce and think about how much the islands have changed over the years. Is progress always a good thing? In this situation I would rather maintain the untarnished allure of Hale’iwa than exposed it to unfettered commercialism. Once that door opens it never shuts.
On a side note, I still recall Fujimura Store having the best shave ice in town.