Lewers Street

Does anyone know if the Lewers street project has been completed? If so, can you tell me what is it like?

Thanks!

Lewers Street

It%26#39;s a little like Vegas now ;-)

Seriously, it%26#39;s all cleaned up %26amp; seems pretty much finished. Just a bunch of fancy shopping and new hotels. They got rid of things like the fruit store, funky bakeries, plate lunch places, etc.

Lewers Street

We walked past there and checked things out during our visit to Waikiki last month. I have a sentimental attachment to how it used to be. When we made our first trip to Hawaii in 1996 (eventually getting married on Maui), we stayed at what was then called the Outrigger Village, which then became the Ohana Waikiki Village and is now part of the Embassy Suites Beachwalk (I may have missed one name change there...heh heh). I have fond memories of everything being all jammed in, the too-narrow sidewalk, but you know, the place had character. It had a neat feel to it. We still really liked walking down Lewers Street when we returned six years later, stopping in that quiet bar at the Ohana Waikiki Village, kicking back and enjoying a few drinks. Now it seems sterile to me, and I miss how it was.

Lee

Houndhockey....

I agree that Lewers has lost its admirable quirky character due to redevelopment, but it had been in a declining state since the late 1970s, becoming ';uneconomic'; and undesirable for many.

By the time ground was broken for Outrigger%26#39;s Beach Walk, there were several decrepit and vacant buildings in the neighborhood, others with severe system problems, none with requisite ADA or similar facilities, and a few obviously at the end of their economic life.

It badly needed redevelopment, and Waikiki and State tourism badly needed it to be redeveloped. Outrigger should be applauded for undertaking the multi-decade effort to acquire, plan, finance and build the new project....helping to insure the vitality of the District for another three or four decades.

It was tough losing the Lewers Red Lion, but they have since bought out the bar near the UH which we have been hanging at for 28 years so the old Waikiki crowd is still around. And, the Yard House beer bar %26amp; grill that is now in their location on Lewers is pretty darn good.

With the land value at about $400 per square foot and much of the rest of Waikiki undergoing upgrades in response to the post-9/11 recovery and boom, there really just wasn%26#39;t a choice anymore.

Yeah, I understand those reasons and agree with them, Amberloo. It%26#39;s just that sometimes I like things how they once were and this was a special place for us, being the first hotel we stayed at in Hawaii.

I was listening to a song by the Brothers Cazimero yesterday entitled ';Ain%26#39;t No Big Thing'; and at the end of the song, they reminisce about the ';old'; Waikiki; driving both ways on Kalakaua, etc. It brought a smile to my face because the Waikiki they described was a Waikiki I never had the chance to know. Wish I could have :)

Lee

The fruit stand moved to the Imperial Hotel. Their entrance is scross from the Halekulani Hotel on Kalia Road.

Don%26#39;t blink --- you%26#39;ll miss the entrance.

oh thank you thank you! i loved that little shop. i%26#39;ll make note so i can find it next trip.

Thanks all for the info. Last time I was there it was still under construction. It will fun to walk thru there and see the changes.