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Tiki is dying fast in Waikiki - International Market |
Mo-Eye
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 17, 2006
Posts: 600
From: Costa Mesa, CA
|  Posted: 2007-01-05 3:58 pm Permalink
Aloha TC,
It is with great sadness that I update you on some of the current happenings in Waikiki. With our Stor being there, I walk through the International Market everyday on my way to work. In the past few weeks, they have removed almost everything related to tiki, for which they used to be so well known.
On the Kuhio Ave side of the Market, near the new Hart and Huntingdon Tattoo shop, there were 3 very tall tikis that were the sign for the Market. As I recall, they were at least 10-15 feet tall. The maintenance people even just repainted these last month. Last week, as I walked by, all that was left were 3 stumps, as they were gone, just sawed off at the base. I have snooped around and asked some maintenance people, security guards, and the management office. Everyone has basically said that the city/county forced them to take them down as they didn't meet code, which doesn't make any sense as they are old enough they would have been grandfathered in before any new code/law.
In the center of the Market Place, near the food court is the circular building that was the old Trader Vic's. It is now Capt. Zack's and Bobby G's Spot bars on the lower level, and a work shop on the upper level. Well, as I walked by today, they have already put up a fence around it and will be tearing down the building this week. They were also removing one of the big old trees next to it, most likely so that they can bring in heavy equipment. There were about 5 great tikis that were still on the walls of the building, but they were already gone by this morning. Word is the maintenance people did take them off.
There was also one room on the second level of the Market, which had become known as the Tiki Treasure Room. It was just an old storage room, that had one little window that you could peek into, and see hundreds of old tikis, signs, and other elements of the Market. This room has since been cleaned out, but from what I can find out, they did just move the stuff, and did not trash it.
I went up to the management office today to see if I could find out any info, but they were not that willing to give out much. They have been very secretive about the whole project, and not many know what is really going on. They did say that all of the tikis were being kept and that they are in storage now. The one thing to remember is they said the exact same thing about the 2 old moais from Don the Beachcomber's. They were removed a couple of months ago, but did end up going into the dumpster (luckily another shop owner saved them). I take everything they say with a grain of salt now.
I will monitor what is going on, and keep everyone updated.
Weeping in Waikiki...
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GatorRob
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 20, 2004
Posts: 1767
From: 3 hrs 33 mins to paradise
| Posted: 2007-01-05 4:20 pm Permalink
Very sad. We'll be in Waikiki in June. As I understand it, the Marketplace is undergoing a multi-million dollar "upgrade", yes? Is this part of that renovation?
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Swamp Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 08, 2006
Posts: 158
From: The Shadowy Moss Draped South
| Posted: 2007-01-05 4:30 pm Permalink
Its called urban renewal. Countless Historic buildings and districts fall prey to this malignant activity every day in the U.S. Developers are running amuck at such a rate that they are nearly out of control. City Planners and elected officials typically have no backbone when it comes to the temptation of the dollar. Also, and I hate to admit it, the lack of local interest tends to be the key. I see this crap everyday in my line of work.
Swamp.
[ This Message was edited by: Swamp Tiki 2007-01-05 16:54 ]
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Jeff Central
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 23, 2002
Posts: 1529
From: Columbus, Ohio
| Posted: 2007-01-05 4:37 pm Permalink
Very Sad!! 
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Mo-Eye
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 17, 2006
Posts: 600
From: Costa Mesa, CA
| Posted: 2007-01-05 5:20 pm Permalink
Last year, there were articles in the paper about the Marketplace "upgrade". It was a monstrous project, with the final drawings really just looking like Ala Moana Mall. That was all kind of canceled/put on hold. I think people made a big deal about it because it included the removal of all the old banyan trees. They might just be trying to do some of it now, gradually, "under the radar".
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hewey
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 14, 2004
Posts: 4270
From: Sydney, Australia
| Posted: 2007-01-05 7:23 pm Permalink
That sucks man! Make some friends with some sympathetic maintenance guys I think - bribery with cocktails/merchandise might help. You wont be able to stop it, but you might be able to save some tikis from the bin!
_________________
www.kustomkultureaustralia.com
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TikiPhil
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 21, 2004
Posts: 149
From: Riverside, CA
| Posted: 2007-01-05 9:26 pm Permalink
The International Market Place was always my favorite spot in Waikiki. But it seems that nowadays most tourists would rather wait in line for two hours to eat at the Cheesecake Factory on Kalakaua Ave then take a stroll through the International Market Place.
Here's a few pictures I took at the Market Place on my last visit:
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TikiDevil9
Member
Joined: Dec 17, 2006
Posts: 5
From: Honolulu/Portland
| Posted: 2007-01-05 9:40 pm Permalink
That's a shame. I used to work in Waikiki as well; managing Pink Cadillac night club for 4 years and then working at the Hawaiian Quilt Collection. I enjoyed the days when Waikiki still had lots of tikis.
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panampia
Tiki Centralite
Joined: May 26, 2006
Posts: 42
From: pittsburgh,pa
| Posted: 2007-01-05 10:18 pm Permalink
There are 2 auctions on ebay right now for what they are claiming as tikis from the Trader's in Hawaii and Bali Hai. I don't know if anyone recognizes them, take a look and see what you think. I wish I could afford them...
panampia
 Item number: 290067813313
 Item number: 290067818062
 Item number: 290067818062
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10600
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2007-01-06 07:16 am Permalink
If I have to see these missbegotten, mutant mofos peddled as vintage restaurant Tikis one more time on e-bay Im gonna go there and torch them myself! Arrrgh!
http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?topic=22327&forum=5&3
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panampia
Tiki Centralite
Joined: May 26, 2006
Posts: 42
From: pittsburgh,pa
| Posted: 2007-01-06 11:15 am Permalink
Well, I guess they are not genuine. I have alot to learn, thank you to all of you for your experience and knowledge. I'll get there someday!
Panampia
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PremEx
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 23, 2006
Posts: 271
From: Houston, Texas
| Posted: 2007-01-07 07:44 am Permalink
Quote:
| In the center of the Market Place, near the food court is the circular building that was the old Trader Vic's. |
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Also...just a bit across from that building was a great large doubled-sided glass sign frame on a post...that still had the Trader Vic logo on top carved in wood. I always wanted that piece. Bet that's gone too.
I'm going to be visiting Waikiki very soon for a few nights arriving on January 23rd, and I'm staying right next door to the International Marketplace at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani. I got a feeling it's going to be a very sad sight. 
[ This Message was edited by: PremEx 2007-01-07 07:45 ]
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Tiki Royale
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Dec 06, 2002
Posts: 891
From: The Aloha Room in Beautiful Belmont, CA!
| Posted: 2007-01-07 11:00 am Permalink
Here are a few pictures I shot a coupla' years ago of some of the old boys around the IMP... Sorry to see 'em go.
Enjoy.
_________________
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10600
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2007-01-07 6:49 pm Permalink
That it some fine urban archeology there T.R.! The forgotten sentinels of the glory days of the International Market Place will live on in these pages, even as defaced with garish colors as some of them are...
Here a few vintage memories: The I.M.P. was actually initiated by Don The Beachcomber, and intended as a ONE LEVEL village of little South Seas trading posts. It was sort of an irony that the Spencliff's Trader Vic's opened there later. Here's the entrance:
See the sign on the right, with Don's place being the main attraction. The posts with the Malanggan masks on the left were carved by Edward Brownlee, who also did the Waikikian/Tahitian Lanai. They were later copied on this Californian restaurant's menu cover:
And here is Don in front of his Waikiki restaurant, which was embedded in the Market Place:
All this was long gone, but Don's special dining place for two, his tree house, was not torn down until about a year ago. Here is a photo of it from 1999, with my son Diego on the bridge:
Bye bye I.M.T., the last traces of Don's vision will be soon erased.
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stuff-o-rama
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 20, 2003
Posts: 751
From: Central Coast of California
| Posted: 2007-01-07 9:16 pm Permalink
When I was there in the late 70's the treehouse was an Elvis Memorabilia store. I loved going there...
I don't understand how city planners can erase a town's history... it really breaks my heart that they have no historic attachment to the marketplace. I can understand if it was run down, termite ridden, etc. to tear it apart, but why they wouldn't restore it or rebuild it in it's former glory is beyond me.
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