Tag: kaka’ako

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Sweet Home Kaka’ako….

Did I ever tell you how much I love living here? This is a visual tour of Kaka’ako via some of my Instagram pics over the past years….

The main reason for choosing Kaka’ako was the location. I’m a “townie.” Ala Moana Beach was my childhood playground.

I’m directly across from the Blaisdell Center, a place for concerts, plays, exhibits, sporting events, graduations, and the weekly Farmers’ Market.

I’m also just three blocks away from the Ward Entertainment Complex. We even have our midweek bible study at Mocha Jave Café at the Ward Centre.

There are a bunch of cool events in here in Kaka’ako. A popular one is the “Eat the Street” event across from the Mother Waldron Playground.

Kaka’ako is also a place for the “creatives.” There are three museums, the Honolulu Academy of Arts, the Hawai’i State Museum of Art (HiSAM,) and the Children’s Discovery Center.

There is always a buzz of activity at Honolulu Hale with book fairs, concerts, and the Christmas Lights.

We have a few nice places to eat as well. This is the Tan Tan Ramen from Goma Tei. I also like Asahi Grill, Fresh Café, the REAL a Gastropub, and the Whole Ox Deli, to name a few. I also enjoy walking on over to Chinatown for my phở fix….

For recreation and exercise, we have the Kaka’ako Waterfront Park and the UFC Gym.

So far, I’m enjoying Kaka’ako. So blessed. Looking forward to its bright future….

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Kaka’ako Waterfront Park

Went for my weekly walk on this Memorial Day. Walked up Ward Avenue past the Fisherman’s Wharf Restaurant and the Children’s Discovery Center, and reached the park in no time flat. Waterfront Park is really nice, but is not as popular as when it first opened.

It has a jogging path, nice picnic areas, and nice fishing spots.

This is the amphitheater where they have some of those reggae concerts.

Of course, the main feature of the park is the view. If you walk out to the point, you have a nice view of Diamond Head and the surf spot “Kewalos.”

I had a nice “walk in the park” this morning.

Afterword: I walked over to the John Burns School of Medicine because, I heard that they have a great café there. Unfortunately, it was closed today. This seems to be a recurring theme now….

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POW WOW Hawai’i 2012

Attended tonight’s opening of POW WOW Hawai’i at Loft in Space x Fresh Café. “POW WOW Hawai’i is a gathering to celebrate culture, music, and art.” Its mission is to engage the broader community in the process and creation of art. Local and international contemporary artists have been painting murals on walls and buildings in the neighborhood of Kaka’ako this past week.

Ran into a friend, and one of the founding artists there, Kamea.

WOW, had a really great time checking out the art work and taking part in such a cool event….

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Nonstop Kaka’ako….

Attended the first Nonstop Kaka’ako event, “an urban food, retail, and entertainment experience.” It’s a pop-up block party. It was fun, and the weather was perfect. It’s a really neat concept, and I hope they do more events like this. I guess the goal is to promote Kaka’ako as the “hub” of Honolulu.

The variety of food was impressive. It was like an Eat the Street event on steroids. I had my first Chicago Dog at Hank’s Haute Dogs. There were shopping tents filled with fashion items from some of the hottest boutiques in town. There was even a cigar bar, a beer garden, and the UH football game on a large inflatable screen. They even had free wi-fi set up for this event.

The highlight for me was running into former students at the Anuhea concert at the main stage. It was a fun night….

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What a Day….

Haha. I feel like a senior citizen. I’m walking more, and I go to these free community events in my neighborhood. Yes, I’m turning into a senior citizen….

Still, it’s kinda cool. There were hula & taiko drum performances, food & craft booths, and woodcraft demonstrations by local artists.

Even Two Ladies Kitchen flew in from Hilo to sell mochi. Ward Warehouse was transformed into a cultural festival. I had a tray of fresh ahi poke for lunch. Mmm, so good.

But here’s the crazy part….

I decided to take the Antique Fire Truck Ride through Kaka’ako. I guess I misread the description. I thought it would be an informative tour of historic Kaka’ako. So I bought a ticket. Later, I found myself on board sandwiched between families with young children…. and senior citizens. They passed out bells to each one of us. Every time the fireman rang his bell or blew his siren, we had to ring our bells.

It was embarrassing and humiliating. Man, what a day….