Waikiki — Fifth Avenue on a beautiful beach

The Hawai’i weather is awesome compared to New York City!  There is no checking the forecast here — one simply leaves the house. It is a thing of beauty.  And almost every day is a beach day, although for us ladies that can cut both ways!

So what do you get when you mashup Fifth Avenue or Rodeo Drive with a beautiful island beach? Seems you get Waikiki!

Night scene in Waikiki, Spam Jam
Waikiki Spam Jam 2016 (yes, THAT Spam®)

“Why would anyone want to perpetrate such a mashup?” is the logical follow-up question, and that is what I’ve often found myself asking since I arrived here a little over a month ago.  Why did the developers think this commercialization of the beach was a good idea?  Why is this area still dotted with construction cranes, when it seems so unsustainable? Is there no one planning long-term sustainable commercial/tourism development?  Well, it makes digging for the hidden gems of real Waikiki character a bit tougher, but all the more enjoyable when discovered.

I guess this over-commercialization explains why some residents of the other islands are so fiercely protective of them.  Stay tuned for my future forays to the islands…