Spotlight's Oahu Gold Magazine
Oahu Sightseeing Guide » Downtown Honolulu
The Art District
On the eastern edge of Chinatown, in old town Honolulu, lies an eclectic and diverse neighborhood. In a span of 12 blocks, over 25 arts-related businesses/galleries, two theatres, two performance art venues, an alternative movie theater and some of Honolulu's trendiest nightclubs and restaurants coexist in buildings built at the end of the 19th century. Experience a nascent art scene and dine at over 75 ethnic and Southeast Asian restaurants in the surrounding neighborhood. On the first Friday of every month, galleries remain open from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. for the First Friday Gallery Walk (for information, call (808) 521-2903).In case you're wondering, Waikiki and Downtown Honolulu are not the same. What we call downtown is the area around Honolulu Harbor, near Aloha Tower. It's easy to reach by city bus (#19 or #20) or, better yet, aboard the open-air Rainbow Trolleys or Waikiki Trolleys.
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| The Coronation Pavilion on the grounds of ‘Iolani Palace is dwarfed by downtown Honolulu's modern office towers. |
Downtown Honolulu is a refreshing, comfortable blend of the old, Iolani Palace, and the new, Aloha Tower Marketplace. Currently experiencing both a building boom and a classic case of urban renaissance, the city is compact, clean and cheerful. Our bankers, lawyers and businesspeople are bustling about in dressier island wear (you'll see very few coats and ties here!), the traditional Chinatown merchants are selling goods with Oriental zest aside their new, artsy neighbors, the lei sellers string floral fare with timeless serenity, and everyone seems to be having a good time.
A walking tour of our city should include the Aloha Tower Marketplace, the fascinating Hawai‘i Maritime Center, Chinatown, our business district, and several sites of unique historical significance. Tours of stately ‘Iolani Palace are conducted from Tuesday through Saturday, call (808) 522-0832 for reservations and (808) 538-1471 for recorded information. Across King Street and facing ‘Iolani Palace is the striking statue of King Kamehameha the Great. Further down King Street is Honolulu's City Hall, also called Honolulu Hale, Kawaiaha‘o Church, and the Mission Houses Museum (with tours Tues.-Sun., call (808) 531-0481).
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