O‘ahu’s Great Neighborhoods: Kaimukī
A supportive small business community where old-school meets hip and new.
O‘ahu’s Great Neighborhoods
Kaimukī | Mililani | Kāne‘ohe | Kaka‘ako | Lē‘ahi | Kapolei/Makakilo | Hawai‘i Kai
O‘ahu is full of notable neighborhoods, each with its own character. Some are havens for urban singles and couples, others for young and growing families. Hot spots for foodies, emerging local businesses, retro charm, outdoor activities, nightlife: Here are seven of our favorites.
The sky seems different in Kaimukī. The sunlight and air, too. Softer, gentler, more welcoming. The visceral feel of the familiar. My history with Kaimukī runs deep. I attended elementary school on Koko Head Avenue and spent summers with my grandparents, who lived a few streets from Kaimukī Middle School. That meant field trips to Kaimukī library, afterschool Icees with liquid li hing mui from the Crack Seed Store, visits to Harry’s Music for clarinet reeds. And, yup, that off-key screeching you heard during any of the ’90s Christmas parades could have been me.
As a teenager, my first job was slinging anpan at the awkwardly named Le Bon Pain bakery at the bottom of St. Louis Drive. Years later, I lived in the little apartment complex next to Chaminade University, the one with the red Spanish tile roof, for nearly a decade.
The Old Queen Theater on Wai‘alae Avenue, Kaimukī. Photo: Anthony Consillio
Never at any point during those 20-some-odd years would I have described the quaint neighborhood as hip or trendy as it’s often thought of now, and it wasn’t a foodie hot spot, either. “How about you?” I ask Summer Shiigi, owner of the Ten Tomorrow clothing boutique and Daily Whisk Matcha café, both on 11th Avenue. We’re close in age, and Shiigi grew up near the top of Wai‘alae Avenue, where her parents still live. “Back then, I just saw it as a place where my parents wanted to hang out,” she says. “So, it was nice to return as a small-business owner and see how much it’s evolved, to where I now want to be.”
“What sets us apart is that we could have five or 10 businesses that share the same service or goods, but we don’t see each other as competitors.”
— Summer Shiigi
In Hawaiian, Kaimukī translates to tī oven, named for the legend about Menehune cooking tī roots in the area. King Kamehameha posted his lookouts on its mountainsides, taking advantage of the sweeping views of Waikīkī. According to the Historic Hawai‘i Foundation, during precontact times, the area was so arid that few people lived there. And when Dr. Georges Phillipe Trousseau, the royal family’s physician, acquired the land in 1884, he used it for cattle grazing and an ostrich farm—amazing when you consider its current population of 19,660 and what a wellspring of new businesses it has become.
Okata Bento on Wai‘alae Avenue. Photo: Anthony Consillio
Kaimukī’s blend of nostalgia and newness, and its appreciation of both old-school and rapid change, are big parts of what makes it so special. Up and down its main thoroughfares, you’ll find 20-year-old businesses and older holding their own next to much newer concepts—think Okata Bento and boba haunt Cowcow’s Tea, The Calico Cat fabric shop and eco-store Every Day Better, Sconees and the Ami Mei tea and wellness boutique.
“It’s such a charming neighborhood,” Shiigi says. “It sounds cliché, but it really is just a collective of small-business owners. What sets us apart is that we could have five or 10 businesses that share the same service or goods, but we don’t see each other as competitors. We’re all really friends, and we’re supportive of each other.”
Population: 19,660 Housing Units: 6,939 Median Household Income: $108,129 Median Sale Price of Home: $1,284,000 in August 2023 Home Value Index: $1,028,156 in August 2018 to $1,349,234 in August 2023—a 31% increase in five yearsSources: Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting Neighborhood Profiles, Redfin, Zillow
Further uniting the community is Keep it Kaimukī, the grassroots initiative founded by The Public Pet owner Jordan Lee in 2016. Shiigi co-runs the program, which has grown to include an Instagram account, a website with a digital map, merchandise and an annual event, all designed to draw business to the area, including visitors. Currently, most of Kaimukī’s customers are local—around 90% for Shiigi’s shop. “Sometimes I feel like we’re this undiscovered gem,” she says.
I too want all the small businesses to thrive, but to retain their local character. I don’t ever want to see a Starbucks pop up. I love that the W&M parking lot is as crazy as its burgers are delicious. A takeover of slick high-rises would break my heart. Deep down, I hope that Kaimukī stays just undiscovered enough.
