The most common phrase I’ve heard in the past 20 years about Honolulu’s most populated tourist destination is that “locals don’t go to Waikiki.”
The complaints most of us have heard about Waikiki include the crowds, high prices, no parking, and the other negatives of drugs, hookers, and high prices again. I’m not so sure that Waikiki is avoided as much as we may think. Why?
The Friday afternoon traffic jam going into Waikiki is serious. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Kalakaua, Ala Moana, or McCully– traffic is heavy going into Waikiki on Friday nights.
If locals don’t go to Waikiki then who’s driving all those cars? What’s going on in Waikiki that attracts so many local folks?
Food.
It might be something else, but what? Exactly. There are suspects. Weddings? Graduation parties? Nope. It’s not the beach, it’s not the entertainment (can anyone tell me what entertainment exists in Waikiki these days?).
If it’s not dinner out in Waikiki then what else would it be? Shoppping? Nope.
It’s food. Waikiki has plenty of restaurants from which to choose, the variety covers nearly every taste, and most validate, so parking is no more of a hassle than lunch in downtown Honolulu.
If you believe that “locals don’t go to Waikiki” then who’s driving all those cars down Kalakaua and Ala Moana every Friday night?
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