With the Hawaii Theatre reflected in the glass, Sheri Lyles, a University of Hawaii art student, looks at some of the artwork displayed at the Arts at Marks Garage in Chinatown.

COURTESY OF STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT

A LOOK BACK: In 1899, buildings contaminated during a bubonic plague outbreak were destroyed by a fire that accidentally spread out of control, destroying most of Chinatown.

Chinatown

The area today is a bustling marketplace by day and a hip and trendy hot spot by night

Art drives evolution

To step into Honolulu’s Chinatown today is to enter a mix of old and new — a historical, cultural district as well as an arty, urban neighborhood.

The core Chinatown remains the same — a bustling marketplace of produce, seafood, trinkets and lei shops, with the newest influx of immigrants coming from Southeast Asia.

But take a stroll east of Smith Street, and what once was a no man’s land with a reputation for drugs and prostitution has evolved into a hip and trendy nightspot that attracts visitors from out of town.
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Lighting up the night

The site that used to house Wo Fat Restaurant will be transformed into a club.

Venture to the corner of Hotel and Maunakea streets during the day, and you’ll likely see the hustle and bustle of customers shopping at a ground floor supermarket or grabbing snacks at nearby Sunkyu Bakery.

When Loft Hawaii opens next month, however, this stretch of Hotel Street will take on a new life when the sun goes down.
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What will it take to get a critical mass to the Chinatown arts district on days other than First Fridays?

CHINATOWN

ARTS DISTRICT

The district is being called SOBE (South of Beretania):
Restaurants and bars: 14-plus
Art galleries: 20
New shops/services: 10
Anchor: Hawaii Theatre
First Friday’s inception: 2003
First Friday attendance: 2,500