Lyla D.
Yelp
Did you know?
1- This park was formerly known as "Moana Park". Its name was officially changed to "Ala Moana" which means "path to the sea" in 1947.
2- During World War II, the park was used as a staging area and military battery. Construction of barracks, an armory and a temporary fortification to support a heavier presence of personnel and weapons were completed to defend O'ahu from Japanese invasion.
3- There was no beach for swimming or water sports at this park until 1954. Originally, this area was a wetland, full of kiawe trees and coconut trees. It was a coral reef marshland.
4- Developer, Henry J. Kaiser, suggested the creation of a man-made peninsula or island where hotel resorts, theaters and swimming pools would be built. But, the development project was stopped after this peninsula was built and turned over to the State of Hawai'i. The State named it "Aina Moana" or "land from the sea" to recognize its coral fill construction. We know of it as "Magic Island".
5- The City & County of Honolulu has proposed an improvement plan for Ala Moana Beach Park and Magic Island in November 2018. They are still reviewing public comments before proceeding with any of the plans.
I have fond memories of Ala Moana Beach Park as I was a pre-teen when Ala Moana Center was being built and when Magic Island was developed (1964). My parents would drive along Ala Moana Boulevard to go to the beach or family picnics. To us youngsters, the park was like being in another World of Hawaiian Paradise. It was NEW to us because we were used to playing at Kapiolani Park, Kūhiō Beach and Waikīkī. We'd find ourselves running about the green spaces flying our kites, sitting under the shade of the beachside trellises and reading or splashing about in the cool salt water with somewhat coarse yet pristine sand. As we got older, my brother and I would build model airplanes (balsa or plastic) with gas-powered motors and fly them in the designated areas. Ahhh, the simple and fun days of childhood.
Starting from middle school, my father and I would jog or run around this park (about 2.5 miles) almost daily. Because I didn't swim because of an earlier near drowning experience, I'd run around the park several times while my father would swim the length of the beach with his buddies. I'd continue running or walking with my father until the early 2000's. But, alas, both he and I started to suffer from knee issues.
As the years rolled by, I have continued to go about this park while seeing both a degradation of the park maintenance and services AND cyclical city improvements. Since moving into the nearby neighborhood, we have taken more advantage of this park by incorporating it into our daily walking routes or sometimes just to stop by to watch the sunsets or to participate in family picnics. Just as a warning, there seems to be a group of homeless people roaming to either beg for food or take advantage of unsuspecting visitors. There have been thefts and people have gotten accosted in the park.
This park still holds a number of events that draws thousands here to enjoy such as the annual Shinnyo-En Lantern Floating Festival, July 4th Fireworks Show, Friday Night Fireworks Show sponsored by the Hilton HawaiianVillage and site of the return of the Hōkūlea (3-yr around-the-World journey sailing canoe and crew journey using traditional Hawaiian navigational techniques).
In spite of some controversial improvement proposals, I think the people have always seen the beauty and want for an open green place for their families to enjoy and grow up at. After all, we live in Hawai'i and our tropical weather makes us known for living in Paradise.