Monday, June 7, 2010

The Waikiki Jungle

Kalakaua Avenue near Kuhio Beach, 1957.

From the late 1950s through the 70s there was a small bohemian enclave at the Diamond Head end of Waikiki known as the “jungle.” In marked contrast to the manicured shops and hotels further to the west, it was a low-rent area of one- and two-story studio cottages, small hotels, and old homes converted into rooming houses and apartments. Its denizens were a constantly shifting group of mostly young men and women from the mainland, here temporarily — as though on hiatus from another life — who adopted a carefree lifestyle and lived together in relative harmony.

They have been characterized as part of the “now” generation, influenced by the Viet Nam war, among other things, who were suspicious of government and opted for experiential knowledge over received, establishment-disseminated truths. There was sex and dope, of course, and booze to fuel their lifestyle. They suffered the inconveniences of improvised living — inconstant alliances with changing casts of roommates and lovers in tiny, ramshakle digs and unwholesome diets of velveeta and bread or saimin and beer — while avidly pursuing the next beach, the next party, or the next bar. Still, they managed to maintain a genuine feeling of shared adventure until, in the 70s, came the inevitable push by city officials and developers to renovate the area and replace their homes with high-rises.

Most of the expatriate jungle dwellers returned to the mainland after their island interludes to lead normal, conventional lives, though on-line posts from middle-aged “now”-ers suggest their days in the jungle still exert a strong emotional pull and evoke fond memories of a carefree, golden time.

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8 Comments:

Blogger C and G Taylor said...

Stumbled into your blog while looking for images of packaging for Hawaii foods in the 40's...I'm really enjoying this. Thanks!
Born in Hawaii, also...

November 24, 2011 at 8:45 AM  
Blogger Roxie said...

I lived in the Jungle, while attending the Univ of Hawaii as an art major, from about 1966 to 1971, with a few trips back to the mainland for periods of time. Rented a "room" in an alley - cheap wooden structures thrown up probably in the 30s...had a bathroom and mattress on the floor. No kitchen of course. I was so poor I ate only oatmeal cooked in a tea pot for a few weeks, and went without shoes for 6 weeks once. But there you can do that, even in college classes. One time a bullet smashed into my bathroom mirror. My friends were a mixture of students, low-level dope dealers, AWOL soldiers, and locals - it was great fun and very lively. I felt safe there though. It was sad, and touching, to see the Viet Nam servicemen on their brief R&R, looking for some fun before they returned to the horrors of war. Went to some great flower-child events, like a "Love in" in Diamond Head crater, which was mainly smoking dope, dancing, and listening to music...Great times, and did me no harm. Coming from conservative Maryland, I felt like Hawaii, with its mix of races and cultures, was the future. Now I live in NYC, which also has a great mix. But we still have a long way to go in this country, sadly.

July 15, 2017 at 9:10 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I also lived in the jungle '65 thru '67. This definitely describes my experience. One of the best times of my life. We are now taking our teenage grandchildren to Hawaii so they can experience a little of their Nana's past.

January 7, 2020 at 6:25 AM  
Blogger sparadis said...

I lived at the end of the Jungle during the military "R & R" era

December 31, 2020 at 10:34 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I spent about four months in the Jungle when we swapped our mainland house with a friend’s house. I was about 14 at the time. It was the late 60’s and it was a very exciting place to be, there was rock group down the street with green hair called the Green Beans, Paul Revere and the Raiders played at a club close by. The couple next door would go toe to toe over who would pick up after the dog. We had Travelers aka Gypsies wandering around pulling hustles. Someone in the neighborhood baked fresh Hawaiian bread and would offer it for sale. I liked hitting the beach and the newsstands for comics and Help magazine. Great memories.

September 6, 2022 at 5:10 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Went to Smorgy's for Christmas dinner one year. Miss those days.

October 25, 2022 at 6:45 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Lived in the jungle in a small studio in ‘59. I was still in my teens and most recreation involved the beach. (Boyfriend was an MP at Fort DeRussy) Some booze, but no dope. Loved my neighbors but a little more conventional.
And I came from the Pacific NW so when I moved in I met my first cockroach(s)!! But I knew Hawai’i was ‘home’. I went back stateside after a few months but later returned to raise two kids in Kāneʻohe.

August 19, 2023 at 8:24 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Roxie. Your post was dated 2017 BUT I wanted to contact you. I accidentally stayed in the Jungle for a few days after meeting a local musician who found me a place after he convinced me to return to Honolulu and leave a 5 island tour I was on with a girlfriend. He played with a group at the Cock's Roost in the International Marketplace. He took care of me and gave me a lot of tours of the island that a regular tourist would not have seen. I returned to "America" and we lived our lives for 50 years. I wonder how he is doing.
Just read my trip diary and read that the place he got for me was in the Jungle. So sorry to read that the quaint area has been bulldozed in the early 70's. Contact me if you would be so kind. After all these years, I am interested in knowing more about it all and your experience as well.

November 18, 2023 at 9:54 AM  

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