mikey's Blog: Hawaii Nostalgia

The Garden House opened its doors in 1947 where the Honolulu Police Station is currently located.  Later it moved to Sheridan street and then settled in at the corner of Pi'ikoi and Beretania streets in 1955.  It's a local landmark that provided customers with plants, lawn and garden tools and supplies for 60 years.  The Garden house closed its doors on July 11, 2007.

I set foot in the store for the first time on July 7, 2007.  Having driven by Garden House countless times and using its parking lot (legally) in the evenings to eat at Quintero's across the street, I wanted to see this business while it was still operating and also look for last-minute deals.

Most of the company's inventory was sold but there were some bargains to be found.  I picked up an…

The Varsity Theatre is located at the corner of University Avenue and Coyne Street near the University of Hawaii (UH) campus.  It opened in 1939 and is a one of the few reminders of an era that has passed.

The land parcel is 1.7 acres in size and owned by Kamehameha Schools, a charitable trust for children of Hawaiian ancestry.  Kamehameha Schools has not disclosed what they intend to do with the property.

As a student at UH in the 1980's I used to watch movies at the Varsity Theatre periodically.  It was within walking distance from campus housing and across the street from Buzz's Steak House, where I worked as a waiter.

Last night the TV news mentioned the closing of the Varsity Theatre with a brief history.  Originally it was one large theatre and at…