Downtown Honolulu
Downtown Honolulu is the current and historic central part of
Honolulu—bounded by Nu‘uanu Stream to the west, Ward Avenue to the east, Vineyard Boulevard to the north, and
Honolulu Harbor to the south—situated within the larger
Honolulu District. In downtown Honolulu are found both modern and historic buildings and complexes, many of the latter declared
National Historic Landmarks on the
National Register of Historic Places.
Downtown Honolulu can be subdivided into four neighborhoods, each with its own central focus and mix of buildings. These areas are the
Capitol District, the
Central Business District,
Chinatown, and the
waterfront.
Capitol District
The Capitol District, or Civic Center, contains most of the federal, state, and city governmental buildings and is centered on the Hawaii
State Capitol,
Iolani Palace, and
Honolulu Hale (
city hall). It is roughly bounded by Richards Street on the west, Ward Avenue on the east, Vineyard Boulevard to the north, and Nimitz Highway to the south. Significant buildings in this area include:
*
Advertiser Building*
Ali'iolani Hale*
Bishop Estate Building*
Frank F. Fasi Municipal Building*
Hawai'i State Capitol*
Hawai'i State Library*
Honolulu Hale*
Honolulu Police Station*
Iolani Barracks*
Iolani Palace*
Kakaako Fire Station*
Kamehameha V Post Office*
Kawaiahao Church*
Leiopapa a Kamehameha Building*
Prince Kuhio Kalanianaole Building*
Territorial Building*
Washington PlaceCentral Business District
Centered on Bishop Street and
Fort Street Mall, the central business district is roughly bounded by Nuuanu Avenue, Nimitz Highway, Richards Street, and Vineyard Boulevard. This area contains most of the headquarters buildings of Hawaii-based companies and most of the skyscrapers. Buildings in this area include:
*
Alexander & Baldwin Building*
Armstrong Building*
Army and Navy YMCA*
Bishop Bank Building*
Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew*
Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace*
C. Brewer Building*
Central Fire Station*
Dillingham Transportation Building*
First Hawaiian Center*
Fort Street Mall*
Hawai'i Pacific University*
Hawaiian Electric Building*
Judd Building*
Keoua Hale*
McCandless Building*
Melchers Building*
Oahu Railway and Land Terminal*
Royal Brewery*
Stangenwald Building*
Theo H. Davies Building*
Yokohama Specie Bank*
YWCA BuildingChinatown
Located between Nuuanu Stream and Nuuanu Avenue, Honolulu's Chinatown at one time was the center of Chinese cultural contact on the island. Central to this area is the open-air
Oahu Market. The area around Nuuanu Avenue has become a center for the arts in recent years, thanks to the recent renovation of the
Hawaii Theatre. Buildings in this area include:
*
Hawai'i Theatre*
Lum Yip Kee Building*
Mission Memorial Building*
Nippu Jiji Building*
Oahu Market*
Wo Fat BuildingWaterfront
Honolulu's waterfront area centers on
Aloha Tower, which was once the tallest building in Hawaii and the site where cruise ships would dock before the advent of air travel between Hawaii and the U.S. Mainland. Recently, cruise ships between the Hawaiian Islands now dock at Honolulu Harbor. Buildings in this area include:
*
Aloha Tower*
Falls of Clyde*
Hawai'i Maritime Center* Honolulu
Foreign Trade Zone
