I grew up right by the Halawa Height's Market and would ride my bike precariously down the hill and Frogger my way past speeding cars to "The Store" (ingenious naming, I know!). My Mom would tell me every chance she had "not to ride to the store" because I was a girl and girl's can't ride to "The Store." So of course when she wasn't around I rode to "The Store" every chance I had!
My father who grew up in the same neighborhood as a boy and had fond memories of "The Store." He would tell me of his boyhood friend who was once very excited because he had gotten candy from the "Boo Store." My father was very perplexed by this because he knew of no "Boo Store" but only of the Halawa Height's Market. He soon found out that his friend was indeed referring to the Halawa Height's Market and that they had recently painted the storefront blue. His friend had been telling him that it was the "Blue Store" but sadly suffered from a speech impediment.
The Halawa Heights Market has served generations of children well with li hing mui, rocket pops, drum sticks, weird grab bags and other contraband considered off limits by parents. To neighborhood kids it's like the Shangri-La of growing up. To adults it's a dirty little liquor store where you buy a 40 and a 6-pack on the way home from work. Long live the "Boo Store"! read more