Salt at Our Kaka’ako – Honolulu, Hawaii

Salt at Our Kaka’ako sounds rather strange for essentially an outdoor shopping mall. But there is a history and meaning behind the name. Long ago, this area was full of fish and salt ponds. Salt was a valuable commodity, and the Kaka‘ako salt ponds were a key source.

As the Kaka’ako transforms from industrial to residential, partnerships between non-profits and commercial developers are redeveloping the area. There is also a strong creative community, and many of the stores in this mall cater to them. There were no national chains and only a few Hawaiian chains. Most stores seem to be on-off and unique establishments.

My wife learned of this place through a YouTube travel show. We were partly guided by the online maps. But stumbled onto this place as we walked west from the area with the street art — showcased over the last few days.

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