Downtown Honolulu


Downtown Honolulu is the current historic, economic, and governmental center of Honolulu, the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. It is bounded by Nuuanu Stream to the west, Ward Avenue to the east, Vineyard Boulevard to the north, and Honolulu Harbor to the south. Both modern and historic buildings and complexes are located in the area, with many of the latter declared National Historic Landmarks on the National Register of Historic Places.

Districts

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. 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:

Central 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:
Image:Honolulu01.JPG|thumb|right|An aerial view of downtown Honolulu, Hawaii taken on April 7, 2007. In the foreground is Aloha Tower, a clock tower and lighthouse greeting visitors to Honolulu Harbor since 1926. In the center of the photo is First Hawaiian Center, the second tallest building and oldest bank in Hawaii. In the lower right is the Falls of Clyde, the only surviving iron-hulled, four-masted full rigged ship, and the only surviving sail-driven oil tanker in the world. The Falls of Clyde is now a museum ship in Honolulu Harbor.

[|Chinatown]

[Image:Hawaii-Theatre-daytime.JPG|thumb|right|alt=theater building|Hawaii Theatre]
Located between Nuuanu Stream and Nuuanu Avenue, 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 an Arts District, thanks to the renovation of the Hawaii Theatre. Buildings in this area include:

Waterfront

Honolulu's waterfront area centers on Aloha Tower, which was once the tallest building in Hawaii and 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:

Government and infrastructure

The Honolulu Police Department operates the Alapai Police Headquarters and the Downtown Police Station in Downtown Honolulu.
The United States Postal Service operates the Downtown Honolulu Post Office at 335 Merchant Street.
The Skyline rail system is planning to connect Downtown Honolulu with a Chinatown station, a Downtown station near the Aloha Tower, and a Civic Center station in the Capitol District. These stations are planned to open in 2031.