Islander, Gardena, CA (apartments) - Locating Tiki

P Polynesiac Tiki Socialite San Pedro, CA Joined: Jan 29, 2004 Posts: 2099	P Polynesiac Posted posted on Thu, May 1, 2008 9:11 PM Sabu referenced the Islander in this thread, but the pictures have vanished: http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=892&forum=1&hilite=islander%20gardena I thought there was a thread about The Islander, but I couldn't find it. If there is, please merge or delete this thread as needed. A few years back, I was exiting my new dentists office with some clean teeth, hopped in the car drove a block and stumbled on this place. I'm still amazed everytime I come across a polynesian theamed apartment complex. Out of hum-drum LA apartment hell areas, comes a shining beacon of architechtual beauty (or oddity - depending on your perspective. Either way, it's different and that's a good thing). I find myself sometimes driving a little out of my way just to pass by some of them, so I can smile. Anyway, I took these photos about 2 years ago, and it was one of the only rainy days that year. subsequent visits to the dentist have been without camera, but the complex looks exactly like these pictures - very well maintained. Also, the photo of the lava rock waterfall was taken on a day it was off. It is fully functional. I'd love to see this place at night - I bet it has some cool lights on the tikis. Here they are: The new Islander sign. Sven has a picture of the old sign on page 218 of BOT. Though not as cool as the other sign, they did try and incorporate a "beachcomber" feel to it with warn looking wood and the font: Everytime I've passed by there I remember there being a place for rent. anyone want to call and see if they still have anything available? :) View of a-frame entrance and a frames of the side apartments from the street: side view to show how far out the a-frame comes, good view of the well maintained grounds (I like mine a little more lush, but you can tell these grounds are adored): A close up of the guardian tiki. He's been painted and moved onto lava rocks (you can see his left leg has rotted away and the top of his head too). I'm guessing the paint was a protective measure, or to hid the rot. At least it's a solid color and he doesn't look like a clown: View from the other side, showing the entrance way tikis and anchor chain railings and the bridge over water: Close up of the two entrance way guardians on either side of the bridge. Though a very simplistic style, I love how these tikis look. Note: the anchor chain attached to them: IN the background of the previous pictures you can see a carving no the bridge, here's a close up. I also like how the bridge wood isn't straight, but torn and weathered looking. I'm guessing it looked more "aged" and has since had a repainting The rock wall waterfall (not working that day, but I have seen it running): Cool aged bamboo fence hiding electrical boxes or gas company stuff: roof close up: Anchor (details! still there!) I was unable to enter the complex, but I did shoot a shot into the interior which also looks very well looked after. There really isn't anything too exciting that I could see (no lush gardens or massive tikis), but I do like the spear shaped awning holders over the apartment doors. If you look down in the back of the picture you can make out a building (might be a rec center?) behind a safety fence, which would lead me to believe there is a pool there. Maybe more tikis around the pool?: extra pic:

Sabu referenced the Islander in this thread, but the pictures have vanished:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=892&forum=1&hilite=islander%20gardena

I thought there was a thread about The Islander, but I couldn't find it. If there is, please merge or delete this thread as needed.

A few years back, I was exiting my new dentists office with some clean teeth, hopped in the car drove a block and stumbled on this place. I'm still amazed everytime I come across a polynesian theamed apartment complex. Out of hum-drum LA apartment hell areas, comes a shining beacon of architechtual beauty (or oddity - depending on your perspective. Either way, it's different and that's a good thing). I find myself sometimes driving a little out of my way just to pass by some of them, so I can smile.

Anyway, I took these photos about 2 years ago, and it was one of the only rainy days that year. subsequent visits to the dentist have been without camera, but the complex looks exactly like these pictures - very well maintained. Also, the photo of the lava rock waterfall was taken on a day it was off. It is fully functional. I'd love to see this place at night - I bet it has some cool lights on the tikis.

Here they are:

The new Islander sign. Sven has a picture of the old sign on page 218 of BOT. Though not as cool as the other sign, they did try and incorporate a "beachcomber" feel to it with warn looking wood and the font:

Everytime I've passed by there I remember there being a place for rent. anyone want to call and see if they still have anything available? :)

View of a-frame entrance and a frames of the side apartments from the street:

side view to show how far out the a-frame comes, good view of the well maintained grounds (I like mine a little more lush, but you can tell these grounds are adored):

A close up of the guardian tiki. He's been painted and moved onto lava rocks (you can see his left leg has rotted away and the top of his head too). I'm guessing the paint was a protective measure, or to hid the rot. At least it's a solid color and he doesn't look like a clown:

View from the other side, showing the entrance way tikis and anchor chain railings and the bridge over water:

Close up of the two entrance way guardians on either side of the bridge. Though a very simplistic style, I love how these tikis look. Note: the anchor chain attached to them:

IN the background of the previous pictures you can see a carving no the bridge, here's a close up. I also like how the bridge wood isn't straight, but torn and weathered looking. I'm guessing it looked more "aged" and has since had a repainting

The rock wall waterfall (not working that day, but I have seen it running):

Cool aged bamboo fence hiding electrical boxes or gas company stuff:

roof close up:

Anchor (details! still there!)

I was unable to enter the complex, but I did shoot a shot into the interior which also looks very well looked after. There really isn't anything too exciting that I could see (no lush gardens or massive tikis), but I do like the spear shaped awning holders over the apartment doors. If you look down in the back of the picture you can make out a building (might be a rec center?) behind a safety fence, which would lead me to believe there is a pool there. Maybe more tikis around the pool?:

extra pic:

Post #377556 by Polynesiac on Thu, May 1, 2008 9:11 PM