Ala Moana, Costa Mesa, CA (apartments)

Name:Ala Moana
Type:apartments
Street:530 Wilson Street
City:Costa Mesa (SoCal)
State:CA
Zip:
country:USA
Phone:
Status:operational

Description:
This complex is not far from the John Wayne Airport. It still has a running waterfall with a bridge over a small lagoon at the entrance. Not much left inside, a few portholes and pilings around the pool, no more tikis.

[ Edited by: ZuluMagoo 2005-09-10 16:40 ]

Here's a shot of the pool area:

Here's a couple bigger shots of the entry. When you stand in front of the waterfall you can close your eyes and imagine a time when tikis ruled the scene.

Great to see these pics...

Back in the 60s when I was a small child attending a day care/pre-school in Costa Mesa - I remember the car-ride home after my father would pick me up in the afternoon. We would pass several Polynesian themed apartment complexes, most of them with A-frame entrances, operating gas torches and waterfalls out front. I took those themed buildings for granted as a kid.

It wasn't until much later that I became interested in mid-century style - especially documenting what I could around my hometown environment before stuff disappeared. Unfortunately much of my childhood already did :(

Thanks for the update MD. It looks like the place still has green and red flood lights over the water fall pond area so that's good. It probably looks nice at night. A couple of Tikis out front and a gas Tiki torch n this place is back in business!

We drove past it a lot when I was a kid in Costa Mesa; it was far more classic then.

On 2010-03-26 08:02, TikiG wrote:
.... We would pass several Polynesian themed apartment complexes, most of them with A-frame entrances, operating gas torches and waterfalls out front. I took those themed buildings for granted as a kid...

Sadly, it seems that everybody did, and that they were not photographed in their heyday. This is one of the biggest apartment A-frames I know of, and I would LOVE to see a photo of how the face of the A was decorated back when it was new - it must have had something, a pattern, tropical material, a lamp, a mask...

I love this. Ofcourse being born in the 80's I missed alot of classic Tiki style in its heyday. But I really appreciate it now and love seeing complexes like this.

Apartment Therapy did a small story on this complex back in 2007.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/complex-love-al-30057

Was in the area so I thought I would go by Ala Moana apartments .The lava rock fountain was not turned on,but looks like it has been operational recently.As stated by Sven prior on this thread , has probably one of the highest pitch A frames on a building I have seen in So Cal.Would be nice if this place was brought back to it's former glory with carved tikis , glass float lamps etc.Photos may duplicate those have been submitted on this thread in the past however , just wanted TC folks to see what it looks like today .

I could see an extra large glass float lamp probably hung from the A frame .

large gauge naval chain rails with dock looking deck walkways painted, but all intact.

lava rock fountain

lava rock wall opposite of waterfall walk way intact

Very cool solid brass original extra large ship portholes