South Florida tiki weirdness days of yore...

Anybody out there heard of an apartment complex in the 'burbs of Ft. Lauderdale called 'Hawaiian Gardens'? It was located across from where my grandparents lived in the '70s. I never got to go in the place but wished then and now that my grandparents had lived there instead. The place was completely occupied by retirees. From what I understand, it has now turned into low income housing. Another point of tiki wierdness in the same area was a lounge called "The Islander". It was a 'go-go' lounge in a huge A-frame tiki temple shape with a tiki god statue next to it as high as the actual building (about 40 ft. or so) very cool looking! Last time I saw it the tiki was gone and it was turned into a used car dealership. Oh well...

On 2003-01-14 22:04, donhonyc wrote:
Another point of tiki wierdness in the same area was a lounge called "The Islander". It was a 'go-go' lounge in a huge A-frame tiki temple shape with a tiki god statue next to it as high as the actual building (about 40 ft. or so) very cool looking! Last time I saw it the tiki was gone and it was turned into a used car dealership. Oh well...

"OH WELL..."!? -Nononononooo, Donho! As a Tiki Central member you are now ON A MISSION FROM TIKI! We do not just shrug our shoulders at the demise of the cult, but go out and excavate! Old yellow pages, the archives of the local paper to search for ads, ask the neighbours, find the name of the owners to find photos and old playbills....

A plac e is only gone if we let it sink into oblivion!

My firsthand recollection of Hawaiian Gardens in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida (my Great Uncle lived there in the 70's and 80's) does not evoke thoughts of polynesia, exotica, tiki, or hula. Rather, I remember a bunch of old people riding around the huge condominium complex in three-wheeled bicycles with giant flags sticking up from the basket. I also remember my Great Uncle's condo reaking of mothballs. I used to get stuck on the clear vinyl covering on his couch.

I echo BigBro's admonition, DonHoTiki. Go check it out. God knows what you might uncover.
Speaking of giant tiki's, there was a moai head that must have been 30 feet tall at the Kon Tiki campground in St. Augustine.
Since this state is so flat, you'd think we could just look up and spy the silhouettes of these monsters on our horizon.
Maybe they are lying on their sides, waiting for someone to prop them back up.:wink:

Aye aye bigbrotiki, and I like that saying 'A place is only gone if we let it sink into oblivion'. I am afraid SoBetiki's assesment of Hawaiian Gardens is pretty much on the money. I actually tried to see if there was anything about it on the internet and one thing that came up was that it was on a list of a study in youth oriented gangs from 1970-1998. Wow...that place really must have changed.

"...I remember a bunch of old people riding around the huge condominium complex in three-wheeled bicycles with giant flags sticking up from the basket.."

that sounds more like "the village" in "The Prisoner" , (Number 6!)

".... in the same area was a lounge called "The Islander". It was a 'go-go' lounge in a huge A-frame tiki temple shape with a tiki god statue next to it as high as the actual building (about 40 ft. or so)"

But what about THAT place? It sounds so great! There must be a photo and documentation about it SOMEWHERE....

All I have on this place is:

"Islander Beach Lodge, N. Smyrna, FL
Seven story hotel with spectacular Polynesian influenced architecture."

Maybe it sunk into the swamps?

..

Oh, and is this the other place you speak of?:

"Hawaiian Inn, 6200 Gulf Blvd., St. Petersburg Beach, FL
The building still stands, but the interior has been renovated."

...

It is still there for now.

I took a real beating in the 2004 and 2005 Hurricane season.

Mike and Marie (sorry, don't know what your TC handle is) have some recent shots...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spaceagecentral/2687562344/

I remember both places from awhile back, The Islander went through s few name/business changes and I think it was on West Oakland Park Boulevard, straight west from the Mai-Kai about 5 miles. Had a weird reputation.
Ant the gardens, yes, Well maintained and had tikis Everywhere that disappeared a little here and there over the years.

On 2008-08-01 13:50, Chip and Andy wrote:

Mike and Marie (sorry, don't know what your TC handle is) have some recent shots...

One guess on the TC handle ... :)

There were actually a lot of tikified complexes there, even more across the street that weren't part of Hawaiian Gardens but were also Polynesian themed -- we would've explored a lot more if we didn't have a flight to catch.

This place still exists in faded glory, my Sister-in-law lives here.

Polynesian Gardens Condominiums

Ha ha, my friend! Share with us the recent discovery and exploration of this temple of tacky:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=29385&forum=5&start=30

Now that I know someone who knows a native, I must photograph that lobby and bowling alley for posterity when in your parts next!

Also, there is a nice thread on the Hawaiian Gardens condos here:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=16964&forum=2&start=0

Unfortunately, all the great photos that Tiki Kiliki took pre-hurricane are gone. And we never heard from Mama's condo again...

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2009-04-12 14:02 ]

Well slap me silly, I never knew about the Witco in the lobby or the bowling alley....Damn and she's lived there two years. I thought the two cheezy tiki heads were the extent of the tikiness. next time I'm over I'll do some recon.

Let me know if you come a couple days early for Hukilau and I'll get us the grand residents tour. Unfortunately, I'll be leaving town on Saturday (June 13th) for several days.

[ Edited by: thegreenman 2009-04-12 14:26 ]

[ Edited by: thegreenman 2009-04-12 14:27 ]

Great! If at all possible, I would love to get a good scan of this stationary:

It's a great example of how a whimsical graphic conceptualization was translated straight to sculpture:

...however successful it might have been :D

Maybe, with the help of your copy of Tiki Modern, you can get the manager to dig one up. And maybe it will give the management a good feeling about the fact that their decor is in a book, and make them more inclined to keep the place that way! :)

Just got off the phone with my sis, she says the bowling alley is still closed, she will look for the letterhead.

Could anyone provide me with the addresses for the Hawaiian Gardens and the Polynesian Gardens? I am planning a Tiki Road Trip from Los Angeles to Key West (and back) and I must visit these two amazing places.

Mahalo!!

Oops, just found Hawaiian Gardens, but still really, really want to visit the Polynesian Gardens!

Found it!

I took some pics in the Lobby a few weeks ago and posted them here in full resolution.

http://picasaweb.google.com/thegreenman.us/PolynesianGardensLobby?feat=directlink

Have fun. Aloha

I found this A-frame house on a cul de sac in Hollywood fl.

Built circa 1950 it's next door to a Japanese style house by Architect Charles Reed Jr.

[ Edited by: thegreenman 2009-06-01 05:57 ]