Vintage Ilikai

HONOLULU Magazine goes back to 1888, and was called Paradise of the Pacific until 1966, so its back issues act like a time capsule of Hawaii’s pre- and post-statehood years. I particularly love the vintage condominium and home advertisements in the 60s and 70s issues. I found one that touted its “asbestos flooring” (fireproof, one of our editors cracked), and another that described Makaha as the “new Waikiki.” The advertisements, cheesy and retro as they may be, offer a snapshot of a different era, evidence of the island’s swift development during those decades.

This ad for the Ilikai Community Apartments, from a Jan. 1963 issue of Paradise of the Pacific, is the first in a series I hope to run from time to time. I thought it fitting when I came across this ad, seeing as the property has come full circle in a way with the debut of The Edition Waikiki (find a recent entry on that topic here). I love the tagline: A prestige address for prestige people. It’s very Mad Men. And get a load of those prices—$19,950 to $21,850. If only we could all go back in time.