Post updated: November 05, 2025

Kakaako has seen many faces over the years. From ancient Hawaiian salt and fish ponds, to industrial canneries and warehouses, to the most happening street art community in Hawaii, the urban Honolulu neighborhood has evolved over and over again. Today Kakaako is centered around the arts, culture, and entrepreneurship. Murals splash color across nearly every wall, while breweries, coffee shops, and local boutiques fill the streets with energy. 

Today we were just strolling through the neighborhood, admiring the artwork and soaking in the energy of this evolving urban canvas. For visitors who want to experience it in a more social (and slightly more spirited) way, the Kakaʻako Party Bike Art and Bar Crawl pedals between many of the same murals, stopping at local breweries and bars to sample Hawaiʻi-made drinks along the way.

We started our day in Kakaako at the Bluetree Cafe. The cafe offers everything a coffee shop should, including sandwiches and pastries. Taking our coffee upstairs we quickly found an empty table to sit at while we became highly caffeinated.

And then we were off to find what we really came for…the street art! Kakaako is nine blocks of warehouses and former industrial zone that has been covered in giant colorful murals created by the POW! WOW! group, a blend of local and international contemporary artists. Everywhere you turn you will find an impressive array of realism, surrealism, dadaism, abstract, pop art, etc, covering the walls.

 

Located on the SALT parking garage is the Hawaiian legend of Naupaka and her lover Kaui. Pictured above is Kaui by Kamea Hadar (@kameahadar) located mauka (mountain side) of the parking garage.

At one point, we turned down a small alley way that had a box truck, some pallets, a few dumpsters and oh ya…a giant anatomical dog by the artist Nychos (@nychos). 

 

Down that same alley is Charlie Brown wearing a mask by Jessico Serrano (@goodgrief_tattooer) and (@fresh_bricks) in front of Lana Lane Studios. Around the corner we found the Howzit! mural by Matthew Tapia (@matthewtapia)

 

Of course we stopped by the Honolulu Beerworks, a local brewery specializing in locally sourced and unique imported ingredients, to try some of their delicious home made beers. Sitting at a communal bench enjoying the rustic tavern charm, we shared a flight of their newest barrel aged beers.

 

Then it was off to admire more art. Such as this collaboration by Kamea Hadar (@kameahadar) and Rone (@R_O_N_E) of a beautiful woman looking to the sky. You can see this on Cooke and Pohukaina Street. 

 

Puff (@pufftronic) and Sidy (@sidylife) pink hair and fast-food mural on Auhi and Cooke Street. 

 

Mural wall by Tristan Eaton (@tristaneaton) on Cooke and Halekauwila Street. 

 

After making our rounds of the neighborhood and feeling satisfied by how cultured we had become we headed to the SALT building to gather our thoughts. SALT is kind of like the town square of Kaka’ako. It also is home to The Village Bottleshop and Tasting Room, one of our favorite bars in Hawaii. Inside the Village we enjoyed a variety of 2oz pours to sample what is new and exciting in the world of beer. After a few samples, it was time for a nap.

A splash of paint here, a burst of color there, walking Kakaʻako's mural-lined streets feels like flipping through Hawaiʻi’s modern storybook, one bold brushstroke at a time. What started as an industrial grid has blossomed into a living canvas where local and international artists share visions of culture, identity, struggle, pride, and hope. The art changes year to year, sometimes month to month, reminding you that this district, like Hawaiʻi itself, is alive, expressive, and constantly evolving. 

If you want to pair this visual feast with flavors from Honolulu’s growing culinary scene, the Waikīkī Food and Bike Tour rolls from the surf of Waikīkī into Kakaʻako’s creative core, blending street art sightseeing with stops for local bites and island-inspired treats, It's the perfect way to taste and see the city in one unforgettable ride.