Furneaux Lane might as well be a hidden street in Downtown Hilo. Everyone who knows Hilo passes by it hundreds of times but many don't know it's name and many never notice it's there.
This is the street just one block from the farmers market as you walk from the Wailuku River end of town. It's just a one way narrow street wedged between Kamehameha Avenue (makai) and Keawe Street (mauka) - and accesible through Kamehameha Avenue and Punahoa Street (the little alley-like street by the Hilo Farmers Market)
From Kam Avenue, Furneax Lane is anchored by:
Sugar Coast Candy - A Willi Wonka dream store on one side and Hawaiian Art - T- shirts, etc., on the other side and runs just one block long to end in Keawe Street.
From the Keawe Street end, Furneaux Lane is anchored by
'Sophia's Yogurt Bar' and the Rainbow - Jo Baby Shop on the opposite corner.
In between the two streets there are just half a dozen little shops that many residents are not familiar with and usually stumbled on by visitors on cruise days.
Hilo Bay Paddlers - ocean active wear and paddling equipment
Sushi Bar Hime - tiny hole in wall, short hours, great food!
Moonstruck Patisserie - beautiful and delicious pastry, flaky croissants and yummy quiches...plus more.
Somsamai Style Restaurant - Papaya Salad/Thai Restaurant
A Nice Barber Shop - Debbie is quite handy with those scissors and gives great haircuts
Tamari Japanese Lunch Shop - Okasuya type Japanese food
I have had an idea for some time of what I would love to see happen with just part of this street...
It would entail closing up a small portion of the street to car traffic (just the section between Kamehameha Ave and Punahoa Street) ...not even half the length of the block. Traffic can still turn left from Punahoa on to Furneaux towards Keawe.
The small stretch from Kam to Punahoa could be turned into a pedestrian mall with food court, placing tables with umbrellas, tree planters, flowers boxes, bike racks, park benches, strings of fairy lights or Japanese lanterns strung all across and maybe even a small performing stage on the Punahoa Street intersection end.
Wouldn't doing something like this be cute?
With four restaurants on that lane, a candy store in the entrance corner, a yogurt place in the far corner and Puka Puka Kitchen right around the corner, it would be a little oasis just off a very busy street, where we can pick up our food in the eatery and if we're lucky, find a table where we can eat, relax and watch the rest of the busy world go by.
I am sure some people will object and say we need more parking in downtown instead of less, but the DIA wants to make downtown Hilo more pedestrian friendly so my idea falls right in line with the overall plan, I hope...
Only about 10 parking places would be lost, but I think with a bit of careful planning, we could gain a few spaces on the stretch between Punahoa and Keawe Streets and in the parking lots just off that street.
Come on Hilo Downtown Improvements Association...How can we make this happen and spruce up little Furneaux Lane?
