Post #765331 by Polly_Nesia on Tue, Jun 21, 2016 5:34 PM

Interesting thread started what more than a decade ago. First time reading through it. Wish we had some way to like posts. Found myself agreeing with many. Not sure a whole lot has changed in the decade. Seen places close and get torn down, occasionally hear about something new but it's not like the old style. Do agree that the culture of people has changed. Back in the 60s there was a more neighborhood vibe and shared backyard meals and fun. Our neighbors pretty much come home in time for dinner and drive into their garages. Might see at the mailbox or out with their kids sometimes. We like to do up halloween for the trick or treaters and that's probably when I see more neighbors than any other time. Our HOA early on did a bbq for everyone but hasn't in years. Food costs have gone up so much I don't think people feel comfortable hosting. And the cost of liquor is way up as well as tropical cocktail ingredients. Same applies to restaurant dining.

If Tiki got a resurgence, it would need to be appealing to a whole new crowd to amount to anything I'm afraid. I do think love of old tiki and the "new" tiki could co-exist. Not sure how to start a groundswelling for it but venture to say it's got to be a commercial start of some sort...movies, fashion, music, hot new food and drink trends. I think much of the fascination for tiki with the public back in the 50-60s had to do with Hawaii becoming a new State. It was exciting what with the volcanoes and surf and tropical plants and music. With the internet maybe people are less taken by the exotic locales and cultures. I don't see today's youth as being collectors of much of anything. Homes/apartments are trending smaller so no room for rows of tiki glasses on the shelves or hosting parties.

Personally we are not big into tiki at our house; but ever since as a little elementary school kid in Ohio seeing a major department store bring in a Hawaiian actress/hulu dancer for an event on the tropics they were hosting, I knew when I grew up my life would have elements of tropical and tiki culture. Back in the 70s my in-laws took us to a restaurant/bar in Chicago for dinner, maybe Kon Tiki Ports not sure. But I had never seen anything like it. I remember a flowing stream in the middle of the restaurant that you had to cross a bridge to get to some of the seating. The air was a bit humid, tropical plants everywhere and the giant tiki statutes just created such an all round mesmerizing experience. Big Peacock chairs, cocktails with beautiful garnishments and cool stirrers. Not sure what we ate or drank but I was totally into the look and feel. So much to look at, a feast for the eyes. Well got married in Hawaii on the beach sometime ago and after many years finally getting ready to add decorative touches to our palm tree backyard here on the mainland. Waiting for a delivery of a carved tiki mask and some carved luau torches as I write. Now my other half is a minimalist and likes contemporary so I've been already advised not to "junk it up" with lots of stuff. So I'm kind of alone in this. I can only think of one friend of ours that has a palapa pool bar that embraces the tiki look. Our Hawaiian neighbor doesn't even decorate outside in this fashion. Closest we get to a tiki bar/restaurant in our immediate area is a surf bar/restaurant.

So I would be happy for mainstream tiki influences because I think more people would be on board and open to it. I have some commercial stuff in the tiki vein that I've collected for our home but thanks to searching TC out and hanging here off and on and seeing more handmade crafts, I also have a prized hand-carved album frame bought from a member here and soon will have several carved tiki items. It does trickle down.