But they mean it in a nice way. Ian Lind pointed out this Chicago Tribune piece covering the rainy (well, not as much as you think), sleepy burg on the eastern side of the Big Island. The article compares it to prowling through Grandma's Attic. I think Hilo has gotten a lot hipper than that, what with the newly renovated Sig Zane store, Dragon Mama's killer futons and fabrics, the Hilo Bay Cafe, and other clear signs of life. Parking is still dirt cheap. The people are still friendly. The ice heads seem to have left for other parts (at least to some degree). The farmers market still rocks -- best in the islands, by far and an amazing way to spend a weekend morning. Along with Wailuku, Lahaina and Chinatown on Oahu, Hilo is one of the few places in the islands where the architecture imparts a sense of history and place (in other worlds, its old and much nicer than the modern stuff). ATA is the only airline that flies non-stops there from the mainland.

Image via Flickr / eye of einstein

—Alex, 05/15/07