A mix of old dilapidated storefronts and new hip restaurants and coffee houses is what makes bustling Waialae Avenue a main attraction in East Oahu's historic Kaimuki town.

Known for its decades-old mom-and-pop businesses and new posh eateries, the revitalized business district is now a hub for longtime area residents as well as the younger yuppie crowd looking for a lively vintage venue.

Harry's Music Store

3457 Waialae Ave.
» Phone: 735-2866

The nostalgic green and blue dilapidated storefront of Harry's Music Store has made a name for itself among the larger mainland music store chains simply by sticking to its roots.

The popular music store, which opened in 1946, has never let go of its bread-and-butter niche of catering to school bands and local musicians. For years, Harry's has sold everything from clarinet reeds to method books and has advertised in school band programs to give back to the community.

At one time, Harry's offered the most popular compact discs on the market, but dropped the inventory when mainland rivals Tower Records and Barnes & Noble opened down the street more than a decade ago.

“;There was no sense of becoming another Tower because we can't compete with big guns,”; said Alan Yoshioka, a nephew of deceased founder Harry Yoshioka who has helped run the store for years. “;We're helping musicians play music rather than helping musicians listen to music.”;

The strategy has worked for Harry's, which has remained steady in part by repairing band instruments and offering private lessons in everything from the violin to the saxophone and drums, despite tough economic times as many cut back on spending.

“;You cannot tell a kid, 'Times are hard. You cannot buy a band method book,'”; he said. “;They gotta learn their music.”;

Young Scale Co.

3402 Waialae Ave.
» Phone: 733-0788
» www.youngscale.com

In the midst of Waialae Avenue's hip restaurants and small independent mom-and-pop retailers, you can't miss the unique decades-old scales and weights displayed at the corner of Waialae and 8th avenues.

Young Scale Co. offers everything from laboratory balance to rubbish-truck scales—more than 100 in total—ranging in price from $100 to $100,000.

The business, which opened in Hawaii in 1974, caters primarily to other local retailers, industrial customers, hospitals and supermarkets.

“;We all know each other, so you really have to have a personal touch,”; said owner Yuni Shiramizu, who started as a bookkeeper at the store in 1986. “;Our selling point is not the price of equipment; our selling point is customer service (after the sale).”;

Since Shiramizu bought the store in 1991 from J.P. Young—an Irishman who grew up in a family-owned scale company that started in 1925 in North Carolina—business has grown nearly fivefold. The surge in business forced the company to move from its 680-square-foot space to a 1,650-square-foot shop across the street.

Shiramizu attributes the growth to customer service and the importance of weights and measurements in all types of business.

“;Most of the time people walk in here ... and have no clue what kind of scale they need, but they know they need a scale,”; she said. “;People think cash registers are very important, but they don't realize the scale is more important. Depending on whether it's accurate or not accurate, you either lose money or make money.”;

Crack Seed Store

1156 Koko Head Ave.
» Phone: 737-1022

On weekday afternoons, neighborhood schoolkids rush the tiny Crack Seed Store off of Waialae Avenue to buy Icee with homemade chocolate syrup and kakimochi mixed with li hing sauce directly from the juicy crack seed jars.

With more than 100 different types of li hing—a combination of salty, sweet and sour items—the Crack Seed Store has endured hard economic times and managed to maintain a steady following from as far away as England and New York.

The company, run since 1979 by Kon Ping Young and his wife, Fung Tang, imports about 100 pounds a week of the highest-quality crack seed they can find from Hong Kong. The variety and flavor of the dried plums and 16 types of dried ginger are what attract the mostly local customer base.

“;When you have good quality, items sell in good and bad times,”; said Kon Ping, who formerly worked at City Mill Co. Ltd.

That philosophy has helped business grow at least eightfold since its inception, despite a growing number of competitors nearby.

“;We really haven't gone and checked out our competition,”; he said. “;We just do our own thing and try to do the best we can.”;

Toys n' Joys

3632 Waialae Ave.
» Phone: 735-4546
» www.toysnjoys.com

The only “;big-boy toy”; shop on Waialae Avenue, Toys n' Joys is a paradise for gamers, collectors and Japanese-cartoon enthusiasts.

The company, which opened in 1984 selling mostly video games for teenagers and adults, has since added to its vast collection of toys and has expanded from a 400-square-foot space down the road to a 5,500-square-foot store now offering more than a thousand different items, including more than 50 kinds of samurai swords and metal air guns and Japanese animation collectibles.

The business also branched out into the e-commerce marketplace several years ago when it launched Web sales, which increased business by two-thirds. The company opened a second storefront in Aiea in 1989.

“;It's the perfect location,”; said Raymond Le, who runs the store with his 31-year-old son, Alex. “;People have come and shopped with us when they were small kids, and now are married with children and they still come.”;

What sets this toy store apart from its competitors is the fact that the owners and workers have a passion for toys in general, Alex said, adding that they actually take annual trips to Asia to stay on top of the latest trends in games, gadgets and cartoons.

“;We change trends every year. Usually we have the product the kids are looking for as far as what's popular,”; he said. (That's because) “;we're all fans—this is our personal hobby.”;