Ala Moana Apartments
Costa Mesa, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

A Hawaiian name brought a little island suggestion to Wilson Street at the Ala Moana Apartments in Costa Mesa. Another stop from the days when Southern California apartment builders gave everyday housing a tropical identity. Coming home could sound like heading somewhere on vacation, even when the laundry was waiting.

The complex stayed with the same family for more than 50 years before being offered for sale. That’s quite a run for a neighborhood apartment property, with generations of tenants passing through under the Ala Moana name.

UPDATE: The property continues operating as apartments under the name Apex Apartment Homes..The old Ala Moana identity has faded, but the apartment community itself remains in use. 10-26

Capri Gardens Mobile Home Community
El Monte, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Another residential roadside stop is the Capri Gardens Mobile Home Community in El Monte. The entrance marquee gives the park its own announcement along Baldwin Avenue, offering passing sign watchers something to notice beyond the usual street numbers.

The Capri Gardens name has that familiar vacation-like sound once popular with Southern California residential developments. A little suggestion of somewhere relaxing, even with the freeway nearby and the everyday commute waiting outside.

UPDATE: Capri Gardens continues operating as a mobile home community on Baldwin Avenue. The park remains in residential use, carrying its familiar name into another decade. 10-26

Kona Kai
San Gabriel, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

There’s plenty going on around the entrance to the Kona Kai Apartments. Check out the steep A-frame, projecting roof beams, and carved wooden figures worked into the frontage. This place gave the tropical theme more than a passing nod.

Stonework and greenery help complete the setting, while the entrance offers a glimpse toward a courtyard with a pond, footbridge, and Hawaiian island mosaic. Quite a bit of scenery between the street and the apartment doors.

UPDATE: This place still resides in San Gabriel. 10-26

Paradise Island Apartment
Pico Rivera, CA
Photo courtesy Ahmet Suner

An A-frame and a few palms make a convincing introduction at the Paradise Island Apartments in Pico Rivera. The peaked entrance gives the property that familiar tropical-lodge look, adding a little vacation scenery to Rosemead Boulevard. Check out how the tall palms complement the roof, stretching the island setting a little farther into the sky.

The entrance makes a fine roadside landmark without needing an enormous sign. Its steep lines draw attention toward the walkway, giving residents something more memorable to pass beneath than a plain apartment canopy. Coming home could include a small suggestion of a getaway, even with groceries in hand.

This building had company in carrying the theme. Paradise Island sits between the Kapu Tiki and Aloha Arms, forming a row of apartment developments with island-inspired names and architecture. Quite a stretch for anyone watching for tiki finds, with another tropical stop just a short distance down the sidewalk.

UPDATE: Historical sources identify Paradise Island as the former Samoa Apartments, built in 1962. The later name continued the island theme, keeping a little paradise attached to this Rosemead Boulevard address. 10-26

Don Dominguez Apartments (Demolished)
Carson, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

A fresh coat of paint once gave the Dominguez Apartments in Carson another chance to catch the roadside eye. This tiki-themed apartment stop brought a little tropical character to Main Street, where there was more to see than traffic heading toward the freeway.

Known more formally as the Don Dominguez Apartments, the complex belonged to the era when apartment buildings could show off a personality of their own. Check out the old frontage for another example of Southern California’s island craze finding its way into everyday housing.

UPDATE: The apartments are gone. State records confirm that residents vacated the complex in September 2011 and demolition was completed that December. The property became part of the Porsche Experience Center development, which opened in 2016. Quite a change from apartment living to the test track. 10-26

Island Breeze Apartments
Gardena, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

A steep entrance roof helps the Island Breeze Apartments live up to its tropical name. Check out the A-frame, rising above the approach and giving passing motorists something beyond the usual apartment windows to admire.

It’s the sort of feature that made Southern California garden apartments look ready for a small vacation. The island breeze might depend on the weather, but the entrance could supply the suggestion every day.

UPDATE: Island Breeze remains an operating apartment community on West Rosecrans Avenue in Gardena, rather than Los Angeles as originally listed. Built in 1963, the property continues using its tropical name in current rental listings. 10-26

Exotic Isle Apartments
Paramount, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Another large A-frame marks the Exotic Isle Apartments, giving the entrance a tropical shape that stands apart from the surrounding residential buildings. Check out how much of the greeting comes from the roof itself.

UPDATE: Exotic Isle continues operating on Rosecrans Avenue in Paramount, correcting the earlier Downey attribution. Current rental listings also use the spelling “Exotic Isla” and advertise renovated apartments. The tropical name remains in use, though the latest condition of the original decorative details has not been confirmed. 10-26

Islander Apartments
Santa Ana, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Driving beneath the big A-frame at the Islander Apartments makes quite an entrance. The roof spans the driveway, giving this Santa Ana property a tropical greeting large enough to accommodate arriving cars as well as pedestrians.

Check out the height and the way the canopy reaches over the approach. It’s a memorable feature from the days when apartment developments could borrow the appearance of an island resort. Coming home got a little extra ceremony before anyone reached the front door.

UPDATE: The Islander remains open on North Bristol Street in Santa Ana. Its official website continues promoting a garden-style community with tropical grounds, keeping the island setting part of the property’s identity. 10-26