Shopping destination, dining center, medical and wellness hub: Tamuning has it all

Yes&Know By Aline Yamashita

Once upon a time, Tamuning was a sleepy, quiet area. Well, probably most of Guam was.

Gov. Carlos Camacho Road  was once a two-lane street. The homes standing guard were the Leon Guerreros, Punzalans and Matananes. Aunty Rose & Uncle Eddie had a driveway that welcomed you with rows of beautiful purple orchids.

The landscape has changed dramatically since then. Today, Gov. Camacho Road is four lanes. Imagine that! While the LGs are still on their properties, many businesses have sprouted.

The Bordallos once had Sleepy Lagoon, a place to kick back and enjoy the ocean. Now, there’s shuttered Santa Fe. The former Onward Resort is now Risonare Guam and continues the water park. 

Shirley’s Tamuning is a busy place where families enjoy meals. Dr. Shieh’s clinic and Paradise Smiles Dental Clinic are across the street.

The GTA Alupang Data Center and cable landing station are nearing completion. It will serve as an infrastructure point for Trans-Pacific cables and fiber connectivity.

Toward Marine Corps Drive, there’s Sakura Noodle House and Wild Bill's. BankPacific bookends the roadway.

All of this on a once-upon-a-time sleepy road.

At the corner, you find Guam Medical Plaza, which houses Guam Radiology Consultants, where Roy Adonay, administrator and chief operating officer, provides imaging services needed for medical procedures. There’s St. Lucy’s Eye Clinic and Surgery Center.  They’re so busy that parking has spilled into the neighborhoods. 

 Kitty corner to the Guam Medical Plaza is Oka Payless, open 24 hours, seven days a week. Sharing a parking lot are two beauty shops, Oka Pika Deli, Parisco, Goody’s, a pawn shop, Island Spa, Luciana's Asian Cuisine and Mail Hub that welcomes you with smiles and efficiency.   

Across the street is Top Island Restaurant, where the Chinese food is fantastic. A massage parlor is also there.

Up the hill is Guam Behavioral Wellness before Guam Memorial Hospital.  In the Doctor’s Clinic, there is Perez Pharmacy.

Gov. Camacho Road intersects with Farenholt Road, which is bordered by the Rhiga Hotel on the west side. It was once the Palace Hotel and then the Sheraton.

On the same street, we have Tamuning Day Care and Dear Tree Learning Center, where Guam's geniuses are nurtured and motivated.

On the Oka side, there are pharmacies: Super Drug and Mega Drug.

Shell Oka just opened, with great service served with smiles. Dr. Eusebio has his Island Surgical Center. There are a couple of mom-and-pop stores: Joy and Minagof. They have great snacks available early in the morning.

There’s Toves Floral Shop, SOAR Physical Therapy and Guam Cancer.  Across the street is Brown Bag, School Essentials and a shoe repair shop.

St. Anthony St. Victor Church continues to have hundreds of faithful coming together in prayer.  Home of the Raiders, Home of the Whales and Mercy Heights are schools on that street. Micropac & corporate offices are in the building that once housed Duty Free.

On Chalan San Antonio, there is Sagua Managu, where many Guam children were born. The women's clinic closed permanently on Feb. 28 after 26 years of service, but the DLS lab and several medical offices are still in the building. 

Their neighbor is Three Squares, a happy place to meet and enjoy great food.  Guam Cool Air has returned. Baltej Pavillion has retail and office space.

Across the street is Virginia’s Salon. Cost U Less is next to Ma’s Restaurant, Tokyo Mart, a Korean Mart and others. Nearby, there’s IHop, Pieology and Gourmet Guam.

Once there was Nina’s Papagayo, dad’s favorite place for crispy pata. Now in this area, there’s Applebees, Solid Grounds Coffee Shop, Wendy’s, Long Horn, Ruby Tuesdays, Kings and what was once Gibsons, GPO.

Our mayor’s office, Senior Citizen Center, basketball court, tennis court and a park with exercise equipment are also in this area.

Across the street is California Mart, KFC, Sakura Dining and Shell Tamuning. Bank of Hawaii in the Camacho Complex bookends this stretch of road.

And, of course, in between are apartments and houses. There are beautiful trees and plants that kiss the blue skies, often graced by vibrant rainbows. 

And there is traffic and more traffic.  Unfortunately, there are also homeless people who do not want to be homeless. 

Lots of life in this little corner of our world. And Tamuning is home to much more on Marine Corps Drive. Imagine that!

Aline Yamashita is a mom, a teacher and former senator. She served in the 31st and 32nd Guam Legislatures. Send feedback to 

aline4families@gmail.com.

Subscribe to

our digital

monthly edition