Bangsar
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Bangsar, also Bungsar (archaic), is a residential suburb on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, lying about four kilometres or 2½ miles south-west of the city centre.
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[edit] Defining Bangsar
Bangsar, unlike other townships in the Klang Valley {such as Petaling Jaya and Subang Jaya}, is administered by Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur. There are, however, neighbourhood residents' associations and business councils' although they exercise no legal or administrative power. Bangsar is part of the Lembah Pantai parliamentary constituency.
Bangsar is bounded by Jalan Bangsar, Jalan Pantai Baharu, Universiti Malaya, Jalan Damansara (Sprint Expressway and Bukit Damansara) and Bukit Persekutuan. It has the following neighbourhoods or housing estates: Bangsar Utama, Bukit Bangsar, Bangsar Park, Bukit Bandaraya, Taman SA, Bangsar Baru, Lucky Garden, Pantai Hills, and the areas off Jalan Bangsar. It has postcodes 59000 and 59100.
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[edit] History
Bangsar derives its name from Bunge, a Belgian, and Grisar, a Frenchman, the founders of a European company that ran the Bunge-Grisar estate. Bangsar was owned by the plantation firm Socfin, [1] before it was developed into a residential area.
Bangsar used to house the staff and families of the Malayan Railway (now Keretapi Tanah Melayu) and National Electricity Board (now Tenaga Nasional), especially in the Bukit Bangsar and Off Jalan Bangsar area. Bangsar Park was the first area to be developed into housing in Kuala Lumpur in 1969. Once Socfin estates sold the land to private buyers development in Bangsar started.[1]
Bangsar, in the 1970s, morphed into a housing suburb catering to the baby boomers settling in Kuala Lumpur. As their children grew up and formed a large part of the city's youth, Bangsar, especially Bangsar Baru became a sought-after place for the trendy during the 1980s. Among the more popular past tenants of Bangsar include Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Berhad and Lever Brothers.
[edit] Geography
Bangsar is rather flat at the southern neighbourhoods (housing estates), such as Bangsar Utama, Bangsar Park and the Off Jalan Bangsar area. The terrain progressively rises towards the north, before making a steep drop in elevation.
Jalan Maarof (Ma'arof) is Bangsar's main thoroughfare, dividing Bangsar into two main areas: east and west. On the east side lies Taman SA, Bangsar Park, Bukit Bangsar, Bangsar Utama and one-half of Bukit Bandaraya. The remainder of the other neighbourhoods lie on the west.
[edit] Demographics
Unlike other suburbs in the Klang Valley, such as SS2 and Kepong (Chinese), Kelana Jaya and Datuk Keramat (Malay) or Brickfields (Indian), Bangsar is not dominated by any single race group.
Many Chinese shops in Bangsar were burnt and unsuspecting road users passing Bangsar on their way to Petaling Jaya were ambushed during the May 13 Riots in 1969. Jalan Bangsar was littered with burnt-out cars and motorcycles.[2]
[edit] Eating and drinking
Typically Malaysian, Bangsar has a wide array of cuisine. Indian Muslim Mamak stalls, south Indian banana leaf restaurants and Malay warungs are easily found. They are usually cheap, although prices in Bangsar are higher than average. Roadside hawkers usually open in the evenings and close late at night. There are many 24-hour Mamak and banana leaf restaurants. It is usually acceptable for one to patronize these joints and order only drinks, except during busy hours. Chinese kopitiam and seafood restaurants meanwhile are a little harder to find outside Lucky Garden.
There is also a hawker center in Bangsar Baru, sometimes referred to as Bangsar Mamak, at the former Jolly Green Giant. Roadside stalls serving drinks, local cakes, burgers, hot dogs and cut fruit are found on many street corners. Ice cream, pastry, satay, rojak and milk is also sold on motorcycles and vans.
The Telawi area in Bangsar Baru is sometimes known as "the strip". It has often been compared to Singapore's Holland Village. "The strip" can be skirted on foot in about 15 minutes. A large pasar malam, or night market, each Sunday lends the Bangsar Baru a colourful flavour. There is also a daily wet market in Lucky Garden. Another lesser known pasar malam is held in Bukit Bangsar on Wednesdays.
Recent additions include One Bangsar (a string of new restaurants in Jalan Ara, a hillside street near the Telawi area), Bangsar Village and a remodelled Bangsar Shopping Centre.
[edit] Art and culture
The Actors Studio is located at Bangsar Shopping Centre. It occupies the former Golden Screen Cinemas lot, which moved to Mid Valley Megamall in 1999. The Actors Studio hosts plays, comedies and concerts. There are several art galleries scattered around Bangsar, especially in Bangsar Baru.
Bangsar also features plenty of graffiti. Some are works of vandals, while others are works of underground artists employing stencils and wheatpaste. Roving buskers, usually performing covers, may be found in Bangsar Baru.
Silverfish, a high brow independent bookshop at Jalan Telawi 3 focuses on literature, philosophy, religion and Malaysiana.
[edit] Infrastructure
[edit] Medical
Pantai Medical Centre, a private hospital is situated at Jalan Bukit Pantai. The medical centre houses the Pantai Institute of Health Sciences and Nursing. Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), a public hospital is situated within a five-minute drive, although access is made through Petaling Jaya. Pusat Kesihatan Umum Bangsar, a government primary health care centre, is along Jalan Bangsar and it caters to the health needs of the community. There are many private clinics spread throughout Bangsar to meet the health needs of the residents as well.
[edit] Education
Bangsar houses 3 primary schools:
- Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Bandaraya
- Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Pantai
- Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan (T) Jalan Bangsar (a Tamil school)
It also houses 2 secondary schools:
- Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bangsar
- Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bukit Bandaraya
Kindergartens and nurseries are usually operated out of houses. There are many tuition centres (cram schools) for school-aged students, operating out of shoplots and homes. Drama, ballet and music schools also operate in a similar manner.
Malaysia's premier public university, University Malaya, though technically not in Bangsar, is accessible in five minutes. Both UM and UMMC border the city of Petaling Jaya and Bangsar. Also in the vicinity is the Maktab Perguruan Raja Muda (Raja Muda Teachers' College) and the Maktab Perguruan Bahasa (Language Teaching College).
[edit] Sports and recreation
The Bangsar Sports Complex has a swimming pool, a multipurpose hall with badminton courts as well as squash, tennis, basketball and badminton courts. Bangsar does not possess many open public spaces. However, there are a few parks and playgrounds scattered around, namely those at Jalan Bangkung, Jalan Rumpai, Jalan Terasek 7, Jalan Tempinis 5 and Jalan Kurau. The most popular past time in Bangsar is football. Its played by many different ages and races. The Bangsar Sports Complex or better known as Bangsar Field has been known to have developed many great footballers. It is also where the the talented Imran was discovered.
The Kilat Stadium is in Tenaga Nasional's grounds. The Kuala Lumpur Hockey Stadium is near Jalan Pantai Baharu, next to Universiti Malaya, and thus technically may not be part of Bangsar. It was the venue for the hockey events during the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games in 1998.
[edit] Places of worship
Saidina Abu Bakar As Siddiq Mosque, located next to Bangsar Village Shopping Centre, serves the local Muslim community. Sri Ramalingaeswarar temple, located near the junction of Lorong Maarof and Jalan Bangsar, serves the Hindu devotees. Both the mosque and temple were one of the original inhabitants of Bangsar when the area was developing. There is also a Jain temple and Indian Muslim surau located in Bangsar Park. Near to the mosque, there is a Sikh Naujawan Sabha or community centre, maintained by the local Sikhs.
Bangsar Gospel Centre (originally an offshoot of Jalan Imbi Chapel, in the Christian Brethren tradition) operates from one of the shophouses along Jalan Telawi Tiga. Bangsar Lutheran Church was restarted in 2000, and convenes in a house along Jalan Abdullah. The recently opened St Peter's (Anglican) Church is at Jalan Tempinis Kiri 1 (near Lorong Riong), and there is another church located in Bukit Bandaraya near the primary school.
[edit] Development
Bangsar has grown rapidly in recent years, but has paid a price in terms of traffic jams and a shortage of parking places. Developments in neighbouring Bukit Damansara and Mid Valley Megamall have caused increased traffic to pass through Bangsar, especially along Jalan Maarof.
New shops and attractions are sprouting up in Bangsar, but many do not survive long, especially food and entertainment outlets. Other long-standing outlets have been very successful, opening up a second branch in Bangsar itself. Examples are Alexis and La Bodega, Coffee Bean, and McDonald's which can be found on Jalan Telawi and also Bangsar Shopping Centre.
[edit] Transport
Bangsar is easily accessible from any part of Kuala Lumpur. It is a ten-minute drive from the Kuala Lumpur city centre (provided there is no traffic jam). It is also connected to the city of Petaling Jaya via the Federal Highway or the Sprint Highway.
The New Pantai Expressway begins at Jalan Bangsar and passes through Pantai Dalam, Kuchai Lama, Old Klang Road, Bandar Sunway and terminates at Subang Jaya. The Sprint Expressway, at the northern end of Jalan Maarof connects to Bukit Damansara, Jalan Duta, Sri Hartamas, the New Klang Valley Expressway, the Damansara-Puchong Expressway and several suburbs in Petaling Jaya.
The Bangsar LRT station (on Rapid KL's Kelana Jaya Line )is located along Jalan Bangsar. Abdullah Hukum, Kerinchi and Universiti LRT stations are also located nearby. Bangsar is a five minute drive from KL Sentral, a major transportation hub in neighbouring Brickfields.
Bus services running through Bangsar are as follows.
- 621: (previously 5) KL Sentral - Bangsar LRT - Mid Valley - Lucky Garden - Bangsar Baru - Bukit Bandaraya - Bangsar Shopping Centre - Bangsar Park - Bangsar LRT - KL Sentral (loop service)
- 634: (previously 908B) Bangsar LRT - Bangsar Park - Bangsar Shopping Centre - Pusat Bandar Damansara - Jalan Semantan - Pusat Bandar Damansara - Bangsar Shopping Centre - Bangsar Park - Bangsar LRT (loop service)
- 309: (operated by Triton Commuter) KL Sentral - Jalan Semantan - Mont Kiara - Pusat Bandar Damansara - Bangsar Shopping Centre - Bangsar Park - Bangsar LRT - KL Sentral (loop service)
Many other Rapid KL buses that head towards the city centre and Selangor suburbs also ply Jalan Bangsar.
- 516: KL Sentral - Bangsar LRT (outward journey only) - Jalan Syed Putra - Mid Valley
- 517: KL Sentral - Bangsar LRT - New Pantai Expressway - Jalan Pantai Dalam
- 518: KL Sentral - Bangsar LRT - New Pantai Expressway - Jalan 1/112 - Jalan Pantai Murni (Hillpark) - Jalan Pantai Permai - Rumah Panjang
- T64: KL Sentral - Bangsar LRT - Jalan Pantai Baharu - Federal Highway - Persiaran Tengku Ampuan - Persiaran Selangor - Persiaran Sultan - Persiaran Jubli Perak - Persiaran Perusahaan - Persiaran Budiman (Seri Muda)
- T80: KL Sentral - Bangsar LRT - Jalan Pantai Baharu - Federal Highway - UiTM Shah Alam
- T81: KL Sentral - Bangsar LRT - Jalan Pantai Baharu - Federal Highway - Jalan Lapangan Terbang Subang - Jalan Bukit Badak (Subang Baru)
First Coach runs bus services from Lengkok Abdullah (near Bangsar LRT and Jalan Bangsar 7-Eleven) to Singapore's Novena Square (near Novena MRT Station).
[edit] References
- ^ a b Koya, Zakiah. "My Wakil Rakyat and I: Bright and ugly sides of Lembah Pantai", New Straits Times, 1997. Retrieved on 2006-09-10. (English)
- ^ Raja Kamarudin, Raja Petra. "On May 13, 1969", Little Speck, May 13, 2003. Retrieved on 2006-09-10. (English)
[edit] External links
- Bangsar Baru Online
- Bangsar Community Portal
- Bangsar Lutheran Church
- The Actors Studio
- Bangsar Gospel Centre
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