Petaling Jaya

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Petaling Jaya [1], universally referred to as PJ, is a satellite town in the state of Selangor to the south of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Understand

Founded only in 1954 as Malaysia's first planned town, PJ has become a busy commercial and residential hub in its own right with over 450,000 inhabitants.

Addresses in PJ are remarkably bureaucratic. The town is divided into numbered sections (seksyen), which to further confuse things are denoted with just S (eastern PJ), SS (central) and PJS (western). The northern chunk is also known as Damansara. Each road in a section is numbered, so an address like "No. 38, Jalan SS 21/58" means house 38, road 58, section SS21.

Get in

The Kelana Jaya LRT Line (formerly PUTRA LRT) snakes from central Kuala Lumpur to the center of Petaling Jaya and is a good way of avoiding the traffic jams between the two, especially at rush hour.

Get around

PJ is quite spread out and you pretty much need your own wheels to get around. Feeder bus services to LRT stations tend to be a little spotty, but most stations also have taxi queues. Call Comfort Taxi, tel. +60-3-26922525 if you need a pickup (RM1 surcharge on top of the meter).

See

Unlike other towns, there is actually nothing much to notice here, except for the occasional oddities here and there.

The best way to see this area is to take a leisurely drive during non-peak hours.

Buy

Various pasar malam (night markets) can be found on the main streets in the suburbs around Petaling Jaya. It's the best way to get to know the 'true' Malaysian culture. There you can find fresh foods, quick snacks and it is also a popular target by the local triads to sell their contraband merchandise of anything under the sun. Let it be clothing, electronics, mobile phone accessories, pirated DVDs and Audio CDs etc. You get a very good bargain if you buy them in bulk or if you speak Malay or Cantonese.

But if it's air-con and fast food you want, PJ does have a few megamalls:

  • Amcorp Mall, 18 Persiaran Barat, Off Jln. Timur. Mall with lots of mini-anchor tenants as well as Malaysia's best weekend flea market on the Lower Ground floor.
  • Atria, Jalan SS22/23, Damansara Jaya. Another community shopping mall with Giant as its anchor tenant.
  • Jaya Shopping Center, Jalan Semangat, Sec. 14. The first mall in Petaling Jaya, this popular community shopping complex has stuff from from one's favourite food to fashion, perfumes to hardware, books to amusements. Cold Storage Supermarket takes up a sizable chunk of the Ground floor, other tenants include Popular Books, Oriental Chinese Restaurant, Guardian Pharmacy, and SenHeng.
  • Mutiara Damansara. A new commercial precinct that is home to Asia's largest IKEA store together with the adjoining IKANO Power Center. Other malls here include The Curve lifestyle and F&B mall as well as a large TESCO hypermarket and the Cineleisure Damansara Entertainment Complex. The precinct is served by an hourly free shuttle bus from Kelana Jaya LRT (at the entrance to IKANO Center).
  • One Utama, 1 Lebuh Bandar Utama (hourly free shuttle bus from LRT Kelana Jaya), [2]. One of the largest and most popular malls in the entire Klang Valley, recently expanded with a brand new wing. Existing tenants Jusco, Marks & Spencer, and TGV Cinemas in the old block are now accompanied by those in the new wing such as U Parkson, MPH Megastore, Golden Screen Cinemas, Celebrity Fitness, as well as Malaysia's largest rock-climbing gymnasium.

Eat

  • Asian Food House, No. 38, Jalan SS 21/58, Damansara Utama. The sign unhelpfully proclaims that this restaurant specializes in "Asian food", but in reality it's mostly Taiwanese fare. The pork stew with rice (RM8.90) isn't bad.
  • Fatty Crab Restaurant, No. 2, Jalan SS 24/13, Taman Megah. It's been over 30 years since Uncle Fatty set up his shop, but their famed sweet, sour and spicy crab still continues to draw the crowds. Roll up your sleeves and dig in, and figure on RM30/head with a few side dishes thrown in.
  • Stranger Restaurant & Cafe, No. 10 & 12, Jalan 19/36. A newly-opened restaurant that is most well-known for its three-in-one steamboat-BBQ-Teppanyaki buffet and is priced at RM23.80 per person (adult). In addition, there is a large variety of rice and noodles as well as "kopitiam" (coffeeshop) and drinks selections.
  • Ming Tien, SS 24. This is an awesome hawker centre that has just almost every type of stall food imaginable. Now it even has free wireless Internet! The drawback are its television sets blaring out the MTV channel and piped-in advertisements.

Drink

Just like in Kuala Lumpur, mamak stalls are also found all around Petaling Jaya. These are wonderful places to hang out with locals and it is possible to stay at one far past midnight (many are even open 24-hours!). They are run by Muslim Indians. They serve a variety of drinks and beverages, and the non-alcoholic options are varied and inexpensive.

For those who are looking for watering holes, several good ones include:

  • Rush. Popular among the young crowd in PJ, this disco and bar is located at the Ballroom (Lower Ground) level of Eastin Hotel.
  • Slippery Senoritas. Since its opening at Mutiara Damansara's The Curve shopping center, both young people and the white-collared folk have been flocking to this lounge with its excellent live band.
  • Uncle Chilli's. A highly popular bistro-bar (especially the working crowd) located at the Hilton. There is a live band that plays several times weekly.

Sleep

  • Armada, Lorong Utara C, Off Jalan Utara, tel: +60-3-79546888,[3]. Business hotel adjoining Plaza Armada and with the Kelana Jaya Line's Asia Jaya station opposite. Complements the Hilton PJ's 5-star luxury with its own style of business-class service. Rates from RM350 onwards.
  • Crystal Crown, 12 Lorong Utara A, Off Jalan Utara, tel: +60-3-79584822,[4]. Popular business hotel which opened in 1995. Room rates from RM150++ onwards.
  • Eastin, 13 Jalan 16/11, Pusat Dagang Seksyen 16, tel. +60-3-76287352, [5]. Rush, one of PJ's popular nightspots, is at this business hotel situated in the Phileo Damansara commercial center. Internet rates from RM450 onwards.
  • Hilton Petaling Jaya, No 2 Jalan Barat (LRT Asia Jaya), tel: +60-3-79559122, [6]. PJ's premier hotel, recently given a much-needed refurbishment. Large Clark Hatch gym. Rates from RM195 up.
  • Lisa De Inn, 2 Jalan Harapan (17/47), tel: +60-3-79553636. Three-star hotel located smack at the bustling "Rothmans" roundabout and in close proximity to the Section 13 industrial hub.
  • The Royale Bintang Damansara, The Curve, Mutiara Damansara. Soon-to-be-opened boutique hotel adjacent to The Curve shopping center and directly opposite the IKEA complex.