Kalau dilihat-lihat lagi, malioboro merupakan daerah yang cukup istimewa di kota yogyakarta. Jalan 2 jalur tersebut selalu dipenuhi berbagai macam kendaraan dari kelas sepeda sampai mobil-mobil pribadi berkelas. Hal yang sama semakin terlihat ketika ada tanggal-tanggal tertentu yang menarik pelancong dari berbagai kota seperti Jakarta, Semarang dan Surabaya untuk sekedar melihat jalan yang sudah cukup terkenal di Indonesia tersebut. Masing-masing kota memiliki daerah-daerah istimewanya sendiri, seperti misalnya Bandung memiliki jalan Braga dipusat kotanya, yang merupakan kawasan elite dikota tersebut. Semarang punya Simpang lima yang juga merupakan salah satu kawasan elite dan ternama di Indonesia. Belum lagi kota Surabaya yang memiliki daerah Tunjungan sebagai kawasan no.1 nya. Dari masong-masing daerah strategis tersebut, biasanya terdapat pusat-pusat perbelanjaan terkenal seperti Braga citywalk, Plaza Simpang lima, tunjungan Plaza dan malioboro mall. Selain shopping centre ternama tersebut, kehadiran hotel-hotel sudah menjadi kaharusan dan ditambah juga dengan keunikan masing-masing daerah tersebut. Sebagian besar jalan-jalan raya di kota yogyakarta, memang memiliki keunikan tersendiri di banding daerah-daerah lainnya, misalnya saja jarang terjadi kemacetan lalu lintas, kendaraan bermotor roda 4 lebih sedikit dibandingkan jumlah pengguna sepeda motor, angkutan perkotaan juga masih jarang, tidak ditemukan orang-orang berdesakkan memburu angkutan-angkutan umum dijalan raya. Dipusat kota yogyakarta, seperti di daerah malioboro, ke utara sedikit sampai ke tugu monjali dijalan raya monjali memang merupakan daerah lama. Kawasan-kawasan tersebut terlihat kalah bersaing dengan jalanan-jalanan yang ada di utara yogyakarta seperti jalan Adisucipto misalnya. Bisa jadi dalam 1-2 tahun lagi, pusat kota yogyakarta akan berpindah sedikit ke utara untuk mengikuti arus perkembangan modernisasi.
Sekarang ada 5 mall besar di kota yogyakarta, yang berwujud bangunan fisik yang cukup mentereng, dari yang paling lama yaitu malioboro mall, galleria mall, saphir square, plaza ambarrukmo dan jogjatronik mall. Malioboro mall merupakan mall yang paling berkesan bagi masyarakat yogyakarta. Dahulu, sempat menjadi icon shopping mall di yogyakarta. Kalau dilihat sepintas, mall tersebut memang kalah tampilan dibandingkan dengan Plaza Ambarrukmo / Saphir square, tetapi bagian dalam mall tersebut, masih cukup bagus. Mall dengan 4 tingkat dan 1 lantai basement tersebut berada ditepi jalan raya malioboro, sehingga untuk parkir mobilnya hanya disediakan dilantai basement saja. Mall tersebut tidak memiliki halaman parkir yang luas diluarnya seperti yang ada di supermall karawaci, misalnya. Didalamnya ada supermarket hero dan matahari department store. Ada juga toko buku gramedia di mall terebut. Selain itu ada juga toko-toko fashion terkenal, tempat hiburan seperti kids station, food court dan restoran mc Donald. Keadaan toiletnya juga cukup bersih, karena setiap hari ada petugas yang mengurusinya. Sekali-kali juga ada terlihat orang-orang bule yang berbelanja disana, hal ini dikarenakan didaerah sekitar mall banyak penginapan-penginapan untuk orang-orang barat dan turis-turis asing. Dalam bulan-bulan tertentu, malioboro mall juga banyak mengadakan pameran-pameran tertentu untuk perayaan suatu event.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Malioboro mall, pusat perbelanjaan dipusat kota yogyakarta
Monday, September 17, 2007
Macau
The Macau Special Administrative Region, commonly known as Macau or Macao, was established on December 20, 1999, as one of the two special administrative regions (SARs) of the People's Republic of China (PRC), the other being Hong Kong. For 442 years it was ruled by Portugal, making it the oldest European colony in the history of East Asia.
Portuguese traders first settled in Macau in the 16th century. After the Opium War in 1841, most of the foreign merchants in Macau left for Hong Kong, and as a result business and economic activities in Macau declined. Administered by Portugal until the handover in 1999, it was the oldest European colony in China. Since then Macau has developed industries such as textiles, electronics and toys, as well as a notable tourist industry, which boasts a wide range of hotels, resorts, stadiums, restaurants and casinos. What remains unchanged through Macau's history is Macau's strong economic links with Hong Kong, one of the East Asian Tigers and the Pearl River Delta region in mainland China. With a good foundation and infrastructure, Macau provides good financial and banking services, staff training, transport and communications support.
Macau's economy is based largely on tourism, much of it geared toward gambling. In view of Macau's small population and limited land resources, the Government of Macau has launched a policy of close cooperation with the Pearl River Delta and the neighboring Guangdong province while expanding trade contacts with the rest of the world. Other chief economic activities in Macau are export-geared textile and garment manufacturing, banking and other financial services. The clothing industry has provided about three quarters of export earnings, and the gaming, tourism and hospitality industry is estimated to contribute more than 50% of Macau's GDP, and 70% of Macau government revenue. Macau is a founding member of the WTO and has a representative office at the organization's headquarters in Geneva. Market-opening pledges largely in the sphere of financial services has been made at the WTO[27] and Macau has maintained sound economic and trade relations with more than 120 countries and regions with European Union and Portuguese-speaking countries in particular. Macau currently participates in the IMF[28] and the World Bank classifies it as a high income economy along with developed economies and some developing economies as Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.[29] The average growth rate of economy in Macau between 2001 and 2006 were approximately 13.1% annually. In last two quarter of 2006, the GDP of Macao was grown by 22.05%. The GDP per capita in 2006 was USD $28,436. In the fourth quarter of 2006, the unemployment rate stood at 3.5%.[30]
From 9.1 million visitors in 2000, arrivals to Macau has grown to 18.7 million visitors in 2005,[31] 21.98 million visitors in 2006 and is expected to receive between 24 and 25 million visitors in 2007,[32] with over 50% of the arrivals coming from mainland China. This recent growth has been driven by gambling and related tourism. Tourists from Hong Kong remain numerous, representing about 30% of arrivals. Since the 1999 return to Chinese rule, Triad underworld violence, a dark spot on the economy, has virtually disappeared, to the benefit of the tourism sector. Macau also received the Future Award 2007, for being regarded the most promising future tourism destination in Asia, voted by 26,000 German travel trade members of GoAsia; an association that includes tour operators, airline companies, among many others.[33] Macau has been currently rated as one of the world's top tourism destinations by the World Tourism Organization.[34]
Sands Macau
Sands Macau
Since 1850, gambling has been licensed and has always been an important source of earning for the government. In the early 1960s, gambling provided 50 percent of official revenue. Starting in 1962, the gambling industry had been operated under a government-issued monopoly license by Stanley Ho's Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau. The monopoly was ended in 2002, and several casino owners from Las Vegas attempted to enter the market. With the opening of the Sands Macau, the largest casino in the world as measured by total number of table games,[35][36] in 2004 and Wynn Macau[37] in 2006, gambling revenues from Macau's casinos were for the first time greater than those of Las Vegas Strip (each about $6 billion),[38][39] making Macau the highest-volume gambling centre in the world.[40] In 2007, The Venetian Macau, the second largest building in the world, opened its doors to the public. Other casinos and hotels slated to be opened through 2009 are: Four Seasons (2008), MGM Grand Macau (2007), Ponte 16 (2007), Far East Consortium Complex (2007), Grand Hyatt (2009), Galaxy Cotai Megaresort (2008), City of Dreams (2008), Oceanus (2008), Mandarin Oriental (2009). The first Phase of Macau's Cotai Strip is scheduled to open in 2007 and will include 19,000 guest rooms throughout seven resort hotels,[41] with the $1.8 billion Venetian Macao serving as the anchor.[42] The head of Virgin Group Sir Richard Branson is in the latter stage of negotiation to secure land in Macau, where he is going to set up a US$3 billion casino resort complex.[43] As a result, Macau's economy is growing rapidly due to gambling related tourism and construction from the new casino entrants.
Along with Bermuda, British Virgin Islands or Bahamas, Macau is one of the best known offshore financial centres[44] and tax havens in a worldwide sense.[45] Banco Nacional Ultramarino, Bank of China, Seng Heng Bank and Tai Fung Bank are among the most influential banks. There are also many foreign banks registered and established in Macau as well, including Bank of America - Macau and HSBC - Macau. Macau is a free port with low-taxes and no monetary control policy imposed.[46] Operations of offshore service businesses are feasible in Macau because of related offshore law that has been in effect since 1999. The offshore finance business is regulated and supervised by the Monetary Authority of Macao,[47] while the regulation and supervision of the offshore non-finance business is mainly controlled by the Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute.[48] Moody's Investors Service upgraded Macau's foreign and local currency government issuer ratings to 'Aa3' from 'A1', citing its government's solid finances as a large net creditor. The rating agency also upgraded Macau's foreign currency bank deposit ceiling to 'Aa3' from 'A1'[49]
[edit] Transportation
Bus in Macau.
Bus in Macau.
Main article: Transportation in Macau
Buses and taxis are the major modes of public transport in Macau. Bus services are frequent and inexpensive,[50] linking the Macau peninsula, Taipa, Cotai and Coloane with Transmac and TCM being the sole operators of Macau's bus services. Most hotels(four-starred or above) and gaming venues operate their own fleet of shuttle bus service between the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal or Porta do Cerco (Macau's border to mainland China) and their premises.
Taxis are plentiful near the airport, the Hong Kong-Macau ferry terminal, and major gaming venues/hotels in the city [51] though it is rather hard to get one during rush hours on the streets. There are two types of livery on Macau's taxis - one is a black body with cream color top (the black cab) and the other is yellow on the whole (the yellow cab). Radio taxis are available, and there are two hotlines for the black and yellow cabs respectively.
In order to enhance the quality of taxi services, such as eliminate the language barrier between taxi drivers and passengers, the Tourist Office has provided most taxis with a destination guide which includes the names of the most requested destinations in Chinese, Portuguese and English.
Hong Kong-Macau ferry terminal.
Hong Kong-Macau ferry terminal.
In a few years time, the city of Macau will have a new mode of public transport, the Macau Light Transit System, in service. The proposal is currently under public consultation and a decision will be made on the design route and its operation after the consultation ends. The Macau Light Transit System is a planned mass transit system, similar to the Singapore Light Rapid Transit. The tracks will be a mix of elevated guideways and underground tunnels, ensuring a dedicated right-of-way separated from road traffic. When completed it will serve passengers from the Macau Peninsula, Taipa island, the Cotai reclamation and Macau International Airport. The Government of Macau introduced the proposal to the public in October 2006 [52], with a revised version announced in July 2007 after further adjustments and improvements had been made with reference to comments by the public.
The trishaw, a hybrid of the tricycle and the rickshaw, is a unique mode of transport in Macau, though it is mainly for sightseeing purposes. They can easily be found next to Hotel Lisboa, waiting for passengers.
Currently, over 150 sea-crossing services are scheduled daily between Macau and Hong Kong [53], and the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal serves as the major terminal for Macau's passenger traffic by sea. The route is served by high speed catamarans (with passenger capacity of 400 max) and jetfoils (with passenger capacity of 260 max) and the journey takes approximately one hour. There are also daily scheduled ferry services between Macau and Shenzhen. At present the services are operated by TurboJET and New World First Ferry Macau. Apart from the sea routes there are also regular scheduled helicopter services between Hong Kong and Macau, which are operated by Heli Express. The trip takes approximately 20 minutes.
A few years ago a new sea-crossing service was launched by TurboJET which travels between the Hong Kong International Airport and Macau. This differs from the above Macau-Hong Kong route since travelers who arrive in Hong Kong by air do not have to go through Hong Kong immigration's passport control and can board a direct ferry to Macau through a special transfer terminal within the airport. On the return trip, travelers can directly reach the Hong Kong International Airport by ferry (a dedicated check-in desk for the service is available at the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal) and arrive at the airport without going through Hong Kong immigration's passport control, though airline check-in has to be done within the airport prior to boarding a plane.
A new ferry terminal, which is adjacent to the Macau International Airport, is under construction and upon completion (probably in early 2008) some of the passenger traffic by sea will be diverted to the new facility. It is expected to act as a major hub for passenger transfer between the Hong Kong International Airport and the Macau International Airport.
The Macau International Airport, located at Taipa, serves as the terminal for Macau's international air traffic. There are regulars flights between Macau and major cities in Northeast and Southeast Asia, for example Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Osaka, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, etc. Owing to its relatively low landing fees and the business opportunities brought by the booming gaming industry in Macau, the airport has attracted several Asia's low-cost carriers such as Air Asia, Viva Macau, Tiger Airways, etc. to establish regular flights between Macau and several major cities in Southeast Asia, and recently Sydney as well. As a result it has been gradually developing into a major hub for low-cost air travel within the region. Other traditional carriers, such as the local flag carrier Air Macau, the Taiwanese carriers EVA Air and TransAsia Airways, and even carriers which operate similar routes from Hong Kong, are facing potential challenges from these newcomers.
Unlike traffic in mainland China which drives on the right, traffic drives on the left in Macau, which is the same as in Hong Kong. Roads are generally narrow at the heart of the city and parked cars are always found on both sides of the road. Traffic congestion has been a major problem throughout the day owing to the lack of efficient mass transit system and a relatively high car/population ratio.
The Macau Maritime Museum[54] used to have two sailing vessels (which were based on the ancient "junk" form but were remodeled) serving for touring trips between the inner and outer harbours. Along the trip, the crew would introduce the general lifestyle and customs of the local boat dwellers. However, due to the land reclamation works in the harbour and the maintenance of the boats, all trips have been suspended. The exhibition building and the open-air café esplanade of the Maritime Museum are open as usual (though closed on Tuesdays).
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Supermal Karawaci, mal lengkap ditengah kota modern
Mal yang didirikan pada tahun 1997 ini merupakan mal terbesar pertama di pinggiran ibukota. Terletak didalam kompleks terpadu Lippo Karawaci, mal ini hadir sebagai mal modern pertama didaerah serpong, kabupaten Tangerang, arah barat Jakarta. Keberadaannya menjadikan Lippo Karawaci sebagai kota terpadu yang memiliki segala kelengkapan dari berbagai aspek kehidupan. Diapit ditengah-tengah kehidupan metroplis, shopping centre ini menarik untuk dikunjungi banyak orang. Mereka yang datang dari arah jalan tol Jakarta-Merak, langsung dicegat oleh kehadirannya yang cukup megah, begitu juga yang datang dari arah Tangerang Kota hendak ke Serpong, bisa datang dulu ke mal ini. Masyarakat yang datang ke mal ini cukup beragam, kemungkinan terbesar adalah para mahasiswa yang kuliah di universitas pelita harapan, para eksekutif muda dari daerah Lippo dan Serpong, serta kaum muda yang ingin bersantai-ria bersama teman-temannya. Dilengkapi pula dengan kehadiran Benton Junction sebagai tempat nongkrong favourite, penampilan luar mall ini cukup besar.
Dikelilingi oleh jalan protokol, sehingga memudahkan para pendatang untuk masuk ke mall ini dari berbagai pintu. Halaman parkirnya cukup luas dan lapang, tersedia gedung parkir dengan lantai basement sebagai kelengkapan tempat parkirnya. Bagian dalam mall ini masih terlihat cukup baik, tersedia toko-toko fashion dari merk-merk terkenal. Kehadiran anchor tenant Hypermart dan electronic city semakin memanjakan para shoppers untuk betah berlama-lama didalam mall ini. Jalan-jalannya cukup luas dan panjang, tersedia beraneka macam toko dikiri-kanan, keadaannya semakin ramai dan semarak, khususnya pada malam minggu dan perayaan hari-hari besar. Dilantai dasar, dekat Rimo department Store, telah hadir ACE hardware, toko perkakas terlengkap ditambah kehadiran toko buku gramedia dengan desain dan tata letak yang lebih baru. Arena food court nya cukup luas dan semarak, cocok untuk berlibur santai bersama anak-anak dihari-hari senggang. Ada juga sarana olahraga untuk bermain bowling, sambil diselingi nonton bioskop 21 di arena food court ini.
Dari sisi kelengkapan fasilitas, seperti arena bermain anak TimeZone,. Kenyamanan berbelanja, adanya Hypermart dan suasananya yang luas dan lapang, mall dengan 2 lantai utama dan 1 lantai basement ini layak disebut sebagai mall terbaik didaerah Serpong.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas metropolitan area, includes the Las Vegas Valley, a 600-square-mile (1600 km²) basin, and surrounding areas, that are part of Clark County in southern Nevada. The area contains the largest concentration of people in the state. The history of the Las Vegas metropolitan area largely coincides with the history of the city of Las Vegas. "Las Vegas" is often used generically to describe the entire area covered in this article. In 2007, the Las Vegas brand was the second most-recognized brand behind Google.[1] In 2005, the valley hosted 34.7 million visitors.
The area is part of the Las Vegas-Paradise Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is by defined by the United States Census Bureau to include all of Clark County.[2]
History
Main article: Las Vegas history
The area was previously settled by Mormon farmers in 1854 and later became the site of a U.S. Army fort in 1864, beginning a long relationship between southern Nevada and the U.S. military. Since the 1930s, Las Vegas has generally been identified as a gambling center as well as a resort destination primarily targeting adults. Relatively inexpensive real estate prompted a residential population boom in the Las Vegas Valley in the 1990s and continues to the present day.
Nellis Air Force Base is located in the northeast corner of the valley. The ranges that the Nellis pilots use and various other land areas used by various federal agencies limit growth of the valley to the north.
[edit] Boundaries
The Las Vegas Valley is an area generally defined by the Spring Mountains on the west, Sheep Mountains to the north, Muddy Mountains, Eldorado Range and Lake Mead to the east, and the Black Mountains to the south.[citation needed]
[edit] Geography and environment
Las Vegas viewed in false color, from 438 miles (705 km) by TERRA satellite. Grass-covered land, such as golf courses, appears in red. The picture bottom is just south of Sunset road and the airport, the Spring Mountains on the west and Sunrise Mountain on the east
Las Vegas viewed in false color, from 438 miles (705 km) by TERRA satellite. Grass-covered land, such as golf courses, appears in red. The picture bottom is just south of Sunset road and the airport, the Spring Mountains on the west and Sunrise Mountain on the east
The land in the Las Vegas Valley is sandy desert with mountains in the distance.
[edit] Climate
The Las Vegas Valley lies in a relatively high-altitude portion of the Mojave Desert, and this can result in drastic changes of temperature between seasons, and even between day and night. The Valley generally averages less than five inches (130 mm) of rain annually. Daily summer temperatures from June through August typically exceed 100 °F (38 °C). While low ambient humidity tempers the effect of these temperatures, dehydration, heat exhaustion, and sun stroke can occur after even a limited time outdoors in the summer. The interiors of automobiles often prove deadly to small children and pets during the summer and surfaces exposed to the sun can cause first- and second- degree burns to unprotected skin. The late summer, especially in July and August, is marked by "monsoon season" when moist winds from the Gulf of California soak much of the Southwestern United States. While raising humidity levels, these winds develop into dramatic desert thunderstorms that cause flash flooding.
Winter temperatures are very mild with lows of around 30 °F (-1 °C). Snow accumulation at the valley floor is rare but the surrounding mountains receive as much as ten feet (3 m) in the winter.
[edit] Air quality
Being located in a desert valley creates issues with air quality. From the dust the wind picks up from disturbed desert, to the smog produced by vehicles to the pollen in the air, the valley can have some bad air days.
Pollen can be a major issue several weeks a year with counts occasionally in the 70,000 plus range. Local governments are trying to control this by banning plants that produce the most pollen.
The dust problems usually happen on very windy days, so they tend to be seasonal and of a short duration.
Smog on the other hand gets worst when there is no wind to move the air out of the valley. Also in winter it is possible to get an inversion in the valley air that actually traps any smog in the valley.
The county is working to control these problems and has shown some success over the years. The constant tightening of Federal requirements for allowable particles in the air, make the task of meeting air quality standards difficult.
[edit] Water
The native flora does little to help the soil retain water. During the intense rains of monsoon season or (relatively) wet months of January and February, a network of dry natural channels, called washes or arroyos, carved into the valley floor allows water to flow down from the mountains and converge in the Las Vegas Wash which runs through the Clark County Wetlands Park. The wash system used to form a large natural wetlands which then flowed into the Colorado River until the construction of Hoover Dam on the Colorado River led to the creation of Lake Mead. Further development in the 1980s and 1990s made Lake Las Vegas, which required directing the Las Vegas Wash into tunnels which run under Lake Las Vegas and into Lake Mead.
The Las Vegas area is limited to about 300,000 acre feet (370,000,000 m³) of water each year from Lake Mead, with credits for water it returns to the lake. The allocations were made when Nevada had virtually no people or agriculture. The allocations were also made during a wet string of years which overstated the available water in the entire watershed. As a result, precipitation that is below normal for a few years can have a major impact on the Colorado River Reservoirs.
Early Vegas depended on the aquifer which fed the springs, but the pumping of water from these caused a large drop in the water levels and ground subsidence over wide areas of the valley. Today, the aquifers are basically used to store water that is pumped from the lake during periods of low demand and pumped out during periods of high demand.
[edit] Urbanization
The population doubling time in the greater metropolitan area was under ten years since the early 1970s and the Las Vegas metropolitan area now has a population of over two million people. This rapid population growth led to a significant urbanization of desert lands into industrial and commercial areas, but, by and large, low-density, single-family tract homes (see suburbia).
[edit] Economy
Interior of a casino. A major part of the city economy is based on tourism including gambling.
Interior of a casino. A major part of the city economy is based on tourism including gambling.
The driving force is the tourism industry. In the past the casinos were the one major attraction. Now shopping, conventions and fine dining are also major forces in attracting the tourist dollar. With about 130,000 hotel rooms, as of 2005, to fill, the conventions help fill the hotels, destination restaurants, and shopping malls on the Strip.
There is a balance between all of the tourist operations in town. The conventions need hotel rooms, dining, and entertainment options. The hotels need the conventions, and tourists to fill their rooms. The restaurants depend on travelers in the hotel rooms to fill their tables. Everyone depends on a good road system to get travelers into town as well as available and reasonably priced airline seats.
Over the past few years, retirees have been moving to the valley driving businesses that support them, from housing to health care.
Las Vegas has been trying to expand its manufacturing and research base. There have been some positive signs from the World Market Center being developed in the city and opening of Lou Ruvo Alzheimer's Institute in 2007 in addition to many smaller businesses.
While the cost of housing spiked up over 40% in 2004, the lack of business and income taxes still makes Nevada an attractive place for many companies to relocate to as well as expand into. Being a true 24 hour town, call centers have always seemed to find Vegas a good place to find workers willing to work at all hours.
Construction is strong. New strip casinos take years to build and employ thousands of workers. The same could be said of the housing boom with new home sales around 15,000 units in 2004. With the introduction of Turnburry Towers several years ago, developers discovered that the was a large demand for high-end condominiums. At the end of 2004, it was estimated that as many as 80 major condominiums were in various stages of development.
[edit] Housing
Slab-on-grade foundations is the common base for residential buildings in the area.
Traditionally housing consisted primarily of single family detached housing. Apartment complexes generally were two story buildings. There have been exceptions, but they were few and far between. In the 1990s, Turnberry Associates constructed the first high rise condominium. Prior to this there were only a handful of mid rise multi family housing.
By the mid 2000s, there was a major move into high rise condominiums which had a noticeable impact on the skyline, especially in the area around The Strip.
[edit] Las Vegas Neighborhoods
* Alliante
* Alta Drive/Scotch 80's/Rancho Circle/Rancho Bel Air
* Anthem
* Blue Diamond
* Centennial Hills
* Desert Shores
* Green Valley
* Lake Las Vegas
* Los Prados
* Painted Desert
* Paradise Palms
* Mountains Edge
* Queensridge
* Rancho Sierra Estates
* Seven Hills
* Southern Highlands
* Summerlin
* The Lakes
* West Las Vegas — area bordered by Carey to the North, Bonanza to the South, MLK to the West, and I-15 to the East. Contains many "letter" streets, streets named after Presidents, and streets named after jewelry.
Plaza IBCC, istana building commodities centre
Plaza IBCC (istana building commodities centre), terletak di Bandung Utara. Tepatnya dijalan Jendral Ahmad Yani no 296. Diresmikan kurang lebih pada bulan July tahun 2006, plaza ini mendapat sambutan yang cukup antusias oleh warga Bandung. Sebelumnya, hypermart telah membuka gerai kedua di kota bandung, tepatnya di Metro Trade Centre yang terletak di wilayah Gede Bage, jalan Soekarno Hatta, Bandung Timur. Metro Trade Centre / MTC merupakan mall tematik yang berbeda dengan mall-mall kebanyakan. Mall ini sebenarnya mengusung konsep baru didalam tata letaknya. MTC terletak di sebuah komplek pertokoan yang banyak terdiri dari ruko-ruko / rukan-rukan baru yang berjejer didalam jumlah yang cukup banyak. Selain itu MTC juga dekat dengan perumahan Metro. Kemingkinan pengembangnya ingin membuat suatu konsep pusat perbelanjaan yang baru di kota Bandung, yaitu menggabungkan fungsi perumahan, perkantoran / bisnis dan trade centre / shopping mall menjadi suatu kesatuan yang terintegrasi. DiBandung Utara pembangunan mall cukup pesat, dalam waktu yang hamper bersamaan hadir pula Paris Van Java yang merupakan icon baru kota Bandung. Mall ini mengusung konsep resort lifestyle place, gaya hidup ditengah resort modern. Kekurangannya karena mungkin terletak dijalan Sukajadi yang rawan macet itu. Tetapi didaerah itu pula yang banyak disenangi oleh kaum-kaum pecinta lifestyle di kota Bandung. Kembali kepada plaza IBCC, plaza ini lebih diperuntukkan untuk pusat-pusat penjualan barang dalam bentuk grosir, bukan lifestyle. Misalnya banyak took perlengkapan computer / furniture di plaza tersebut. Seiring dengan perkembangannya, telah ada anchor tenant terbesar untuk perlengkapan rumah tangga, furniture, dan electronic, yaitu ACE HOME CENTRE, INDEX FURNISHING, DAN ELECTRONIC SOLUTION. Kedua anchor tenant pertama menempati areal seluas lebih dari 10.000m2 didalam plaza tersebut. Dengan hadirnya ketiga anchor tenant tersebut, maka semakin banyak masyarakat yang tertarik untuk datang kesana, bukan saja sekedar untuk santai, tetapi untuk melihat perkembangan terbaru yang telah hadir di Kota Bandung. Pantaslah kalo Bandung mendapat julukan Paris Van Java, kota wisata belanja yang tidak pernah kehilangan pamor.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Pertumbuhan Pusat-pusat Perbelanjaan Dikawasan serpong
Kawasan lippo karawaci dan Daerah serpong barat, yaitu BSD city merupakan kawasan yang tumbuh mengikuti pertumbuhan-pertumbuhan bisnis property di ibukota. Kedua kawasan tersebut merupakan kawasan terpadu yang sangat cocok dan mendukung untuk ditinggali dan beraktifitasnya manusia sebagai kehidupan yang normal. Sepanjang jalan raya serpong dari arah tangerang kota menuju BSD keadaan jalan sudah sangat ramai. Jalan raya tersebut sekarang sudah dilebarkan karena mobilitas perkotaan sudah sangat terlihat disepanjang jalan tersebut. Keadaan yang demikian membuat investor mulai berani membangun investasinya berupa pusat-pusat perbelanjaan megah. Contohnya adalah ITC BSD dan BSD Junction yang dipadu dalam satu kawasan dan saling terhubung melalui skywalk. Di ITC BSD sekarang dibuka gerai careffour untuk melayani kebutuhan masyarakat serpong dalam berbelanja kebutuhan pokok. Sedangkan BSD Junction lebih ditujukan kearah lifestyle, dimana para orang-orang muda dapat berlama-lama betah dalam berbelanja fashion, mengisi perut diresto-resto terkenal, dan berbelanja kebutuhan elektronic semisal HP untuk melengkapi kebutuhannya sebagai gaya hidup. Didaerah Lippo Karawaci, ada supermal karawaci yang merupakan mall beken bagi kehidupan masyarakat sana. Di mall tersebut segala kebutuhan orang dapat terpenuhi dengan mudah, seperti produk-produk fashion terbaru, arena foodcourt, arena bermain anak-anak, dan baru-baru ini dibuka arena elektronic centre. Supermal karawaci merupakan mall yang sudah sangat familiar disaana. Selain didukung keadaan suasananya yang luas dan lapang, letaknya juga cukup strategis, diantara pusat districk universitas pelita harapan dan menara matahari, ditambah lagi ada arena benton junction sebagai kawasan elite kaum muda. Pertumbuhan mall-mall didaerah tangerang juga cukup pesat, ada metropolis town square, terus di pinggir jalan tol arah Jakarta-Merak, belum lama ini diresmikan Serpong town square bersama anchor tenant nya Giant hypermart. Mungkin masyarakat ibukota banyak yang lebih memilih untuk tinggal didaerah pinggiran seperti di Lippo atau BSD, hal tersebut dilakukan karena keadaan Kota Jakarta sudah sangat hiruk-pikuk, hampir tidak ada ruang gerak sama sekali. Dibalik semuanya itu, mungkin ada kabar yang cukup baik, karena belum lama ini, telah dibuka taman menteng, yang dulunya merupakan stadion persija pusat untuk daerah penghijauan sehingga memungkinkan keberadaan-keberadaan taman serupa untuk dibangun dikawasan Jakarta lainnya. Kehidupan metropolitan memang tidak bisa ditinggalkan begitu saja oleh para kaum urban Jakarta, mereka tidak pernah puas akan kehidupannya yang telah didapat. Selalu ingin ada yang lebih, ada yang selalu baru untuk kebutuhan rekreasi. Jadi jangan heran kalo pusat-pusat perbelanjaan tumbuh subur dikawasan serpong, bukan tidak mungkin nantinya akan menjadi singapore nya indonesia didaerah kota mandiri tersebut.
The 2nd largest city is in east java, indonesia
Jakarta is in west and Surabaya of the east. 2 kota metropolitan yang terletak sejalan di pantai utara pulau jawa. Perbedaannya jakarta sebagai ibukota negara dan Surabaya bukan. Sebagai kota terbesar kedua di indonesia, Surabaya terus melakukan pembangunan fisik. Hal itu terlihat dengan didirikannya mall-mall dalam jumlah yang banyak, gedung-gedung perkantoren berarsitektur modern, pembangunan jalan layang, dan munculnya perumahan-perumahan mewah dan juga apartment-apartment bergaya modern untuk para kaum urban. Memang sekilas tidak ada perbedaan dengan kota-kota mentropolitan lainnya seperti dengan kota kembang Bandung atau Medan di sumatera Utara. Tapi kalo dicermati lebih dalam, Kota Surabaya unggul dari ukuran luasnya. Hampir sama seperti di Jakarta, Kota Surabaya juga memiliki beberapa bagian kota. Daerah barat disebut surabaya Barat, terus pusat kotanya disebut Surabaya pusat dan daerah pesisir timur disebut Surabaya Timur. Penduduknya juga relatif banyak, jauh meninggalkan Bandung yang hanya kurang lebih 2,5 juta sedangkan di Surabaya ada sekitar 5 jutaan manusia. Untuk akses transportasi udaranya, ada bandara internasional Juanda sebagai bandara terbaik nomor 3 di indonesia setelah Ngurah Rai (Bali) dan Soekarno-Hatta (Jakarta). Surabaya juga memiliki pelabuhan laut untuk kegiatan transportasi barang terutama eksport-import yaitu pelabuhan tanjung perak dipesisir utara kota ini. Daerah yang paling menarik bagi kaum urban kota ini adalah daerah tunjungan yang terletak dipusat kota Surabaya. Perkembangan pembangunan mall-mall sangat pesat. Coba lihat didaerah tunjungan ada kawasan superblok yaitu tunjungan plaza yang terdiri dari nomor 1-4. Semuanya saling terhubung dengan rapi.Tunjungan plaza merupakan superblok pertama di indonesia. Di plaza ini banyak tenant-tenant terkenal yang berminat mengembangkan usahanya. Seperti Sogo department store di tunjungan plaza 4 dan Ace Hardware toko perkakas terlengkap di tunjungan plaza 1. Berikutnya adalah kawasan supermal pakuwon indah. Dikawasan ini juga direncanakan untuk dijadikan superblok dengan pakuwon trade centre. Ada anchor tenant sekelas hypermart, toko-toko fashion ternama baik lokal maupun mancanegara, dan baru-baru ini dibuka gerai baru ACE HOME CENTRE, pusat perkakas dan peralatan terlengkap. Semuanya terletak di supermal pakuwon indah, yang saat ini masih menjadi icon shopping centre Surabaya. Dibagian timur ada mall galaxy yang juga menjadi barometer pertumbuhan produk-produk fashion ternama saat ini, juga turut hadir Sogo Department store di mall galaxy ini. Itu baru beberapa mall saja, belum lagi baru-baru ini dibangun kawasan superblok terpadu yang menggabungkan apartment, hotel, shopping centre, perkantoran, dan rumah sakit. Developernya juga bukan sembarangan. Anda tau Lippo karawaci? Nah..seperti itulah kawasan yang akan dikembangkan oleh group lippo tersebut. Pembangunan city of tomorrow (cito) memang belum sempurna, masih tahap awal. Tapi setidaknya dikawasan tersebut bukan tidak mungkin akan menjadi icon baru pertumbuhan property-property di Surabaya dalam bentuk trend baru yaitu kawasan superblok. Seperti itulah gambaran kehidupan kaum elite di Surabaya. Kehidupan dan tata caranya tidak berbeda jauh dengan Jakarta. Itulah persaingan antara Jakarta dibarat dan Surabaya ditimur.
