What does your neighbourhood say about you: Kuala Lumpur
Just a bit of fun.. :)
If you live in ___ then you are ____ :
Bukit Tunku (Kenny Hills) and Bukit Persekutuan (Federal Hill) = Seriously wealthy, old money, royalty, very low key.
Bukit Damansara (Damansara Heights) = just one step below the above, either first generation civil servant families from pre- and post-Independance, politicians and ahem, business cronies. Also, business families who made it big from the 60's and 70's. Wealthy but a wee bit flashier than the Kenny Hills crowd. Still classier than ....
Bangsar = Newer money, families of corporate figures and professionals who did well from the 80's onwards. An aspirational neighbourhood, it also attracts ambitious non-KL-born folks here to make it big. The party neighbourhood of the 90's, still remembered fondly for its bars, restaurants and late-night stalls after clubbing. A younger but more low-key affluent clone of Bangsar is TTDI (Taman Tun Dr Ismail); TTDI folks are rather nicer and more easy-going.
Ukay Heights, Ampang Hilir, Titiwangsa, Kemensah and Taman U-Thant = a mid-way point between Kenny Hills and Damansara Heights, low key like Kenny Hills and most likely to be families of very senior retired civil servants (diplomats etc), some professionals and Chinese tycoons who prefer not to be known. These people are seriously wealthy but you will never know unless you get invited to their houses (I mean mansions).
If you are from the above neighbourhoods, you're pretty much at the top of the tree in Malaysia. Except there is a whiff of the 'wannabe' from some Bangsar folk...
Petaling Jaya (PJ) = solidly upper middle and middle class now, a hint of prideful wannabes back in the 70's and 80's because it was the first well-planned township. PJ people are bit insular and tend to fear coming into KL city centre because they are not true KL-ites. Over time, this has improved and they are not as insular as ....
Subang Jaya = SJ people live in a delusion that their suburb is the centre of the universe. They are rather annoying. Hopefully in time, this will change. However, I doubt so. They are mostly recent immigrants from other states. They too fear coming into KL if they do not work in the city centre.
Bandar Utama = another upper middle class area, newer than PJ and SJ, same smug attitude. Tends to be populated with out of towners too. They do not see the point of leaving BU on weekends as 1Utama provides them with everything, which is just as well because they are dull folk who don't bring much to the party in KL.
If you are from PJ or SJ, on the whole you are nice, decent people but you can't help feeling a bit smug that you have everything at your doorstep and are not adverse to pointing out how chaotic KL is. My dears, you didn't do anything except buy into the place, so get over yourselves.
Seputeh, Taman Desa, Old Klang Road, Ulu Klang (from Dataran Ukay to Melawati), Jalan Ipoh, Cheras (from Midah to Connaught), Sri Petaling, Bukit Jalil, Keramat AU and Setiawangsa = a more eclectic mix of small upper and middle class suburbs that have some interesting charms to them from famous eateries to scenic hiking trails , you are probably as wealthy if not even more wealthy than PJ and SJ folks but you are not as showy because you don't need to prove anything to anyone. Either originally from KL or moved here ages ago, from the 50's to the 70's. You still prefer to come into town for shopping and entertainment despite having neighbourhood malls at your disposal.
Pudu, Sentul, Kepong, Jinjang, Segambut, Brickfields, Setapak - despite being closer to town and oft-times being right next to uber-posh neighbourhoods, quite frankly, everyone else in KL is scared of you. Salt of the earth to be sure but it is hard to shake off the old rough neighbourhood / gangster image. Just a note to the folk of Desa Park City and Mon't Kiara - you are technically living in Kepong and Segambut Dalam respectively.
Inner Ampang, Kampung Baru, Gombak, Wangsa Maju, Sri Rampai, Selayang, Tasik Selatan,Salak - affordable, dense, industrious, close to town but overlooked and undervalued. People from these suburbs are generally middle to working class with pockets of wealthy folks who made their money through their own businesses. Not generally the home of well paid professionals. Going through some gentrification in bits and pieces. Economically the same as Pudu et al but without the scary reputation.
Puchong, USJ, Sunway, Shah Alam, Kota & Sri Damansara - more down-to-earth like the middle class suburbs of KL proper but your template for development is (unfortunately) Subang Jaya or Bandar Utama. Why do I say unfortunately? Because despite being well planned and having nice shopping and eateries, the place is devoid of culture and character but does not realise it. So being a suburb to another suburb is not really something one should aspire to. (My apologies to Shah Alam being the capital of Selangor but you really are overshadowed in this respect, and not in a good way either)
And finally, the Inner City of Kuala Lumpur - if you live here, you are either extremely rich or extremely poor. There is no in between. You will be either living in a luxurious condo / the ancient mansion you inherited from your great-grandfather which is now worth at least RM20 million just for the land OR you're living in a cramped tenement / DBKL public housing.
Did I miss out anyone?
If you live in ___ then you are ____ :
Bukit Tunku (Kenny Hills) and Bukit Persekutuan (Federal Hill) = Seriously wealthy, old money, royalty, very low key.
Bukit Damansara (Damansara Heights) = just one step below the above, either first generation civil servant families from pre- and post-Independance, politicians and ahem, business cronies. Also, business families who made it big from the 60's and 70's. Wealthy but a wee bit flashier than the Kenny Hills crowd. Still classier than ....
Bangsar = Newer money, families of corporate figures and professionals who did well from the 80's onwards. An aspirational neighbourhood, it also attracts ambitious non-KL-born folks here to make it big. The party neighbourhood of the 90's, still remembered fondly for its bars, restaurants and late-night stalls after clubbing. A younger but more low-key affluent clone of Bangsar is TTDI (Taman Tun Dr Ismail); TTDI folks are rather nicer and more easy-going.
Ukay Heights, Ampang Hilir, Titiwangsa, Kemensah and Taman U-Thant = a mid-way point between Kenny Hills and Damansara Heights, low key like Kenny Hills and most likely to be families of very senior retired civil servants (diplomats etc), some professionals and Chinese tycoons who prefer not to be known. These people are seriously wealthy but you will never know unless you get invited to their houses (I mean mansions).
If you are from the above neighbourhoods, you're pretty much at the top of the tree in Malaysia. Except there is a whiff of the 'wannabe' from some Bangsar folk...
Petaling Jaya (PJ) = solidly upper middle and middle class now, a hint of prideful wannabes back in the 70's and 80's because it was the first well-planned township. PJ people are bit insular and tend to fear coming into KL city centre because they are not true KL-ites. Over time, this has improved and they are not as insular as ....
Subang Jaya = SJ people live in a delusion that their suburb is the centre of the universe. They are rather annoying. Hopefully in time, this will change. However, I doubt so. They are mostly recent immigrants from other states. They too fear coming into KL if they do not work in the city centre.
Bandar Utama = another upper middle class area, newer than PJ and SJ, same smug attitude. Tends to be populated with out of towners too. They do not see the point of leaving BU on weekends as 1Utama provides them with everything, which is just as well because they are dull folk who don't bring much to the party in KL.
If you are from PJ or SJ, on the whole you are nice, decent people but you can't help feeling a bit smug that you have everything at your doorstep and are not adverse to pointing out how chaotic KL is. My dears, you didn't do anything except buy into the place, so get over yourselves.
Seputeh, Taman Desa, Old Klang Road, Ulu Klang (from Dataran Ukay to Melawati), Jalan Ipoh, Cheras (from Midah to Connaught), Sri Petaling, Bukit Jalil, Keramat AU and Setiawangsa = a more eclectic mix of small upper and middle class suburbs that have some interesting charms to them from famous eateries to scenic hiking trails , you are probably as wealthy if not even more wealthy than PJ and SJ folks but you are not as showy because you don't need to prove anything to anyone. Either originally from KL or moved here ages ago, from the 50's to the 70's. You still prefer to come into town for shopping and entertainment despite having neighbourhood malls at your disposal.
Pudu, Sentul, Kepong, Jinjang, Segambut, Brickfields, Setapak - despite being closer to town and oft-times being right next to uber-posh neighbourhoods, quite frankly, everyone else in KL is scared of you. Salt of the earth to be sure but it is hard to shake off the old rough neighbourhood / gangster image. Just a note to the folk of Desa Park City and Mon't Kiara - you are technically living in Kepong and Segambut Dalam respectively.
Inner Ampang, Kampung Baru, Gombak, Wangsa Maju, Sri Rampai, Selayang, Tasik Selatan,Salak - affordable, dense, industrious, close to town but overlooked and undervalued. People from these suburbs are generally middle to working class with pockets of wealthy folks who made their money through their own businesses. Not generally the home of well paid professionals. Going through some gentrification in bits and pieces. Economically the same as Pudu et al but without the scary reputation.
Puchong, USJ, Sunway, Shah Alam, Kota & Sri Damansara - more down-to-earth like the middle class suburbs of KL proper but your template for development is (unfortunately) Subang Jaya or Bandar Utama. Why do I say unfortunately? Because despite being well planned and having nice shopping and eateries, the place is devoid of culture and character but does not realise it. So being a suburb to another suburb is not really something one should aspire to. (My apologies to Shah Alam being the capital of Selangor but you really are overshadowed in this respect, and not in a good way either)
And finally, the Inner City of Kuala Lumpur - if you live here, you are either extremely rich or extremely poor. There is no in between. You will be either living in a luxurious condo / the ancient mansion you inherited from your great-grandfather which is now worth at least RM20 million just for the land OR you're living in a cramped tenement / DBKL public housing.
Did I miss out anyone?
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