Jakarta Slice of Life Eps 01 Weekend Blok M to Melawai

In this video, we'll travel to the Blok M area, starting from the connecting bridge between Blok M Plaza and the Blok M Hub area to the Blok M area. Then, we'll tour the Martha Christina Tiahahu Literacy Park and visit the Lintas Melawai area. Continue exploring Blok M Plaza. Experience the life of a Jakarta resident, visiting interesting places around Jakarta, Indonesia. This trip takes place during the day, on a weekend. Blok M is part of the Kebayoran Baru district, which is subdivided into sections named from Blok A to Blok S. Originally conceived by the Dutch colonial government in 1938 as a satellite city of Batavia (now Jakarta), the development of Kebayoran Baru was delayed for a decade due to war and political instability. The district was equipped with schools, traditional markets, residential areas, green spaces, an organized road network, offices, and a transit terminal. Located at the center of this development, Blok M was envisioned as a hub for economic activity and urban mobility. In the 1970s, the opening of Pasar Raya Blok M marked the emergence of modern retail in the district, followed by Aldiron Plaza. Blok M reached its peak popularity during the 1980s and early 1990s, with the construction of new shopping centers such as Blok M Plaza and the underground Mal Blok M within the bus terminal, which connected the terminal to surrounding areas. The district also became home to a growing Japanese expatriate community, giving rise to "Little Tokyo", an enclave of Japanese restaurants, cafés, supermarkets, and entertainment venues. During its heyday, Blok M also emerged as a hub of pop culture. To revive Blok M's main role as an economic hub, the government has initiated some revitalization efforts throughout the 2020s, such as renovating the Martha Christina Tiahahu Park near Blok M Plaza, refurbish the heavly-declined underground Mal Blok M – later renamed as Blok M Hub, and enhance public transit and pedestrian access while opening new Transjakarta feeder bus routes from Jakarta's outskirts. As the result, Blok M's popularity has significantly revived; many people from inside and outside Jakarta flocked again into the quarter on weekends and holidays and many restaurants here competing to offer unique and viral culinaries. Governor of Jakarta, Pramono Anung, during his address on the reinauguration of Blok M Hub in 2025 has envisioned Blok M as "the ASEAN economic and creative hub that never sleeps."