History of Blok M Jakarta: From an Elite Area to a Hangout for Jakarta's Youth from the 80s

Talking about hangout places in Jakarta, it feels like the South Jakarta area become one of the areas that must be used as a reference for a hangout in Jakarta. In addition to being known through its South Jakarta language. South Jakarta also has one area or region that is quite iconic, namely Blok M.

Blok M is undeniably one of the areas in South Jakarta that provides the most hangout options for young people. For those who want to shop, in Blok M there is Blok M Square. For those who want to hang out, the Melawai Blok M area offers various cool hangouts for young people. For those who want to find a creative area, in Blok M there is M Bloc Space which is one of the creative areas in Jakarta.

However, long before that, Blok M actually had a fairly 'exclusive' history. Because, in fact, Blok M was originally an elite housing area before finally becoming a hangout for young people. Curious about its history?

History of the Name Blok M

The existence of Blok M itself in Jakarta is considered quite ionic, so from this fire incident, of course many Jakarta residents are worried about this hangout place for Jakarta's youth.

In the past, Blok M was originally a development project by the Dutch government to become a luxury housing area aimed at overcoming population density in Weltevreden (Gambir and its surroundings). By adopting the concept of a city and park that has been implemented in Menteng, the Kebayoran area was designed by dividing its area into separate blocks equipped with small parks.

The name Blok M itself is based on a book written by Zaenuddin HM in his book entitled '212 Asal-Usul Djakarta Tempo Doeloe' which explains the origin of the naming of the Blok M area based on the names of the housing blocks in the area.

Initially, the Blok M area itself was an elite residential area in Kebayoran, South Jakarta. However, over time, Blok M which is close to various shopping centers, such as Pasaraya Mall, Pasar Melawai, Blok M Mall, and Pasar Mayestik eventually turned into a commercial area.

So it's a hangout for young people

Since the 1980s, Blok M in South Jakarta has undergone a transformation into a center of activities that are closely related to the lifestyle and entertainment of the capital's youth at that time. In fact, its popularity reached a level where its name was immortalized in the lyrics of the song "Jalan-jalan Sore" created by Denny Malik.

In addition, starting from the center of the commercial area, it is natural that the Blok M area has become a hangout for young people. The various places to eat offered in the Blok M area are quite diverse, especially in the Melawai area there is one of the famous coffee shops such as Filosofi Kopi, and various Japanese Foods that are indeed the target of young people in Jakarta.

Moreover, now Blok M can be said to have a more modern appearance. One of them is M Bloc Space which is a creative area for young people, and of course Blok M Square as a shopping center for all ages.

With the fire incident in Blok M Square, of course, it can make the management of the Blok M area pay more attention to the security of Blok M itself. Moreover, Blok M itself is one of the iconic areas of Jakarta, and is one of the faces of Jakarta. So, its security must be considered so that it can continue to provide comfort for visitors who come. (*/)

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