Welcome back to another episode of “Agung and Bivi Explore Jakarta!” We’ve been loving going through neighbourhoods that we don’t normally venture towards—especially since they are rich in history. Before, I thought I’d have to go to museums to see history. Now, I realise that history is practically everywhere, you just have to know where to look. Agung is pretty knowledgeable about things like this—his social listening skills are really top of the line—so he often shows me historical places that I wouldn’t have known otherwise. Today’s destination is no different, really.
A couple weekends ago—yeah, that’s how far ahead I am with blog posts lately and I love that I’m killing it!—Agung and I decided to walk along the line of Jalan Surabaya in Menteng. To be honest, I’ve heard of this street before from They Draw & Travel, which is a really cool, collective project where people from all over the world can make their own maps of any place on earth. It has intrigued me ever since, but somehow slipped to the back of my mind.
Overflowing with Stories
Welcome back to another episode of “Agung and Bivi Explore Jakarta!” We’ve been loving going through neighbourhoods that we don’t normally venture towards—especially since they are rich in history. Before, I thought I’d have to go to museums to see history. Now, I realise that history is practically everywhere, you just have to know where to look. Agung is pretty knowledgeable about things like this—his social listening skills are really top of the line—so he often shows me historical places that I wouldn’t have known otherwise. Today’s destination is no different, really.
A couple weekends ago—yeah, that’s how far ahead I am with blog posts lately and I love that I’m killing it!—Agung and I decided to walk along the line of Jalan Surabaya in Menteng. To be honest, I’ve heard of this street before from They Draw & Travel, which is a really cool, collective project where people from all over the world can make their own maps of any place on earth. It has intrigued me ever since, but somehow slipped to the back of my mind.
Overflowing with Stories
Jalan Surabaya is this mid-length street in the Menteng area, Central Jakarta. It is pretty small, lined with antique shops from one end to the other. The street is divided into little lots, each of which houses a shop of various kinds. It is rather neatly sectioned—starting out with the old metal goods and lamp section, followed by traditionally crafted products and ending with shoes and music stores.
Architecturally speaking, all the shops look the same—just one big box chock full with items for sale—with a very run-down 1970s look about them. However, depending on what is being sold, the façade can look significantly different. Ultimately, though, it’s got similar vibes to walking through storage units, but out in the open with vehicles passing by.
There are loads of items available for purchase here, starting with normal household things—like phones, radios, cutlery and cookware—to downright bizzare pieces—like nautical compass, gramophones, a spectroscope and batik stamps. These items date all the way back to the colonial age, with some of the china bearing the VOC insignia—recognisable to all locals who have ever opened a history book.
A lot of them are no longer functioning now—such as the various old-timer phones and, quite possibly, the steel-framed standing fans—but will add character to any interior as a decor. Needless to say, I’d like to fill my future house with a lot of items from this place—preferably for regular use, though.
Jalan Surabaya is this mid-length street in the Menteng area, Central Jakarta. It is pretty small, lined with antique shops from one end to the other. The street is divided into little lots, each of which houses a shop of various kinds. It is rather neatly sectioned—starting out with the old metal goods and lamp section, followed by traditionally crafted products and ending with shoes and music stores.
Architecturally speaking, all the shops look the same—just one big box chock full with items for sale—with a very run-down 1970s look about them. However, depending on what is being sold, the façade can look significantly different. Ultimately, though, it’s got similar vibes to walking through storage units, but out in the open with vehicles passing by.
There are loads of items available for purchase here, starting with normal household things—like phones, radios, cutlery and cookware—to downright bizzare pieces—like nautical compass, gramophones, a spectroscope and batik stamps. These items date all the way back to the colonial age, with some of the china bearing the VOC insignia—recognisable to all locals who have ever opened a history book.
A lot of them are no longer functioning now—such as the various old-timer phones and, quite possibly, the steel-framed standing fans—but will add character to any interior as a decor. Needless to say, I’d like to fill my future house with a lot of items from this place—preferably for regular use, though.
Just like when we went to Cikini Raya, what inspired us to pay this place a visit is none other than the fact that we passed by this place a while back. It triggered my memory and made me remember that I’d heard of Jalan Surabaya before—yet somehow never stopped by. At the height of our desire to explore the city, we decided to come by here when everything has gone back to business-as-usual—you know, after Eid, when everything starts to open normally again. As we were passing by, however, I already saw an item that intrigued me truly and I was determined to go get it when we would come to visit.
Lo and behold, I got it! If you can’t already guess, it’s the circular wicker-woven bag pictured above. I’ve wanted one for so long! You may remember it being in trend around 4-5 years ago. At the time, the item was way out of my budget—at least the ethical ones, not the fast-fashion, exploitative ones churned out by big retail brands. Boy oh boy, can you imagine how happy I am to see it available for purchase here. The original price was out of my price range still, though, and I also didn’t bring any cash. But the guy was persistent and, in the end, decided to let it go at any price that I named and allowed me to transfer the money instead. That was a huge win on my part, and I hope it was worth it for the artisans as well!
Old shirt + hat + socks + boots // thrifted dress // hand-me-down purse // photos by Agung
Vintage All the Way
Just like when we went to Cikini Raya, what inspired us to pay this place a visit is none other than the fact that we passed by this place a while back. It triggered my memory and made me remember that I’d heard of Jalan Surabaya before—yet somehow never stopped by. At the height of our desire to explore the city, we decided to come by here when everything has gone back to business-as-usual—you know, after Eid, when everything starts to open normally again. As we were passing by, however, I already saw an item that intrigued me truly and I was determined to go get it when we would come to visit.
Lo and behold, I got it! If you can’t already guess, it’s the circular wicker-woven bag pictured above. I’ve wanted one for so long! You may remember it being in trend around 4-5 years ago. At the time, the item was way out of my budget—at least the ethical ones, not the fast-fashion, exploitative ones churned out by big retail brands. Boy oh boy, can you imagine how happy I am to see it available for purchase here. The original price was out of my price range still, though, and I also didn’t bring any cash. But the guy was persistent and, in the end, decided to let it go at any price that I named and allowed me to transfer the money instead. That was a huge win on my part, and I hope it was worth it for the artisans as well!
Old shirt + hat + socks + boots // thrifted dress // hand-me-down purse // photos by Agung
Vintage All the Way
Remember when I said I thrifted a cute dress back in Pasar Baru? Well, this is the dress in question. Can you tell why I’m in love with it at first sight? This is my third time wearing the dress and, I must say, I become more and more smitten with it.
First of all, the cut is just absolutely perfect! It’s so roomy, especially around the waist area—although it is kind of tight around the thigh. It looks cute front to back with a plunging neckline that shows off the shirt I’m wearing underneath. Secondly, it has two rather-big pockets on the front—seriously big enough to store my phone, even. Who doesn’t love a dress with pockets?! Lastly, it looks casual enough that I can wear it anywhere, but also chic enough to look like I dress up.
And, of course I’d wear this dress to go antique-ing—it’s just the perfect outfit. It allows me to move freely, but also still fits the theme with the 70s look. To complete the edgy vibe of the whole outfit, I matched with a pair of chelsea boots. Hope I nailed the subtle, badass vibe!
Remember when I said I thrifted a cute dress back in Pasar Baru? Well, this is the dress in question. Can you tell why I’m in love with it at first sight? This is my third time wearing the dress and, I must say, I become more and more smitten with it.
First of all, the cut is just absolutely perfect! It’s so roomy, especially around the waist area—although it is kind of tight around the thigh. It looks cute front to back with a plunging neckline that shows off the shirt I’m wearing underneath. Secondly, it has two rather-big pockets on the front—seriously big enough to store my phone, even. Who doesn’t love a dress with pockets?! Lastly, it looks casual enough that I can wear it anywhere, but also chic enough to look like I dress up.
And, of course I’d wear this dress to go antique-ing—it’s just the perfect outfit. It allows me to move freely, but also still fits the theme with the 70s look. To complete the edgy vibe of the whole outfit, I matched with a pair of chelsea boots. Hope I nailed the subtle, badass vibe!
Looking around this place, I see several familiar items. Knick knacks that our family used to own too in the past. There are the miniature rickshaw and vintage bicycles made out of copper. There are canteen bottles that I recognised from when I was in primary school. Little wooden figurines of cats, dolphins and various other animals line the shelves—I swear I used to play with ones just like those. Traditional wooden masks that used to scare me shitless as a child. And even wayang kulit of many forms—we got ours back when we went to Yogyakarta. And it got me feeling somewhat nostalgic of these pieces—and made me realise that these things never truly go away. I hope to re-collect them at my own home someday.
If you live in the Jakarta area and want to add items to your house,
please consider coming here first before purchasing anything new!
Looking around this place, I see several familiar items. Knick knacks that our family used to own too in the past. There are the miniature rickshaw and vintage bicycles made out of copper. There are canteen bottles that I recognised from when I was in primary school. Little wooden figurines of cats, dolphins and various other animals line the shelves—I swear I used to play with ones just like those. Traditional wooden masks that used to scare me shitless as a child. And even wayang kulit of many forms—we got ours back when we went to Yogyakarta. And it got me feeling somewhat nostalgic of these pieces—and made me realise that these things never truly go away. I hope to re-collect them at my own home someday.
If you live in the Jakarta area and want to add items to your house,
please consider coming here first before purchasing anything new!