Bangsar101: Past & Present & CzipLee
25 years in Bangsar, and I've seen...
I've been living in Bangsar for close to three quarters of my life. The three quarters would include a good 25 years of experience in this neighbourhood, which equates to a good quarter of a century!
Man, I'm old. I can roughly tell you the spots of walls in Bangsar that were once spray painted with various messages courtesy of the alternatives trying to make a point. It was a furor of the media at one point, I remember. Well, the walls have since been white washed and given a nice gloss of paint.
Long before Alexis had their makeover, which some say has boosted their sales tremendously with its Australian like feel of a cafe, and long before Serene Outlook bedazzled the eyes of passerby's way past midnight with their fluorescent like display-the lot originally housed our favourites Coffee Bean which was just right across the road from Starbucks.
Long before there was even Bangsar Village 1 or 2, there was the Jolly Green Giant with its rat infested offerings, and also the almost dead Hankyu Jaya that now houses BV1. I've seen the motions, enough to say that KFC was once just neighbours to our dear old McDonald's, and right opposite was Burger King with its substandard value meals.
There was also this memorable competitor to Seven Eleven (I know their theme colour was green), which now houses the sleepy steak joint at the corner, right next to Chow Yang Foot Massage. The "green" mart was the place to get the best ice cream, where you could do your own sundae twist-chocolate and vanilla at just less than RM 2.00! You could keep going round and round, and lick the melted ice cream real quickly to pack in more for your money's worth!
Well, memories are what I have of Bangsar and I do wish to see more improvements-especially in terms of safety and also the pot holes in the roads! That has never changed, unfortunately.
And now, Bangsar is...
It's time to look forward to see which shops have contributed to the colours and atmosphere of what makes Bangsar. I'd say it would be: La Bodega, which is jam packed for breakfast-having their own niche crowd of business people having bacon, eggs and sandwiches at jacked up prices for their first meal of the day.
Rocky Restaurant, one of my favourite hangouts just because they serve good home-cook food and when you are there, its like you are lost in time. An old-school coffee shop in the middle of the Bangsar hustle bustle!
There's also the range of boutiques that have sprung up-with cute names and displays selling clothes probably source from the similar countries and suppliers. But nevertheless, I've always enjoyed their creative display-Blook, Tea & Symphony, Cat's Whiskers and so much more.
Zooming in on CzipLee...
And finally, there's CzipLee which has taken over lot from Public Mutual two years back and is housed right next to Nirwana, which has almost never seen a dip in their banana leaf and Indian Cuisine business though the economy has gone through some rough and tumble.
CzipLee has made its own niche landmark with the regular "oohs & aaahs" from delighted patrons seeing stationery wonderland, and not to forget-its range of well stocked school books, children titles and fiction that would get mothers and children absolutely delighted.
I for one love the fact that they are affordable. The prices are good, during the bad and good times-they don't keep hiking the prices, I really like that about them, especially now that inflation has hit an all time high of 7.7%. Even if they do, they try not to pass so much of the cost on to consumers-that should be a point well noted.
CzipLee: One Stop Printing Centre Come August 2008
Well, CzipLee has something up their sleeves, to cater to the changing winds of Bangsar, and that is a one stop printing centre. Loads of people having come in and out to ask for photocopying, printing, binding and laminating services and even designing of name cards. Well, CzipLee sure has that figured out, and will fill that gap, this August 2008.
Again, at their ever competitive pricing. Check it out soon, to see for yourself. CzipLee, meeting Bangsar's needs!
(This article was contributed by a true born and bred 'Bangsar-ian'. One of our regular customers! Thank you, YOU!=))
Labels: 101, 2008, Bangsar, CzipLee Printing
posted by Alvin C at 11:51 PM
2 comments
