Exlusive Jl. Braga looks to change its image<\/p>\n
By Kafil Yamin<\/p>\n
BANDUNG (JP): Ask your Bandung friends of average means to
\ntake a stroll down Jl. Braga, and their likely response will be a
\npolite rejection.<\/p>\n
\"That is not my kind of place,\" could well be their reason.<\/p>\n
The street's famed exclusiveness is revealed in the lyrics of
\nHetty Koes Endang's song, which translate as \"Braga street has
\nits class\/the horse-pulled cart is barred from passing through\".<\/p>\n
For decades, the street in the West Java capital has been
\nrenowned as the place where the well-heeled go to shop.<\/p>\n
Bandung's famed jeans, shoes, handbags and other women's
\nclothes accessories are not found here. Find inexpensive but
\nquality jeans on Jl. Cihampelas. Good shoes in Cibaduyut.<\/p>\n
But if you want high-quality European products, Jl. Braga is
\nthe place.<\/p>\n
During Dutch colonial rule, Braga was an exclusive area for
\nEuropeans and was the only boutique center in the Dutch East
\nIndies.<\/p>\n
It was then well-known for its Amsterdam-oriented fashion to
\ndistinguish it from Paris fashion.<\/p>\n
After independence, the image of Braga lived on.<\/p>\n
Despite its fame, Bandungers often draw a blank on what the
\nstreet has to offer.<\/p>\n
\"I have no idea how much it costs to buy a shirt there,\" said
\nMaman.<\/p>\n
Ten years ago, he went window shopping and saw a shirt priced
\nat Rp 200,000. \"You can imagine what the price is now.\"<\/p>\n
Bandung deputy mayor Didi Kurniadi agreed the street was a
\nhaunt of the elite. Many Bandung residents, he said, may have
\nonly passed through there, never stopping to see the wares.<\/p>\n
\"I am astonished to learn that a friend of mine, who is a
\nmiddle-ranking government official, has never even stepped into
\none of shops on Jalan Braga because he thinks he could not afford
\nto buy anything there.\"<\/p>\n
He said the exclusive image should be gradually reduced
\nbecause \"Braga should be much closer to common people\".<\/p>\n
Braga fashion merchant David B. Sudiono said stories of people
\nintimidated by the street's lofty reputation were understandable.<\/p>\n
\"I can say that 99 percent of the stuff here is high quality
\nimported products that only a few people can afford. You cannot
\nexpect middle-ranking government officials to buy a pair of
\nshorts at Rp 200,000 or so.\"<\/p>\n
But go-getters are pushing for Jl. Braga to come down a peg or
\ntwo. Saung Bandung, a group of hotel managers and tourist agents,
\nBandung Heritage Conservation Society, the Indonesian Hotels and
\nRestaurants Association (PHRI) and the city administration have
\nforged a long-term cooperation to revitalize the street.<\/p>\n
Bazaar<\/p>\n
The first step is to draw public attention to this district
\nthrough a one-day bazaar, to be held today, with the lure of
\nheavy discounts. Adrialeke of Saung Bandung said shops along the
\nstreet had agreed to give 30 percent to 40 percent.<\/p>\n
This first move includes the pulling down of large billboards,
\nwhich, according to Francis Affandi of the Bandung Heritage, are
\nnot suitable with Braga's original style and Art Deco
\narchitecture.<\/p>\n
\"The billboards should be smaller in design to conform with
\nthe classic environment of the town,\" she told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The buildings are now being repainted in the runup to the
\nbazaar, with colors that would bring old memories of the place
\nback to life.<\/p>\n
The next step would be to return the buildings to their
\noriginal design, which would not be a big problem \"because the
\nold buildings actually do not change. The owners only make some
\nadditional elements to adjust them to contemporary climate\",
\nAffandi said.<\/p>\n
She assured that in the next few months, \"you will see a Braga
\nas it was in 1940s -- Braga tempo doeloe (olden times)\".<\/p>\n
David B. Sudiono said that Braga's heyday peaked during 1970s
\nto 1980s, when the economy was sound and Indonesia gained from
\nthe oil bonanza.<\/p>\n
Times are tougher now. Since the country's political turmoil,
\nthe hotel occupancy rate in Bandung is down to 27 percent from
\nthe usual rate of 60 percent to 70 percent. Sales are also down,
\nbut on Jalan Braga, this started in the early 1990s.<\/p>\n
With the rapid invasion of international malls and retail
\nbusiness in the following years, Braga's shine began to fade.
\nShopping malls, where prices are much more competitive, started
\nto beat out Braga's excellence.<\/p>\n
Goods diversity and variety offered by the contemporary
\nshopping venues are among the main factors in Braga's decline.<\/p>\n
\"If one goes to BIP or Matahari, he or she has more options to
\nbuy. One can also have various kinds of food, from pecel
\n(traditional salads) to fast food, which you cannot enjoy in
\nBraga,\" Sudiono said.<\/p>\n
Another factor is parking space shortage. Half of Braga's road
\nspace is used now for parking. Traffic is always heavy and people
\nare often forced to park in other areas and then walk the
\ndistance to the street.<\/p>\n
According to Dian Anggraeni, a staff member of the Bandung
\nHotel Managers Association, Braga's makeover is part of the
\nBandung revitalization campaign in anticipation of heading off a
\nfurther decline in visitors.<\/p>\n
\"Despite its undisputed safe situation, Bandung has been
\ngreatly affected by the recent riots and its reputation as one of
\nthe country's favorite tourist destinations is diminishing.\"<\/p>",
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