Plaza Damas

What do you do when you have a nice upcoming area with lots of people? You build a shopping mall, and charge so high parking prices that no one wants to come. The outcome? Ghost town a.k.a. Plaza Damas.

Plaza Damas is all but happening, it’s quiet and empty. The only thing happening thing is high prices. Oh, and (the infamous) mosquitoes. Apparently the mall was so expensive, there’s no money left to get rid of the little bloodthursty bastards.

But the mosquitoes isn’t the big problem. It's the parking and overall prices that scare people away. It's like some kind of luxury tax and this tax permeates the whole area and it seems like everything is more expensive here then anywhere else.

Because Plaza Damas is so apparently "posh" and "popular" (this is the general opinion), it doesn’t surprise me if they create a toll around the area as well. Plaza Damas is a bad name; it should be Plaza Dumb Ass. It's much more suitable.

The new parking prices is a joke. The free 15 minutes isn't enough and discourages people to come. For instance, taxi drivers are always complaining they had to re-enter the premises because time was up.

No one is willing to spend as much as RM3 an hour on parking. Sure, it’s cheaper in the garage (RM1/day) but if you come to see friends and socialize, and have only a teh tarek (worth RM1.50) or something, I really doubt you bother to park there.

Because of the parking prices, some restaurants owners are threaten to close down. Others are so damn stupid thay charge RM25+ for a pizza. Sorry, I mean a super-duper Italian pizza. This is Malaysia, people eat roti for RM2.50 (or something) and pizzas are NOT that expensive to make.

Anyway, there are just not enough people around. Before the new mall, so cute called HSC (Hartamas Shopping Center) and the hyped up parking prices, the area was lively and happening. People came to eat, drink, and socialize. Cars were parked everywhere. Hmmm, even used to be more cats running around...

Strangely less mosquitoes though.

Now, on the other hand it's empty. Sure, the mall is open and the area is still under construction. Partly anyway.

But HSC is far from crowded and many shops, stores, and boutiques have yet to open. The mall is quite small in size and isn't exactly a new Midvalley Megamall. The space for each outlet seems very small. It's very cold in HSC, maybe that’s why there are not many people around.

That’s probably why McDonalds hasn’t shown up yet. McDonald’s absence can naturally be a good or bad thing depending on how health consciousness you are. That can be discussed. But not there. I just want a Big Mac, with or without Plaza Damas tax!

And I hear rumors that a cinema is gonna open in HSC, but doubt it will happen. There’s just no space around. And who would go there? I see more mall employes then shoppers. So for the moment, Plaza Damas and the mall is more or less dead.

But still, all ain’t bad. The area is really comfortable and it feels good to live here (must be the luxury tax feeling). Sure, it's expensive like hell but very convenient. The rent sucks big-time though (RM1000/month).

Anyway, Plaza Damas got potential and can be the happening area everybody wants it to be. But then these ridiculously high prices must be lowered. Until then, the area will remain to be Plaza Dumb Ass.