Banjarmasin’s ‘Old Town’ is Booming Again

From afternoon to late evening, the old shopping area on Jl. Simpang Hasanuddin HM in Banjarmasin is never empty. Visitors come, one after another, to relax while enjoying coffee, bread, and various food and drinks.

KOMPAS/JUMARTO YULIANUS

Dozens of young people hang out in the Old Town area of Banjarmasin or Bandarmasih Tempo Doeloe in Banjarmasin City, South Kalimantan, Monday (27/6/2022) afternoon. Almost every day, the old shopping area on Jalan Simpang Hasanuddin HM is crowded with visitors because there are many food and drink shops that are fun for culinary hunting as well as hangouts.

The old shopping area on Jl. Simpang Hasanuddin HM in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, has come back to life. New stalls have made the area a culinary and hangout hub.

From afternoon to late evening, the old shopping area on Jl. Simpang Hasanuddin HM (bin Haji Madjedi) in Banjarmasin is never empty. Visitors come, one after another, to relax while enjoying coffee, bread, and various food and drinks.

On Monday afternoon (27/6/2022), four young men entered one of the coffee shops on the street, which is the icon of Banjarmasin’s Old Town. Shortly, they came out carrying plastic cups filled with iced milk coffee. One of the men carried four plastic chairs and placed them around a wooden table. Then they started conversing together.

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Bambang (31), who lives in Banjarmasin, and his friends often hang out in the old shopping area on Jl. Simpang Hasanuddin HM, now better known as the Kota Lama (Old Town) area of Banjarmasin, or Banjarmasin Tempo Doeloe (Banjarmasin of the past). "In one week, we can hang out here three times," said Tole (29), the young man next to Bambang.

According to Bambang, they usually hang out from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Central Indonesian Time (WITA). Past those hours, the area becomes more crowded and it gets difficult to find a seat.

In the Kota Lama area, the majority of visitors sit outdoors on plastic chairs, placing the chairs down almost all of Jl. Simpang Hasanuddin HM and sitting in small groups. The road, which is approximately 150 meters long, is closed from the afternoon for motorized vehicles.

There used to be only two stalls. Now, there are around 20 stalls here.

Visitors sitting in groups can order food and drinks at any stall. The shop attendants are always ready to deliver orders to customers, even if they have to walk dozens of meters or enter another stall.

The owner of the Roti Terang Stall, Bayu Indra Aditya, said the Kota Lama area had been getting busier lately. Not only young people came there, but also families. New stalls were also popping up. “There used to be only two stalls. Now, there are around 20 stalls here," he said.

The stalls in the Kota Lama area sell a variety of goods. However, the dominant products are still drinks and food. Each stall has its own charm, from the goods it sells to its exterior and interior design. The old shop houses that were previously dull and neglected have changed a lot, looking brighter and more modern.

KOMPAS/JUMARTO YULIANUS

Visitors pass through the Old Town of Banjarmasin or Bandarmasih Tempo Doeloe in Banjarmasin City, South Kalimantan, Monday (27/6/2022) afternoon.

Awi (67), who has lived in the Kota Lama area for 30 years, said that the area was built in 1976 to 1980 after the Pasar Lima and Pasar Sudimampir commercial areas. The commercial complexes are 500 meters from the Kota Lama area.

“The stalls here were busy until the 1990s. At that time, there were many travel agents, salons, and hotels. After that, they went into suspended animation. Many moved because their sales were not good here,” he said.

The shop houses in the Kota Lama area were then often leased as warehouses. Some were used to house swallows, others occupied as residences. "There are five families who still live here, including us," said Awi.

New Magnet

Since mid-2019, the old shopping area on Jl. Simpang Hasanuddin HM started becoming an area for young people to gather because of a coffee shop that opened there, called Kotalama Koffie. The coffee shop, which was started by a young man from a reggae group, has become a magnet for a commercial area that had been neglected for more than 20 years.

One year later, the Roti Terang Stall appeared next to Kotalama Koffie. The manager of the bakery is also a young person in a reggae band.

According to Awi, the shopping area became crowded since the two stalls set up shop. “Right now at 11 p.m., it's still busy and bright. In fact, previously at 9 p.m. it was very quiet and dark," he said.

A resident of the old shopping area, Awi is happy to see the commercial area come back to life, even though he was a bit nervous at first about the crowds that stayed until midnight. "I am grateful to see the change today in the area where we live, because it can finally open up business opportunities and revive the community's economy," he said.

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The area has revived because of the grassroots creative economy, not because of government efforts.

The Banjarmasin municipal administration then eyed reviving the commercial area on Jl. Simpang Hasanuddin HM. The area was then named Bandarmasih Tempo Doeloe.

On the evening of 15 Dec. 2021, Banjarmasin Mayor Ibnu Sina inaugurated Bandarmasih Tempo Doeloe as a culinary tourism destination and hangout place with an authentic atmosphere. "We will repair the infrastructure, such as drainage and pedestrian paths," said Ibnu Sina.

According to Arief Budiman, a lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Business of Lambung Mangkurat University, the commercial area on Jl. Simpang Hasanuddin HM was just one of business centers in Banjarmasin that had long been abandoned.

If there was no innovation or intervention from the municipal administration, the area might have died again.

The municipal administration actually didn't care about the area before the coffee shop and bakery arrived, or young people started a creative industry. "The area has come back to life because of the creative economy movement from the grassroots, not from the municipal administration," Arief said.

Nevertheless, the municipal administration has still contributed by providing training or assistance to businesses, providing a larger public space for creative businesses and preparing better facilities and infrastructure.

"If there was no innovation or intervention from the municipal administration, the area might have died again," said Arief.

The creativity of entrepreneurs and visiting residents can be said to sustain the businesses in Bandarmasih Tempo Doeloe. All parties must strive so that the economic activities do not disappear again.

This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo.