When you arrive in Kuala Lumpur you’ll find it a large major city most like any other except for the fact that it is the home of the Petronas Towers. We’ve seen the photos; they are the two silver towers with the two floor bridge that interconnects them. Surprisingly they held the record for the tallest structures in the world from 1996 until 2004 when Taipei 101 was completed. Suzy and I drove around the city touring with cabbies and all they did was tout about them. We’ve seen tall buildings; these were nice but did not seem the tallest so I did some research. The Petronas Towers have 88 stories, the Willis Tower and World Trade Center buildings, 110 stories. So where is the height? In the research, the Willis Tower roof is actually 208 feet taller than the roof of the Petronas Buildings. Somehow it’s in the architecture rulings. By just looking at them, they’re beautiful, but as a New Yorker, nothing will ever beat the majesty of One World Trade Center and Two World Trade Center buildings. Suzy and I continued our adventures by taking in some cultural areas of the city. Chinatown was one of them. We enjoyed the action of Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur, they are far more aggressive than most, but both Suzy and I agree, it does not compare to the Chinatown we have come to know and love in either Philadelphia or New York. . It was interesting to find that the Chinese make up more than 70% of the Malaysian economy.
In the evenings we like to explore and take in the local color of the city. After some research I was able to find that an area known as “The Golden Triangle” was the place to go, see and enjoy. The Petronas Towers are within its boundaries, as is the “5 Star Hotel Strip” and the shopping area known as “Bukit Bintang”. I was able to find a Night Club in the area that offers Jazz music as Suzy and I enjoy Jazz and just cannot get enough. The club was “No Black Tie” and as clubs go, this one was quite up to par. As a New Yorker, I have frequented most jazz clubs there and some of the best reside in Greenwich Village. When you enter No Black Tie you’ll find photographs of performers all around the front bar area and once inside, you’ll instantly feel right at home. Small round tables for two all around, seating for possibly 50 or so on the ground floor, more above. We were pleased to get a table on the second row, ground floor. We had no idea of this evening’s entertainment but were eager to find out. The entertainment was second to none. Between the entertainment, the food and the wine, No Black Tie turned out to be one of the most memorable parts of Kuala Lumpur. We liked it so much Suzy and I returned the following evening for another helping of Jazz and merriment.
