Kuala Lumpur/North of City Centre

Besides Jalan TAR, the district also is home to the colourful shopping street of Jalan Masjid India, which is chock-a-block with shops specialising in saris and other Indian apparel. Indeed, the area is sometimes called Little India, although several other parts of KL (notably Brickfields) compete for that title and these days there are at least as many Indonesians around.

The northern part of the district is called Chow Kit, known for bargain shopping and food. The famous Chow Kit Wet Market has never stopped being the favourite wet market of all. You'll also be able to see things which you'll never be able to find elsewhere in KL, like the full array of Malay traditional medicine. Located just off the Chow Kit Monorail stop, the Jalan Haji Hussein street market at night is similar to Chinatown's Petaling Street, offering fake goods and delicious local food.

The Tuanku Abdul Rahman end of Jalan Sultan Ismail has become KL's new hot nightspot. Nicknamed Heritage Row, restaurants and clubs are now breathing new life into the old dilapidated terrace houses of Jalan Doraisamy and Jalan Yap Ah Shak, just off Jalan Sultan Ismail.

Last but not least, Kampung Baru, the misnamed "New Village", is an old-style Malay kampung that has oddly resisted high-rise development despite being smack dab in the middle of the city.

Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Chow Kit and Kampung Baru are easily accessible by public transport, so you will find travelling into this district quite easy.

Tuanku Abdul Rahman is accessible by several rail stations. To reach the southern end of Jalan TAR,  AG7   SP7   KJ13  Masjid Jamek LRT station (Kelana Jaya or Ampang/Sri Petaling lines) is best suited if one is visiting Masjid Jamek, Dataran Merdeka or Jalan Masjid India. To directly access the middle portion of Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (where most of the shops are located), it is best to alight at the  AG6   SP6  Bandaraya LRT station. Alternately, visitors coming from Klang, Shah Alam, Batu Caves or even Ipoh and Seremban can opt for the  KA03  Bank Negara Komuter station, which is linked to the Bandaraya LRT station by a pedestrian bridge crossing Jalan Kuching and the Gombak River.

 MR9  Medan Tuanku Monorail Station,  AG5   SP5  Sultan Ismail and the  AG4   SP4  PWTC LRT stations on the Ampang/Sri Petaling line are best for the northern sector of TAR as well as the far southern part of Chow Kit.

The central Chow Kit area is best accessed by the  MR10  Chow Kit KL Monorail station. Another option is the Ampang/Sri Petaling LRT line stopping at  AG4   SP4  PWTC station, a 5- to 10-minute walk to the centre of Chow Kit. For Kampung Baru the best option is to take the Kelana Jaya LRT to none other than  KJ11  Kampung Baru station, walk from Chow Kit Monorail station or use the 🌍 Saloma Link Bridge. (updated Feb 2020).

Since March 2023 the newly-opened MRT Putrajaya Line also cuts across this part of the city. The  SSP18  Hospital Kuala Lumpur MRT station is adjacent to the Istana Budaya, the National Art Gallery and the Titiwangsa Lake Gardens.  SSP19  Raja Uda MRT station, the second metro station within the Kampung Baru district, is within walking distance to the National Library. This line terminates at Putrajaya and hence provides a more affordable transit option to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

The northern part of Kuala Lumpur is home to some of the city's main cultural establishments. The area just north of Jalan Tun Razak has been designated by the government as KL's performing arts zone.

• 🌍 Istana Budaya (National Theatre), Istana Budaya, Jalan Tun Razak (Walk from Exit B of Hospital Kuala Lumpur metro station), ☏ +60 340 265 555, +60 3 4026 5558 (Box Office). Istana Budaya (meaning Palace of Culture) is home to the National Theatre and is equipped with cutting edge stage, sound and lighting equipment on par with the top theatres around the world. It host productions of both domestic and international origins. The building itself is a beautiful and a tourist attraction. (updated Feb 2024)
• 🌍 Balai Seni Visual Negara (National Visual Arts Gallery), 2 Jalan Temerloh, off Jalan Tun Razak (Just east of the National Theater), ☏ +60 340 267 000. 10AM - 6PM daily except some holidays (9AM - 5PM during Ramadan).. Exhibition of all kinds of art. Free. (updated Jun 2017)

• 🌍 Titiwangsa Lake Gardens (Taman Tasik Titiwangsa). Beautiful park with nice views to the city centre. (updated Jun 2017)
• 🌍 Art Deco architecture (Exit via Bandaraya LRT station). 24 hours. This stretch of Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, starting from Sogo and Odeon Cinema in the north, and ending at Euro Moda in the south, contains a very large collection of Kuala Lumpur's art deco colonial buildings. Check out for the pink Euro Moda building, the pink-and-yellow Aidijuma store, the green Gulati's store and the Odeon Cinema. Sadly there were reports that Odeon Cinema will be demolished for redevelopment a few years from now; however as a compromise the art-deco facade of the cinema is to be retained.; Note that there are a few more two-storey Art Deco shoplots located just across the road from Maju Junction, and adjacent to Kudu Nasi Kandar. (updated Dec 2019)

• 🌍 Stroll around Kampung Baru (Take MRT Putrajaya to Raja Uda stop, LRT Kelana Jaya to Kampung Baru stop, or walk from KLCC via Saloma Link Bridge). One of the most fascinating neighbourhoods of the whole city. The contrast between the charm of this unspoilt Malay quarter and the city skyscrapers only a stones throw away is what makes this place so special. The city administration has begun vacating some parts the district for more highrisers, but negotiations with the remaining kampong dwellers are still ongoing. Go there as long as the place is around! (updated Jun 2017)

Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman is lined with established department stores, malls and shopping centres. Haggling is ok in most locations but for the best deals, head down the to the street stalls and markets.

Places to eat are scattered throughout the district, with stalls concentrated along Jalan Doraisamy near the Heritage Row and Jalan Raja Abdullah in Kampung Baru (for Malay food). Kampung Baru is a Malay food haven at affordable prices. Non-touristy & in traditional kampung setting. Over 100 stalls available. Most are open 24 hours. Chinese coffeeshops can be found along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and lanes off it, and Chow Kit; Indian in the Jalan Masjid India area; and upmarket restaurants on Heritage Row.

Sogo shopping complex contains a food court on Level 6.

Nightlife in this district is either of the partying variety at Heritage Row, as Jalan Doraisamy is now popularly known as, or the "hanging out at the Mamak stall" kind. As for the latter, Mamak stalls (stalls or food shops run by Indian Muslims) can be found everywhere but the most popular is actually just next to Heritage Row, nearer the intersection between Jalan Doraisamy and Jalan Dang Wangi.

Tuanku Abdul Rahman/Chow Kit area is now The place to find budget accommodations offering very competitive prices as many have been built here to avoid the congested Chinatown 1km south.

Chow Kit used to have a bad reputation among locals. In the 1980s, prostitution used to plague the area; however, one can hardly see this anymore except for some ladyboys offering themselves on the streets. Chow Kit is no longer the dangerous place it used to be & now set to be the next commercial and shopping area of Kuala Lumpur.

The Dang Wangi police station is located at the intersection of Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Jalan Dang Wangi, and is next to Plaza City One.

• South: Masjid Jamek, Petaling Street and Pasar Seni
• East: Kuala Lumpur/Golden Triangle
• North: Batu Caves