The first time you look at a map of Petaling Jaya, it can feel like a puzzle. There are numbered Sections, "SS" areas, several places with "Damansara" in the name, and neighbourhoods that go by nicknames. Once you understand how the city grew, though, it all starts to make sense. And knowing your neighbourhoods is the single best way to plan a good day in PJ.
A city built in stages
Petaling Jaya began in 1952, when work started on a planned township on the former Effingham rubber estate. The goal was to ease crowding in Kuala Lumpur. The first 800 houses became what is now Old Town.
From there, the city grew in stages. MBPJ's own history records these milestones:
- 1954: Petaling Jaya gained its own authority.
- 1964: It became a township with its own finances.
- 1977: It became a municipal council.
- 20 June 2006: It received city status.
Today, MBPJ describes the city as covering 97.2 km².
PJ never developed one single downtown. Instead, each area has its own centre of gravity: a food street, a mall, a market or a park.
Decoding the names
Sections (Seksyen)
The original parts of PJ are divided into numbered Sections. Some of the most useful to know:
- Sections 1–3: Old Town. Sections 1 and 2 date from 1952 and Section 3 from 1954.
- Section 13. Home to Jaya One. Wikipedia's list of city sections also associates it with the name Centerstage.
- Section 14. Jaya Shopping Centre and Digital Mall.
- Section 17. Known for its 1970s Happy Mansion flats and café scene.
- Section 20: Taman Paramount.
- Section 21: Sea Park.
- Section 52. Sometimes called "New Town", with Jalan Utara and several business hotels.
SS areas
Many visitors assume "SS" means "sub-section". A 2023 fact-check by The Star explains that it actually stands for Sungai Way–Subang. SS areas cover large parts of PJ, including:
- SS2, the food favourite.
- SS3 to SS7, the Kelana Jaya area.
- SS20 and SS21, Damansara Utama and Uptown.
Some SS numbers, from SS12 to SS19, fall under Subang Jaya rather than PJ.
The Damansaras
Several newer townships in north and west PJ carry the Damansara name. They are separate places with different characters:
- Damansara Utama (Uptown)
- Damansara Jaya
- Damansara Kim
- Damansara Intan
- Damansara Perdana
- Mutiara Damansara
- Kota Damansara
- Ara Damansara
Always check which one a restaurant or hotel is in.
Neighbourhoods to start with
PJ Old Town
The oldest part of the city, with early landmarks such as Assunta Hospital (1954) and the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Jamek Mosque (1957). Come for kopitiam breakfasts and the Medan Selera food centre. It is a place to walk slowly and notice everyday life.
Start here: PJ Old Town · Explore PJ Old Town
SS2
Busy, residential and packed with food. SS2 has night-time hawker centres beside a small park, and weekly night markets. Nasi kandar, noodles, rojak and cendol are all part of the experience.
Start here: SS2
Sea Park and Taman Paramount
Older neighbourhoods with a strong local food culture. They mix long-running prawn mee, roast duck and Hainanese coffee shops with newer noodle bars and cafés. Taman Aman lake park is nearby for a walk.
Start here: Sea Park · Taman Paramount
Section 17
A compact area with independent cafés, Peranakan cooking and banana leaf rice, plus Seventeen Mall.
Start here: Section 17
Damansara Uptown (Damansara Utama)
One of PJ's liveliest areas from breakfast to late evening. Shop-lot streets are full of restaurants, cafés and bars. The Starling mall opened here in 2016, and the new Kayu Ara LRT station serves the area.
Start here: Damansara Uptown
Bandar Utama
A township developed from the early 1990s, organised in sections BU1 to BU12. It is anchored by 1 Utama, which opened in 1995. Bandar Utama is now an important rail hub, where the MRT Kajang Line meets the LRT Shah Alam Line.
Start here: Bandar Utama
Mutiara Damansara
PJ's big-box and family cluster: The Curve (2005), IPC Shopping Centre with IKEA (2003) and KidZania at Curve NX.
Start here: Mutiara Damansara · An evening at The Curve
Kelana Jaya
Covering SS3 to SS7, Kelana Jaya is home to Paradigm Mall and Taman Bandaran Kelana Jaya. MBPJ calls it the city's largest park, with seven lakes. Nearby Taman Megah is known for Fatty Crab.
Start here: Kelana Jaya · Taman Megah
Section 13 and Jaya One
Jaya One is a lifestyle complex with restaurants, event spaces and an open square used for performances. It is a good evening destination.
Start here: Section 13
Section 52 and Jalan Utara
Central PJ's hotel and office district. It is close to Old Town and to Amcorp Mall, known for its weekend flea market.
Start here: Section 52 · Jalan Utara
Kota Damansara and Ara Damansara
North-west PJ mixes newer malls with serious green space. Kota Damansara Community Forest covers around 857 acres of protected forest. Ara Damansara has Citta Mall, which opened in 2011, and is served by rail on both the LRT Kelana Jaya and Shah Alam lines.
Start here: Kota Damansara · Ara Damansara
Which neighbourhood suits you?
If you only have a day, match the area to the kind of visit you want:
- First-time visitors: PJ Old Town in the morning, then SS2 for dinner. Together they give you a feel for the city's history and its everyday food culture.
- Food lovers: Sea Park and Section 17 for breakfast and lunch, then SS2 or Taman Megah for dinner.
- Shoppers: Bandar Utama or Mutiara Damansara. Both let you spend a full day in one cluster.
- Families: Mutiara Damansara for KidZania and The Curve, or Kelana Jaya for the lake gardens.
- Nature lovers: Kota Damansara for forest trails, then Ara Damansara or Damansara Uptown for a meal.
- Business travellers: Section 52 and Jalan Utara, with Old Town close by for an easy dinner.
Two neighbourhoods, one easy day
Here are two pairings that work well because the areas sit close together:
- Sea Park + Section 17. Start with a Sea Park breakfast, walk off lunch at Taman Aman, and finish with coffee in Section 17.
- Damansara Uptown + Bandar Utama. Shop at 1 Utama during the day, then head to Uptown for dinner. The new LRT Shah Alam Line links Bandar Utama with Kayu Ara station near Uptown.
Neighbours just over the line
PJNET also includes a few selected places outside PJ that visitors often combine with a trip here. Bandar Sunway, with Sunway Pyramid and Sunway Lagoon, is mostly administered by the Subang Jaya city council. Subang Jaya itself is also next door. We label these listings clearly so you can judge the travel time.
Start here: Bandar Sunway · Subang Jaya
How to explore by neighbourhood
- Choose an anchor. This can be a meal, a mall, a park or a booked activity.
- Add one nearby stop. Use the neighbourhood page to find something close.
- Check the walk. Pins that look close on a map may be separated by a highway or a busy junction.
- Match the area to the time of day. Old Town and Village Park suit mornings. SS2 and Damansara Uptown come alive at night.
- Don't try to do it all. Two neighbourhoods in a day is a comfortable pace.
Help us map PJ better
Our neighbourhood directory grows with local knowledge. If your favourite place is missing, or a listing has changed, send us the name, address and a source through Contact.
Explore all neighbourhoods, read About Petaling Jaya, or start planning with A weekend in Petaling Jaya.