Surabaya - The City

The City

As the main seaport and commercial center in the eastern region of Indonesia, Surabaya has become one of the largest cities in Southeast Asia. Today, Surabaya's population is around three million, and the surrounding rural area houses at least 7 million. The areas surrounding Surabaya include: Lamongan to the northwest, Gresik to the west, Bangkalan to the northeast, Sidoarjo to the south, and Mojokerto and Jombang to the southwest. Gresik, Bangkalan, Mojokerto, Surabaya, Sidoarjo and Lamongan as an area is called as Gerbangkertosusila.

On Wednesday, 10 June 2009 the Suramadu Bridge, between Surabaya and the island of Madura, was completed, and it is currently the longest bridge in the country. Madura can also be accessed by a ferry service that operates regularly from Surabaya's port, Tanjung Perak (which literally means: "Silver Cape" in Indonesian).

The Adhiwangsa, Taman Beverly, and Water Place Residences are three of the tallest skyscrapers in Surabaya.

Plaza Tunjungan, Ciputra World Surabaya, Grand City, Galaxy Mall, City Of Tomorrow, Supermal Pakuwon Indah, Surabaya Town Square, Lenmarc, Royal Plaza Surabaya, East Coast, Surabaya Plaza, Kapas Krampung Plaza, and Jembatan Merah Plaza are the famous shopping center while Hi-Tech Mall, WTC, and Plasa Marina are the computers and mobile-phones shops center in Surabaya. Surabaya is home to the Eastern Armada, one of two in the Indonesian Navy. Its strong maritime heritage is also reflected with the Submarine Monument, a real retired Russian submarine, called Pasopati, that was converted into a museum ship in the city center. Flooding is common in many areas of the city during the rainy season, mostly caused by clogged sewers and inept bureaucracy. The fact that Surabaya is located in a river delta and has a flat and relatively low elevation also increases flooding.

Surabaya is the location of the only synagogue in Indonesia, but it rarely obtains a minyan. There is also a Jewish cemetery in the city.

Surabaya's zoo, opened in 1916, was the first in the world to have successfully bred orangutans in captivity. Other points of interest include:

• Grand Mosque of Surabaya or Al-Akbar Mosque, the largest mosque in East Java.
• Cheng Ho Mosque, the first mosque in Indonesia built with Chinese-style architecture
• Jales Veva Jaya Mahe Monument, a large, admiral-like statue which commemorates the Indonesian Navy.
• Mpu Tantular Museum, has a large collection of ancient Javanese artifacts.
• Monkasel, abbreviated from Monumen Kapal Selam (English: Submarine Monument)

A Soviet-built submarine display (named KRI Pasopati (410)), which proudly served in the Indonesian Navy since 1962. Launched in 1952 and since her decommissioning in 1990, now preserved as a monument. It is open as a tourist attraction. The body/hull was slightly cut for stairs and a door for easier public entrance or viewing. Right beside the monument, there is a building where a short movie about the history of the submarine itself can be watched.

• Heroic Monument is the main symbol and one of the attractive tourist destinations in Surabaya and Southeast Asia
• Museum Nahdlatul Ulama is a Nahdlatul Ulama museum, as the location of the establishment of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Surabaya apparently keeps a record of the history of community-based organizations (CBOs) in Indonesia's largest religions. To dismantle the historical record does not seem difficult, because there is an NU Museum in East Gayungsari region, Surabaya.
• House of Sampoerna is a cigarette museum, and also one of the factory of Sampoerna brand cigarette. It also provides a City Sightseeing bus for free (Surabaya Heritage Track) which operates daily with the particular schedule. It also provides an English tour guide for the sightseeing.

Surabaya has 31 subdistricts. They are: Genteng, Bubutan, Tegalsari, Simokerto, Tambaksari, Gubeng, Krembangan, Semampir, Pabean Cantikan, Wonokromo, Sawahan, Tandes, Karang Pilang, Wonocolo, Rungkut, Sukolilo, Kenjeran, Benowo, Lakarsantri, Mulyorejo, Tenggilis Mejoyo, Gunung Anyar, Jambangan, Gayungan, Wiyung, Dukuh Pakis, Asem Rowo, Sukomanunggal, Bulak, Pakal and Sambikerep.

Surabaya contains three townships. In West Surabaya, Citraland by the Ciputra Group and Graha Family which consists of residences an apartment complex, a golf course and a climbing gym. East Surabaya, Pakuwon City by the Pakuwon Group. Pakuwon City has its own dining out spot, called Food Festival, and it is developing more facilities, such as the East Coast Center. Surabaya consists of 163 villages.

In June 2011, Surabaya got the Adipura Kencana Award as number one among 20 cities in Indonesia. Surabaya today has many wide sidewalks and parks as a miniature of Singapore -being clean and green- said one reporter from Singapore.