Happy birthday, Jakarta!

490 years is definitely a considerable length of time. Jakarta has come a long way from its days as a port city to being a bustling melting pot that we all came to love.

Among our own mixed bag of creative minds are city-bred natives, daily commuters and settlers who somehow found their ways to the beloved capital.

We asked them to capture the one thing that they love the most about the city and the result was a melting pot in itself; the submissions ranged from skyscrapers shots to pictures of nature; from a studio-lit piece to a blurry snap taken on a motorbike taxi. Here they are as our little tribute to Jakarta.

"Dusk at Jakarta" - Ilham Krismansyah

"A drip of colonial taste in a fast-paced city life, the repurposed history, the acknowledgement of truth behind the modern buildings" - Marshella Sanjaya

"Day or night, Jakarta (Senayan to be exact) has been my favorite place for running since high school." - Dominique Thiodorus

"In the midst of Jakarta’s bustling urban lifestyle, it always feels pleasant to have cultural statues and monuments. It’s as if they serve to remind us of our roots and heritage that are often easily shrugged off and forgotten in this present day." - Celia Fransisca

“Warm and soothing morning” - Meilisa Liang

"The one thing I love the most about Jakarta is the city itself. Born and raised here, I’ve never really realized how much I was so attached to the city. I love the high-rise buildings, the crazy amount of shopping malls and the constant lights under the night sky. Sometimes it can be overwhelming and I will want to escape. But no matter where I go, I always find myself going back." - Tamara Adenan

"Source of opportunity and income." - Stevanny Usman

The beauty of Jakarta heritage" - Marini Tobing

"A city of opportunity; where the opportunities are as numerous as the skyscrapers" - Goldie Sjarif

"Jakarta is a city that never sleeps. We can see its wild and elegant side that is invisible during daytime under the moonlight and the sparkling colors of city lights." - Naufal Rifqi

"Museum Bank Mandiri Courtyard : calm oasis at the hustle and bustle of Jakarta" - Glenn Hajadi

"The city landscape at night with many colors of lights. My feelings (such as sadness and stress) get better after I stared at the city landscape." - Selvia Parjono

"The view at the end of a hectic day." - Ursula Denise

"Once a port city, always a port city." - Yorren Handoko

"Entertainment. Everywhere. Everyday." - M. Hasby Gumay

"Sun setting in Jakarta, always reminding us of a new hope and challenge" - Angie Aurelia

"The old place, Bakmi Kepiting Akui" - Levina

"The beauty of Pulau Seribu, Jakarta" - Vincent Wijaya

"KALI AJE JODO SAME JAKARTE :)" - M. Izza Magendra

"When standing on altitude, see the colors of Jakarta." - Astrid Sukarya 

"Happiness is so simple." -  Ardelia Adjandra

"Multi-layered and multicultural people of Jakarta" - Astrid Natalia