The plaza can help students who need something quick, or just want to have some quiet time
Outside of KIMEP University there is one place where you can eat a caesar salad, grab a coffee, pursue some books, stop at the Pull & Bear for a pair of jeans, Zara’s for a sparkly top, and Mango’s for a pair of low kitten slingback point heel shoes. While KIMEP provides knowledge, students often head up the street to Dostyk Plaza to eat, drink, and shop.
In addition to the often busy food court, interesting books at Marwin, and a variety of marmalades at In Joy, people can find something to do or just kill some time. Children can have fun on the rides, while parents, leaving their teenagers in different showrooms, can calmly sip coffee at Starbucks. Of course, Dostyk Plaza isn’t just for strangers, KIMEP students have plenty of thoughts about the nearby mall.
In Joy. (Photo by Nozanin Khassanova)
“Where else can I spend a break between classes, if not in Dostyk Plaza?” said Kamila Isabayeva, a second-year student. Isabayeva said its proximity is indeed one of the main reasons she visits the shopping center. Indeed, just 1.2 km, Dostyk Plaza takes only 8 minutes on foot from KIMEP or 4.5 minutes by bus (No. 99, No. 128) or two minutes by car. Other students agree.
“Have you tried the spicy Popeyes chicken there? This is enough for my daily visit to Dostyk Plaza, ” Islam Gabdulkayum said in Russian. He said the mall is definitely well-known locally for its wide range of food choices. Korean, Russian, Italian, Japanese cuisines are found with bright signs on the third floor of the shopping center.
“I go there with the idea that I will be able to walk there not alone, but with someone from my classmates,” said Amina Eskendirova in Russian, adding that on the road or inside Dostyk Plaza, you can meet quite a few familiar KIMEP faces.
“My mascara always runs out at the wrong time, but I can get a new one literally in 10-15 minutes at the Golden Apple,” said Alua Amangeldy in Russian. “Ask any girl on campus how often she goes to the Golden Apple, I think the answer will be obvious.”
KIMEP students can often have some time to fill between classes, for example, one and a half or even two hours and if they don’t want to hang out on campus scrolling TikTok, they can go to Dostyk Plaza, buy some coffee and scroll TikTok there.
So, after a quick arrival at Dostyk Plaza, Lacoste, Burger King, and Marvin wait inside – boutiques both large and small at the ready. Dostyk Plaza has 50 clothing stores, 16 cosmetic and perfume boutiques, and 30 storefronts offering snacks or filling lunches. Accordingly, anyone can find necessary and not quite necessary things from a Taj Mahal Lego yacht to the book “3 Steps to Successful Time Management.”
Food alone should fill any hungry student, including the spicy noodles connoisseur (ramen 777, third floor) or the borscht and dumplings (We Sculpt and Cook, third floor).
The cold weather has already reared its unwelcome head in Almaty, autumn arrived, and Dostyk Plaza hopes anyone who wants some thicker and warmer clothes will stop by.
Already assembled outfits modeled by mannequins pose in every boutique window. Moreover, be sure that the consultants stand ready to pounce once a person shows any interest, so be careful that your eyes aren’t bigger than your wallet.
One downside to the plaza is parking there. Traffic is often heavy and spaces limited during the rush hour and prime shopping times. A quick trip to the plaza may be faster to walk from KIMEP than to take a Yandex or bus.
No matter how you get there, it’s guaranteed that there will be plenty of fashion to see, food to eat, and coffee to drink. The people watching is extraordinary, if only you look up from your TikTok feed.