Green Pramuka City is a low-budget apartment complex of 17 (planned) towers. So far, only about half of the project has been finished. The towers are either above or right next to the Green Pramuka Square, a convenient mid-range mall featuring a cinema, a supermarket, a food court, etc.

The developer of Green Pramuka City, PT Duta Paramindo Sejahtera, has faced a lot of criticism from several apartment owners. The majority of complaints were about the amount of additional fees (service charge, IPL, parking, etc). One of the tenants, a stand-up comedian nicknamed Acho, was even charged by the police for defamation.

I stayed in the apartment complex, in the Penelope tower, for a few days only, and my experience was overall positive. I found that the value for money was excellent, but I understand that for an owner, the experience will be different.

Location

Position in Jakarta

Green Pramuka City is located in the neighborhood of Cempaka Putih, in Central Jakarta. This is a low- to mid-income residential area with few businesses and attractions at the moment. It is an interesting location for people working in Menteng, in East Jakarta or in Kelapa Gading.

Places of Interest Nearby

There are not so many things to do near from Green Pramuka City.

– The main attraction is the mall Green Pramuka Square mentioned above. It is still new and clean, with a CGV theater, a Lotte Mart supermarket, an Ace Hardware, a Gramedia book store, as well as dozens of rather inexpensive boutiques and restaurants. You’ll also find services like banks, ATM, dentists, a food court, etc.

– Universitas Negeri Jakarta (500 meters): a large public University with a fairly good reputation

– Rawamangun Golf Course (500 meters): The oldest 18-hole golf course in Indonesia

– Pasar Rawasari (500 meters): A local fresh food market where you can buy fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, spices, etc.

– The closest quality hospital is Omni Pulomas, about 3 kilometers away.

Transportation

The roads around Green Pramuka City are usually clogged with traffic, especially during peak hours. One nice feature, though, is that the entrance to the Inner Jakarta Toll Road is only 300 meters from the complex. This makes it much easier if you need to go to the North or the South of the city.

It is also easy to reach Jalan Pramuka, which goes to Menteng/Cikini, and then to Plaza Indonesia. With normal traffic conditions, you will need at least 30 minutes to go there by car.

A large Transjakarta bus halt is near from Pramuka BPKP, only 5 minutes walking distance. From there, you can use the lines 4, 4A, 4C, 4D, B12 and 10. Those lines go directly to Tanjung Priok, Summarecon Mall Bekasi, PGC 2, Matramam and Dukuh Atas.

There is also a shuttle bus Damri going to the airport about every hour.

The nearest train station is Kramat, more than 3 kilometers away. It won’t be really useful unless you want to go to Depok.

Finally, you can’t go anywhere interesting by foot due to the lack of sidewalks or pedestrian crossings. That’s very common in Jakarta, unfortunately.

Neighborhood

Cempaka Putih is a local, conservative neighborhood that mostly consists of low- to mid-income houses, with the usual small shops (convenience stores, warungs, car repair, laundry, etc). You can venture in some back streets behind Green Pramuka City and find a relaxed, laid-back “kampung”-style of life.

That said, I guess most of your time will be spent in the apartment complex and in the mall.

Building Quality

Design and Architecture

The design of Green Pramuka City is basic, without any particular originality apart from the fact that each tower is painted in a different color.

You should know that NOT every tower is identical. First, they were not completed at the same time: Some are already a few years old, while others are brand new. Also, some of the towers are located above the mall and near the main swimming pool, while others are further away and have smaller swimming pools. This makes a considerable difference in terms of convenience and comfort.

A major complaint of the residents of Green Pramuka Residence is that there is only 1 parking spot for 10 apartments. If you purchase or rent an apartment, make sure you have a parking spot included. Otherwise, you may have to pay up to IDR100,000 per day to park your car in a commercial parking.

The apartments in Green Pramuka City are rather small, even if you purchase or rent a two-bedroom. The size of the latter will not be larger than 35m2, which is normally the size of a studio in more upmarket residences.

The bathrooms are small as well. As there is no centralized system, you will need to purchase your own electric water heater and your own air-conditioning.

Building Materials

Materials used in Green Pramuka City seem to be cheap ones, the sorts that are easy to maintain and that last longer. The corridors are just painted white for instance, without any tiles on the walls. On the floor as well, you have basic white tiles. Even the lobbies (one for each tower) are small, cramped, with low-quality furniture.

The swimming pool area and the mall look nicer, though. I found the gardening to be satisfactory, with enough plants, trees and flowers to make you feel relaxed.

Finishes

The tower where I was staying was brand-new and it seemed the construction was done properly. In the long run, it is very likely that it will deteriorate quickly as the materials used are cheap and the maintenance is average (see below). Don’t expect the apartment facilities to still look neat in 20 years!

Comfort

Facilities

The facilities of Green Pramuka City consist of the following:

– 3 swimming pools, including a very long one (around 50 meters) which is suitable for swimmers, as well as a shallow one for children. As mentioned before, the pool area looks rather nice and pleasant, which was a surprise. When I went there, there were not many people but the number probably increases during weekends. Also, some towers are still under construction so it is not running at full capacity yet.

– A running/jogging track

– The fitness center was not operational when I visited but it should be open by now

– A playground for children

Available Services

Since you have the mall Green Pramuka Square near the apartments, you have almost anything you may want within minutes: ATMs, salons, minimarts, supermarkets, cinemas, dental clinic, shops, etc…

In the older towers, there are also several laundry shops and small canteens.

Atmosphere

My impression was that most residents were “native Indonesians” (or Pribumi), many of whom were possibly working in ministries or government offices in Central Jakarta. There were many families as well.

I didn’t see any foreigners.

Management

The management has been criticized a lot and even accused of abusing its tenants with very high fees. Please leave a comment below to share your experience if you are an apartment owner in Green Pramuka City.

Maintenance

As far as I could tell, the maintenance of Green Pramuka City seemed to be fine. It is probably due to the fact that the building is still mostly new.

There were already some signs of tear and wear in some areas, for instance, small holes or dirt on the walls. This is generally not a good sign for the future.

Cleanliness

The cleanliness was satisfactory.

Security

There is a 24-hour guard at the entrance of each lobby, and you need a key to access the lift.

Hospitality

The staff was very nice and pleasant.

Room Sizes and Prices

Prices at Green Pramuka City Apartments may vary depending on the floor, the unit type, the room condition and the furnishings. Be aware that on top of the price of the apartment, you also need to pay for the service charge, the IPL (Iuran Pemeliharaan Lingkungan), the parking, the electricity, the water, etc.

On average, you will pay the following:

Studio Type (21m2) – Furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 2.5M per month
• Buy: IDR 450,000,000

1-Bedroom Type (33m2) – Furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 3.5M per month
• Buy: IDR 550,000,000

2-Bedroom Type (35m2) – Furnished

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 4M per month
• Buy: IDR 600,000,000

The best apartments I’ve seen are 2-bedroom units that have been remodeled to be 1 bedroom. They are spacious enough and the value for money is hard to beat considering the location and facilities (above the mall, large swimming pool).

I would recommend choosing an apartment facing the North West to avoid the noise from the highway (but you will hear the mosque from the kampung a few times every day).

Investment Potential

My prediction is that the prices of apartments in Green Pramuka City will not increase a lot in the near future. There are still many plots of land available nearby where more towers and residences can be built. In the meantime, the condition of the complex may deteriorate due to a lack of maintenance.