Gading Greenhill is a midrange apartment tower of 26 floors, built in 2014 on 8,123m2 of land. With a capacity of 700 units, it is owned by the group Gading Development, which is also behind The Boutique Apartment (Kemayoran) and The Spring Residence (Ciputat).

Below is my review of my stay there in December 2017. If you want to add something, please add your own comment and rating at the end of the article.

Location:

The information about the location of Gading Greenhill is partly copied from my article about Gading Nias Residences, a complex just 700 meters away.

Neighborhood

In which district of Jakarta is the tower located?

Gading Greenhill is located in Kelapa Gading, a subdistrict of North Jakarta which is quite modern. Once an agricultural land, it was developed following a grid pattern in the late 1970s. Today, it is considered a rich area, home to an important Indonesian-Chinese community. It is often considered a “city within a city” as it has its own ecosystem of houses, apartments, malls, offices, and factories.

While Gading Greenhill is officially part of Kelapa Gading, it is next to a poorer subdistrict called Sukapura (Cilincing District). This used to be a rather industrial area which is slowly developing.

How does it look like around the apartments?

The area around the apartment is not very interesting. There are almost no shops or things to do on Jalan Pegangsaan Dua, not even a warung. Behind the complex, you have a low-income neighborhood (kampung).

By car, with normal traffic conditions, how far is the complex from:
– Jakarta Airport: 55 minutes
– Grand Indonesia Mall: 50 minutes
– Kota Tua: 35 minutes
– Kemang: 70 minutes

What are the important landmarks nearby?
Nearby, there are several landmarks you can go to:

Malls:
Two famous malls are within a reasonable distance:

• Mall Kelapa Gading is 2 kilometers away. It is one of the largest malls in Indonesia (600 stores). It is very complete and rather upmarket. In particular, you have an IMAX cinema and several popular fashion brands (Uniqlo, Muji, Zara, Pull & Bear, etc.).
• Mall of Indonesia (MOI) is 4 kilometers away. This one targets the middle-class segment. The main tenants are Centro Department Store, a cinema (Blitzmegaplex), a hypermarket (Carrefour), a bookstore (Gramedia), a massive food court, etc.

For cheaper brands, you can also go to Artha Gading Mall and Pulogadung Trade Center (low-class), both about 4 kilometers away.

Supermarkets:
The nearest and best ones are The FoodHall and Farmer’s Market in Mall Kelapa Gading. There is also a Hypermart (cheaper) in Bella Tierra Lifestyle Center.

Restaurants:
There are only two canteens in the basement of Gading Greenhill. If you want to eat somewhere else, you will need to use a car and go to Mall Kelapa Gading. There are also many options on Jalan Boulevard Raya (5 minutes away).

Bars and Nightlife:
Kelapa Gading is an important nightlife area with several pubs and bars. Most “normal” bars are on Jalan Boulevard Raya, Jalan Boulevard Timur and Jalan Boulevard Barat. Beware, there is also a lot of prostitution, especially around the Mall of Indonesia (King Cross, Sumo, Delta, etc).

Universities, Schools, Preschools:
Kelapa Gading has a wide choice of learning institutions, most of which are targeting the Chinese and Christian communities living in the area. The nearest ones are:
Singapore International School (elementary school to high school)
JAC School (elementary school to high school)
SMA Santo Yakobus (kindergarten to high school)
UniSadhuGuna Business School (university/college)
Jakarta Taipei School (elementary school to high school)
Saint Peter School (preschool, middle school, elementary school)
Highscope (pre-school to high school)
Al-Azhar Kelapa Gading (kindergarten to high school)

You also have (less than 5 kilometers away):
BPK Penabur (kindergarten to high school)
Iqro Islamic Pre-School and Kindergarten
Universitas Krida Wacana (university)
Mahatma Gading Intercultural School (Indian school)
North Jakarta Intercultural School (pre-school to high school)
Kwik Kian Gie Business and Computer School (college)

Hospitals:
Rumah Sakit Islam Sukapura
Rumah Sakit Mitra Kelapa Gading
Rumah Sakit Gading Pluit

Parks:
There is a small park for running called Taman Jogging (Jogging Park) on Jalan Boulevard Raya, near the Bunderan Kelapa Gading. It is about 2.5 kilometers away.

Offices:
There are not many office buildings in Kelapa Gading. The main Central Business District of Jakarta, Sudirman, is about 45 minutes away.

Religious buildings:
Since the Indonesian Chinese community is important in Kelapa Gading, you should know that there are many churches and a few Buddhist temples. For instance, near Gading Greenhill you can go to the Bethel church Mawar Saron and the temple Vihara Theravada.

Is it an area with floods?
Unfortunately, yes. Kelapa Gading is a flood area, particularly during the wet months from January to April. If it happens, you may have trouble going back home. Don’t worry too much, though, it is still pretty rare.

Transportation

What are the main roads or highways nearby?
A big problem with Gading Greenhill is that it is far away from all the major roads in Jakarta. It is about 2.5 kilometers from both the Jakarta Inner Ring Road and the Jakarta Outer Ring Road.

What is the traffic situation near the apartment?
Luckily, the traffic is reasonable around the apartment (except around the malls). This means it is rather fast to catch the highway when needed.

Is it easy for taxis/GrabCar to find the location?
It should be OK even though the residence is not very famous.

Is there a TransJakarta bus stop nearby?
Unfortunately, none is close enough to go by foot.

Is there a train station nearby?
No, there isn’t.

How about the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) or LRT (Light Rail Transit)?
An LRT station should be built near Gading Nias Residences, in Depo LRT. When completed, it will link Jakarta Kota to the Jakarta Velodrome.

Are there sidewalks? Is it possible to walk around?
The sidewalks are not in a good condition and therefore, it is difficult to walk.

Building Quality

Building and Architecture

What is the reputation of the developer?
The developer, Gading Development, is a newcomer that has only been involved in a few projects until now (Spring Residences in Ciputat, The Boutique Apartment in Kemayoran).

It is too early to talk about their reputation, but based on my experience with smaller developers, I invite you to be careful.

Who is the architect?
The architect for this project was Image Qreator. They were responsible for the design of several budget and midrange apartment complexes such as Permata Hijau Residences, Sudirman Park, Mediterania Garden Residences 1 & 2, Maple Park, etc.

Who is the contractor?
The contractor was Totalindo Eka Perkasa, a large company that worked on many large-scale projects such as Taman Anggrek, Mulia Hotel, West Mall Grand Indonesia, etc.

What is the situation with the land certificate?
The developer has a Hak Guna Bangunan Murni, which means the property was built on its own land. As an apartment owner, you get a Strata Title di atas HGB Murni.

Design and Appearance

How does the building look like?

From Outside (Facade):
The building looks nicer than most other midrange complexes in Jakarta. It has various shapes and colors, and some apartments have large glass windows. The walls seem to be pre-fabricated, though, and they look a bit cheap. Some units have a balcony, but not all of them.

Entrance:
There is a large sign from the street indicating the entrance of the complex. You have to pass a green area first, and then you reach the car drop-off. A simple glass door is used to enter the lobby.

Reception:
The reception is small but clean and rather comfortable. The walls and the floor have marble tiles.

Landscaping:
A decent part of the complex consists of green spaces. Unfortunately, the gardens are quite basic and not very well-maintained.

Corridors:
They are basic, with a gypsum ceiling and uniform white painting. The floor is made of ceramic tiles.

How spacious are the apartments?
The apartments are rather small, slightly more than those of a budget property:

– 1-bedroom units = 25m2 (1 bathroom)
– 2-bedroom units = 43m2 and 48m2 (1 bathroom)
– 3-bedroom units = 75m2 (2 bathrooms)

Materials, Equipment, and Finishes

What is the quality of the materials, furniture, and equipment used in the construction?
This is an evaluation of the quality I observed (ranked from 1 – worst – to 10 – best):

Tiles Lobby: 7
Tiles Corridors: 5
Tiles Apartment: 5
Painting: 6
Lighting: 4
Doors: 5
Ceiling: 5
Elevator: 5 (Sigma Brand)
Gym equipment: None
Pool equipment: 5
Furniture: 5
Artwork: None

Overall Quality: 5.5/10

What is the quality of the finishes?
Average quality. There are still traces of paints and drips of cement from the construction.

Comfort

Facilities and Services

What are the facilities provided in the property?

– Swimming pool: It is a bit disappointing as it is too small for real swimmers. It will often be crowded too on weekends. There is a tiny basin for kids as well. The deck with long chair is nice, though.

– Basketball Court and Garden: It is pleasant enough but its maintenance could be improved.

– Kids’ Game: The strict minimum.

What are the services available within the property?
A few services are available: A minimarket, two canteens, ATMs, laundry, and real estate agents.

Are there issues with the electricity supply?
A 48m2 apartment will normally have a limit set between 1,300 watts and 2,200 watts. Make sure it is enough for your needs.

Are their issues with parking?
There seems to be enough parking space.

How many lifts are there in each tower?
There are 4 lifts per tower.

Does the apartment have centralized hot water?
No, you will need an electric water heater.

What is the air-conditioning system used?
There is no central air-cooling system so each unit has its own individual electric AC.

Atmosphere

Is the property busy?
It is not too busy yet except in the lobby and in the pool on weekends.

Is it noisy?
A little bit as you can hear noise from a construction site nearby. You can hear a mosque too but it’s far enough.

What is the background (ethnicity, social status) and attitude of residents?
Most residents are Indonesian Pribumi with a few Indonesian Chinese too.

Management

Maintenance

How old is the property?
It was completed in 2014.

Are there visible damages?
Not too many yet, except the basketball court.

Cleanliness

I thought the property was clean.

Gardening

The maintenance could be improved. For now, the green areas don’t look very sophisticated.

Security

– Guards on duty at the gates and reception: 24/7
– CCTV cameras: Few
– Access card: Yes, you need an access card to enter the lift area.

Hospitality

The staff was friendly and professional.

Rooms and Prices

Prices at Gading Green Hill Apartments may vary depending on many factors such as the floor, the unit type, the room condition and the furnishings.

Be aware that you may also need to pay for additional fees: Service charge, parking fee, electricity and water bills, etc. Here are a few examples of prices and ratios for this property:

2-Bedroom Type (48m2) – Well-furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 54 million (or 4.5 million per month)
• Buy: IDR 650,000,000
• Break Even Point (Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental): 12.03 years
• Average buying price/m2: IDR 13.54 million/m2

Investment Potential

Is there a potential for a price increase in the future?

A normal price increase would be around 5% per year. Here are some of the factors that may affect this rate:

– Factors pushing the prices up:

• Completion of LRT Line Kota Tua to Velodrome
• If the government manages to mitigate the floods in Kelapa Gading
• If more shops and restaurants are built near the residence
• If the developer manages to become more famous

– Factors pushing the prices down:

• Inexperienced developer
• Competition from nearby projects

Overall evaluation of the price: Would I buy here?
The buying price in in Gading Greenhill is interesting and slightly below the market for a midrange property. That said, I would not feel comfortable buying there as the location is weak and the developer only has a limited experience.