Completed just before the Asian financial crisis in 1998, Taman Rasuna is one of the oldest and largest apartment complexes in Jakarta. Targeting the Indonesian middle-class (but popular with expatriates), it consists of 17 towers of 32 floors for a total of over 4,000 units and 10,000 residents.
I lived in Taman Rasuna for a few months in 2005, and I visited again recently (early 2019). This is my complete review of it:
Note: I will review Aston Rasuna (Taman Rasuna’s serviced apartments) and The 18th Residence (Taman Rasuna’s 2007 extension) separately.
Location:
Neighborhood
In which neighborhood of Jakarta is Taman Rasuna located?
Taman Rasuna is located in Karet, Setiabudi. It is a rather strategic location if you work in the Kuningan business district as you can access most offices on Jalan Rasuna Said in less than 15 minutes. It is also less than 30 minutes away from Jalan Sudirman, Jalan Gatot Subroto, Jalan Thamrin and Mega Kuningan.
More precisely, Taman Rasuna is part of Rasuna Epicentrum. The latter is a 50-hectare superblock where you can also find the Epicentrum Mall, Club Rasuna (sports facilities), Plaza Festival, Aston Rasuna, Grand Rubina Business Park, restaurants, cafés, bars, etc.
By car, with normal traffic conditions, how far is it from:
– Jakarta Airport (CGK): 60 minutes
– Grand Indonesia Mall: 15-20 minutes
– Sudirman Business District: 20 minutes
– Kota Tua: 70 minutes
– Kemang: 40 minutes
How does it look like around the apartment?
What are the important landmarks nearby?
Nearby, there are a few landmarks you can go to:
Malls:
Epicentrum Walk: A modern shopping center, quite small, with some affordable restaurants (Asian food), a bar, a well-stocked supermarket (Farmer’s Market), and an XXI cinema. It is between 2 minutes and 6 minutes walking distance, depending on which tower you are staying in.
Plaza Festival (10 minutes by foot): A middle-class mall with a variety of cheap shops, a Matahari department store, cafés and restaurants (including fast food like McDonald’s, A&W, Pizza Hut).
Supermarkets:
Farmer’s Market in Epicentrum Walk
Restaurants:
There is a cheap food court in Taman Rasuna with some warungs serving Indonesian food. You also have a café near the swimming pool.
For better quality, you can go to Epicentrum Walk or Pasar Festival. Most serve Indonesian food for a decent price (around IDR80,000 for a meal). For Western food, I like Aphrodite, Liquid Exchange or the upscale Bluegrass (on the ground floor of Bakrie tower). 2 minutes from it, you can also try the restaurants of the Grand Rubina Business Park such as Trattoria (Italian), Saigon Café (Vietnamese) and Carl’s Jr (Burgers).
A bit further away (10 minutes), you can go to Setiabudi One. It is a food court with a large variety of restaurants and coffee shops: Gula Merah, Dapur Sunda, Burger King, Starbucks, Duck King, etc.
Bars and Nightlife:
Two expat bars are located nearby: Aphrodite (sports and billiard) and Liquid Exchange (sports). Both are quite popular and they belong to the same owner. Another option, more sophisticated, is the trendy Bluegrass that specializes in steaks and grilled meat.
Finally, for real party, you can go to the nightlife district of Mega Kuningan (Basque Bar, Loewy, Bauhaus, etc).
Universities:
Bakrie University
Junior/High Schools:
Royal Primary Academy (Sekolah Royal Tunas Mulia): This school is inside The Kuningan Place
Highscope (from preschool to high school)
Preschools:
ISEC preschool in Epicentrum Mall.
Hospitals:
MMC Hospital
Parks:
About 10 minutes away by car, you have small parks like Taman Menteng or Taman Tangkuban Perahu. The garden of Taman Rasuna is actually quite large and it is nice enough to walk for a while. You can also walk a bit in the Rasuna Epicentrum area, for instance along the river.
Offices:
Many office towers are nearby: Bakrie, Cyber 2, Menara Karya, etc.
Embassies:
Many within easy reach: Australia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, India, Holland, India, UK, Russia, Ukraine, Greece, Belarus, Hungary, etc.
Transportation
Is there a Transjakarta bus stop nearby?
The closest Transjakarta station is GOR Sumantri in front of Plaza Festival. You can go there by foot in 10-15 minutes, or use a free shuttle. GOR Sumantri is served by the lines 6A, 6M, 6F, 6H and 4D, going directly to Ragunan, Dukuh Atas, Senen, Lebak Bulus, Manggarai, and TU Gas.
Is there a train station nearby?
Not really. The closest ones are Manggarai and Sudirman but they are at least 3 kilometers away.
How about the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) or LRT (Light Rapid Transit)?
In the future, an LRT station should be located at GOR Sumantri in front of Plaza Festival.
Building Quality
Building and Architecture
What is the reputation of the developer?
Taman Rasuna was the first residential project built by PT Bakrieland Development Tbk (through its subsidiary PT Bakrie Swasakti Utama). After that, they developed more projects in Rasuna Epicentrum such as the Bakrie Tower, The Wave, The Grove, Aston Rasuna, Plaza Festival, Epicentrum Walk and the 18th Residence Apartment.
I visited all the properties listed above and they are often disappointing. There is a gap between the marketing (what is promised) and what is actually delivered. Also, the Bakrie Group is behind many controversies in Indonesia and it is not particularly known for its integrity.
Who is the architect?
Taman Rasuna was designed by two architectural firms, Arc Pac and Arkdesign.
Arc Pac (Architects Pacific Group) is an international company that also designed, among others, Plaza Indonesia, Batavia Apartments, Menteng Eksekutif, Casablanca Apartments and Puri Casablanca. On the 3 later projects, it seems that Arkdesign was also involved.
Who is the contractor?
The construction was the work of a collaboration between French group Bouygues (with its subsidiary PT Dragages) and the Indonesian company Wijaya Karya.
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):
From the outside, Taman Rasuna looks like a typical concrete residential complex:
Entrance:
There are several entrances, usually one for two towers:
Reception/Lobby:
The lobby is small, with just a few chairs to sit and a reception desk:
Landscaping and Public Areas:
All the towers are linked to each other by a huge platform, above the parking lot, where you will find many amenities for the residents. These include a garden, a pool, basketball court, a tennis court, a football court, a jogging track, etc. This is what I liked the most about Taman Rasuna. It is not in a great condition and it can be crowded, yet it is nice to have such a large outdoor space in the city.
Corridors and lifts:
They are tiny, a bit dirty and they look gloomy:
How spacious are the apartments?
The apartments’ size is the following:
– 1-bedroom units = Around 57m2
– 2-bedroom units = From 75m2 to 81m2 (1 bathroom)
– 3-bedroom units and penthouse = 91m2 (2 bathrooms, maid room)
Materials and Equipment
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):
In the common areas:
Tiles lobby: 6
Tiles corridors: 4
Painting: 4
Lighting: 4
Doors: 4
Ceiling: 4
Elevator: 5
Gym equipment: 6
Pool equipment: 6
Furniture: 5
In the apartments:
Tiles/Parquet: 5
Bathroom equipment: 5
Kitchen equipment: 5
Overall Quality: 4.5/10
Comfort
Facilities and Services
What are the facilities provided in the property?
– Swimming pool: It is large, with a lagoon shape. Unfortunately, it can ve very crowded, especially on weekends and after 6 PM.
– Gym: The equipment is a bit old and some of the machines are not functioning properly. That said, it is quite complete and you have a lot of free weights. If you want better facilities, you can also visit the Elite Club Rasuna (5 minutes away by foot).
– Other: Playground for kids, tennis court, basketball courts, football courts, jogging track, etc:
What are the services available within the property?
There are many services available within Taman Rasuna: ATM center, minimarket, foodcourt, laundry, shops, etc. There is also a large mosque.
Are there issues with the electricity supply?
None that I know about. In the unit where I was staying, you had to buy the electricity in advance at the basement.
Are their issues with parking?
No, each tenant gets a parking space.
Are there enough lifts?
Yes, 3 for each tower.
Atmosphere
Is the property busy?
Yes, it’s a very crowded property with an occupancy rate near 100%.
Is it noisy?
Yes, it can be if your unit is facing East Jakarta. On this side, Taman Rasuna is bordered by a kampung with several mosques.
What is the background (ethnicity, social status) and attitude of residents?
Most residents are middle-class Indonesians, with also a lot of expatriates (especially from India). Overall, it is quite diverse.
Management
Maintenance
How old is the property?
Most of the property was completed in 1998.
Are there visible damages?
Yes, Taman Rasuna is old and you can expect to see many damaged areas or maintenance issues.
Overall maintenance rating: 5/10
Cleanliness
I found the property to be clean enough.
Overall cleanliness rating: 6.5/10
Gardening
The garden is well-maintained.
Overall gardening rating: 7/10
Security
– Guards: On duty at the gates 24/7
– CCTV cameras: In the lobby.
– Access: You need an access card to reach the lift.
Overall security rating: 7.5/10
Hospitality
The staff is friendly and professional.
Overall hospitality rating: 8/10
Rooms and Prices
Prices at Taman Rasuna may vary depending on many factors such as the floor, the unit type, the room condition and the furnishings. Some units also have a private lift.
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:
1-Bedroom (57m2) – Well-furnished:
- Rental 1 Year: Approximately IDR 72 million (or 6 million per month)
- Buy: Approximately IDR 1,000,000,000
- Break Even Point (Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental): 13.9 years
- Average buying price/m2: IDR 17.5 million/m2
Investment Potential
Reasons to buy:
Strong demand from renters: You are almost certain that you will find a tenant quickly.
Midrange/budget apartment complexes in Jakarta that are near the business district are still rare.
Reasons NOT to buy:
It is very unlikely that the price of the property will increase.
It is an old property and its condition is worsening.
Most apartments in Taman Rasuna need refurbishment, thus making the cost of buying even higher
The potential renters in Taman Rasuna have a limited budget
Would I buy this property? (On a scale from 0 = “not at all” to 10 = “yes absolutely” ): 5
Address
Taman Rasuna Apartments
Jalan Taman Rasuna Timur,
Menteng Atas, Setia Budi,
South Jakarta 12960, Indonesia
My Ratings
I do my best to write honest and detailed reviews of the apartments I visit. If you disagree with my rating, please let me know why and leave your own rating at the end of this page.
- Modern neighborhood with a mall, restaurants, bars, cafés, gym, cinema, etc
- Large garden with big swimming pool, jogging track, sports courts and restaurants
- Large expatriate community
- Many apartments need to be refurbished
- Very crowded, especially in the pool area on weekends
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