Northland Ancol Residence is a midrange apartment tower of 38 floors and 806 units. It was built in 2013 by PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol, a company that also manages Taman Impian Ancol and which is partially owned by the government.

I stayed there for a few days and this is my honest review of it. If you know about this property, please add your own comment and rating at the end of the article.

Location:

Neighborhood

By car, with normal traffic conditions, how far is the tower from:
– Jakarta Airport: 45 minutes
– Grand Indonesia Mall: 50 minutes
– Kota Tua: 25 minutes
– Kemang: 70 minutes

In which neighborhood of Jakarta is the tower located?

Though it has Ancol in its name, Northland is actually in the Pademangan Barat subdistrict which is a rather traditional neighborhood, mostly poor and working class.

Ancol is still nearby, across the highway. Most of this subdistrict is occupied by Taman Impian Ancol, a complex with amusement parks, hotels, malls, restaurants and parks. The commercial area of Mangga Dua is also part of it, notably Mangga Dua Mall, Mangga Dua Square, ITC Mangga Dua and WTC Mangga Dua.

How does it look like around the apartment?

The surroundings are not very interesting, consisting of low-rise buildings (houses, shops or tokos, warehouses, etc). It is a local neighborhood, a bit dirty and messy.

What are the important landmarks nearby?

Nearby, there are several landmarks you can go to:

Malls:
WTC Mangga Dua, Mangga Dua Square, ITC Mangga Dua: These large shopping centers are all nearby from each other and they are quite popular with the middle-class crowd. They don’t have famous retailers, but an army of independent sellers offering everything from clothes to electronics. It takes about 10 minutes to go there by car.

For lifestyle malls (with cinemas, better restaurants, top brands, department stores, etc), you will have to go further to Emporium Pluit (20 minutes) or to Baywalk Mall (30 minutes).

Supermarkets:
There is a Carrefour in Mangga Dua Square. Also, the local market Pasar Jaya Pademangan Barat is 1 kilometer away. It is the cheapest way to buy fresh fruits and meat.

Restaurants:
During the day, there are very few places to eat apart from a handful of warungs in the street. At night, many vendors will install a tent on Jalan Budi Mulia Raya. It is perfect for those who enjoy Indonesian street food.

For more sophisticated cuisine, you will have to take a car and head to Ancol, Pluit, Mangga Besar or even Kelapa Gading. Still, most of the restaurants there will serve Asian dishes, especially Chinese.

Bars and Nightlife:
North Jakarta nightlife has two sides. A quiet one, near the beachside in Ancol, in restaurants and bars like Segarra, The Pier by Kalaha or Le Bridge.

There is also a much wilder side as the area is known to have many prostitution venues. This is particularly true in Jalan Mangga Besar, Jalan Pangeran Jayakarta and Jalan Industri Raya.

Universities and Schools:
As far as I know, the area doesn’t have reputed schools or universities (apart from Bunda Mulia – 8 minutes away). The closest ones will be in Kemayoran, Pluit or Kelapa Gading (at least 20 minutes by car).

Hospitals:
RSU Pademangan is the nearest one. If you are not in an emergency, I advise you Mitra Kemayoran instead (15 minutes).

Parks:
Ancol Park is just across the highway. You can walk along the artificial beach, among other things.

Offices:
There are not many offices in that area and the people who live there often have small businesses.

To go to the Central Business District of Jakarta (Sudirman/Thamrin), you’ll need around one hour.

Transportation

What are the main roads or highways nearby?
Northland is in a rather strategic position as it is next to the Jakarta Inner Ring Road, just 7 minutes from the Ancol toll gate. This highway makes it easy to go to the Airport, to West Jakarta and to Tanjung Priok.

Jalan Benyamin Sueb is also quite near. This large street with little traffic crosses Kemayoran and it goes until Senen. That’s convenient to go to Menteng.

What is the traffic situation near the apartment?
The traffic is not the worst you will get in Jakarta, but still, it can be pretty bad during peak hours from 8 AM to 10 AM and from 5 PM to 8 PM.

Is it easy for taxis/GrabCar to find the location?
Few taxis will know the location so you just have to make sure they can use their GPS.

Is there a TransJakarta bus stop nearby?
The nearest TransJakarta Halte is Pademangan, which is more than 1 kilometer away. That’s a bit far to do by foot, unfortunately. From there, you can catch the lines 5, 5D and 5E going to PGC 1, Kampung Melayu and Kampung Rambutan (all with a dedicated corridor).

Is there a train station nearby?
You can catch the Yellow Line from Bogor to Jatinegara in Station Kampung Bandan (2 kilometers away). You also have the Pink Line from Jakarta Kota to Tanjung Priok in Station Ancol (1 kilometer away).

How about the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) or LRT (Light Rail Transit)?
In phase II of the project (after 2022), the final station of the MRT Line 1 will be located in Kampung Bandan. This line would go directly to Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta.

Are there sidewalks? Is it possible to walk around?
The sidewalks are not in a good condition. You can just go nearby to reach the nearest warungs and street food stalls.

Are there any annoyances in the area?
The area is known for having floods quite regularly. If it happens, it is likely that some streets will be blocked and you may have some issues going back home.

Also, another annoyance I noticed is that there are quite many mosquitoes around, especially in the lobby.

Building Quality

Building and Architecture

What is the reputation of the developer?
The developer of Northland Ancol is PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol, which is owned at 72% by the DKI Jakarta province. It is managed by PT Pembangunan Jaya (also a shareholder), a joint venture between private investors (like Ciputra) and DKI Jakarta. It owns Taman Impian Ancol and Bintaro Jaya (Bintaro Plaza Residences, The Accent, Plaza Slipi Jaya, Plaza Bintaro, Bintaro Jaya Xchange).

You should be cautious with government-owned companies. They often suffer from poor management and corruption. On the plus side, however, they don’t have difficulties with land ownership and certificates.

Who is the architect?
I don’t have this information.

Who is the contractor?
The contractor was Jaya Konstruksi, a large government-owned company that has been involved in high scale projects like Ciputra World 2 or the Jakarta MRT.

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)
It is a rather massive concrete block with small windows and balconies. The AC units are visible. It’s typical of a budget/midrange property.

Entrance:
The entrance is discreet, off a quiet street. You have to pass several “rukos” before reaching the car lobby.

Reception:
The reception is spacious, with plenty of sofas for sitting. It has a marble floor, but the rest of the design looks rather old-fashioned. It gives the impression of being the reception of an office building, not that of a residence.

Landscaping:
The landscaping is not very good. Some spaces were supposed to be planted, but they were empty when I visited. Overall, there are very few public spaces in the complex.

Corridors:
Basic, with a gypsum ceiling and uniform white painting. Ceramic tiles on the floor and simple lighting.

How spacious are the apartments?
The size of the apartments corresponds to the standards of a midrange property:

– 1-bedroom units = 31m2 (1 bathroom)
– 2-bedroom units = 41m2 (1 bathroom)
– 3-bedroom units = 67m2 or 71m2 or 81m2 (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: 4
Lighting: 4
Doors: 4
Ceiling: 3
Elevator: 5 (Hyundai Luxen brand)
Gym equipment: 4
Pool equipment: 2
Furniture: 3
Artwork: None

Overall Quality: 4/10

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

There are some mistakes as well such as this plug:

Comfort

Facilities and Services

What are the facilities provided in the property?

– Swimming pool: There are two, including one on the rooftop (not pictured here). They are disappointing as they are small and the area surrounding them is not pleasant.

– Gym: It has the basic equipment, with semi-professional brands.

– Kids’ Playground: A few games set in a concrete environment. I didn’t like it.

What are the services available within the property?
A few services are available: ATM, laundry, minimarket (5 minutes away), salon.

Are there issues with the electricity supply?
None that I know of. Each apartment has a different limit so make sure you get 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 8 lifts in total in the building, including for service. This is sufficient.

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?
The property seemed busy when I was there, without being overcrowded.  

Is it noisy?
It can be as there is a large highway on the Northern side and at least 3 mosques on the Southern side.

What is the background (ethnicity, social status) and attitude of residents?
Most residents are either Indonesian Chinese or Indonesian Pribumi from the upper middle class.

Management

Maintenance

How old is the property?
It was completed in 2013.

Are there visible damages?
Yes, there are a few + some defects from the construction. This is particularly the case near the swimming pool area (see photos of landscaping above).

Cleanliness

It was fine overall, even though some areas were not clean (for instance, the “garden” around the swimming pool).

Gardening

There isn’t a real garden, only a handful of trees and plant.

Security

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

Hospitality

I noticed that the reception staff was often replaced by security guards. It may be a sign that they lack employees.

Rooms and Prices

Prices at Northland Ancol Residence 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 (41m2) – Well-furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 57 million (or 4.75 million per month)
• Buy: IDR 740,000,000
• Break Even Point (Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental): 13 years
• Average buying price/m2: IDR 18 million/m2

Which units are the best?
The apartments with a sea view have the most potential in my opinion.

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 MRT station in Pademangan
• Better management of the floods by the government
• Completion of better malls nearby (Mall Menara Jakarta in Kemayoran)

– Factors pushing the prices down:

• There is still plenty of available empty land in North Jakarta
• Competition from newer projects, especially in Kemayoran

Overall evaluation of the price: Would I buy here?
I would not as I don’t feel it is a unique property in terms of location (nothing to do around, no malls), quality (problem with finishes, small pool) and price.