Woodland Park is a midrange apartment complex of 4 residential towers (839 units) and 1 condotel (Swiss-Belresidences). Developed by the group Daniprisma (Pizza Hut, Sriboga), it is just across from Kalibata City and it was completed in 2015.

I stayed there for a few days and this is my honest review about it:

Location:

Neighborhood

In which neighborhood of Jakarta is the complex located?
Woodland Park is in Kalibata, part of Pancoran in South Jakarta. It is a low-to-mid income residential neighborhood that has been developing rapidly in the past 10 years.

The main reason for that is because it is within a fair distance to Jakarta’s Central Business District while being still relatively inexpensive.

How far is the complex from:
– Jakarta Airport: 75 minutes
– Kota Tua: 70 minutes
– Kemang: 40 minutes
– Grand Indonesia Mall: 50 minutes

How does it look like around the apartments?
Woodland Park is bordered on almost all sides by large roads and low-rise residential buildings, except on the East where Kalibata City is built. It is not a very interesting neighborhood and there is nowhere to go to except the malls Kalibata Plaza and Kalibata Square.

What are the important landmarks nearby?

Walking distance, there are only a few landmarks you can go to:

Malls: Kalibata Plaza, also owned by the group Daniprisma, is the closest mall and it is just across the street. It is targeting the middle-class, with many affordable shops and few famous brands. The anchor tenants are Giant, Matahari, Gramedia and Cinema XXI. Most restaurants there sell Indonesian food (Warung Tekko, Bumbu Desa, Solaria) or fast food (McDonald’s, KFC, HokBen, Pizza Hut).

Kalibata Square is a bit further away (10 minutes by foot) but it is nicer. It has a Cinemaxx, an Ace Hardware, a Farmer’s Market, a Food Court, etc. Kalibata City has a lot of cheap businesses as well: Laundry, cafés, warungs, banks, property agents, etc.

Supermarkets: Giant (cheaper) or Farmer’s Market (more imported products, better quality).

Parks: Taman Makam Pahlawan is a cemetery honoring Indonesia’s heroes. There is a small park attached to it.

Transportation

What are the main roads or highways nearby?
Woodland Park is about 10-15 minutes by car from the Cawang – Grogol highway (Inner Jakarta Ring Road). From there, it is a straight line to Gatot Subroto (Central Business District) or Bekasi.

What is the traffic situation near the apartment?
Since Kalibata is a neighborhood with an important population of commuters, the traffic is generally very bad during peak hours (7 AM to 10 AM and 5 PM to 8 PM). This is particularly true with the roads going to Central Jakarta. I think it is much better to take the train if you can.

Are their issues with parking?
None to my knowledge.

Is it easy for taxis/Uber/Grab to find the location?
The location is not too famous, but you can say to the driver that it is across from Plaza Kalibata or Kalibata City.

Is there a Transjakarta bus stop nearby?
There is not a convenient stop, but there are some local buses going to Blok M and Pasar Minggu that you can catch in front of Woodland Park.

Is there a train station nearby?
Duren Kalibata Station is just 5 minutes from Woodland Park. I took the train several times and they are decent (crowded but with AC and fast). You can take the Red line or the Yellow line to go to Sudirman, Tebet, Manggarai, Gambir, Kota Tua, Tanah Abang, Bogor and Depok.

Are there sidewalks? Is it possible to walk around?
In front of the complex, sidewalks are in bad condition and the road is not pleasant (just below a flyover). You can only go to the train station and the mall.

Building Quality

Design and Architecture

What is the general concept of the apartments?
Woodland Park is a midrange property aimed at the Indonesian middle-class. There are 2 types of towers, Gold and Silver, with different characteristics for each (see below for more details).

One of the strong points of the complex is that a large portion of the land is reserved for public spaces, gardens and pools (they say 80% out of 3,2 hectares, but of course, it is hard to check).

Another feature is that there are offices within the complex, especially in the Silver Class towers (Matoa and Trembesi).

How does the building look like from outside?
I liked the design of the Gold Class towers. It is more original than most buildings in Jakarta, particularly the sky terraces and the penthouse apartments. There is a good mix of glass and concrete. The balconies are a bit too small, though, and it’s too bad the AC units are not hidden.

The design of the Silver Class towers is more common:

How spacious are the apartments?
The size of the apartments is different in each tower:

– Gold class towers (Cendana and Mahoni) are more expensive. They have 14 units per floor (18 floors in total), with the following configurations available: Studio units (33m2), 1-bedroom units (39m2), 2-bedroom units (51m2 and 76m2).

– Silver class towers (Matoa and Trembesi): They have 17 units per floor (16 floors in total), with the following configurations available: Studio units (28m2), 1-bedroom units (39m2), 2-bedroom units (56m2). The first floors of these towers are occupied by offices.

How does the reception look like?
There wasn’t really a proper reception when I visited. A security guard had a desk at the entrance of the complex, and then another one had a table on the ground floor of each tower.

How does the garden and pool area look like?
The garden and the pool area are spacious, with plenty of trees and plants. You have a few pools, lagoon-shaped (a bit dirty as you can see in the picture below).

How old is the property?
The property was completed between 2014 and 2015.

What is the land certificate situation?
The developer has a Hak Guna Bangunan Murni, meaning the property was built on its own land.
Apartment owners have a “Hak Milik Atas Satuan Rumah Susun” (SHMASRS) which is a Strata Title Ownership Right. It is a safe investment in terms of land rights.

Building Materials and Finishes

What is the reputation of the developer?
Woodland Park was developed by PT Pardika Wisti Sarana, a subsidiary of the Daniland Group, itself part of the conglomerate Daniprisma (owner of Sriboga Flour, Pizza Hut Indonesia, Yummy Yoghurt). They don’t have a lot of experience in construction and Woodland Park was their first apartment project.

It is therefore impossible to evaluate the reputation of the developer. Naturally, it is riskier to buy from them compared with more established like Agung Podomoro Land.

What is the quality of the materials used in the construction?
The materials used seemed to be of fairly good quality. I would say it was built to the standards of a 3-star hotel.

According to the developer, green materials were used. The paint was non-VOC (Volatile Organic Compound), meaning it produces less odor and fewer chemicals. The pipes used “do not leak poison” (I suppose mercury). Cables are fire-resistant.

They have a water treatment plant on-site that can purify water to higher standards than those required by the PDAM (Sucofindo and Palyja certificates).

All these are claims from the developer and I haven’t checked them myself.

What is the quality of the furniture and equipment?
Good quality, for instance, OTIS for the elevators.

What is the quality of the finishes?
Good, I didn’t see too many issues. The only problem is that some areas of the complex don’t seem to be completed.

Are there issues with the electricity supply?
None.

How many lifts are there?
There are only 2 lifts for residents and 1 lift for staff. Since the towers are not fully occupied, you won’t need to wait a long time to get one.

Comfort

Facilities and Services

What are the facilities provided in the property?

– Two adult swimming pools with a medium size and a lagoon shape. There are many trees around them but only a few sunbeds. The water was greenish when I visited the first day, but it had already improved on the second one. There is also a kid’s pool.

I was surprised that there was no playground for kids and that the gym was closed. Also, the promised sky lounges were not opened.

What are the services available within the property?

– Within the property, the services are quite limited. There is an ATM, a minimart and a laundry. You can also go to Swiss-Belresidences for eating or for coffee but it’s pricey.

For most of your needs, you will need to cross the road and go either to Plaza Kalibata or Kalibata City.

Atmosphere

Is the property noisy and busy?
No, it’s a very quiet complex, with few residents living there at the moment. It feels a bit empty, kind of like a ghost town.

What is the background of residents (ethnicity, social status)?
I only saw Indonesian residents. Part of the complex is rented online to short-term guests, so there are probably a few tourists.

Management

Maintenance

The maintenance of the complex was satisfactory, especially the garden and the building itself (maybe because it is still new). However, a few areas could be improved. In particular, the tunnel between the towers at the back or the lift area at the ground floor of each unit.

Cleanliness

The property was clean enough. The only major issue I saw was that the swimming pool water was green on my first day.

Security

– Guards on duty at the gates and reception: 24/7
– CCTV cameras: Few
– Access card: Yes

Hospitality

The staff was friendly and professional.

Rooms and Prices

Prices at Woodland Park may vary depending on many factors such as the floor, the tower, 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 is an example of price and ratios for this property:

1-Bedroom Type (39m2) – Furnished – Silver Class:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 72M (or 6M per month)
• Buy: IDR 1.000.000.000
• Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental: 13.8
• Average buying price/m2: IDR 25.641.000/m2

Which units are the best?
The units facing South have a nice view of Gunung Salak, if you are at least on the 10th floor. I would recommend those.

Investment Potential

Evaluation of current prices compared to the competition:
The main competitor of Woodland Park in the area would be Green Palace Kalibata City where a 2-bedroom unit (33m2) costs about IDR 550.000.000 (IDR 18,000 per m2). That’s much less expensive, yet the product is different. Green Palace is more a budget complex with good facilities, while Woodland Park has higher standards but fewer facilities. Personally, I’ll choose Green Palace because there are more things to do nearby and the value for money is better.

Compared to other midrange properties in Jakarta, Woodland Park is quite cheaper, though. In Central Jakarta, a similar property will cost between IDR 30M and IDR 40M.

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

Considering there are still many empty apartments in the complex, I don’t think the prices will increase fast. Here are a few factors affecting the prices:

– Factors pushing the prices up:

• Near Duren Kalibata train station
• Modern and new apartments

– Factors pushing the prices down:

• Not a famous developer
• Occupancy still low
• The neighborhood has a cheap reputation