The Summit is an upscale apartment complex featuring 2 towers of 28 floors (Everest and Alpen) for a total of 386 units. Developed by the group Summarecon Agung, it was completed in 2007 right next to the Mall Kelapa Gading.

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

In which neighborhood of Jakarta is the complex located?
The Summit 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 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.

By car, with normal traffic conditions, how far is the complex from:
– Jakarta Airport: 50 minutes
– Grand Indonesia Mall: 45 minutes
– Kota Tua: 35 minutes
– Kemang: 65 minutes

How does it look like around the apartments?
On one side of The Summit, you have the Mall Kelapa Gading, and particularly Gading Walk, an open-air area with cafés and restaurants. It is pleasant, with no cars, and only 1 minute from the apartment. Here are a few pictures I took from there:

On the other side, you have a wide street which is not really interesting to walk to:

Is The Summit impacted by floods?
Unfortunately, yes. The area of Kelapa Gading is only 5 meters above sea level and therefore there are often floods. The main problem you could have is to be unable to exit or to enter the building. It hasn’t happened yet but it is a possibility.

What are the important landmarks nearby?

Nearby, there are several landmarks you can go to:

Malls:
Connected to The Summit, Mall Kelapa Gading is one of the largest and best malls in Indonesia. Targeting the upper-middle class, it has more than 600 stores on 130,000m2 of retail space. You can find everything there, including an Imax and XXI cinema, SOGO, Zara, Uniqlo, Sephora, Guardian, Gramedia, Farmer’s Market, Best Denki, Marks & Spencer, Pull & Bear, Planet Sports, the Food Hall, etc.

You have also plenty of services available: Salons, banks, ATMs, beauty clinics, coffee shops, restaurants, schools, etc.

Bella Terra is also next to The Summit. It is a new lifestyle center with a CGV Cinema, a supermarket, and many restaurants.

If these malls are not enough for you, you can also try Mal Artha Gading and Mall of Indonesia, both 10-15 minutes away.

Supermarkets:
Two supermarkets in Mall Kelapa Gading (The FoodHall and Farmer’s Market) and one supermarket in Bella Terra (Hypermart).

Restaurants:
Plenty of options in Mall Kelapa Gading, especially if you like Asian food: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc. Outside of the mall, there are also many restaurants on Jalan Raya Boulevard Kelapa Gading.

Bars and Nightlife:
Kelapa Gading is an important nightlife area with several pubs and bars. Beware, there are also two red-light districts with massage parlors, karaokes and strip clubs.

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:

Universitas Krida Wacana (university)
UniSadhuGuna Business School (university/college)
North Jakarta Intercultural School (pre-school to high school)
Jakarta Taipei School (elementary school to high school)
Singapore International School (elementary school to high school)
Al-Azhar Kelapa Gading (kindergarten to high school)
Saint Peter School (preschool, middle school, elementary school)
JAC School (elementary school to high school)
Highscope (pre-school to high school)
BPK Penabur (kindergarten to high school)

Hospitals:
Rumah Sakit Mitra Kelapa Gading
Rumah Sakit Gading Pluit
Omni Hospital Pulomas
Rumah Sakit Columbia Asia Pulomas

Parks:
You can try the Taman Jogging (Jogging Park) on Jalan Boulevard Raya, near the Bunderan Kelapa Gading.

Offices:
There are not many office buildings in Kelapa Gading. If you work in the Central Business District of Sudirman, you will need at least 45 minutes to go to work every day.

Religious buildings:
You might be interested in the fact that there are many churches in Kelapa Gading near The Summit.

Transportation

What are the main roads or highways nearby?
The Summit is about 1.5 kilometers from the Jakarta Inner Ring Road, the toll road circling the city which is convenient to access the South, the North and the West of Jakarta.

What is the traffic situation near the apartment?
The traffic is heavy, but not the worse you’ll see in Jakarta. You can expect to drive slowly, but not to get stuck too often. Some U-turns can be annoying, though, and they’ll make you waste a lot of time.

Is it easy for taxis/GrabCar to find the location?
Yes, it is fairly easy.

Is there a Transjakarta bus stop nearby?
There isn’t a Transjakarta bus stop very nearby. The nearest halte, Pulomas, is 3 kilometers away.

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

How about the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) or LRT (Light Rail Transit)?
An LRT line is planned between the Velodrome and the Mall Kelapa Gading. It should be completed before the end of the Asian Game in August 2018. This line should later extend to Jakarta Kota.

Are there sidewalks? Is it possible to walk around?
Gading Walk is small but pleasant for walking.

Building Quality

Building and Architecture

What is the reputation of the developer?
The developer, Summarecon Agung, is a large company which is famous as the developer of 5 large townships: Summarecon Kelapa Gading (30,000 houses and 2.850 apartment units), Summarecon Serpong (11,000 housing units, 1,100 apartment units, 2,000 commercial units), Summarecon Emerald Karawang, Summarecon Bekasi, and Summarecon Bandung. Some of the apartment towers they have built on these lands are Kensington Royal Suites, Scientia Apartments, Serpong Midtown and Sherwood Residence.

Overall, I would say that they have a good reputation.

Who is the architect?
The architect for this project was Ong & Ong Architect, a firm based in Singapore that has designed hundreds of projects in dozens of countries. In Indonesia, they are behind Menteng Park, Puri Mansion, Kamala Kandara, and Wang Residence.

The local firm Bias Tekno Art Kreasindo was also involved.

Who is the contractor?
I didn’t find this information.

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 Summit looks quite unique in Jakarta as it doesn’t have much concrete. Much of the facade consists of floor-to-ceiling glass windows, with some apartments having a balcony. AC units are hidden.

Entrance:
There is one car entrance, via Jalan Mandiri Tengah. It is clearly indicated, with a proper sign, and it has a large security checkpoint. The car drop-off is impressive as it is protected under a large and stylish roof.

Reception:
A modest reception desk right is located right after the entrance door. There is a comfortable seating area 10 meters from it:

Landscaping:
The Summit has great public areas, with several gardens and swimming pools:

Corridors:
The corridors are small since there are two elevator doors for 4 units. They are in a good condition, with ceramic tiles and false ceiling.

How spacious are the apartments?
The apartments are quite large, especially considering there aren’t any studios or 1-bedroom units. These are the most common sizes:

– 2-bedroom units = 104m2 (1 bathroom)
– 2-bedroom units = 115m2 (2 bathrooms + 1 maid room)
– 3-bedroom units = 150m2 (2 bathrooms + 1 maid room)

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: 6
Tiles Corridors: 5
Flooring Apartment: 7 (wood parquet and marble)
Painting: 6
Lighting: 6
Doors: 6
Ceiling: 7
Elevator: 6
Gym equipment: 7 (Life Fitness, Startrac)
Pool equipment: 6
Furniture: 7
Artwork: 6

Overall Quality: 6.5/10

What is the quality of the finishes?
Good.

Comfort

Facilities and Services

What are the facilities provided in the property?

– Swimming pool: There are two for adults, including an Olympic basin which is ideal for swimmers. The water is warm as there aren’t too many tall buildings around it blocking the sun.

Some sunbeds are installed but they don’t have mattresses. A few large sun umbrellas would be a smart addition as well.

A corner of the pool area is reserved for kids, with shallow water and some games.

– Gym: Medium-sized, with the usual equipment. Nice view on the swimming pool. You have classes in the aerobic room several times per week (yoga, fitness, pilates).

– Kids’ Playground and game room: Pleasant, in a lush garden, with plenty of games.

– Billard, Ping Pong, Foosball

– Library (with kids’ books).

– A tennis court is free for residents (next to Highscope school)

– A karaoke room

– A barbecue area

What are the services available within the property?
Many services are available either in The Summit or in Mall Kelapa Gading (1 minute away): ATMs, banks, laundry, pharmacy, minimarkets, salon, etc.

Are there issues with the electricity supply?
Not that I know of.

Are their issues with parking?
Each unit normally comes with one parking space.

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 is quiet as there are only 386 apartments. 

Is it noisy?
No.

What is the background (ethnicity, social status) and attitude of residents?
Most residents are young Indonesian Chinese. There are a few expats as well.

Management

The property is managed directly by the Summarecon Group via its subsidiary Summerville Apartment.

Maintenance

How old is the property?
It was completed in 2007-2008.

Are there visible damages?
Not too many, considering the property is already 10 years old. I noticed a few things that could be taken care of: A rusty table at the pool area, many missing tiles inside the pool, scratched paint in the corridors, some broken plugs, some loose cables, etc.

Cleanliness

It is clean.

Gardening

The garden is well-maintained.

Security

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

Hospitality

The staff was very friendly and professional, especially the security guards.

Rooms and Prices

Prices at The Summit 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 (104m2) – Well-furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 198 million (or 16.5 million per month)
• Buy: IDR 3,200,000,000
• Break Even Point (Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental): 16.16 years
• Average buying price/m2: IDR 30.7 million/m2

Which units are the best?
I would recommend the units facing the swimming pool as I believe the view is nicer. If you want privacy, avoid staying on the lower floors: People who are on the street can see inside your apartment too easily, especially at night.

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 the LRT station and LRT line.
• Completion of the two canals in North Jakarta to mitigate the floods

– Factors pushing the prices down:

• If the floods keep coming every year, people will prefer staying in South Jakarta
• The maintenance could improve a little

Overall evaluation of the price: Would I buy here?
The Summit is an excellent apartment complex, one of my favorite in Jakarta due to the location and facilities. I would buy an apartment there to live but not necessarily as an investment. The main reason for that is that it takes more than 16 years to get a return on investment, not including taxes, expenses and loan interest. This is considerably longer than many other apartments in Jakarta (usually 12-13 years).