Green Palace is the name given to the best towers within Kalibata City, a complex of low-to-midrange apartments that also consists of Kalibata City Residence and Kalibata City Regency (see full review here).

Completed in 2010, it was developed by the conglomerate Agung Podomoro Land through its subsidiary PT Prima Buana Internusa, along with Synthesis Development.

Contrary to the rest of Kalibata City, Green Palace is a private area with restricted access. It features 8 towers surrounding a rather large swimming pool and a garden:  L (Lotus), M (Mawar), N (Nusa Indah), P (Palem), R (Raffles), S (Sakura), T (Tulip), and V (Violet).

I stayed a few days in Green Palace and this is my honest review about it:

Location:

Neighborhood

In which neighborhood of Jakarta is the complex located?
Green Palace Kalibata City is in Kalibata, part of Pancoran in South Jakarta. It is a low-to-mid income residential neighborhood whose main interest is its location not too far from the Central Business District of Jakarta. This is especially true if you take the train at the Duren Kalibata Station.

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

How does it look like around the apartments?
Green Palace is bordered: On the North by a large road which is difficult to cross; on the South by a “kampung” that you cannot go to (no direct road); on the West by Taman Makam Pahlawan (National’s Heroes Park, a cemetery) and finally on the East by Kalibata City. This is naturally where you will spend most of your time if you go outside.

Kalibata City is a busy complex, where tens of thousands of people are living. You have several blocks, with plenty of small businesses on the ground floor (cafés, canteens, laundry services, minimarkets, fast food, banks, property agents, etc). The streets are busy with traffic, and parking is so scarce that there are cars and motorbikes everywhere. Between the towers, there are also some playgrounds for kids and some meeting areas.

One floor below Kalibata City, there is a new shopping center called Kalibata Square. It has many useful shops such as a pharmacy, a supermarket, fashion boutiques, a food court, games for kids, and a Cinemaxx. It is cleaner and higher market compared to the above.

What are the important landmarks nearby?

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

Malls: Kalibata Square is the nearest but it is small. 5 minutes away by foot, Plaza Kalibata is larger. It is a medium range mall with a Giant supermarket, a Gramedia bookstore, a Matahari and an XXI cinema.
Supermarkets: Farmer’s Market (more expensive) or Giant (further away)
Restaurants: Many cheap warungs and canteen nearby. Some fast food as well: Domino’s, McDonald’s, KFC, Pizza Hut.
Bars: None to my knowledge.
Universities: None important.
Hospitals: None important.
Parks: Taman Makam Pahlawan, a cemetery where many important Indonesian figures are buried.
Offices: Only some government offices

Transportation

What are the main roads or highways nearby?
Kalibata City is not directly near a toll road, but it is at the corner of two important streets: Jalan Kalibata Raya and Jalan Rawajati Timur. To catch the highway, you will need about 15 minutes for both the Tol Jalan Cililitan 2 and the Inner Jakarta Ring Road.

What is the traffic situation near the apartment?
The traffic is ok to go to the East or to the South, but terrible to go to the West and the North (in the Central Business District). One of the problems is that the traffic is blocked every time there is a train. If you work in Central Jakarta, you should consider taking a train instead.

Are their issues with parking?
Kalibata City Residence and Regency have issues with parking space, but to my knowledge, this is not the case with Green Palace.

Is it easy for taxis/Uber/Grab to find the location?
Yes, it is a very famous location.

Is there a Transjakarta bus stop nearby?
None nearby but there are some local buses that can take you to Pasar Minggu and Blok M.

Is there a train station nearby?
Yes, Duren Kalibata, about 10-15 minutes away by foot (Green Palace is further from it compared to Kalibata City Residence). Both the Yellow and the Red lines stop at this station, meaning you can go easily and rather fast to Sudirman, Manggarai, Tebet, Gambir, Kota, Tanah Abang and Depok. In case you are wondering, those trains have AC.

Are there sidewalks? Is it possible to walk around?
Yes, but they are small and crowded.

Building Quality

Design and Architecture

What is the general concept of the apartments?
The towers of Kalibata City Residence and Kalibata City Regency were built following the same model as those of Green Palace. They are low-budget construction with cheap materials and small units. The major difference is that Green Palace was not subsidized by the government. Therefore, it is more upmarket and it has better facilities: More lifts, a swimming pool, a garden, a gym, a reception with AC, and better security.

How does the building look like from outside?
The towers don’t look particularly pretty. They are massive concrete T-shaped blocs, painted in light grey, with tiny windows and balconies. AC units are visible.

How spacious are the apartments?
The apartments are quite small, in line with the standards of a budget property:

– Studio units start at 18-21m2
– 2-bedroom units start at 33m2
– 3-bedroom units start at 50m2

Bathrooms are simple and they won’t be large enough to accommodate a bathtub.

How does the reception look like?
The reception is small but clean and well-maintained. There is a seating area that can accommodate about 4 people, with a 24-hour receptionist.

How does the garden and pool area look like?
The garden and pool area is possibly the best feature of Green Palace. It is rather large, with plenty of places to sit down or relax, and there are quite many trees and plants. You’ll also find kid’s games, a gym and a long pool.

This common area is shared with 8 towers of 800+ apartments, so naturally, it can be very crowded at certain times (weekends especially).

How old is the property?
It was completed in 2010.

Building Materials and Finishes

What is the reputation of the developer?

Agung Podomoro Land is a famous conglomerate, maybe the largest builder of midrange apartments in Jakarta (it also owns the Mediterania brand, Metro Park, etc). Green Palace is a more budget property compared to what they normally do, so this is rather positive. This is probably why the project sold off so easily.

Another developer was involved, Synthesis Development. This one is less famous, but it built several midrange and upscale properties as well such as Casablanca Mansion and Bassura City.

What is the quality of the materials used in the construction?
This is a low-budget construction so all materials are cheap. It is slightly better than Kalibata City Residence, though. For instance, tiles in Green Palace are larger and the corridors have a false ceiling to hide the pipes:

What is the quality of the furniture and equipment?
Most of the equipment in Green Palace is affordable, but with decent quality.

What is the quality of the finishes?
Average quality. You can see traces of paint in windows and some concrete stains on the balcony.

Are there issues with the electricity supply?
Yes. In the whole Kalibata City, there are too many apartments and not enough electricity, meaning each unit’s consumption is limited. Having more than 2 aircon + an electric oven + a washing machine + a TV at the same time will probably cause a blackout.

How many lifts are there?
There are 4 residents’ lifts per tower:

Comfort

Facilities and Services

What are the facilities provided in the property?

– The large swimming pool (pictured above) is excellent for both swimming and relaxing, but it can be very crowded after 5 PM and on weekends. It is surrounded by a large public area with walking tracks where you can meet people easily.

– A kid’s pool with slides

– A tennis and a basketball court are available in Kalibata City, outside Green Palace.

– A playground for kids

– A gym with rather old and basic equipment

What are the services available within the property?

– A shopping center below the ground (Kalibata Square) with a supermarket, a pharmacy, a tool shop (Ace Hardware), fashion boutiques, a food court, games for kids, a brand-new Cinemaxx theater, a Starbucks, ATMs, etc.

– Plenty of services at the bottom of the towers: Warungs, laundries, banks, minimart, property agents. They are very convenient and cheap.

– Also, there are several mosques.

Atmosphere

Is the property noisy and busy?
There are fewer shops on the ground floor of Green Palace, so it feels more upmarket and quieter compared with Kalibata City Residence. Still, it is a crowded residence where you’ll always see or hear people, especially at the reception or at the swimming pool.

What is the background of residents (ethnicity, social status)?
Most residents are Indonesian “pribumi” from the middle-class. There are also many Indonesian Chinese. I only saw a few foreigners. Many apartments are rented on a short-term basis, so you might see a few tourists. They are also used by non-married couples who need a room at the last minute. It is said that some prostitution rings also operate there. Don’t stress because of that, it is only a minority of residents and it’s not really visible for an outsider.

Management

Maintenance

The maintenance of Green Palace is satisfactory for a budget complex. Some areas could be improved: The corridors, for instance, look dirty and need a repainting.

Cleanliness

I found the property to be clean enough.

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 Green Palace Kalibata City 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:

Studio Type (21m2) – Furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 44M (or 3.6M per month)
• Buy: IDR 380.000.000
• Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental: 8.6
• Average buying price/m2: IDR 18.010.000/m2

2-Bedroom Type (33m2) – Furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 55M (or 4.6M per month)
• Buy: IDR 550.000.000
• Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental: 10.0
• Average buying price/m2: IDR 16.667.000/m2

Which units are the best?
I would recommend avoiding the view on Taman Makam Pahlawan (it’s green but it’s a cemetery) and the view on Jalan Pahlawan street. Also, it is better to be as near as possible from the entrance of the mall Kalibata Square, and from the train station. Therefore, I recommend a unit in the towers T, S, and R.

Investment Potential

Evaluation of current prices compared to market and competition:
Green Palace is a sort of unique product as it is a mix between a low-cost and a mid-range apartment. Its closest competitor would be Bassura City which is newer but has slightly lower facilities. I compared the prices and found they were a bit higher in Green Palace. The reason for that is probably that this is a more famous property and that the train station is closer.

Still, it has excellent value and it is easy to rent at relatively high rates. For studio apartments, the ratio Buying Price/Rental Price is an excellent 8.6, which means it takes less than 10 years to get your investment money back (of course, this is theoretical as I didn’t include any expenses, tax or fees).

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

I don’t think you can expect a significant price increase in the future. I predict 5-7% a year, which is already good considering it is starting to be an older property.

– Factors pushing the prices up:

• The proximity to Duren Kalibata Train Station makes it a convenient location for commuters working in Sudirman.
• Recent opening of the mall Kalibata Square, only 5 minutes from Green Palace
• Kalibata City is a famous development

– Factors pushing the prices down:

• Competition from new projects like Bassura City or Green Pramuka
• Construction using cheap materials means the building will deteriorate quickly