Taman Sari Sudirman is a budget apartment complex of 2 towers (471 units in total) in Setiabudi, only 400 meters from Jalan Sudirman. Tower A is 16-floor high, and tower B is 18-floor high. Most apartments are studios (29m2), but there are also 3 and 4-bedroom apartments.

Built on 2.2 hectares, it was completed in 2010 by PT Wika Realty, a subsidiary of Wijaya Karya, a construction company owned by the Government (via the Badan Usaha Milik Negara – BUMN). It is also the owner of the nearby complex Taman Sari Semanggi.

Below is the full review of my stay there:

Location

Neighborhood

In which neighborhood of Jakarta is the complex located?
Taman Sari Sudirman is in Setiabudi, a strategic neighborhood in Jakarta’s golden triangle. It is squeezed Jalan Sudirman, Jalan Rasuna Said and Jalan Prof. Dr. Satrio which are some of the most important roads in the city.

Until 15 years ago, Setiabudi was a working-class residential area, but this is changing. While there are still low-income, low-rise houses, you will see more tall buildings (generally Kos – inexpensive rooms to rent). There are also a lot of shops, restaurants, and businesses targeting office workers. Usually, they are inexpensive.

For me, Setiabudi is a good compromise for those who want to live close to the Central Business District, but with the prices of a peripheral area. It is also more authentic than some more modern areas like Mega Kuningan or SCBD.

How far is Taman Sari Sudirman from:
– Jakarta Airport: 65 minutes
– Grand Indonesia Mall: 20 minutes
– Kota Tua: 70 minutes
– Kemang: 50 minutes

How does it look like around the apartments?
Taman Sari Sudirman is on a small street, Jalan Bek Murad, just behind the World Trade Center Complex. As you walk left, you can go to Jalan Prof. Dr. Satrio, where you’ll find some warungs and minimarkets. You can also go to Jalan Sudirman through the World Trade Center, which is very practical.

As you go to the right, there is a local neighborhood with many warungs and some small shops (laundry, printing, minimart, etc). It can be annoying to walk there as there is not a proper sidewalk.

Neighborhood Taman Sari Sudirman

Taman Sari Sudirman Neighborhood

What are the important landmarks nearby?

Nearby, there are a few landmarks you can go to:

Malls:
None is walking distance, but in less than 10 minutes by car, you can go to Ambasador Mall (cheap shops), Plaza Semanggi (Middle Class) Lotte Avenue (Upper Middle Class), Kuningan City (Middle Class), Pacific Place (Upper Class). In 20 minutes, you can go Grand Indonesia, Plaza Indonesia, Plaza Senayan, Senayan City, FX Mall and CityWalk Sudirman.

Supermarkets:
The nearest would be Carrefour in Ambasador Mall. For imported products, you can go instead to Ranch Market in Lotte Avenue.

Restaurants:
Walking distance, there are many cheap Indonesian restaurants and warungs. For something more sophisticated, you can go to the World Trade Center, where you will find Italian food, Japanese food, Indonesian food, coffee shops, etc.

Bars:
None is nearby but some of the best nightlife areas of Jakarta are within 15-20 minutes: SCBD, Mega Kuningan, Gatot Subroto or Grand Indonesia for instance.

Universities:
Universitas Katolik Atma Jaya, Lasalle Uni, London School of Public Relations, STP Sahid Jakarta.

Hospitals:
Siloam Hospital

Parks:
None nearby, but you can go around the Senayan Bung Karno stadium to walk or to run. Also, there is Car-Free-Day every Sunday morning on Jalan Sudirman.

Offices: Plenty of them such as WTC, Sampoerna Strategic Square, Mayapada, Sahid Sudirman Center, Ciputra World, MidPlaza, DBS, etc.

Transportation

What are the main roads or highways nearby?
Jalan Sudirman is very close by. However, depending on where you are coming from and where you want to go, it may not always be convenient. For instance, going from Taman Sari Sudirman to Le Méridien (literally just across the street) will take you more than 15 minutes because you will need to make several U-turns. Going from Taman Sari Sudirman to Pacific Place is easier, with only 1 U-turn.

Jalan Gatot Subroto is also relatively near. From there, you can take the toll road and go to Bekasi, to West Jakarta or to the Airport.

What is the traffic situation near the apartment?
On weekends, it is usually smooth (but remember that Jalan Sudirman will be closed to cars on Sunday morning).

On weekdays, it can be terrible, especially in late afternoon when office workers are starting to go home.

Is it easy for taxis/Uber/Grab to find the location?
Yes. But make sure to say Taman Sari Sudirman (behind World Trade Center – “di belakang WTC”) as very often, the taxis will assume you are talking about the more famous Taman Sari Semanggi.

I also had one taxi who thought I was staying in the neighborhood of Taman Sari, in North Jakarta.

Is there a Transjakarta bus stop nearby?
The station Karet is 10 minutes away by foot. There, you can catch the lines 1, 2A, and 3A, going to Kota, Blok M, Senayan, Kalideres and Pulo Gadung.

Is there a train station nearby?
The closest is the Sudirman Station, 15 minutes away by car. You can use it to go to Depok, Pasar Minggu, Kalibata or Bogor (Yellow Line).

How about the MRT?
The Bendungan Hilir MRT station will be located in front of the World Trade Center, on Jalan Sudirman. This is a huge plus for the residence as it will become much easier to go to Kota Tua or to South Jakarta.

Are there sidewalks? Is it possible to walk around?
There is a sidewalk on Jalan Bek Murad, but as you go further it becomes difficult to walk around.

Building Quality

Building and Architecture

What is the reputation of the developer?
PT Wika Realty is a newcomer to the apartment development business. Taman Sari Sudirman was actually their first project in Jakarta, and Taman Sari Semanggi was their second. Since then, they have added several properties in Java, Bali and the rest of Indonesia (list of projects here).

As a government-owned company, it benefits from solid fundings and connections. However, you can expect poorer management compared with similar private firms.

Who is the architect?
I don’t know.

Who is the contractor?
I believe it was Wijaya Karya, the mother company of Wika Realty.

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. It is a safe investment.

Are there issues with the electricity supply?
None that I know of.

Are their issues with parking?
Yes, I read online comments saying that the parking capacity (150 spots) was too tight. Make sure that you have a reserved spot if you buy or rent a room.

How many lifts are there in each tower?
There are 2 residents lifts per tower. One of the lifts was broken during my stay.

Lift Taman Sari Sudirman

Design and Appearance

How does the building look like?

From outside:
It is a budget property, so it looks functional. There is a small balcony, a large glass door, and visible airconditioning units.

Taman Sari Sudirman Building

Design Taman Sari Sudirman

Entrance:

Entrance Taman Sari Sudirman

Reception:
It is not luxurious, but quite large with two seating areas. Security guards are taking care of the reception most of the time.

Reception Taman Sari Sudirman

Garden:
No garden apart from a few plants and trees in front of the property.

Pool:
Small, in the shade, between the two towers. It’s better than not having one, but hardly an area where you’ll enjoy spending time.

Swimming Pool Taman Sari Sudirman

Corridors:
Not too bad:

Corridor Taman Sari Sudirman

How spacious are the apartments?
Most of the apartments are 29m2 studios. There are also some 96m2 and 144m2 penthouses (3 and 4 bedrooms) but only a couple of units per towers.

Materials, Equipment, and Finishes

What is the quality of the materials, furniture, and equipment used in the construction?
Taman Sari Sudirman is a low-budget construction so most of the materials used are inexpensive:

Tiles: Ceramic
Painting: Normal
Doors: Good quality
Ceiling: False ceiling
Elevator: Good (frame using marble tiles)
Gym equipment: Local professional machines
Pool equipment: Only 1 wooden lounge chair
Furniture in the lobby: Decent
Artwork: None

What is the quality of the finishes?
Average quality. There are some paint drips in the corridor for instance.

Comfort

Facilities and Services

What are the facilities provided in the property?

– Swimming pool: The water is quite cold because it rarely sees the sunlight. Too small for real swimmers.

Pool Area Taman Sari Sudirman

Kid’s Pool Taman Sari Sudirman

Taman Sari Sudirman Pool

– Gym: Only a few machines, but enough for casual training.

Fitness Taman Sari Sudirman

Gym Taman Sari Sudirman

What are the services available within the property?

– On the ground floor, there is a minimart (who also does laundry), a canteen, a coffee shop and an ATM machine.

Café Restaurant Taman Sari Sudirman

Minimart Taman Sari Sudirman

Atmosphere

How busy is the property?
I would guess that the occupancy is high as the price is affordable and the location is strategic. You always see people in the lobby, but less in the gym or the swimming pool area. Overall, it isn’t too crowded.

Is it noisy?
You can hear the sound of mosques but it is rather distant.

What is the background (ethnicity, social status) and attitude of residents?
Mostly young Indonesian couples or single persons, with no kids, who work in the area. Maybe 10% of foreigners as well + some tourists who rent on a daily/weekly basis.

Management

Maintenance

How old is the property?
It was completed at the end of 2009 and operational in 2010.

Are there visible damages?
The property is less than 10 years old but it feels a bit old already. Nothing is really damaged, but there is some tear and wear, particularly the painting of the facade and the painting of the corridors.

Also, many empty shops in the GF are left abandoned and it does not look very nice.

Cleanliness

The cleanliness is average. Some areas would need to be taken care of better (see above my photo of the elevator under maintenance with the trash overflowing).

Security

– Guards on duty at the gates and reception: 24/7
– CCTV cameras: Yes in the lobby
– Access card: Required to access your floor

Hospitality

The security guards are helpful and friendly.

Rooms and Prices

Prices at Taman Sari Sudirman 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 (29m2) – Furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 60M (or 5M per month)
• Buy: IDR 800,000,000
• Break Even Point (Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental): 13.3 years
• Average buying price/m2: IDR 27.5 million/m2

Which units are the best?
If you choose a unit facing another tower, you will realize they are very near from each other and that your neighbors can see what’s going on in your place.

For this reason, I think it’s better to choose a unit facing Jalan Bek Murad street. It is a bit louder, but you get more privacy.

Investment Potential

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

In 2010, a 29m2 apartment in Taman Sari Semanggi cost about IDR300,000,000. Now it is IDR800,000,000. That’s a 13% compound annual growth rate.

Nowadays, you cannot expect that kind of return. 5% would be more likely. Here are some factors impacting the price:

– Factors pushing the prices up:

• Construction of new offices nearby in Jalan Sudirman
• Construction of an MRT station in front of the World Trade Center
• Few budget apartments in Central Jakarta

– Factors pushing the prices down:

• The property is already showing signs of age

Overall evaluation of the price: Would I buy here?
I think it is too late to buy in Taman Sari Semanggi. IDR800 million is too expensive, considering few renters manage to get more than IDR5 million per month. Also, the maintenance of the property is not ideal and the facilities are too small compared to complexes like Sudirman Park or Thamrin Residences.