Mediterania Gajah Mada Residences is an old apartment complex featuring 2 towers of 32 floors for a total of 1,152 units. It used to be a midrange property but nowadays, due to a lack of maintenance, it is more appropriate to consider it as a budget one.

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?
Mediterania Gajah Mada is in Taman Sari, a subdistrict of West Jakarta (though geographically in the north of the city). It is an old neighborhood, with an important Indonesian Chinese population and near many important historical sights. Most of it consists of low-rise buildings except along Jalan Gajah Mada, Jalan Hayam Wuruk and Jalan Mangga Besar where many hotels and apartments are constructed.

One important thing to know is that Taman Sari is considered a red light district area. Many massage parlors and clubs are located there.

View from Mediterania Gajah Mada (Jalan Gajah Mada)

By car, with normal traffic conditions, how far is the complex from:
– Jakarta Airport: 60 minutes
– Grand Indonesia Mall: 30 minutes
– Kota Tua: 10 minutes
– Kemang: 70 minutes

How does it look like around the apartments?
The apartments are inside a sort of courtyard that is used as a parking. There are shops and a couple of restaurants all around it. You can exit the complex via the main gate, onto Jalan Gajah Mada. This street is one of the most important in Jakarta as it links Kota Tua to Central Jakarta (Monas) and then continues to Thamrin. It is a busy and messy area, but also very lively as you have plenty of street food stalls, shops, restaurants, and buildings.

Parking in Courtyard Mediterania Gajah Mada

Main Entrance Gate Mediterania Gajah Mada

There is also a smaller exit, in the back of the complex, going to a kampung:

Smaller Exit Mediterania Gajah Mada

What are the important landmarks nearby?

Nearby, there are several landmarks you can go to:

Malls:
The best nearby mall, Gajah Mada Plaza, is 2 kilometers away. It is for the middle-class, with mostly non-branded shops (fashion, accessories, etc). The main tenants are XXI Cinemas, Hypermart, Matahari and Gold Gym. You also have some large shops in Grand Paragon Hotel, just 1 kilometer away (Ace Hardware, Informa, Grand Lucky) and Lokasari Square (low-end mall).

For something bigger, you will have to go to Mangga Dua Square (20 minutes away) and for something more luxurious, Grand Indonesia or Plaza Indonesia (30 minutes away).

Supermarkets:
The nearest ones are the Grand Lucky in Grand Paragon and the Hypermart in Gajah Mada Plaza. Note that there is also a large fruit shop just outside the residence.

If you like local markets, Glodok is a great area for that and I recommend you to try the vendors of Jalan Petak Sembilan.

Restaurants:
If you like Chinese food, the location of Mediterania Gajah Mada is excellent. Inside the building, you have some very affordable restaurants serving home-cooked meals. I tried a few and they were delicious.

Food Court Mediterania Gajah Mada

Outside, you will only need to cross the street to Jalan Mangga Besar to find dozens of warungs, restaurants and street food stalls. There are also some more expensive options within the complex Green Central City (500 meters away).

Bars and Nightlife:
Taman Sari is famous for its bars, clubs, karaokes and massage parlors. Beware that almost all of them in this area have prostitution. For drinking alcohol in a normal environment, you can go to Kopi Oey in Green Central City.

Universities:
There are none nearby to my knowledge.

Schools:
Saint Joseph International School and Pre-School (mostly for Chinese speaking students)

Hospitals:
The most convenient one is Rumah Sakit Husada (10 minutes away). There are no hospitals for expats nearby, all of them are in the South of the city.

Parks:
It takes about 15 minutes to go to Monas (a large park in Central Jakarta) and 10 minutes to go to Taman Fatahillah (a pedestrian square with many museums).

Offices:
There aren’t many offices in Taman Sari. Most likely, you will have to go to Jalan Sudirman to work (40 minutes away).

Transportation

What are the main roads or highways nearby?
Mediterania Gajah Mada is on Jalan Gajah Mada which is a strategic road between North Jakarta and Central Jakarta. It allows you to go “easily” to places like Kota Tua, Harmoni, Sarinah, Plaza Indonesia, Sudirman and Senayan. All you need to do is to follow a straight line.

However, if you need to go West or East, it becomes more complicated as there are only secondary streets available.

What is the traffic situation near the apartment?
The traffic is generally dense in Jalan Gajah Mada, almost all day long. It is rarely completely blocked, but you shouldn’t expect going faster than 20 km/h.

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

Is there a Transjakarta bus stop nearby?
Yes, the Olimo halte is just in front of the complex. There, you can catch the buses line 1, 9A, 9B going to Pinang Ranti, Harmoni, PIK, Balai Kota, Stasiun Kota, Sudirman and Blok M.

Is there a train station nearby?
Mangga Besar Station and Kota Station are both about 10-15 minutes away. They are convenient to go to Bekasi, Depok and Tanjung Priok.

How about the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) or LRT (Light Rapid Transit)?
The phase II of the MRT project will connect Bundaran HI with Stasiun Kota. On the way, there should be a station in Sawah Besar and in Mangga Besar. The exact location is not known yet, but it is likely to be near from Mediterania Gajah Mada (more or less 1 kilometer).

Are there sidewalks? Is it possible to walk around?
Yes, you can walk on Jalan Mangga Besar and Jalan Gajah Mada as long as you don’t mind the pollution, the heavy traffic and the trash.

Building Quality

Building and Architecture

What is the reputation of the developer?
The developer, Agung Podomoro Land, is one of the most famous in Indonesia for midrange apartments. They have a large portfolio of completed projects, many of which I’ve reviewed here already (Metro Park, Thamrin Residences, Sudirman Park, Kalibata City, etc).

Who is the architect?
The architects were Megatika International and ImageQreator, two local firms that have often worked with Agung Podomoro Land on Mediterania properties.

Who is the contractor?
The contractor was Wijaya Karya, a large government-owned firm.

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 building looks similar to all the other Mediterania complexes in Jakarta (normal, they all come from the same architects). It is massive, with small windows and balconies:

Mediterania Gajah Mada Apartments

Entrance:
It is very common with no specific design:

Gate Entrance Mediterania Gajah Mada

Reception:
It is narrow, with only a couple of sofas to sit down (one of them was broken). It clearly doesn’t feel high class as it is crowded and old. I didn’t like the iron gate that you can see on the picture below: It gave me the impression to be in jail.

Reception Area Mediterania Gajah Mada

Landscaping:
The towers occupy almost all the available space and there is only a tiny bit of land for landscaping/garden.

Garden Mediterania Gajah Mada

Pool in Mediterania Gajah Mada

Corridors:
They looked old and not welcoming:

Corridors Mediterania Gajah Mada

How spacious are the apartments?
The apartments are rather small, slightly more than those of a budget property.

– 1-bedroom units = 35m2 (1 bathroom)
– 2-bedroom units = 47m2 (1 bathroom)
– 3-bedroom units = 56m2 (1 bathroom)

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: 3
Tiles Corridors: 3
Tiles Apartment: 3
Painting: 3
Lighting: 3
Doors: 3
Ceiling: 3
Elevator: 4
Gym equipment: 3
Pool equipment: 3
Furniture: 3
Artwork: None

Overall Quality: 3/10

What is the quality of the finishes?
Bad quality. There are still traces of paints and drips of cement from the construction, for instance here:

Finishes Mediterania Gajah Mada

Comfort

Facilities and Services

What are the facilities provided in the property?

– Swimming pool: Quite small considering there is only one for more than 1,000 apartments. I always saw it busy. Enough for kids but for a swimmer, it is too short. The pool area is too messy and not really clean.

Swimming Pool Mediterania Gajah Mada

Swimming Pool of Mediterania Gajah Mada

– Kids’ Pool:

Kids Pool of Mediterania Gajah Mada

Kids Pool in Mediterania Gajah Mada

– Gym: You have to pay IDR200,000 per month to be able to use it. It is not well-maintained but there are quite many machines (semi-professional quality). The music was too loud.

Fitness Room Mediterania Gajah Mada

Gym in Mediterania Gajah Mada

Gym Mediterania Gajah Mada

What are the services available within the property?
A lot of services are available in the central area between the two towers: A 24-hour minimarket, canteens, ATMs, laundry, shops, salons, etc:

Shopping Arcade Mediterania Gajah Mada

Shops in Ground Floor Mediterania Gajah Mada

Are there issues with the electricity supply?
Each apartment has limitations so you should check your allowance with your landlord/owner.

Are their issues with parking?
I don’t have information about it, but I would guess that it is difficult to get a parking space (the exterior one was always packed). Make sure you get a spot with your apartment.

How many lifts are there in each tower?
There are 3 lifts per tower. This is not enough and I often had to wait for a long time before reaching my floor.

Lifts in Mediterania Gajah Mada

Lift Mediterania Gajah Mada

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?
Yes, it is quite busy from the lobby to the pool.

Is it noisy?
Some units are not too far from a mosque (on the north side).

What is the background (ethnicity, social status) and attitude of residents?
The majority of residents are Indonesian Chinese. The whole atmosphere of the residence is unique as it feels like it is in China more than in Indonesia. Many signs, for instance, are written in both Chinese and Indonesian.

Since the location is near many clubs, karaokes and bars, there are quite many prostitutes or escorts who live in the complex. If you cannot stand shadiness, then it might be better for you to choose another place to stay.

Management

Maintenance

How old is the property?
It was completed around 2004- 2005.

Are there visible damages?
Yes, quite many unfortunately. So far, this is the worst property of Agung Podomoro Land that I’ve visited. I saw scratched paint, rust, holes, broken tiles, water leaks, displaced objects, etc. Here is an example (Garden area):

Maintenance Issues Mediterania Gajah Mada

Cleanliness

Cleanliness was an issue. Corners are dirty and dusty. You can often see trash. The building has cockroaches.

Gardening

The garden is not well-maintained.

Security

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

Hospitality

The staff was friendly as far as I could tell.

Rooms and Prices

Prices at Mediterania Gajah Mada Residences 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 (45m2) – Well-furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 40 million (or 3.3 million per month)
• Buy: IDR 600,000,000
• Break Even Point (Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental): 15 years
• Average buying price/m2: IDR 13.3 million/m2

Which units are the best?
Units that are facing the South have a nice view of the Jakarta Skyline. I would avoid very high floors as the elevators can be slow.

Investment Potential

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

– Factors pushing the prices up:

• If Agung Podomoro Land decides to invest and refurbish the complex (very unlikely)
• If an MRT station is built walking distance

– Factors pushing the prices down:

• Bad maintenance, old property

Overall evaluation of the price: Would I buy here?
No, it is not interesting to buy in Mediterania Gajah Mada. The rental price is too low compared with the buying price. Furthermore, the terrible maintenance means there is too much uncertainty about the future.