Kemang Village Residences is an upscale apartment complex on 15,5 hectares featuring 7 high-rise towers: Intercon / Empire / Cosmopolitan / Infinity / Ritz / Tiffany / Bloomington.

In total, 1,800 units, from studios to huge penthouses were built between 2007 and 2017. They are part of a larger development, the Kemang Village superblock, which also includes J.W. Marriott Hotel, Pelita Harapan University, Lippo Mall Kemang and Avenue of the Stars. A Siloam hospital, a Wedding Chapel, a Spa, and a Country Club are planned as well but they haven’t opened yet.

Reviewing Kemang Village Residences is a bit difficult as every tower is different from one another. Even within each tower, the condition of each apartment may vary a lot. I was sleeping in Intercon tower, but I know that Bloomington, for instance, is much more luxurious. Please keep that in mind when reading my report. If you disagree with me or if you want to add missing information, please leave your own comment and rating at the end of the page.

Location:

Location Kemang Village Jakarta

Neighborhood

In which neighborhood of Jakarta is the complex located?
Kemang Village Residences is in Kemang, one of the most popular neighborhoods in Jakarta among expatriate families. The main explanation for that is the proximity of many prestigious international schools. Another reason is the laid-back vibe of the area, thanks to the fact that it is a mostly low-rise neighborhood. In fact, because there are many villas with swimming pool in Kemang, it is sometimes referred to as the Seminyak of Jakarta. Don’t get your hopes too high, though: It is still Jakarta and, therefore, still plagued by traffic jams and pollution.

How far is the complex from:
– Jakarta Airport: 65 minutes
– Grand Indonesia Mall: 60 minutes
– Kota Tua: 80 minutes

How does it look like around the Kemang Village Superblock?
You can exit the superblock through several roads, some of them really tiny. Unless you walk at least 10 minutes, there isn’t anything interesting to see there except the daily life of a residential neighborhood. The nearest bars and restaurants in Kemang you can go to are in Jalan Taman Kemang (Frank’s, Beer Brother, Colony Building, etc).

Here are a few screenshots of the entrances of Kemang Village Superblock:

Jalan Kemang VI – Entrance to Kemang Village

Jalan Taman Kemang – Entrance to Kemang Village

Jalan Pangeran Antasari – Entrance to Kemang Village

What are the important landmarks nearby?

Malls:
Lippo Mall Kemang is the mall connected to each tower of Kemang Village Residences. It is a mid-to-upper class shopping center with a cinema, an Ace Hardware, a Hypermart, banks, pharmacies, fashion boutiques, restaurants, salons, etc. Not too big but enough for most of your needs.

Mall Kemang Village

In the case of Intercon tower, you must access the mall through the parking lot and there is not a dedicated sidewalk. I didn’t like that part:

Access to Mall Kemang Village

Supermarkets:
There is a Hypermart in Lippo Mall. For imported products, you should go to Kem Chicks in the ground floor of The Mansion Kemang (15 minutes away by foot or by car).

Restaurants:
There are many restaurants in Lippo Mall, from cheap stalls in the food court to the more sophisticated venues of “The Avenue of the Stars”, an al-fresco dining area with regular live music events (GF of Lippo Mall).

Elsewhere in Kemang, there are plenty of restaurants serving affordable Western food. The good ones nearby are Eastern Promise (Indian and British cuisine), or Die Stube (German).

Bars:
With dozens of fun bars and clubs, Kemang is an ideal location for those who want to socialize with other foreigners. Some popular bars near Kemang Village are Eastern Promise, Hooters, Beer Brothers, Hotel Monopoli, FJ on 7 Rooftop, Frank’s Bar and Parc 19. Most of them are located on Jalan Taman Menteng.

Universities:
There are not many universities nearby except some specialized schools like ESMOD (fashion) or the Indonesia Banking School.

Schools:
Some of Jakarta’s best international high schools are in Kemang. Among them, the Australian International School (AIS), the New Zealand International School (NIS), Mentari Intercultural School and Pelita Harapan.

Hospitals:
Kemang Medical Care
RS Pondok Indah
RS Gandaria
Brawijaya Women and Children Hospital

Siloam Hospital should also open soon in Kemang Village.

Parks:
None nearby.

Offices:
Kemang is not a business area and there aren’t any significant office buildings nearby. If you work in the Central Business District of Jakarta (Sudirman), you’ll need to spend around two hours per day in a car.

Transportation

What are the main roads or highways nearby?
Kemang has the reputation of being a complicated area to enter and to exit. Most of the roads there are small and clogged with traffic jams.

Jalan Pangeran Antasari is the largest road near Kemang Village, and yet it is only a two-lane road. The nearest highway is the Jakarta Outer Ring Road, 15 minutes away. The Jakarta Inner Ring Road (going to the Airport), is 30 minutes away.

What is the traffic situation near the apartment?
Jalan Pangeran Antasari used to be congested all the time, but the situation has now improved since a flyover was built above it. Still, you can expect the traffic to be slow during peak hours (7AM-9AM and 5PM-8PM). Friday evenings are the worse because many people go to Kemang to hang out in bars and cafés for the start of the weekend.

Is it easy for taxis/Uber/Grab to find the location?
It is easy for them to find Kemang Village, but then they will probably struggle to find the lobby of your apartment tower.

Is there a Transjakarta bus stop nearby?
Unfortunately, there aren’t any. However, on Jalan Pangeran Antasari, there are some non-AC buses going to Blok M and Depok.

Is there a train station nearby?
No.

How about the MRT?
The MRT station of Cipete will be about 15-20 minutes from Kemang Village.

Are there sidewalks? Is it possible to walk around?
It is difficult to walk around. There wasn’t even a proper sidewalk to go from the lobby of the Intercon tower to Kemang’s city center. It is also not pleasant to go from one tower to another tower.

Building Quality

Building and Architecture

Who is the developer?
The developer is the Lippo Group, through its real estate subsidiaries PT Lippo Karawaci Tbk. and PT Almaron Perkasa. 

Lippo is one of the largest and most diversified conglomerates in Southeast Asia. Some of their brands include Siloam hospitals, Pelita Harapan Schools, Lippo Malls, Aryaduta Hotels, Berita Satu Media, Matahari Department Stores, Nobu Bank, etc.

They have developed, or are currently developing, huge residential projects like Lippo Cikarang, Lippo Karawaci, Meikarta, and of course, Kemang Village.

Who is the architect?
Several architects worked on Kemang Village:

The landscape was designed by Bill Bensley, the towers were designed by DP Architects, the interior design was the work of Thomas Elliott of PAI Design.

Each of these consultants has an excellent reputation and a rich portfolio (click on the names to see their completed projects).

Who is the contractor?
The contractor was Total Bangun Persada, a reputed Indonesian company that has undertaken hundreds of large-scale projects such as The Peak Sudirman, the Pakubuwono Residence, Verde I and II, etc.

For the Bloomington tower, the contractor was PT PP, another large company, government-owned, that built several midrange and high-end properties in Indonesia.

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 complex look like?

From Outside (Facade)
The towers look modern thanks to the use of large glass windows:

Kemang Village Towers

Kemang Village Jakarta

Exterior Building Facade Kemang Village

Entrance:
There are several entrances to the complex and one lobby per tower. It can be a bit confusing the first time you go there. The design is pleasant, but it feels a bit narrow and dark.

Car Entrance Kemang Village

Entrance Kemang Village

Entrance Door Kemang Village

Reception:
The reception of Intercon tower was a bit underwhelming. The first thing I didn’t like was that you cannot enter the lobby without an access card. I had to wait outside for a while until someone opened the door for me. Another surprise was that there was no receptionist and no security at the door.

Apart from that, the reception looks nice, with marble flooring and comfortable sofas.

Reception Desk Kemang Village

Lobby Reception Kemang Village

Ground Floor Kemang Village Lobby

Landscaping:
The landscaping is different for each tower of Kemang Village. Bloomington tower has a nice garden area, but Intercon tower only has a tiny pool (a rooftop garden will open later, though).

Kemang Village Landscape

Corridors:
They are quite disappointing, at least for the Intercon tower. It is more like a midrange property than an upscale one. The flooring is just made of ceramic tiles. The walls are painted in plain white (and a bit dirty). The only remarkable feature is the ceiling. No natural light as there are no windows.

Corridors of Kemang Village

Corridors Kemang Village

How spacious are the apartments?
There are many apartment sizes, depending on the towers and the floors. Generally speaking, you have the following:

– 1-bedroom units = 38-62m2 (1 bathroom)
– 2-bedroom units = 73-148m2 (1-2 bathrooms)
– 3-bedroom units = 132-220m2 (2-3 bathrooms)
– 4-bedroom units = 204-300m2 (3-4 bathrooms)

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 in the Intercon tower only (ranked from 1 – worst – to 10 – best). Other towers may have higher standards.

Tiles Lobby: 7
Tiles Corridors: 4
Tiles Apartment: 4
Painting: 5
Lighting: 5
Doors: 4
Ceiling: 6
Elevator: 7 (Kone brand)
Gym equipment: 6 (Various brands used: Kettler, Life Fitness, Matrix)
Pool equipment: 6
Furniture: 6
Artwork: 6

Overall Quality: 5.75/10

What is the quality of the finishes?
Average quality considering it is an upscale property. I saw several defects such as drips of paints in the lift:

Bad Finishes in the Lifts of Kemang Village

Comfort

Facilities and Services

Please note that when I visited Kemang Village, some facilities were still under construction (rooftop garden and pool, walking track, etc).

What are the facilities provided in the property?

– Swimming pool: There are 20 swimming pools in the whole Kemang Village Complex, but many are ridiculously small (and one was under repair).

Pool of Kemang Village (Tiffany Tower): Noisy and cold water

Small Pool in Kemang Village

Pool in Kemang Village

– Gym: There are several gyms as well with average quality equipment:

Gym Equipment Kemang Village

Gym in Kemang Village

What are the services available within the property?
A lot of services are available in Lippo Mall: Supermarket, ATMs, banks, pharmacies, etc. However, it is only open from 10 AM to 10 PM. I didn’t have a laundry service or a minimarket in my tower.

Are there issues with the electricity supply?
2-bedroom units have a limit of 4,400VA and 3-bedroom units a limit 7,700VA. This is sufficient for most residents.

Are their issues with parking?
Each apartment is sold with 1 parking space. If you have only 1 car, you won’t have any problems.

How many lifts are there in each tower?
There are 4 lifts per tower. Some units have a private lift too.

Lifts in Kemang Village

Lift Kemang Village

Does the apartment have centralized hot water?
No, but the bathrooms are equipped with 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?
According to the information given by the Lippo Group management, Kemang Village is almost 100% sold out. I found the property to be reasonably busy overall.

Is it noisy?
I didn’t think it was noisy.

What is the background (ethnicity, social status) and attitude of residents?
Most residents are Indonesians (Pribumi and Indonesian Chinese). There are quite many foreigners as well, including Japanese, Korean and Westerners.

Management

Maintenance

How old is the property?
It was completed between 2007 and 2017.

Are there visible damages?
Yes, there are some visible damages but it is reasonable.

Cleanliness

The property was clean.

Gardening

The garden is well-maintained.

Security

– Guards on duty at the gates and reception: 24/7 officially, but nobody was to be seen when I arrived.
– CCTV cameras: Yes
– Access card: Yes, you need an access card to enter the lobby, to enter the lift area, and to reach your floor.

Hospitality

I thought there was a shortage of staff. Also, the swimming pool was broken in my Tower and they didn’t really help to find me an alternative.

Rooms and Prices

Prices at Kemang Village may vary depending on many factors such as the tower, 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:

1-Bedroom Type (43m2) – Well-furnished in Intercon Tower:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 133 million (or 11 million per month)
• Buy: IDR 1,650,000,000
• Break Even Point (Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental): 12.4 years
• Average buying price/m2: IDR 38.37 million/m2

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:

• Solid reputation of Lippo Group
• Attractivity of Lippo Mall Kemang, Sekolah Pelita Harapan, Siloam Hospital, etc.
• Limited competition in Kemang for high-rise apartments

– Factors pushing the prices down:

• I’m not sure all the apartments sold in Kemang Village have been rented out.
• Kemang Village can be complicated to access because of traffic
• No MRT or LRT planned

Overall evaluation of the price: Would I buy here?
Though I didn’t really like staying in Kemang Village, I must recognize that it is a popular residence. It shouldn’t be difficult to get people to rent your flats, especially expats who are known to pay more than the average market price. The developer is also a large company, therefore the risk is limited.

Still, I would not buy there for a few reasons: 1)The current prices are already quite high and not interesting anymore. 2) Kemang is a popular neighborhood for expats, but not as much for Indonesians 3) It will take some time for the market to absorb the 1,800+ apartments of Kemang Village 4) I have doubts about the quality of the management of Kemang Village.