Info request regarding Flood areas (esp. around Kelapa Gading and Gading Griya Lestari) in North Jakarta

[slowmoguy]

Hello dear expat mates. We are planning to move to Jakarta soon. We'll most probably live in a house. We're not interested in apartments. Could you share your experience?

 

[Samoerai]

Yup, if one wants more privacy, go for an apartment. Easy living compared to renting a house.
Renting an apartment comes also with "technical staff personal" when something needs to be fixed, "satpam" for security and a "reception" to to receive your parcels, groceries and go-food. Much more convenient.

 

[Helpful Herbert]

Problems with apartments:
1 - scary if there's an earthquake. Also emergency exits probably don't exist or will be blocked when you need them.
2 - there always seems to be a very loud mosque extremely close, so sleep is challenging.
3 - noise from other apartments.
4 - can feel a bit like a prison cell, compared to a house.

 

[MamangDudul]

Problems with apartments:
1 - scary if there's an earthquake. Also emergency exits probably don't exist or will be blocked when you need them.
2 - there always seems to be a very loud mosque extremely close, so sleep is challenging.
3 - noise from other apartments.
4 - can feel a bit like a prison cell, compared to a house.

Well the thing with the mosques, I doubt that you find many places, that are not Bali, without some kind of Mosque noise. Except in some elite, closed housing complexes for Bule or other people who have enough cash to afford it. Cause even in some cheaper housing complexes, there often is a Mosque in front or near.
Then again it also depends on the people. I actually don't want to open that discussion again, but for me it wasn't even a problem ever. I lived in a Kampung, the mosque was down the street, never bothered me or my sleep at any time. Then we moved to a housing complex and like last year, they built a mosque pretty close in front of it. Doesn't bother me. I mean yeah, if you live directly next to it, I get it. Some people can't tolerate it, while others can. Personally I even seldom actively hear it, sometimes when I sit in the garden I hear it and just think "oh it's that time of the day again".

 

[Shadrach]

Well the thing with the mosques, I doubt that you find many places, that are not Bali, without some kind of Mosque noise. Except in some elite, closed housing complexes for Bule or other people who have enough cash to afford it. Cause even in some cheaper housing complexes, there often is a Mosque in front or near.
Then again it also depends on the people. I actually don't want to open that discussion again, but for me it wasn't even a problem ever. I lived in a Kampung, the mosque was down the street, never bothered me or my sleep at any time. Then we moved to a housing complex and like last year, they built a mosque pretty close in front of it. Doesn't bother me. I mean yeah, if you live directly next to it, I get it. Some people can't tolerate it, while others can. Personally I even seldom actively hear it, sometimes when I sit in the garden I hear it and just think "oh it's that time of the day again".

I don't care if people want to go to their church, temple, mosque or listen to the new style music where the same bass beat is repeated for thirty minutes. I just don't get why everyone loves it so loud it almost breaks glass! The loudspeakers are really obnoxious and poor quality sound!

 

[MamangDudul]

I don't care if people want to go to their church, temple, mosque or listen to the new style music where the same bass beat is repeated for thirty minutes. I just don't get why everyone loves it so loud it almost breaks glass! The loudspeakers are really obnoxious and poor quality sound!

Yeah, I mean that's fair enough and I get it, since everybody reacts different to different noises and so on. Was just throwing that in because for some people it's not automatically a deal-breaker that you can hear a Mosque somewhere and yeah, in Indonesia it's probably a thing you would want to get used to. Again, if you don't live in the best and most expensive places or in the penthouse of a big skyscraper. And even then..it can also happen

 

[Helpful Herbert]

I mentioned it because I have heard so many people move into expensive apartments and then they can't believe that half way through the night they are woken up with a jump and can't sleep again. It can even drive them mad in some cases. They try to add soundproofing to the windows etc. but it is all in vain - the mosque people use a type of sound that can penetrate anything. They think that by physically assaulting the ears of non-believers over a long period they will eventually convert them to Islam, however unfortunately the opposite happens and people end up hating a religion that would do that to them.

The advantage of a house is that you can check on distance from mosques, location of rooms, in advance. Choose one that is over 200m from the nearest loudspeakers if you can, and where the bedroom is hidden at the back. People don't do it for apartments because they assume they are high up so won't hear it. Big Mistake!

Another problem with flats - getting stuck in the lift when it breaks down.

 

[vocalneal]

because they assume they are high up so won't hear it. Big Mistake!

Yes, building height doesn't mitigate ground-level sound.

 

[Bob]

the mosque people use a type of sound that can penetrate anything. They think that by physically assaulting the ears of non-believers over a long period they will eventually convert them to Islam,

That's silly.

 

[fastpitch17]

That's silly.

Yes, that is silly. What I can say is that here in Bandar Lampung the Mosque always are the loudest Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings. All the same times as all the Christian services. They are not looking for converts, just want to be sure everyone knows they are there. Good thing everyone gets along here.

 

[Bob]

Several years ago in Jakarta I heard someone on very loud mosque loudspeakers spend a whole morning going over finances, jobscopes, meeting minutes and whatnot. I was 400 meters away and caught every word. Incoincidently it was 25 December. I’ve also seen Christians really throw their weight around in Maluku and NTT. Like you say, just making sure everyone knows they're there.

 

[ilovered]

Hey OP, are you planning to move to Kelapa Gading?

We used to live in one of those apartments in Kelapa Gading from 2008-2011 (we stayed in Gading Mediterania apartments, next to it they have landed housing) and run a shop in Gading Nias in 2015 while living in Rawamangun area.

If I look at the street view, Gading Griya Lestari itself is not flooded. You can see it from how high the houses are from the street in front of it.
Those that are heavily flooded are usually the road in front Mall kelapa Gading and across MOI, along Boulevard raya, Boulevard Barat, Boulevard Timur, Pegangsaan Dua, Gading Kirana, Boulevard Artha Gading. Well, basically the whole road. The whole Kelapa Gading area was a swamp when I went there in the early 90s. The only thing around was only a Catholic Church St. Yakobus and naval officer housing complex. Our flat complex is not flooded but because we face a small river, but yeah, it was like a small island during rainy season.

My problem with living in Kelapa gading back then was the heavy traffic especially after the rain or during the weekends. It was nice though with plenty of eating places just within walking distance (for us).
Let us know if you need more info. Good luck.

 

[jstar]

We’ve been lucky the last couple of years with less rainfall and the rivers south ‘behaving’. (Our ‘great’ governor has been very lucky during his past term.) So the areas in KG have been rather safe. If you drive around here and you see many houses 1-1,5 meter above street level, you know what you can expect.

But past performance is no guarantee of future results bla bla bla. So everything can change. I will write something on the sea wall, flooding and Jakarta sinking in another thread.

My F-I-L had water in their houses till their waist, elderly had to be evacuated in rubber boats by the brandweer. But not only that; PLN and PAM switch everything off when there’s flooding so you’re screwed even if you’re like us in a safe and dry area. Also, you won’t be able to get to malls as MKG or MOI since those boulevards are flooded.

But like I said, the last 4 years it has been much better.