Taman Desa offers a good blend of accessibility, amenities, and security that is the hallmark of a desirable residential area for both foreigners and locals.
When it comes to moving to a different country or a new location, the first few questions that often pop in our mind are: “Where is the best place to live?” or “What is it like living that neighbourhood?”. If you’re a foreigner looking for a job vacancy in Malaysia, for instance, you may face the challenge of deciding on the best neighbourhood to call your new home.
What makes a great neighbourhood is often a matter of personal taste and preference. Some might like quieter and more serene surroundings, away from the hustle and bustle. Others might choose to be nearer to the city “action” – bright lights, hip joints, party vibes, shopping sprees, nightlife, fancy restaurants, music galore. Where your home is reflects your personality and living requirements.
Some neighbourhoods blend the best of both worlds – and more. A prime example is Taman Desa, an established address in the heart of Kuala Lumpur that has progressed in leaps and bounds over the years. Let’s check out 7 things that make a great neighbourhood and how Taman Desa ticks these boxes:
1. It’s located close to KLCC, minus the standstill
While living in the city centre may be convenient for some; ideally, the best locations are the ones that sit outside of the congestion while being close enough to the city.
The wonderful thing about Taman Desa is its proximity to Kuala Lumpur City Centre as well four of Kuala Lumpur’s most iconic developments: the magnificent Petronas Twin Tower (8.8km); the world’s 7th tallest freestanding tower, The Kuala Lumpur Tower (9.9km); bound to be the tallest building in Malaysia, The upcoming Merdeka PNB 118 (7.7km): and Malaysia’s very own version of Canary Wharf, New York’s Freedom Tower, and Shanghai IFC, The Exchange 106 (7.1km).
The best part of all, since Taman Desa is not located within the heart of the city itself, you’ll experience less congestion. Well, you can’t avoid traffic altogether unless you live in the skirts of Klang Valley, but why not if you can cut your time spent in traffic even by just 10%?
2. It is surrounded by all the best amenities
Neighbourhoods with great facilities are infinitely more attractive because residents will not have to travel far for their daily wants and needs. To put things into perspective, from Taman Desa, there are a number of popular malls are within easy reach, such as Mid Valley Megamall (3km), Nexus Bangsar South (4.8km), Bangsar Village (5.9km), Bangsar Shopping Centre (7.4km) and even Suria KLCC sits only 8.8km away. Shopping galore, indeed!
Most importantly, if you’re a foreigner planning to relocate with your family, Alice Smith School is located just a short 8 minutes’ drive from Taman Desa. As one of the oldest international schools around, The Alice Smith School’s programme of study is based on the English National Curriculum. While priority for admissions is given to students of the founding trustee nations such as Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland, one-third of the school’s student population is made up of Malaysians and 49 other nationalities.
Kuen Cheng High School (KCHS) also knows as SM (Persendirian) Kuen Cheng (“坤成中学“), located 7.1km away runs a dual system where their students sit for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC).
Thanks to its affordable healthcare and well-trained medical staff, Malaysia ranked number 1 in the healthcare category of International Living’s 2019 Global Retirement Index. Plus, prescriptions in Malaysia cost a fraction of what you pay in other countries.
With several prominent hospitals located in the neighbourhood such as Taman Desa Medical Centre (2.5km), and Pantai Medical Centre (5.2km) and, winner of Hospital of the Year in Malaysia 2019 Prince Court Medical Centre (8.1km).
3. It has its very own Avengers to ensure safety
Whether you’re living within or at the fringes of the city, safety is paramount. There’s no point living in luxurious surroundings if you are always stressed about the safety of yourself and loved ones. This is evident in many modern developments – whether landed or high-rise apartments/condos. Developments in Taman Desa offer these top-notch facilities such as gated and guarded areas with multi-tier security.
The area is also known to have a low crime rate, which should be reassuring for residents in the neighbourhood. Plus, the locals established an association called “TDRA” or Taman Desa Residents Association to address and solve security-related neighbourhood issues. A new residents association, Taman Desa Phase 1 Residents Association (TDP1RA) that was established in 2011 initiated a Guarded Security Scheme which effectively decreased the number of petty crimes significantly with almost zero occurrences within the guarded area.
4. It is only 11 minutes away from KLIA Express
Travelling in and out of the country is effortless from Taman Desa as you can easily catch an 11-minute ride to KL Sentral, the main railway hub of Kuala Lumpur. From here you can take a ride on KLIA Transit, an electronic rail service (ERL) that travels between KL Sentral, KLIA, and KLIA 2 operating at 20-minute intervals during peak hours and 30-minute intervals during off-peak hours.
Despite having no direct, public transportation link, its proximity to major transport hubs such as KL Sentral and Bandar Malaysia South MRT Station makes going places a breeze if you live here.
5. It is a food heaven!
Malaysians are crazy about food – it is a truth universally acknowledged. Face it, wherever we live, whether near or far from the town centre, there is one must-have X factor – food, food, food everywhere, round the clock! From 24-hour “mamaks”, popular fast-food chains, gourmet restaurants, local delicacies – we like to be near food outlets to satisfy our cravings whenever they strike.
There’s an abundance of great local and non-local eateries within Taman Desa’s neighbourhood. Taman is famous for its wide selection of Japanese and Korean restaurants. Some of the popular Korean restaurant options here are Seoul Korea, Shinmapo Korean BBQ, Apple Samgyupsal and Korean BBQ Nak Won.
While options for Japanese cuisines include Eatomo Food Co, Koyaku Japanese Dining & Grill, Himawari Japanese Cuisine as well as Taisyu Yakiniku (known by locals as the famous Gerai Makan Japanese BBQ)
For those with a taste for local cuisines, there are endless options that will keep your mouth watering such as Restoran Sepeteng, Old Tricycle (also known as the Original Charcoal BBQ Yong Tau Foo), Woopin Fish head Noodles, Fan Cai Xiang Vegetarian Restaurant, Taste & Memories and the evergreen roti canai stalls beneath the trees. Your taste buds will be spoilt for choice if you live in this neighbourhood!
6. You can maintain a balanced and quality lifestyle here
Nowadays, many home owners like to combine these elements when choosing a neighbourhood. For example, if you’re in quiet neighbourhood does not necessarily mean you have to sacrifice easy access for amenities. Similarly, if you’re located near the town centre you don’t have to forego elements like greenery and recreational parks. Taman Desa boasts a recreational park where break out a sweat during your outdoorsy weekend. It is also boosted by lush green surroundings and landscapes that make walking a joy, not a chore. You get to enjoy the serene view and shaded landscape walking from one point to another.
Work hard, play hard – some days you just want to let your hair down after a taxing at the office. That’s why home buyers often choose neighbourhoods that aren’t too far away from the hip swaying, toe tapping, crooning and head banging scene to blow off some steam. With 8km proximity to the city centre, you’ve got plenty of entertainment options at places such as TREC KL, Mid Valley Megamall, Suria KLCC and Bangsar.
7. It’s high rise properties has been experiencing good value appreciation
Having a good house with solid surroundings is not enough for current homeowners. They would also want their residential units to appreciate in value over time. This would enable them to consider selling their homes, if necessary, in the future. Homebuyers should be confident of solid returns on investment if they decide to purchase property in an area.
It is not just the property itself that contributes to the increase of its value. Surrounding developments may also have positive (or negative) effects on the future value of the property. In the case of Taman Desa, the upcoming multi-billion Ringgit mega project, Bandar Malaysia (located merely 2.2km away) which will become a hub for tourism, trade, culture and innovation upon completion; And the opening of Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway (DUKE) phase 2 which connects MRR2 and DUKE and helps to disperse traffic to and from MRR2 to city centre.
The Bandar Malaysia development which will be central to the high-speed rail (HSR) project, and will definitely boost property prices in the neighbourhood. Upcoming surrounding developments and projects will positively influence the value of surrounding developments.
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