Where to Live in KL?

New comers to KL who wish to stay in up market areas which are popular with expats need to decide 3 main things:
1. How far do they want to live from their work place?
2. Do they want to live in a house or a condominium (condo)/apartment?
3. Do they want to be in the city centre or a bit further out with some jungle views?

Most expats live within 15-20 minutes drive to their office and others even walk it. KL is beautiful in that way. It is a very green city with pockets of parks and vegetation here and there. Traffic permitting it is very quick to get around. Traffic is very slow though when it rains and during rush hour and even more so when traffic is held by street police to allow a VIP convoy to pass. So with this in mind pick a location near to your office so that you are not wasting time increasing your blood pressure whilst stuck in traffic!

A hot spot for those who work in the Oil and Gas industry is right in the Centre of town close to the Petronas Towers and Suria KLCC. There are several condos in the area and the prices reflect the prestigious location. Rents range from 7000 to 10 000 and above malaysian ringit per month for 2-3 bedroom apartments.

Some other popular areas are Bangsar, Damansara Heights, Damansara, Ampang, Mont Kiara and Sri Hartamas.
All areas have a mix of houses and condominiums with the latter being more prominent. Condominiums tend to come with a shared pool, a small gym, parking, a snack bar, a jacuzzi. Others have creches/nurseries, saunas, tennis courts, badminton court, squash court and a small convenience store.

I personally live and love Mont Kiara. It is in the suburbs and a bit cut off from the city centre but in return we have a view of the jungle and a view of the Petronas Towers (albeit a view of 2/3rds of them). Situated on a hill we also have a cooler breeze in the evenings and less city noise. A very good location if you work in Bangsar or Sentral.

Depending on your budget there are of course so many other places in KL to choose from.

For more details on prices and pictures of properties visit one of the many sites available.
For example: http://www.iproperty.com.my/

Any questions, please leave a comment and I will be glad to help out.

Picture of a typical condominium below: