Damansara Heights

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Damansara Heights

Area Guides - Kuala Lumpur

Thursday, 18 June 2009

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Bukit Damansara or Damansara Heights is a western suburb in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, located less than 5 kilometres from the city centre. It is a much sought-after residential and commercial address in the Klang Valley. It was dubbed as the Beverly Hills of KL by The Star (Malaysia) newspaper in 1995, listing it as one of the most expensive housing markets in Malaysia.

BACKGROUND AND PROGRESS

Damansara Heights is one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in KL positioned high up on the hills in the midst of a quiet surrounding, just minutes away from the hurly-burly of the city centre. This panoramic and easily accessible township is a much sought after refuge for upper class Malaysians, cabinet ministers and expatriates among others. Damansara Heights is a paradise that caters to the desires of Malaysians and successful expatriates of all walks of life with world class facilities, international cuisines and a glamorous nightlife.

This area is considered a prime elite location with its easy accessibility from the city center and Petaling Jaya. Jalan Maarof from Bangsar easily connects Jalan Damansara. Jalan Duta and Jalan Semantan can be utilized for a quick drive into Damansara Heights from the North-South Expressway.

According to The Edge Daily, Damansara Heights prides itself as one of the most exclusive neighbourhoods in Malaysia. Starting as a residential scheme for government servants more than two decades ago, the address has evolved into a popular choice for high net-worth and the elite class. Besides this, almost all major financial institutions are represented in this limited commercial enclave which now hosts colleges, large multinational corporations, restaurants, regulatory bodies and government departments. To be precise, Jalan Semantan, Jalan Dungun, Jalan Damanlela and Medan Setia are the main corridors with commercial developments.

Over the years, the strategically located Damansara Heights has emerged as a favourable alternative to the congested Golden Triangle in KL. The first office building that came up in Damansara Heights was Wisma Damansara, built in 1970 by Selangor Properties. This was followed by Damansara Office Complex on Jalan Dungun, which at the time also housed the local stock exchange.

There are about 25 purpose-built office buildings within the Damansara Heights Commercial enclave, contributing some 5,000,000 sq ft (460,000 m2) of settable office space. Rentals here are about 25% cheaper than that in the city — for example in KL City Centre with the exception of Grade A buildings like Petronas Twin Towers, Menara Maxis, Menara Citibank, Menara Dion and Menara IMC, rent averages at RM 10 per square feet against RM 5 per square feet in Damansara Heights. The crème de la crème of Petronas Twin Towers commands RM12 per square feet while Menara Milenium in Damansara Heights fetches RM 8 per square feet.

The Damansara Heights landscape is improving and demand heating up — as evidenced by the 100% occupancy in 70% of the buildings. The net take-up in 2006 was 71,000 square feet (6,600 m2). The housing facility availability in the area is another draw. The lists of A-grade tenants relocating here is growing, due possibly to the easier traffic flow (helped by the upgrading of the Sprint Highway), competitive rentals and accessibility between KL, Petaling Jaya and other suburbs. Fortune 500 firms such as Caltex, Hewlett-Packard, Siemens, Ogilvy and Shell all have their operational bases in Damansara Heights.

The office market in the Klang Valley totals 70,000,000 sq ft (6,500,000 m2) and this is dominated by city-located projects (65%), Damansara Heights (7.5%), Bangsar/Pantai (6.4%), Petaling Jaya (9.5%) and others. Based on government-sourced data, Damansara Heights will see another 500,000 sq ft (46,000 m2) in the near future. These will be Grade A and B buildings and with demand tightening in the area, we see the additional space being absorbed quite easily.

Damansara Heights is limited by its small size of developable commercial land and redevelopment is therefore on the cards. The trend is already evident in the demolishing of Wisma Socfin on Jalan Semantan for the construction of UOA II Damansara. Several buildings nearby have also been slated for redevelopment. Increasing efficiency of newer buildings and more modern designs are the driving forces behind this trend. There are now redevelopment plans for some office buildings in the area, such as Banguan SPPK and Wisma Damansara. Wisma Beringin is undergoing refurbishment.

SHOPPING, LEISURE AND ENTERTAINMENT

Although it’s not known as one of the city’s great shopping areas, Damansara Heights has a good selection of local shops located at several small commercial centres. There’s no really big supermarket so you’ll probably have to go to Bangsar for your weekly grocery shop.

However, Hock Lee on Jalan Batai is a good mini market. There is a small mall at Plaza Damansara and banks and a post office at the Pusat Bandar Damansara complex. You’ll find a few up market boutiques catering to the area’s affluent population located in converted bungalows. A number of interior designers and up market dressmakers have showrooms here.

Medan Damansara and Pusat Bandar Damansara are the best areas for eating out. If you’re after a livelier scene, it’s only a ten minute drive in one direction to Bangsar’s Jalan Telawi or in the other direction to Desa Sri Hartamas. The nearest cinemas are in Mid Valley, about 20 minutes drive away.

The national science centre, Pusat Sains Negara is at Persiaran Bukit Kiara on the edge of Damansara Heights. Nearby Bukit Kiara Club is popular with expats and has good sports facilities including swimming, horse riding, a driving range and tennis courts. There’s a Fitness First gym at Pusat Bandar Damansara.

FACILITIES