When we hear the words “Damansara” uttered during a conversation, our minds fly off to Mutiara Damansara, or Bandar Utama which houses IKEA, and 1 Utama respectively. It is only until recent years that the booming township of Kota Damansara came into picture. we have seen the booming township of Kota Damansara come into the picture. Kota Damansara was not as well known as its nearby townships.
Rightfully so, because it was a forest reserve before PKNS acquired the land in 1992. It was the meeting point of 3 districts in Selangor; Sungai Buloh, Subang Jaya and Petaling Jaya, it was clear to the developers that there was bound to be potential when setting up a township in the location. Today, it is a suburban township that consists mainly of residential properties, catering to the many demographics populating it. What makes it even better is that it is constantly growing, thanks to the rise in population and urbanisation of its nearby townships.
A mix of well organised developments
Since the start of its development in 1992, there has been a huge number of private developers coming into the township to set up properties. Private entities such as Sunway Bhd, Encorp, Dijaya Corporation, Sunsuria and Andaman Group helped grow the population of Kota Damansara, thanks to their developments in the township. Within Kota Damansara, it is easy to spot out the demographics by it’s location.
The township is divided into a few sections, each with its specific demographic. For example, Section 10 consists of upper-class residences, mostly bungalow units that are gated and guarded. Section 8 consists of low-cost apartments and condominiums. Terrace houses can be found around Section 5. Each area comes with a commercial section, which gives a set of amenities based on the sections. This, despite the segregation, helps ease investors in where they want to put their money in. It seems right to have a township that is well categorized than having them bunched into one location.
Abundance of nearby amenities, and nature
As a result of the amount of amenities that are included in the township, Kota Damansara’s residents are able to get most of their necessities without having to go for a long drive. Developers in Kota Damansara has made sure that their projects are built near commercial hubs, for convenience sake. What’s more, some of the sections house schools, such as SK Seksyen 9 Kota Damansara and SMK Seksyen 10 Kota Damansara, which can be easily accessed by all in the township.
From a view off Google Maps, one would say that there is plenty of untapped land that could be used for more development. That is, however, not the case. The huge greenery that makes half of Kota Damansara is known as the Kota Damansara Community Forest Reserve (KDCFR), and as of the year 2010, it has been officially gazetted, subsequently disallowing any property development within the area. The forest reserve will be left untouched, to preserve the biodiversity within, according to the team at KDCFR. Apart from that, more constructive activities will be planned, providing educational and recreational opportunities for the residents surrounding the KDCFR.
Close to social hotspots
Also encompassing Kota Damansara are The Strand and Sunway Giza, 2 established areas where socialites hang out. These 2 spots have made Kota Damansara a sought-after place both to live in and visit, which has resulted in the rise of development and population in the area. In addition to the 2 hotspots, a new commercial development has also established itself in PJU 5; Sunway Nexis, which provides similar amenities as The Strand and Sunway Giza.
Known as the “Hipster Central” and “Party Central” of the area, Kota Damansara gets an influx of visitors, most of them young adults and students from nearby universities. The 3 spots are retail malls, with an abundance of “hipster cafes” and restaurants. Sunway Giza is well known for social gatherings, usually revolving around people gathering to watch live sport matches and music events.
Adjacent to Sunway Giza is Dataran Sunway, which houses Shell Out, one of the latest chain of restaurants that is all the craze amongst urbanites, as well as a number of themed cafes. The Strand has Encorp Strand Mall, providing extra variety with a number of household restaurants and cafes within, along with other entertainment services such as a cinema. The new kid on the block, Sunway Nexis, houses a lot of up and coming hipster cafes, which are well received by many.
Kota Damansara is a township located strategically to a number of amenities and landmarks in Petaling Jaya and Subang, which makes it a very attractive place to invest on properties. Apart from the mentioned landmarks in Kota Damansara, the township is a mere 12 minutes’ drive away from Bandar Utama, home to a number of names, such as Media Prima, and One Utama, one of Malaysia’s biggest shopping malls. This has also led to investors turning commercial outlets provided into hotels, so to accommodate foreigners visiting the area.
Kota Damansara is also close to a few major recreation spots, such as the Seri Selangor Golf Club, the Bandar Utama Golf Course, and Tropicana Golf and Country Resorts. A 20-minute drive down south of Kota Damansara lies Subang Jaya, where a plethora of amenities are provided, such as the Ramsay Sime Darby Medical Center (also known as Subang Jaya Medical Center), the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, and Sunway Pyramid — another one of Malaysia’s biggest shopping malls. Investors looking to turn their property into Airbnb outlets or homestays can consider Kota Damansara as a spot, due to this aspect.
Various routes and modes of travel
Kota Damansara has access to a few of Klang Valley’s major highways, making it easy to travel around the Klang Valley, especially to Kuala Lumpur. It takes only 5 minutes to reach the exit of the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE), which connects to Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, as well as Subang. The NKVE also connects to Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP), and the Sprint Highway. The highways connect Kota Damansara to Puchong and Mont Kiara respectively.
With the amount of amenities and the growing population in the area, residents get to enjoy the abundance of choices given to them. One major disadvantage however, is the amount of traffic that comes with the growth. Many stray away from travelling in and out of Kota Damansara due to the rush hour traffic, which can cause a delay of up to more than an hour for a trip that could take just 10 minutes during off peak hours.
The traffic conundrum and its solution
As mentioned earlier, the area is notoriously known for it’s bad traffic, but that should not deter investors from Kota Damansara. Since the end of 2016, the first phase of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) train lines have been completed and open to all. The first phase runs from Sungai Buloh to Kajang, and cuts through Kota Damansara and Mutiara Damansara. The Surian station is only a 15-minute walk away from the township, cutting the hassle of having to be stuck in traffic and increase public transport usage. There are two other MRT stations nearby, which are the Kota Damansara and Kampung Selamat MRT Stations.
The 3 stations connect Kota Damansara to other major city and townships, allowing residents to travel around different locations without having to drive. The train ride might be little bit longer than a drive, but consider rush-hour traffic and how long one would be stuck in a car, this mode of transport is a no-brainer. Plus, not having to find parking when you reach busy commercial areas will save you loads of time. The initiative of more public transportation in the city is constantly growing, with Phase 2 and 3 of the MRT lines already in work. Thanks to this as well, the township has grown in value, and will only continue growing.
Play video below to take a look at Kota Damansara:
Conclusion
To wrap it all up, Kota Damansara as a township provides enough for its residents, from daily necessities to wellbeing, and in the form of abundant nearby amenities and the Kota Damansara Community Forest Reserve (KDCFR). Its location is strategic, being in the middle Sungai Buloh, Petaling Jaya and Subang Jaya, thus providing another set of amenities to its residents. The location provides ease of travel as well, because of its access to many of the major highways in Klang Valley. Despite the traffic being a deterrent, investors need not fret, as the MRT can be another mode of transportation.
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(Written by: Henry Choo, 19th May 2017)
