Mont Kiara

The neighbourhood in Mont Kiara

The demographics of this area is primarily made up of expatriates, especially Korean, Japanese, Singaporeans and Malaysian Chinese. This unusually high number of expatriates exceeds even the number of locals in the area. It certainly is a major factor as to how the area is developed and maintained as well as changes in market trends. As a result, changes in economic trends which affect expatriate employments can affect the demographic here as well. For example, the economic downturn in 2008-2009 caused the number of expats here to drop as well when they left Malaysia. This, in turn, affected occupancy rates and revenue from rental for the landlords in the area.

Condominiums

Even though there are landed properties in Mont Kiara, such as Puncak Kiara, Villa Aseana, Kiara View, Aman Kiara and Impian Villa, condominium projects greatly outnumber landed properties. The following lists are not exhaustive lists of condominiums in the area but as shown, they are still fairly substantial lists.

Completed Condominiums:
– Mont’Kiara Pines
– Mont’Kiara Palma
– Arte Mont Kiara
– Mont’Kiara Pelangi
– Mont’Kiara Sophia
– Laman Suria
– Mont’Kiara Astana
– Mont’Kiara Bayu
– Hijauan Kiara
– Mont’Kiara Damai
– Mont’Kiara Banyan
– Verve Suites
– Mont’Kiara Aman
– Mont’Kiara Meridian
– Vista Kiara
– Ceriaan kiara
– Seni Mont Kiara
– 11 Mont Kiara
– 10 Mont Kiara
– Tiffani Kiara
– Sunway Vivaldi
– Kiara 9
– Ceriaan Kiara
– 28 Mont Kiara
– Mont Kiara Bayu
– Kiaraville
– Kiara Danai
– Kiara Designer Suites
– Lumina Kiara
– Almaspuri
– Aston Kiara 3
– One Kiara

Current projects:
– Residensi Sefina Mont’Kiara
– Residensi22
– Arcoris Mont’Kiara
– Summer Suites
– Inspirasi Mont’Kiara
– Agile Mont’Kiara
– Kiara 163

Accessibility in Mont Kiara

One of the benefits of living here is its accessibility. It is located right next to the intersection of 4 major highways. They are namely New Klang Valley Expressway E1 (NKVE), North-South Expressway which leads to the northern route, Duta-Ulu Klang Expressway E33 (DUKE) and SPRINT highway E33. Because of this, it takes only 15-20 minutes to get to Petaling Jaya, Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI), Subang Jaya and Kuala Lumpur.

Residents can head to Kuala Lumpur via Jalan Kuching. In addition, they can head to Petaling Jaya via the Kerinchi Link. This allows them to bypass Kuala Lumpur and avoid some traffic congestions. For residents without their own vehicles, they can take a RapidKL bus directly from Mont Kiara to Pusat Bandar Damansara MRT Station via route T852. If they would like to go directly to somewhere more central, a Grab or Uber ride to KL Sentral is about RM9 and is less than 15 minutes.

Amenities in Mont Kiara

Due to its location and accessibility, residents are spoilt for choices when it comes to malls to go to. For instance, the nearest would be 1 Mont’ Kiara, Plaza Mont Kiara or Hartamas Shopping Centre. Having said that, Publika, which is located at Solaris Dutamas, is only 10 minutes away. Not only that, KLCC, located at the heart of Kuala Lumpur, is only 15-30 minutes away, depending on the traffic.

– Affordable Food

As for food, affordable food can be purchased at Sri Hartamas and Desa Sri Hartamas which is within a 3km radius. For those who are willing to spend more to enjoy a greater variety of both Western and Asian food nearby, they can head to Desa Sri Hartamas, Jalan Kiara 1, Solaris Dutamas or Solaris Mont Kiara. According to a local resident, there’s an amazing restaurant in Desa Sri Hartamas which serves delicious Korean fried chicken. That’s definitely something worth exploring for those who love their food, especially Korean food.

– High End Food

For those who prefer a nice ambience as they enjoy their meal, this area is also home to some cafe and bars. Some of these bars also have Ladies’ Night and live band performances. Residents who prefers cooking at home, groceries can be bought from Village Grocer, Jaya Grocer and Cold Storage. You can buy specialty food from the Korean shops, Indian shop and a Middle Eastern and Iranian shop. All of which are within 10 minutes of driving time.

– Public Amenities

Public amenities are definitely not lacking in this area. There are several hospitals and clinics, such as Global Doctors Hospital, Kiara Medical Centre and Hibari Clinic. They are located in the township itself or at least reachable with a short drive. DHL and Pos Malaysia are located in Plaza Mont Kiara. There are several banks, such as Maybank, Alliance and HSBC, that are located in Mont Kiara itself to assist residents with their banking needs.

– International Schools

For residents looking to send their children to international schools, there are 3 international schools in the area, each with different curriculum to cater to the different needs. Garden International School Kuala Lumpur follows the British syllabus while Mont Kiara International School follows the American Syllabus. There is even a French international school, Lycee Francais De Kuala Lumpur, in the area.

Things to do in Mont Kiara

Because of how central Mont Kiara is, both in relation to the big city as well as to the more rural areas, there are a lot of things to do and places of interest to visit. They are all within a 15-minute drive. Bukit Kiara, the “green lung” of Kuala Lumpur, is only a 10-minute drive away. It is a common sight to see runners and joggers here due to its lush greenery. Even city folks, who wish to have a quick escape from the hectic city life, would take a brisk walk here in the mornings.

– Golf & Country Club 

Bukit Kiara is also where the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club is. Those with an interest in equestrian can also drop by Bukit Kiara Equestrian and Country Resort, a centre equipped with horse riding and polo facilities, for riding lessons. For those who prefers parks with other living creatures, they can visit the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park and the Kuala Lumpur Butterfly Park. The Perdana Botanical Garden is around the same distance as well.

– Museum

For the history buffs, they can pay a visit to the various museum located in Kuala Lumpur, such as the National Museum, Trade Museum, National Textile Museum and Islamic Arts Museum. Not only that, they can head over to the National Monument, also known as Tugu Negara. It is erected to commemorate the lives of those lost in Malaysia’s fight for freedom, especially during World War II. Following on from there, residents can also head over to Merdeka Square, known locally as Dataran Merdeka. It is called “merdeka”, which means “independence” because it is the field where Malayan Flag was raised for the first time on 31st August 1957, signifying the independence of Malaya and since then, the annual National Day Parade has always been held there.

– Art Galleries

There are also art galleries within the area for those with an artistic eye and inclination. Those who enjoy performing arts would be happy to know that the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC) is only 20 minutes away from Mont Kiara. It runs shows regularly, whether it’s a musical, concert, dance or other forms of performing arts. There is also the Jazz Festival held yearly in Publika which showcases some of the greatest talents in jazz music in Malaysia. Admission is free to this event.

– Fiesta Nite

In addition, there is Fiesta Nite at Plaza Mont Kiara every Thursday night. While it may appear to be yet another night market in Malaysia, items found here are generally of a higher quality. It is also where residents could purchase some unique homemade treats. According to locals, the atmosphere is elevated to another level during special days such as Christmas.

– Indoor activites

For the residents who prefer something more relaxing or indoor activities, there are also several spas in the area. There is also VR lab, where residents could immerse themselves in the world of virtual reality if that is something they enjoy. Not only that, karaoke fans would be pleased to know there is a karaoke centre, Hotaru Japanese Karaoke, in Plaza Mont Kiara. In spite of its name, Hotaru Japanese Karaoke has a wide selection of Japanese, Korean, Mandarin and English songs and even has some interesting mode to enhance your experience.

The downside in Mont Kiara

There are a few cons to the area, however. Firstly, it is more expensive than the surrounding areas. Besides that, like most parts of the Klang Valley, traffic can be a nightmare during peak hours due to the high number of high rise buildings in the area. There is a possibility of traffic congestion becoming worse with new projects on the way. Unfortunately, there are no cinemas in Mont Kiara, which makes it a bit troublesome as movies are still a common source of entertainment to the general public. This means residents would have to travel to either Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya or Subang Jaya to catch the newest blockbuster.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Mont Kiara is considered a “self-contained” town as there is no real need to leave the township. Residents who live here are generally quite satisfied with the living conditions, probably due to the expectations of expats. Even older condominiums are well-maintained and residents do not usually feel that the condominiums have aged. It is generally a secure neighbourhood, again, probably due to the demographics of the area. There are several cons to living in this area. However, if residents are willing to put up with it, there should hardly be any reason to not be happy here. It is of no surprise why there are so many expats in the area too.