Taman Sari Sudirman is located on Jalan Prof. DR. Satrio, in Karet Kuningan, Setiabudi. This is a strategic street, in the heart of the business district, half-way between Jalan Sudirman and Jalan Rasuna Said. From there, you can also easily go to Mega Kuningan, Jalan Gatot Subroto, Thamrin or SCBD, where all the most important office towers in Jakarta are located.
Just behind, there is a more local neighborhood with low-rise and middle class housing. You can see it from this picture that I took from my apartment:
View of the Setiabudi neighborhood
What are the important landmarks nearby?
Nearby, there are a few landmarks you can go to:
Malls:
Because it has many malls, Jalan Prof. Dr. Satrio has been called the “Orchard Road” of Jakarta (in reference to the famous shopping street in Singapore). Here are the ones near Ambasador 2:
– ITC Kuningan. It is a middle-class mall, very popular, where you can find many electronic shops (photo, computer, phones, etc). It is connected by a sky bridge to Ambasador Mall, which has more cheap fashion outlets.
– Kuningan City is about 7 minutes away by foot. It is a bit empty but some shops are interesting (factory outlets). It also has an XXI cinema, a Lotte Mart supermarket, an Ace Hardware, coffee shops (Starbucks), restaurants, fashion outlets, banks, salons, etc.
– Lotte Avenue is the best of these malls, just opposite Ambasador 2. It is a better version of Kuningan City, with more famous brands like H&M, Uniqlo, etc.
Supermarkets:
There is a Transmart Carrefour in ITC Kuningan which is ok but the products (especially the vegetables and fruits) aren’t always very fresh. I prefer Lotte Mart in Kuningan City, or Ranch Market in Lotte Avenue (quite expensive, though). To buy fruits and vegetables, you can also try All Fresh in Ambassador Mall.
Restaurants:
On the 6th floor of Ambasador Mall, there is a large food court, popular with office workers, with good Indonesian food (especially Manadonese). You also have some cheap restaurant chains like A&W, Pizza Hut, Hanamasa, HokBen, Bakmi GM, etc.
There are better restaurants in Kuningan City Mall (Outback Steakhouse, Imperial Dim Sum, Sate Khas Senayan, etc) or Lotte Avenue (Bacco, Seribu Rasa, Jittlada, etc).
Bars and Nightlife:
There is an excellent nightlife scene in Mega Kuningan, just a few minutes away, or in SCBD (10 minutes by car).
Education
This is not the best area if you have kids or if you are a student. There are not many universities or International schools. Here a few within a reasonable distance:
Universities: Bakrie University, Atma Jaya Semanggi, London School of Public Relations, Sahid University, STIE Perbanas
Schools: International Islamic School, Royal Primary Academy (Sekolah Royal Tunas Mulia – 10 minutes away), Highscope (from preschool to high school – in Taman Rasuna)
Preschools: Starchild Daycare, My Tootsie Bear and Kinderfun (Bellagio Mall).
Hospitals:
MMC Hospital
Siloam MRCC
SOS Medika Clinic (expensive – international quality)
Parks:
No parks nearby. If you want to walk, you can go to Mega Kuningan where the streets have proper sidewalks.
Offices:
Many office towers are nearby: Axa, Bakrie, Cyber 2, Menara Karya, etc.
Embassies:
Many within easy reach: Australia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, India, Holland, India, UK, Russia, Ukraine, Greece, Belarus, Hungary, etc.
