One can sense a particular vibe while wandering around the streets of Karet, Central Jakarta. But the area is neither full of the noises of kampung streets, nor manifesting the orderliness of a real estate housing complex.
During the day, the area, with its high gates and multi-story buildings seems deserted. But as the sun goes down, an assortment of white-collar workers roam its streets. Some of them venture inside roadside food stalls to grab a bite after work.
The Karet area has long been renowned for large numbers of boarding houses, also known as kost.
Some of kost rents range from Rp 600,000 (around US$60) to Rp 900,000 a month. These are considered middle-priced. You can find more luxurious options, especially if you want to get away from cramped spaces and poor ventilation.
The Bondi residence is one of those "exclusive" or "premium" kosts. Hidden away in one of the area's corners, the tropical-themed kost boasts three stories that house 24 air-conditioned, furnished rooms.
"The facilities provided include cable TV, hot water, wireless Internet access and a refrigerator in each room," Jafar, the kost's caretaker told The Jakarta Post.
The comfort comes at a cost. Living in the Bondi residence will cost you from Rp 2.35 million to Rp 3 million a month. The city's minimum wage of just over Rp 1 million suggests that not all Jakartans can afford a room there.
"Some of those living here work as directors of companies and as lecturers," Jafar said.
The pricey rates are not a problem, because he said only a few rooms are currently empty.
E. Sutisna, a grandfather who works at an energy company, is one of those who choose to live in the exclusive kost.
Although he owns a house in Pejaten, South Jakarta, the traffic-laden trip to and from work was too much for him.
"It takes over one hour to get from my house to my office," he complained.
After living in an apartment in Sudirman for a year with his daughter, he decided that a kost would be a better option for him when his daughter got married a year ago.
"I figured it was a waste of money to spend Rp 5 million on an apartment unit each month, so I decided to move into a kost," Sutisna said.
He first moved into one in Karet Kuningan behind Ambassador Mall. "The one in Karet Kuningan was more completely furnished than the one I am living now. It had a more spacious room and a gym," he recalled.
But its location created problems for him because he had to drive the long way round to avoid 3-in-1 streets. Thus, he moved kost a few times, each move bringing him nearer to the office, before settling on his current one near the Sudirman Central Business District (SCBD).
His current room, which costs him Rp 2.3 million a month, may not be as spacious as the previous ones, but he said that he adjusted to it after a while.
"All I do after work is read a book or watch television before going to sleep anyway," Sutisna said, laughing.
Another bonus is the communal pantry, which his wife would often use to cook for him every time she came for a visit, he said.
Although Sutisna did not have much time to socialize with all the people in the kost, he said that several of them are doing well climbing the ladders of their careers.
"Some of them are general managers in major companies," he said.
Those who seek comfort yet are reluctant to dig deep inside their pockets can benefit from having a roommate to share the bills with.
Daisy, who works in a multinational electric goods-manufacturing company, currently shares a room in an exclusive kost in Setiabudi, South Jakarta, with a longtime friend.
According to her, she does not feel any discomfort with the arrangement, by which she and her friend split the cost of Rp 2.2 million a month.
"The bed is quite large, so it's not a problem," Daisy said.
Like Sutisna's kost, hers is also equipped with Internet access and cable television.
Exclusive does not always mean problem-free, though.
"Sometimes we have had incidents in which motorbikes disappeared when parked outside, because the kost doesn't have a parking lot inside its gates. There are also cases of clothes vanishing after I had them washed," Daisy said.
But she said the security inside the gates was adequate, as it employed a magnetic card system to open the main entrance.
"I think I will stay here for a while." Daisy said. (dis)
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