10 Stereotypes About Jakarta (and why they are inaccurate)

Jakarta was named as one of worst expat cities to live in by BusinessWeek in an article published in 2009. Among long term expatriates living here, this ranking could not have been more inaccurate and it was laughed at widely. Jakarta is a city facing many enormous challenges, but it is not the hellhole some people like to describe.

To bring back some justice to this city, here is the list of 10 stereotypes that I hear about Jakarta, and why they aren't true:

1) "Jakarta is one of the most polluted city in the World"

Jakarta is polluted of course, but it is far from being among the most polluted in the World, especially if you stay in South and Central Jakarta.

According to this document (click on "2011 air pollution in cities database"), from the UN World Health Organization, which compares the annual measurement of PM10 (particulates that have a diameter of up to 10 μm) by cities, Jakarta is less polluted that most other cities in Asia. It is for instance less polluted than Seoul, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Delhi, Beijing, Shanghai,

2) "Jakarta is not safe"

There is crime in Jakarta, but it is still a safe city if we consider the statistics, especially for murder. I invite you to look at these numbers coming fom the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime: Click here, and then on the link "Homicides in the most populous city". They give you the figures for the intentional homicide count and the rate per 100,000 persons in the world's biggest cities (between 2000 and 2010).

On average, Jakarta has 0,7 murder for 100,000 inhabitants. Bangkok has 4 murders, Kuala Lumpur 4.4, New York 5.6, Seoul 2.4, Paris 1.6, Berlin 1.8, London 1.6, Sydney 1.1.

In fact, Jakarta is the safest city of the list except for Tokyo (0.4) and Reykjavik in Iceland.

3) "Jakarta is below sea level".

Jakarta is on average at a height of 8 meters above sea level. But it is true that around 40% of the city is under that level, especially in the North.

The most worrying part is that the city is currently sinking at the speed of up to 12 centimeter per year. This is due to the combination of several factors: Over-pumping of the city's water resources, the growing weight of the city (all those new towers do make Jakarta more fat), and excavation of the ground for new projects.

More: http://www.theatlanticcities.com

4) "The traffic in Jakarta is unavoidable"

This is part wrong as it depends where you live and how you are organizing your transportation. If you stay in Bekasi and you have to work 9 to 5, then you are screwed. If you have some flexibility about your working hours, and if you don't live too far from the city center, then you should be able to avoid the worst of the traffic jams.

My general rules:
- Use your legs as much as possible.  For instance, to avoid riding an extra kilometer to turn around ("putar balik), it is often better to be dropped on the wrong side of the road and to cross it by foot.
- Avoid being on the streets at the following time: 7am to 10am, 5pm to 8pm
- Avoid Kemang on a Friday and Saturday night
- Avoid shortcuts during peak hours as you are very likely to be stuck
- Always use the major roads (Sudirman, Gatot Subroto, Thamrin) and if possible the toll roads.
- Choose very carefully your hotel or accommodation. The location should be one of your top considerations.
- For long trips across the city, do not hesitate to take the Transjakarta and its dedicated lines.

5) "The only taxis that are reliable are Blue Bird taxis"

Blue Bird taxis are generally reliable, but so are most of the companies in Jakarta: Gamya, Express, Prima, Taxiku, are all good taxis in my opinion. Rule of thumb: If the taxi looks old and is not in good condition, do not take it.

6) "Jakarta girls are easy"

If all you know about Indonesian girls are those going to CJs or Bats, you will indeed have the impression that it is easy to get Indonesian girls. It is a bit like saying that Dutch girls are easy because you went to the red light district in Amsterdam. Try your luck again in trendy places such as Fable or Lucy in the Sky and you will see that it takes more than a full wallet to get a date.

7) "Prostitution in Jakarta comes from Westerners"

Prostitution in Jakarta for Westerners is rather limited and not organized. It often takes place in the confines of a few 5-star hotels bars (or in Blok M), and the girls are free-lancers. They choose who they want to sleep with and they don't have to share the money with anybody.

Prostitution for Indonesians is massive and controlled by large groups under the protection of local authorities. There are huge brothels and red district areas in Jakarta, where you will never see a foreigner. They cater to all the stratas of society and to all religions. Girls in those places have contracts and get only a fraction of the money paid by the customer. Drug is also widespread, mostly in local clubs in Kota/Mangga Besar area.

There is a lot of poverty in Jakarta, and a wide gap between the rich and the poor. But Jakarta is wealthy: According to this study, it is the third richest city in Southeast Asia behind Singapore and Bangkok, with a total GDP of US$ 224,000,000,000.

 

It depends who you are, what you are looking for, how you are looking for it, and what you compare Jakarta with.

If you are on a short term expatriation of 2 or 3 years and a minimum open-minded, you should have enough things to do to fill those years. Jakarta has shopping centers, restaurants, spas, nightlife, theaters, a zoo, an ice rink, concert halls, stadiums, dozens of different neighborhood, a beachfront, a colonial area, museums, traditional markets, festivals, expat clubs, golf courses, friendly people, huge parks, etc...

People criticize the lack of activities in Jakarta. But how many among those have actually been to one of the city's museum? How many have been to an art gallery in Jakarta? How many have been to one of the events organized on a weekly basis by the foreign cultural centers?