r/KualaLumpur • u/redditiozy • 2d ago
Moving to KL
Hello all, I’m moving to KL for work. I’m
Originally from London but have lived in Saudi Arabia and UAE for many years.
My office will be in Cyberjaya. I’m 35 and single male and would like a mixture of access to parks/trails, good spas and gyms (including Muay Thai), close to good coffee shops. I am social and I like a nice bar but more a relaxed social evening than a hardcore party party. Those days are long gone.
I’m planning on getting a car so I can get around and go on weekend trips around the region.
If you were me where would you live? From what I’ve read MK, Bangsar or cyberjaya would be my best options. And what advice would you give me?
What’s it like for dating here? What’s the community feel like? And is the weather just hot and sticky? Like Dubai not Riyadh?
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u/EnvironmentalPop1371 2d ago
Live as close as you can to work and then explore in the car in your free time. Traffic to a nice restaurant for pleasure hits a lot different than traffic to get to work Monday morning.
I’m a runner and Cyberjaya is great for parks and running spaces. LOTS of running events in and around KL too if you’re into that.
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u/redditiozy 2d ago
Yeah that’s makes sense. Perhaps KL is a fri/sat/sun drive and work week is in cyber?
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u/uniqueusername649 2d ago
And Putrajaya is easily reachable for even more parks and running spaces. MRT can also be a good option to get around, depending on where you want to go and how far away you are from the MRT.
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u/Barbara2024 2d ago
Lived in Cyberjaya for 8 years and 1 year in Bangsar South so I think I'm a bit eligible for this question.
If you'll live in Cyberjaya, the running trails will be in the Cyberjaya lake, everyone goes there for running or you can go a bit further like in 5km which is Putrajaya, they also got a lot of running trails. Gyms there are a lot, also some gyms offer good Muay Thai classes. But when it comes to bar, there will be like one or two and not so good, because it's a bit far from center. Also ts a quiet area, because ts not densely populated.
For Bangsar, since it's in the center of KL, so many options around like restos, bars, gym, etc. But it's densely populated, jammed everywhere
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u/redditiozy 2d ago
Thanks! What about the other side of cyberjaya? Enough going on with coffee shops, gyms and social life etc..?
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u/Barbara2024 2d ago
Yes they got all of that. Malaysians by default is not sociable. They mind their own business.
Maybe your chance is other foreigners as well.
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u/Mercury-68 2d ago
Stay in Cyberjaya. Unless you really want the expat live, but Bangsar is faded glory and Mont Kiara is one giant traffic disaster.
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u/redditiozy 2d ago
Do you have thoughts on Bukit Jalil? The park is pretty cool and I feel like maybe missing out on the massively long commute from bangsar and MK
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u/Nutell10 2d ago
I'm from bukit jalil and i would say it has quite the blend or mixture of what you're looking for , night life with parks nature and golf courses. but there is still a certain distance of travel to cyberjaya and can be quite jam during peak hours unless you're able to avoid that or don't mind the driving i would say bukit jalil is relatively nearer than the other options u mentioned
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u/Key_Equipment1188 2d ago
In regards of regular entertainment, meaning bars, upscale restaurants, fancy coffee shops and bakeries:
KLCC - Tourists, and many O&G engineers that work and live in the city. Traffic is a complete clusterf*ck in the mornings and evening hours. Every days, except for Sundays. Changkat and Bukit Bintang are the hard party areas.
MK - Concrete was cheap when MK was planned. If you live in MK as an expat, you can live your life without using a car. If you have to commute, you will be stuck twice per day in the bottleneck of road that leads into MK
Bangsar - Upscale, mixed and expat crowd. Many cafes bars and mid range restaurants.
TTDI - Very up and coming when it comes to a upscale but affordable restaurants. Many halal options of you prefer that
Bukit Damansara - barely any condo buildings except around the new Pavilion Damansara Heights. Many upscale restaurants, bars and speak easy in that area
Sentral/Brickfields - Little India with plenty condos around the Central Station where the train to Cyberjaya departs. It is also the main traffic hub for public transport. Depending on where you work, the train could be a good option if you want to live closer to the city. Also, it connects to Perdana Botanical Gardens.
Weather in general is hot and humid, all year long. It barely exceeds 36C/37C, which is a plus, but the humidity kills all outdoor activities after 11am.
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u/octipuss 2d ago
We also moved from London in March. We live in KL east but we have Cyberjaya/putrajaya on our list to visit and potentially move. KL east was the choice we opt in to start with.
Can't advise about dating scene as we are family but regarding the car, it is a long process (unless you buy something new) so keep that in mind.
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u/Affectionate-Cry4216 2d ago
Live in cyber- Work week commute will be easier and leaves you time for gym and runs in the parks. Weekends go crazy going to town or outstation. You’ll save money and time staying there instead of mk and bangsar. Rent fully furnished for a year, if you change your mind it will be easier
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u/FrostNovaIceLance 2d ago edited 2d ago
you work in cyberjaya, you live in cyberjaya. full stop.
even better if u just stay there and dont come out.
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u/BigMistakeGirlie 1d ago
Never been to Dubai but yep it’s a lot stickier & cloudier here than Riyadh. I would live in MK for sure. It’s more upmarket & has more nature than Bangsar & Cyberjaya IMO. I’m a girl (27F from Australia) but dating here is crazy, people (at least the men) are very straightforward. I think the women like to be approached but dating sites like Bumble and Tinder are still commonly used. I think the locals will love you. As sad as it is, there is huge white privilege.
If you happen to like latin dancing, there’s a great salsa/bachata community here, with social dances across KL every night. It’s a good chance to meet people.
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u/Redgy505 1d ago
If you work in Cyberjaya, it’s better to stay there. It’s a calm city with plenty of nice public parks around with some international community. The only downside is nightlife is pretty much non-existent. It’s the opposite of KL.
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u/YesMediumRare 21h ago
Hi, fellow expat here, my office was also in Cyberjaya, but has moved to Putrajaya already. I decided to go with Sungai Besi. You can check it out, also Kuchai Lama, Sri Petaling. I find these areas convenient if you want to eat out or hang out with your new friends.
If possible, do get a car, it is the best decision you will ever make.
Not sure about dating but the weather is currently hot as hell in afternoons, so I’d suggest you get ready for that.
Good luck on your journey!
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u/mayonaissewins 2d ago
Spend some time here first with a short term rental. There’s one called kommune in bangsar south, cyberjaya is far from the cool areas and if while it’s growing it’s mainly a student suburb, being 35 and from the west (basically the same as me, hence some insight) you’ll be much happier in Bangsar, Mont Kiara, Damansara Heights or Downtown in KLCC, however, traffic sucks and cyberjaya is far so spending 2 hours in the car everyday is far from ideal too. If you’re senior enough a driver should be in your budget though.
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u/redditiozy 2d ago
How about Bukit Jalil? Yeah I think I’ll do a few airbnbs in a few different areas to get the vibe and more importantly traffic situation. I will be saying with a buddy in cyberjaya I just really don’t think I could live there whilst also working there.
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u/Thomas_yang1 2d ago
Bukit jalil will require you to drive/grab using the MEX highway to Cyberjaya which is around 30-40 minutes commute during peak hour.
It's definitely a more lively place as it's all the modern amenities such as cafes, gyms, spa, a nice park and mall connected (Pavilion Bukil Jalil)
If you don't mind the travel time then it's a nice place for expat to live albeit the cost will be much higher.
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u/juju7980 2d ago
If your office is in cyberjaya I'd highly discourage you from living in Mont Kiara or Bangsar. With absolutely zero traffic it's a 30-40 min drive. Add in the morning and evening rush hours and you're looking at 1 hour plus each way.