Balakong is a township located in Selangor, to the south of Cheras. It’s a neighbourhood that combines a true village-in-the-city feel with rapidly evolving retail and commercial areas, as the traditional roots of this predominantly Chinese neighbourhood have seen accelerating development in recent years.
This township was once surrounded by rubber plantations and agricultural land. Today, the traditional buildings of Kampung Baru Balakong are surrounded by a developing urban landscape. The state’s growing industrial and commercial focus is pushing forward development in towns like Balakong, resulting in a surge of new property in Selangor to meet the area’s growing needs.
Traditional housing in the area can still be found at Kampung Baru Balakong, while the majority of new development is comprised of commercial centres, industrial parks, apartment blocks, and a growing number of Balakong condo complexes.
With prime connectivity along major highways, residents of Balakong are well placed for a number of local urban amenities. The Mines is perhaps the most famous nearby leisure and retail centre, an impressive leisure complex that includes a large number of health and wellness offerings such as spa resorts and golf courses, as well as popular The Mines Shopping Mall. Amerin Mall provides a modern neighbourhood mall with a family-friendly feel, boasting a number of retail and F&B outlets, as well as being home to a cinema complex. AEON Mall Balakong is another popular local mall, offering a large range of retail outlets alongside a great F&B offering.
The landscape around luxury Mines Wellness Centre offers a manicured outdoor space in which to relax. Residents looking for a more active outdoor escape may enjoy the nearby Lake Valley park, located in Cheras 9 Miles. As well as providing pleasant lake views, this popular park boasts playgrounds for kids, and is a frequent destination for local joggers.
The neighbourhood’s malls provide a solid foundation to Balakong food offerings, with established branded chains and international cuisine alongside a range of cafes and coffee shops. Traditional local cuisine is also influenced by the region’s original Hakka Chinese population, making for some great local hawker foods and restaurants for residents to enjoy.
Locals also benefit from ample choice when it comes to grocery shopping in the area, with a number of supermarkets and hypermarkets to choose from. There are several Giant supermarkets within easy travel of the neighbourhood, including Giant Superstore Cheras and Giant Superstore South City, providing a large range of groceries and household goods. AEON Mall offers another supermarket choice in the area, as does the more substantial offering of AEON BiG Hypermarket at Cheras 9 Mile. Econsave at Jalan Balakong represents a discount-driven alternative for affordable groceries and staples.
While Balakong has witnessed rapid development, it still boasts easy access to a number of public and private schools that are conveniently located for the neighbourhood. Australian International School Malaysia, Tanarata International School, Kingsgate International School, Alice Smith International School, and Eaton International School offer a wide range of curriculums for primary and secondary education within easy travel of the neighbourhood.
Balakong boasts access to major highways that crisscross the Klang Valley, with the SILK Highway providing a link through to the Cheras-Kajang Expressway to the east. To the west, residents can find access to a section of the extensive North-South Expressway. While these routes provide excellent connectivity on paper, they are extremely busy at popular periods, which can impact travel times for residents of the Balakong area.
Public transport within the neighbourhood itself is limited to bus services, with a number of routes travelling along the SILK Highway. The Serdang KTM Komuter Station provides another means of travel, located just 10 minutes’ drive from Balakong, enabling connections to KL Sentral and the wider Klang Valley public transport network. MRT Batu Sebelas Cheras offers an alternative public transport route, also within roughly 10 minutes’ drive of Balakong.
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