Taman Century and KSL City Area Guide: Living Near The Asteriaz and The Celestz

If you are looking at The Asteriaz or The Celestz, you will hear three names used almost interchangeably: Taman Century, Century Garden and Taman Abad. Add “near KSL” and it can get confusing fast. Which one is the neighbourhood you would actually live in? What is within walking distance, how good are the schools and hospitals, and will tenants want to rent here? This Taman Century and KSL City area guide answers those questions with verified facts and distances from our JB amenities map and published listings.

Our Kebun Teh neighbourhood guide covers the street-level picture on the Kebun Teh side, and our guide to living near KSL City focuses on the mall. This page looks at the wider Taman Century estate: its history, landmarks, food, schools, transport and rental demand.

Taman Century, Century Garden, Taman Abad: what is the difference?

They are the same area. Century Garden is the English name of the estate, Taman Abad is its Malay name (“abad” means century), and locals often say Taman Century. KSL City’s official location is given as Taman Abad, and EXSIM’s Kebun Teh projects are on Jalan Abad, at the estate’s edge where it meets Kebun Teh and Larkin.

A few quick orientation points:

• Postcodes: portal transaction records use 80250 for Taman Century; the EXSIM towers on Jalan Abad use 80350 (Larkin).
• Main roads: the estate connects to Jalan Dato Abdullah Tahir and Jalan Dato Sulaiman via the Tebrau Highway, close to the city’s central business district.
• Neighbours: Kebun Teh and Larkin to the west, Taman Pelangi to the south-east, and Taman Melodies, Taman Maju Jaya and Taman Kempas around it.

A short history of Century Garden

Century Garden is one of the earliest housing developments in Johor Bahru. It was developed by businessman Yap Siew Cheng (1918–1970) at a time when the site was considered far from town and surrounded by rubber estates, which made it an ambitious project for its day.

That history still shows. The estate has older single-storey terraces from the 1960s alongside larger bungalows on higher ground, and a commercial spine along Jalan Dato Sulaiman with Metropolis Tower, Menara MAA, DNP Plaza and Holiday Plaza. Over the decades it went from a far-flung suburb to one of the most central addresses in north JB. The newest chapter is the high-rise wave on its edge, led by KSL City and now EXSIM’s two towers.

What this means for you: you are buying into a mature, proven neighbourhood, not a new township that still has to find its feet.

KSL City Mall and Holiday Plaza: the two anchors

Taman Century has two malls from two different eras, and between them they cover almost every everyday need.

KSL City Mall

KSL City opened on 12 December 2010, developed by KSL Holdings Bhd. It has seven floors, around 500 retail outlets and about 2,800 car park bays. The complex also includes two KSL Resort Hotel towers with 904 hotel rooms and 602 condominium units, plus a theatre and a water theme park. KSL City is a weekend favourite with Singapore visitors, which keeps restaurants and shops busy.

Holiday Plaza

Holiday Plaza on Jalan Dato Sulaiman was completed in 1985, with three shopping floors and an 18-storey office tower. It was JB’s most popular shopping centre before City Square opened and is now known for its mobile phone and gadget shops. For residents of The Asteriaz and The Celestz, it is the closest mall, about 550 m away.

For a deeper look at day-to-day life next to the mall, read our KSL City living guide.

Taman Century amenities and distances (table)

From the EXSIM towers on Jalan Abad, most daily needs are within about 2 km. The table combines straight-line distances from our amenities map with figures from property-portal listings and the project fact sheet.

Straight-line distances are always shorter than real routes. Check the drive at the time you would travel.

Food in Taman Century

Taman Century’s food scene mixes decades-old family stalls with newer cafés, so you can eat well without going to the city centre. An October 2026 food guide by iPackTravel picked out several local favourites:

• Restoran Yit Foh Wanton Noodle: house-made wantons and barbecue pork, serving for more than 50 years.
• Tian Xiang Yong Peng Fish Ball Noodle: handmade fishballs, served dry, in soup or as laksa.
• August Drip Coffee: a roaster and café with pour-over coffee and home-baked cakes.
• Restoran Banh Mi V: a Vietnamese café known for its crisp baguettes.
• Carton King Street Mall: Hong Kong-style dim sum and a halal-certified multi-cuisine restaurant.
• Traditional snack shops: Hong Kong-style bowl cakes and handmade pastries, popular as gifts.

Add the food courts in KSL City and Holiday Plaza and the night market on Jalan Setera, and daily meals are well covered. Opening hours change, so check before you go.

Schools and healthcare near Taman Century

Taman Century and the Kebun Teh side next to it are well served for families. Property portals list five schools within about 1.2 km of The Asteriaz, and two private hospitals sit within about 2 km.

Always confirm enrolment zones and admission rules directly with each school.

Getting around: roads, buses and the border

Taman Century is a driving neighbourhood with good road and bus links. The CIQ is about 3.2 km away, which project materials put at around 10 minutes by car.

• By car: the Tebrau Highway runs past the estate, and the Eastern Dispersal Link, toll-free since January 2018, gives a direct expressway approach to the CIQ.
• By bus: KSL City is served by Causeway Link route J100, and Larkin Sentral, about 1.7 km away, has intercity and cross-border buses.
• RTS Link: the Bukit Chagar station is about 2.5 km away in a straight line, so plan on a short drive, bus or e-hail. Passenger service is targeted for February 2027 (LTA–MOT, October 2026), with a 5-minute ride to Woodlands North. Fares have not been announced.
• Proposed shuttle: the developer has proposed a shuttle from The Asteriaz and The Celestz to the CIQ and RTS; treat it as a proposal until confirmed.

Our Asteriaz to CIQ and RTS guide compares the routes in detail.

Rental demand around Taman Century and KSL City

Rental demand here comes from several directions at once, which is what investors look for. StarProperty’s Century Garden profile notes that many residents work in Singapore but prefer to live in JB because it is close and easy to travel from, creating a steady pool of potential tenants.

Other demand drivers are visible on the map:

• Mall and hotel staff at KSL City and Holiday Plaza.
• Healthcare workers at the two private hospitals within about 2 km.
• Families drawn by the five schools within about 1.2 km.
• Singapore commuters who drive and want more space for their budget than the CIQ core offers.

What do rents look like? Published figures for nearby older stock give a baseline: Zennith Suites in Kebun Teh, completed in 2013, shows asking rents of about RM1,500–2,200 a month. Transaction records compiled by list.my show 283 subsales in Taman Century from 2021 to 2026, mostly single-storey terraces, with a median price of about RM590,000. New-generation buildings with full facility decks, such as The Asteriaz and The Celestz, are not yet completed, so they have no rental record yet. For city-centre comparisons, see our JB RTS and CIQ rent index, and to work out returns, our rental yield guide.

But what if you are worried about competing with older, cheaper units? Historically, new buildings in mature areas tend to appeal to a different tenant: someone who wants a pool, gym and security, and is willing to pay for them. Layouts matter too. The Asteriaz 1-bedroom-plus-study of 560 sq ft and The Celestz 753 sq ft triple-key layout are designed for different tenant groups; see our Celestz triple-key rental guide.

What is changing around Taman Century

Taman Century itself is settled, but the places it connects to are changing fast, and that matters for anyone holding property here for the long term.

• RTS Link: passenger service at Bukit Chagar is targeted for February 2027, giving drivers from Taman Century a short hop to a 5-minute cross-border train.
• Park-and-ride at Bukit Chagar: MRT Corp and Sunway’s RM2.6 billion development next to the station includes 1,550 car bays, which suits commuters who drive in from north JB.
• New buildings on Jalan Abad: The Asteriaz and The Celestz, expected around 2029–2030, add a new generation of facility-rich homes to an area of mostly older stock.

Treat dates as targets. Our RTS Link news page tracks the latest.

Practical tips for buying around Taman Century

• Drive the route at commuting time. Go from Jalan Abad to the CIQ on a weekday morning; once the RTS opens, test the drive-plus-train option too.
• Check tenure and land use. Many Kebun Teh condominiums are leasehold, and the EXSIM towers are serviced apartments on commercial title; confirm the remaining lease and land category in the SPA or title.
• Visit at busy times. KSL City draws weekend crowds; see the traffic on a Saturday afternoon before you pick a floor and facing.
• Match the layout to the tenant. Decide whether you are targeting single professionals, healthcare staff or families before choosing between a 1+1, a triple-key or a three-bedroom.
• Run the numbers. Use our JB property calculator for stamp duty, legal fees and instalments.

Who Taman Century suits

Taman Century suits buyers who want a central, mature neighbourhood with malls, schools and hospitals close by, and who are comfortable driving 10 minutes to the border.

• Young families: primary schools within walking distance and private hospitals within about 2 km.
• Retirees and multi-generation households: clinics, malls and food within a short trip.
• Singapore commuters who drive: about 10 minutes to the CIQ, plus the RTS Link and buses as alternatives.
• Rental investors: a mixed tenant pool from malls, hospitals, schools and cross-border workers.

If walking to the RTS is essential, compare it with Causewayz Square in the city centre, covered in our Tanjung Puteri area guide. For the two Kebun Teh towers themselves, The Asteriaz has 848 units in a single tower and The Celestz adds 735 units over 44 storeys next door, both expected to complete around 2029–2030. WhatsApp us for the latest SPA price list and floor plans.

Sources

• Wikipedia: KSL City
• Wikipedia: Century Garden
• Wikipedia: Johor Bahru landmarks (Holiday Plaza)
• StarProperty: Century Garden property insights
• list.my: Taman Century transaction records
• iPackTravel: What to eat around KSL City Mall and Taman Century (Oct 2026)
• The Star: Sunway, MRT Corp ink Bukit Chagar hub deal
• LTA newsroom: RTS Link passenger service targeted for February 2027

This guide is general information, not financial advice.