The most prestigious addresses in Gurgaon, located along Golf Course Road, are sectors 42, 43, 53 and 54 in DLF City Phase 5, now popularly re-christened as “DLF 5”. Home to the titular ‘DLF 5’ group of residential apartments, these areas are distinguished by robust infrastructure, a plethora of well-known offices, recreational hubs, and access to quality healthcare and educational centres. The DLF 5 residential projects are in super-luxury or luxury categories, complete with high-end amenities and plush apartments. Most of the projects were completed between 2006 to 2014, the newest entrants to the list being DLF The Camellias and DLF The Crest, which would be ready by 2018. They command high prices over and above the average rates in Gurgaon, starting from Rs. 10,5000/- per square foot for older projects like Trinity Towers or Carlton Estate, soaring to well above Rs. 23,000/- in The Camellias.

Having discussed the merits of Golf Course Road in a previous write-up, this feature highlights the exclusive characteristics of DLF 5 residential projects and what makes this sought-after locality the very heart and nerve centre of the Millennium City.

DLF 5 : Location, Connectivity and Infrastructure

The outer limits of DLF 5 are defined by arterial roads like Golf Course Extension Road, Gurgaon-Faridabad Road and ‘Sunset Boulevard’ (between Sectors 22-42).  Golf Course Road starts at Sikanderpur Metro Station and Bristol Chowk precisely, passing right through sectors 42-43 and 53-54, culminating into Golf Course Extension Road.

The prime location enables further access to NH8, DLF Cyber City, DLF Phase 4 and Galleria Market, Southern Peripheral Road, MG Road and Gwal Pahari areas.

The recently completed underpasses have eased road traffic, with work in progress on the last one near Sector 53-54 Rapid Metro Station. Other Rapid Metro stations, namely Phase 1, Sector 42-43, Sector 54 Chowk provide direct connectivity with Sector 55-56, MG Road, Sikanderpur and DLF Cyber City, all of which can be reached in less than 20 minutes.

Supporting infrastructure maintained by DLF also provides 24×7 CCTV surveillance, a dedicated fire station, a sewage treatment plant and mechanized street cleaning system.

DLF 5 : Offices and Commercial Hubs

This neighbourhood is a blessing for those working in the Golf Course Road corporate hub of Gurgaon, wherein the offices can be accessed from the apartment complexes in not more than 10-15 minutes. Several major domestic and global companies are based out of Golf Course Road. Counted among major office buildings are:

• Headquarters of Genpact (Sector 53), American Express (AMEX) building
• One Horizon Centre, 25-storey land mark which houses over 8,00,000 sq ft of office space and 60,000 sq ft of retail space
• Two Horizon Centre, located in sector 43 shares a 14 acres site with One Horizon Centre and AMEX building

These articulately designed commercial hubs offer state-of-the-art facilities, landscaped plazas combined with retail and professionally managed building services. Several options for shared offices or co-working spaces can also be chosen from.

Other mixed use and commercial buildings in the area are Global Foyer Mall, Vatika Atrium, Augusta Point, Vatika Tower, Palm Springs Plaza, Suncity Business Tower, Centrum Plaza, Pacifica Business Park and Paras Downtown. In addition to office spaces, these have showrooms of luxury cars like Mercedes Benz, Porsche, and facilities for conferences, meetings and fine-dining.

DLF 5 : Multiple avenues for Recreation

Good quality recreational centers abound in DLF 5, including some of the most popular malls, clubs and hotels in Gurgaon. South Point Mall is an upscale shopping destination complete with multi-cuisine restaurants, spas and niche outlets.

Though most of the apartments in the vicinity have their individual clubhouses and recreational facilities, DLF 5 community also boasts of “Club 5” opposite DLF Trinity Towers in Sector 53. On the other hand, sector 42, which mainly has super-luxury accommodation, is home to the sprawling 142-acres DLF Golf and Country Club.

As far as hotels are concerned, DoubleTree by Hilton, Anya and Ibis are among well-known names. Select budget hotels and accommodation facilities such as Perch Arbor, Treebo, etc. are also available.

DLF 5 : Schools and Hospitals

Located in Club Drive, Sector 43 contains Lancer’s International School while Sector 54 has Suncity School. Within 5 km radius of DLF 5 are other prominent schools like DPS, The Shri Ram School, Heritage School, Amity, etc. Well-known hospitals like Artemis (Sector 51), Medanta Medicity, Fortis, Max Hospital, and Paras are a 5-15 minutes’ drive from DLF 5.

DLF 5 : An Overview of Residential Complexes

Presence of commercial hubs, sound infrastructure and access to good quality schools and hospitals are a major factor behind the higher-than-average prices at DLF 5 residential complexes.

The super luxury projects are located around the Golf Drive, and overlook the Country Club. In addition to the rent, monthly maintenance charges range from Rs. 6,000 onwards in premium and luxury categories, to more than Rs. 25,000/- in super luxury residences, which also have penthouses. Generally, this category of apartments has superior interior finishes and iconic architectural design. The luxury apartments in Sector 54 are situated along the picturesque “Park Drive” that leads to DLF The Crest. An overview of existing and upcoming projects is provided in the table below:

Project Name	Year of Completion	Category	Types of Apartments & Sizes	Price per sq ft (in Rs.)	Monthly Rent (in Rs.)
Sector 42
DLF The Aralias	2008	Super Luxury	4,5 BHK (5,822 – 10,803 sq ft)	18,550/-	2.2 – 4.0 Lacs
DLF The Magnolias	2011	Super Luxury	4,5 BHK (5,825 – 9,800 sq ft)	22,350/-	3.0 – 7.0 Lacs
DLF The Camellias*	2018	Super Luxury	4,5,6 BHK (7,200+ sq ft)	24,000/-	N/A
Sector 43
DLF The Pinnacle	2008	Luxury	4 BHK (3,979 – 4,868 sq ft)	11,000/-	70 – 95,000/-
DLF The Icon	2014	Luxury	3,4 BHK (2,277 – 2802 sq ft)	12,150/-	55 – 75,000/-
Sector 53
Westend Heights	2007	Premium	4 BHK (2,500-2,700 sq ft)	11,250/-	55 – 80,000/-
Trinity Towers	2006	Premium	3,4 BHK (2,210-2,759 sq ft)	10,350/-	50 – 55,000/-
Royalton Tower	2007	Premium	4 BHK (2,940+ sq ft)	11,900/-	70 – 85,000/-
Princeton Estate	2002	Premium	2,3,4 BHK (965 – 1,562 sq ft)	10,700/-	28 – 35,000/-
Wellington Estate	2004	Premium	3,4 BHK (1,346 – 1,682 sq ft)	10,050/-	24 – 40,000/-
DLF Exclusive Floors	2009	Premium	3 BHK Floors (1,500 sqft)	11,300/-	33 – 50,000/-
DLF Carlton Estate	2003	Premium	2,3,4 BHK (1,050 – 1,688 sq ft)	10,100/-	35 – 48,000/-
Sector 54
DLF Park Place	2016	Luxury	2,3,4 BHK (1,685 – 2,550 sq ft)	13,100/-	40 – 90,000/-
DLF The Belaire	2014	Luxury	4 BHK (2,858 – 4,098 sq ft)	12,200/-	70 – 95,000/-
DLF The Summit	2012	Luxury	4 BHK (3,000 – 3,400 sq ft)	11,500/-	60 – 75,000/-
DLF The Crest*	2018	Luxury	2,3,4,5 BHK (2225–6147 sq ft)	15,900/-	N/A

*Under Construction

DLF 5 : Outstanding Luxury Amenities

Luxury amenities are a defining feature of residential properties on Golf Course, particularly those which are part of DLF 5 community. Such amenities have long been a benchmark for apartments in other parts of Gurgaon as well. For ease of understanding, the differentiating features in every category are discussed:

• Premium projects – clubhouse with banquet hall, swimming pool, gym, sauna, indoor sports, billiards and lounge, landscaped gardens, outdoor sports facilities, kids play areas
• Luxury projects – additional features include multi-cuisine restaurant in clubhouse, basic healthcare
• Super luxury projects – further amenities include extensive landscaping, home theater, bakery, live band in club; individual apartments have larger room sizes, terraces and private lifts.

Basic facilities like power backup, multi-tier security, covered car parking, rain-water harvesting and convenience shopping are provided in all the projects, although most of them do not have a pre-school for younger children. The DLF 5 properties are managed by global real estate services companies such as JLL, which looks after the maintenance and upkeep of the premises and building services.

DLF 5 : Closing Remarks

It is justifiably true that Golf Course Road is a lifeline of Gurgaon, while the DLF 5 group of residences and commercial hub are the enviable equivalent of “Lutyen’s Delhi”. With the launch of The Camellias and The Crest, which are due for possession in 2018, DLF Ltd. has further cemented its standing as the leading developer in the city. At the same time, road works and rapid metro are seeing continuous improvement and expansion. The 10.5 km stretch from DLF Cyber City to Sector 55-56 in Golf Course Road is also being developed as a 16-lane expressway, jointly by HUDA and DLF Ltd. This would be a signal-free corridor upon completion of the last remaining underpasses near Sector 54.  Other major developers like Parsvnath, Vipul and Emaar also have existing and completed projects in DLF City Phase 5. Efforts are under way to allow better navigation for pedestrians and cyclists. These infrastructure developments along with presence of quality residential and commercial spaces are upholding DLF 5 community’s place as the undisputed elite address in Gurgaon.