Examining Queenstown as a neighbourhood: Should you live here?

Named after Queen Elizabeth II in honour of her coronation in 1952, Queenstown was Singapore's first-ever satellite town built back when Singapore was still a British colony.

It's now home to over 82,500 HDB residents.

It borders Bukit Timah to the north, Tanglin to the northeast, Bukit Merah to the east and southeast, and Clementi to the northeast and west.

Forfar House

Once Singapore's tallest HDB block, Forfar House was an iconic 14-storey block of zigzag units surrounded by low-rise Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) flats that were colloquially referred to as si lau chu (four-storey house) or lam po lay (blue glass).

It was picked for the Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) in 1995 and demolished to make way for the new 40-storey towers of Forfar Heights.

Dawson estate

Developed in the 1960s and 1970s, Dawson presented the potential for regeneration, which is exactly what HDB did.

Under HDB's pioneer batch of the Remaking Our Heartland (ROH) programme to rejuvenate and further develop the Dawson estate, two housing projects SkyVille @ Dawson and SkyTerrace @ Dawson were completed in 2015 in tune with a "housing in a park" concept.

Award-winning local architectural firms designed the two projects that installed sky gardens and rooftop gardens to inject greenery and vibrancy into the neighbourhood.

They also took great care to preserve Dawson's heritage by using the iconic blue glass panels from the former iconic Forfar House on Strathmore Avenue.

Residents can enjoy living in a scenic park-like environment without travelling too far to access green spaces.

These flats were undoubtedly popular, with 33 five-room units commanding million dollar price tags soon after their MOP in both projects.

In fact, SkyVille @ Dawson and SkyTerrace @ Dawson's average price PSF were approximately 35.4 per cent higher than that of Queenstown HDB flats.

Curious about the two projects? Check out this video where you can get up close and personal with the various green features dotting the estate.

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Connectivity

One reason for the strong demand for the projects is its proximity to the Queenstown MRT station; a brisk 10-minute walk away.

It also enjoys a central location that's incredibly near Orchard Road - a nine-minute drive through Kay Siang Road and Tanglin Road will bring you straight into the heart of Singapore's popular shopping belt.

Green spaces

With the Alexandra Park Connector just five minutes away, there's no shortage of green spaces around the Dawson estate.

Residents can also take a 3km jog to Botanic Gardens to watch the exotic black swans and explore the sprawling park.

READ ALSO: We review the May 2022 BTO launch sites: Bukit Merah, Queenstown, Jurong West, Toa Payoh and Yishun

Upcoming Queenstown BTO exercise

Former Mei Chin Secondary and Primary schools at 1 and 3 Mei Chin Road will be redeveloped into residential housing under the URA's 2019 Master Plan.

However, that will take another five to seven years for the new flats to be ready, so if you can't wait to be a Queenstown resident, check out the upcoming May BTO exercise.

There'll be around 860 units of three-room and four-room flats within walking distance to Buona Vista MRT.

Based on nearby resale transactions, the expected price range starts from $390,000 for a three-room unit and $550,000 for a four-room unit.

Be prepared for high application rates though, due to its proximity to popular lifestyle destination Holland Village and shopping mall Star Vista.

To get a feel for how it's like to live at the new Queenstown BTO site, check out this video where we cover everything from amenities, schools and pricing.

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Condos in Queenstown

If you're looking at something a little more upmarket, you might consider getting a condo unit.

Condos in Queenstown experienced a 52.57 per cent increase over the past decade, going from an average PSF price of $1,190 in 2011 to its current $1,816 PSF in 2022.

Margaret Ville, Queens Peak and Commonwealth Towers are newly TOP condos in the Queenstown area with a 99-year lease.

The three developments are currently transacting at an average PSF of $1,984 PSF, with Margaret Ville taking the lead at $2,006.

Commonwealth Towers & Queens Peak

Located within 500 metres of each other are the Queens Peak and Commonwealth Towers condos.

They're both mid-sized developments, with 736 units in Queens Peak and 845 units in Commonwealth Towers.

Connectivity: Both condos are well connected to the Queenstown MRT; a short three- to five-minute walk away.

Schools: Parents can rejoice – there are many schools in the immediate vicinity. My First Skool is 600 metres away, at Block 82 Strathmore Avenue.

Queenstown Primary and New Town Primary are less than 1km away. Tertiary schools such as Queensway Secondary, Queenstown Secondary, Crescent Girl's School and Bukit Merah Secondary are also within walking distance.

Margaret Ville

Sandwiched between Margaret Drive and Commonwealth Avenue is Margaret Ville, the newest condo to achieve TOP (2021) within the Queenstown area.

It's right between Queenstown MRT and Commonwealth MRT, so you can take an eight-minute walk to either station.

The condo doesn't have as many facilities as compared to Queens Peak and Commonwealth Towers. Its handful of facilities are limited to various types of pools (hydrotherapy, infinity and kid's pool) as well as a gym.

Stirling Residences

Another exciting development slated to be completed this month is the luxury mega-project Stirling Residences along Stirling Road, with all 1259 units completely sold out.

An all-time high PSF price at the development was notched when a 441 sq ft, one-bedder unit sold for $1.04 million ($2,350 PSF) in July 2021.

The District 3 condo features three distinct forest themes - the Fern Forest, Tropical Forest and Rain Forest, cultivating different types of flora and fauna in each area.

It also has fancy facilities such as a golf lawn, trekking hill, spice garden and canopy walk.

Connectivity: Stirling Residences is popular due to its connectivity - it's a mere seven-minute walk to Queenstown MRT and a 10 to 15-minute drive to Orchard Road, One-North Business Park and Jurong Gateway (Singapore's second Central Business District).

Amenities: Picking up groceries is a breeze, with FairPrice being a three-minute walk away. Mei Ling Market & Food Centre is also located conveniently nearby (a seven-minute walk) to indulge in local hawker fare or purchase fresh ingredients from the wet market.

And of course, not forgetting Ikea Alexandra, where you can chow down on crispy chicken wings and meatballs after a 12-minute walk.

READ ALSO: Adventures at home: Let's rediscover Queenstown

So, what's next for Queenstown?

HDB has announced plans to build more than 5,000 flats in the Queenstown district from 2021, along with more community amenities and work and institutional space under the URA Master Plan 2019.

The 24 kilometre Rail Corridor is also undergoing trail enhancement works to facilitate seamless connection and user accessibility through almost the entire length of Singapore.

With the corridor passing through Queenstown, residents can take the green route and cycle five to seven kilometres directly into the city.

Old but gold

It may be an old town, but with HDB constantly looking for ways to redevelop the estate, Queenstown is being rapidly injected with a whole new lease of life, attracting more millennials to take residence in this colourful estate.

Queenstown has one of the highest median price PSF for five-room resale flats, coming in at $849.

Those looking for a home in a well-developed estate and that sweet, sweet price appreciation will do well to put Queenstown at the top of their list when house shopping.

This article was first published in 99.co.