I was browsing the map for a landed enclave to feature in this series when I came across Mayflower estate and noticed that it was pretty much right next to an MRT and hawker centre. As many landed estates are quite inconvenient, in terms of access to public transport and amenities, I thought that it would be interesting to head down for a tour!
PHOTO: Stackedhomes
Driving to Mayflower, I was pleasantly surprised by how low-density the area felt, as it's located in the middle of Ang Mo Kio. The roads weren't teeming with people and it was much less stressful driving through the area. (This could be because the HDB blocks there are all low or mid-rise.)
Turning into Mayflower Avenue ahead.
PHOTO: Stackedhomes
The entrance to the estate is by way of Mayflower Avenue, which is situated between Kebun Baru CC/Mayflower MRT and Mayflower Market and Food Centre, so you can see what convenient access the estate has to amenities.
There's a Domino's, Burger King, and a 24-hour Gymboxx at the CC.
PHOTO: StackedhomesEntrance to the estate with the MRT and market behind the road. See what I mean about spaciousness? (Look at how broad the road and pavement are.)
PHOTO: StackedhomesTurning around to take a photo of the junction so you can better envisage how wide the roads are and how low-density the area feels. For once, I didn't feel like a sardine in a tin!
PHOTO: StackedhomesTurning into the estate.
PHOTO: StackedhomesTexas Chicken across the road and a covered walkway. There's a large court in the CC and there was an early morning class going on.
PHOTO: StackedhomesA good resource for seniors living in the area!
PHOTO: StackedhomesThe downside of having so many food establishments — pests. There were HUGE birds all around this dumpster (crows, I think?) and blocking the pavement. However, the houses are still a few hundred metres away and I didn't see other pests besides the birds.
PHOTO: StackedhomesWalked a few more steps and reached the houses. See how empty and spacious the estate looks?
PHOTO: StackedhomesTurned to the right to take a photo of Mayflower Rise and the terrace houses there. This row faces the CC (but I couldn't hear any noise from it on a Saturday morning.)
PHOTO: StackedhomesThere is a daycare centre here for those with young children (Sunflower Kinderhub @ AMK.)
PHOTO: Stackedhomes
Continue walking down Mayflower Rise and you'll reach Kebun Baru Heights & Ang Mo Kio Block 103-106 where you can find a few coffee shops.
PHOTO: StackedhomesSee how not crowded this HDB estate is??
PHOTO: StackedhomesPretty patriotic estate.
PHOTO: StackedhomesBesides the coffee shops, you can also find a Medical Centre and Vet in this estate.
PHOTO: StackedhomesSome of the eateries in the area. We decided to stop here for breakfast. (If you like herbal style bak kut teh, Hong Ji serves it.
PHOTO: StackedhomesBut I decided to try the 5058 wanton mee instead. Tasted very decent — the flavour brought me back to my childhood — and also good portion size for $4. (The fishball noodles are only $3.50!) Best of all, the Aunties manning the stall are really nice and friendly.
PHOTO: StackedhomesFrom the end of the row of eateries (including Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice, which apparently has a Michelin Bib Gourmand, according to the sign) is the start of a long covered walkway. To the left of this photo/the walkway is one of several entrances to Mayflower MRT station.
PHOTO: StackedhomesMRT entrance to the left.
PHOTO: StackedhomesCourt to the right. Even though it was in use, the area was not noisy at all.
PHOTO: Stackedhomes
OK now that we've seen the neighbouring HDB estate, as well as explored what it has to offer, let's get back to our tour of Mayflower!
Note: I don't always show photos of the amenities at the HDB estates near landed enclaves because most of them are near but not quite near enough to walk to, once Singapore's weather is factored in. You can tell by how I've taken you through an entire tour of the Kebun Baru HDB estate just how close the amenities here are to the landed houses!
Back to where Mayflower Rise meets Mayflower Avenue. Note that it's a single white line here, so no street parking is allowed but once further into the estate, it's a dotted white line with plenty of spaces to park.
PHOTO: StackedhomesPHOTO: StackedhomesI decide to take a left down Mayflower Drive, which leads to Mayflower Place. The road here is downward sloping.
PHOTO: StackedhomesAnother photo for you to enjoy how open this estate feels.
PHOTO: StackedhomesWalking down the slope.
PHOTO: StackedhomesA closer look at some of the houses here. As you can see, many are still in original condition and have room to build upwards as most of the area is zoned for three-storey mixed-landed housing.
PHOTO: Stackedhomes
An Edgeprop article about an auction of a property in this estate said that "landed homes in District 20 are rarely up for sale." However, when I checked the sales records, there were four sales in 2022 and 5 in 2021, which doesn't seem that rare to me. As mentioned in the title, one of the houses here actually sold for $2.8m+ in 2022 which was an eye-opener for me, as it's difficult to find freehold landed houses for $3 million these days, let alone $2m! (Do note that the next sale right after it was also a terrace house of similar size, but that went for $4.6 million!)
PHOTO: Stackedhomes
However, the disparity in prices could potentially be due to different house conditions. As mentioned, the majority of homes here have yet to be modernised, however, there are a few that have been rebuilt and are extremely well-designed!
Example of a gorgeous newly built home. (So new I could still see construction workers in the property.)
PHOTO: Stackedhomes
I love the architecture, although I do wonder how private it is given so much glass. (I think it works because of how rambling this area is — the house pretty much faces a large open field so they don't have to worry about nosy neighbours. The only way you would really see inside is if you were not embarrassed to stand on the road outside and peer in, as I was doing!)
Anyway, we've digressed a bit so let me get back to my tour. Here's where Mayflower Drive meets Mayflower Place and the buildings you see behind are actually Mayflower Market. There's a Giant Supermarket right behind these houses so it's super convenient to get groceries!
PHOTO: Stackedhomes
Note that this is also next to Kebun Baru Birdsinging Club. I didn't hear any birds but, personally, before buying a house on this street, I would visit on a day when the birds are singing to check the noise levels!
Look down Mayflower Place. This road is mainly large semi-Ds (amongst the largest in this landed estate, I believe.)
PHOTO: StackedhomesPhoto for you to enjoy how rambling the area is. I personally think that residents of this estate have a very high quality of life!
PHOTO: StackedhomesLooking back at where we came from — as you can see the HDB blocks are so low, they don't appear much taller than the houses from here.
PHOTO: StackedhomesAs mentioned, massive semi-Ds.
PHOTO: StackedhomesExample of how much space you have to build upwards.
PHOTO: StackedhomesAlthough this feels like a better example!
PHOTO: StackedhomesAnother thing I appreciate about this estate is how well-manicured the pavements and common areas are.
PHOTO: StackedhomesAlso, the area was planned pretty well. It consists of quite a few short parallel streets, and most have paths to cut through to each other (so you don't have to walk a big round — very handy when the sun is out in full force!)
PHOTO: StackedhomesThe impression I had of the area was that it was an underrated estate, but with interest starting to pick up in recent months (as evidenced by the fact that there were a few construction projects in progress — possibly new buyers who wanted to modernise.) (Also note how much taller the new build is compared to its neighbour on the right — so short you can barely see it.)
PHOTO: StackedhomesI also appreciate how unblocked the area is! (No high-rise buildings behind.)
PHOTO: StackedhomesAnd, as shown above, the area will enjoy having a huge green area, zoned as a park, next to it for quite some time. (In the absence of further changes to the Masterplan.)
PHOTO: StackedhomesTurning down another street in the Mayflower enclave.
PHOTO: StackedhomesPretty spacious terrace houses here. (Quite a good width.)
PHOTO: StackedhomesTurned again into Mayflower Crescent and we find more semi-Ds.
PHOTO: StackedhomesThese are much less spacious than the ones we saw at Mayflower Place (and, as such, probably more affordable too?)
PHOTO: StackedhomesAlas with smaller houses comes more people parking on the road, so slightly more congestion.
PHOTO: StackedhomesBut these houses have the benefit of being right next to the playground (and a huge one too.)
PHOTO: StackedhomesLook at how open the space is!
PHOTO: StackedhomesNothing terribly exciting here in terms of playground rides, but having so much space is always a huge privilege in a country like Singapore.
PHOTO: StackedhomesThere's even a sizeable area devoted to an outdoor gym, presumably for adults.
PHOTO: StackedhomesLook at how much green space there is around the playground (to the left of the photo, houses to the right.)
PHOTO: StackedhomesAlthough the same can't be said of the road — this is the only part of the Mayflower enclave in which I've seen people "chope" parking spaces.
PHOTO: StackedhomesStill at the playground.
PHOTO: StackedhomesPlease take a moment to appreciate just how much space is in between the houses here!
PHOTO: StackedhomesThere's so much space, it feels like a private gazebo and garden. (This is what the lovely roundhouse I showed earlier in the article looks out onto, and why I said they don't have to worry about nosy neighbours!)
PHOTO: StackedhomesMore broad and empty roads.
PHOTO: StackedhomesThis part of the estate borders another HDB (which is situated on lower-lying ground.)
PHOTO: StackedhomesGenerous setbacks between the houses and the HDB.
PHOTO: StackedhomesLooking down one of the streets on the left, which ends with another HDB estate. Unfortunately, this time, the HDB is located on higher ground so the houses are on lower-lying land.
PHOTO: Stackedhomes
Let's walk down the street and see.
Interesting house we passed on the way — it's a terrace and has THREE cars parked inside!
PHOTO: StackedhomesSee what I mean about the HDB being on higher ground? There's also a basketball court on the left which I guess residents of the landed estate can also use.
PHOTO: StackedhomesLook to the left.
PHOTO: StackedhomesAnd to the right.
PHOTO: StackedhomesWalking down Mayflower Avenue now.
PHOTO: StackedhomesYou eventually reach Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3.
PHOTO: StackedhomesVery stylish public spaces in this HDB estate!
PHOTO: StackedhomesGated community, Mayflower Residences (townhouses) to the left, right in front of the main road.
PHOTO: StackedhomesHere, there's a covered walkway. (Looking to the left.)
PHOTO: StackedhomesOn the right, it brings you to the bus stop and to Ang Mo Kio Primary (the building across the road.) Buses that stop here: 76, 132, 165, 166, 169, 265, 268, 269 and 652.
PHOTO: Stackedhomes
Follow the road and we'll reach Kebun Baru Heights, where we began our walkabout! So how did you find Mayflower? I'd not heard much about this estate prior to my visit and was very pleasantly surprised by how liveable, well-situated and open it was. I found myself semi-envying the lucky residents who lived there!
However, a huge hiccup appeared on my way back: the traffic. Now this was a weekday morning (and not rush hour) but, even then, the traffic was horrendous. Because of the amount of construction being done (for the North-South Corridor), cars would suddenly stop (after turning) to avoid the construction in the middle of the road which, of course, makes driving a bit more stressful.
On top of that, I don't know what was happening (besides the construction) but around Balestier, the heavy traffic suddenly came to a stop and was stuck for so long, I thought I was in Bangkok! After about 30 minutes, I decided to U-turn to get out of the jam, so I'm not sure how much longer the other cars were stuck there.
Note: A friend who lives around the Thomson area advises to take Lornie Road instead of Marymount/Thomson/Balestier to avoid the worst of the construction. She, too, took the same road today and says the traffic was unusually bad so it may have been a one-off.
As such, in my opinion, Mayflower is a really lovely and spacious area to live in, but I hope you don't plan on driving to town often for the next few years (or are very patient.) (The North-South Corridor is set to be completed in 2027.)
