We've been heading to the East for the last few weeks, so I thought it was time for something different. This week, we'll go to Martaban Road, a rather under-the-radar street in the Balestier area.
I first learnt about it when discussing conservation shophouses with a Peranakan friend, who recommended looking at the ones here.
Before that, I had only known that Balestier was an area where one could find good Bak Kut Teh, lots of lighting shops, and some of the more affordable freehold condos in Singapore: when I was writing this article, there were freehold apartments from around $1,500 psf.
I haven't done much research into the condos here in the last 2-3 years but given that we see new 99-year developments going for over $2,000 psf now, a freehold city-fringe apartment at $1,500 psf is something I would be interested in finding out more about.
Before we do our walkabout, let's take a look at the Master Plan:
PHOTO: Stackedhomes
The first thing that I noticed was the plot ratio of 2.8: since we're in a conservation area, shouldn't the buildings be, well, conserved?
I did some Google research about this and, according to Shophouse Collective, when the URA classifies shophouses as conservation buildings "they are protected from demolition and must be conserved following specific guidelines."
You can find the conservation guidelines (as of 1 Dec 2023) here. The URA even compiled a guide for shophouse owners and tenants, which I found quite interesting: as it shares more about the different types of shophouses in Singapore.
For example, the ones on Martaban Road are "Second Transitional Shophouse Style." You can also find out more about the renovation of No 13. Martaban Road here. (The "after" pictures make a great advertisement for shophouse life!)
By the way, I'm not an expert on conservation properties in Singapore so if you're considering buying and renovating one, I suggest consulting professionals. OK, it's time to take a closer look at the houses now!
First things first, this is a tiny collection of houses: there are less than 20 units, each with its own distinct character:
PHOTO: StackedhomesPHOTO: StackedhomesPHOTO: StackedhomesI believe this unit is for sale (at the time of writing.) PHOTO: StackedhomesThe centre house appears to be built higher than the others: I believe this unit was also for sale, at the time of writing. PHOTO: Stackedhomes
Something I was surprised by was the number of units for sale at the time of writing. I counted and there were at least three different units on the market (which is a very high percentage given the small number of houses on the street!)
This is even more pronounced when you observe the sales history — units here aren't sold very often. (The last sale was in Dec 2020. In fact, between 2006 and the time of writing (March 2025), only four sales were recorded.) PHOTO: StackedhomesOne thing my shophouse-living friend always highlights to me is that many conservation houses lack parking. There is no private parking space attached to each of the houses here — they open up directly onto the (broad) pavement, but there are some URA lots right outside. (You can see the charges above, to the left.) PHOTO: StackedhomesI was lucky enough to find a lot, but I'm not sure what your chances would be on the weekend or when people are coming over to eat. From the photo above, the parking situation can get quite squeezy. PHOTO: StackedhomesPhoto to show you how broad the pavement in front of the houses is. PHOTO: StackedhomesAs you can see, there are a mere handful of parking lots — maybe around eight or so? (Sorry, I did count them but middle age has made me forget the number.) PHOTO: StackedhomesThis is the view when you stand on the pavement in front of the houses: unfortunately, there are high-rise apartments in front blocking you, but they're not too close. PHOTO: StackedhomesView from another part of the pavement. PHOTO: StackedhomesZoomed out a bit so you can see exactly how tall the condo is. PHOTO: StackedhomesNow, as mentioned before, there aren't that many houses here and we've pretty much seen them all. Now, let's go look at the amenities nearby, which is a large part of the attraction of living here, in my opinion. As you can see from the above photo, we are very close to the (commercial) shophouses along Balestier Road. PHOTO: StackedhomesIn fact, I'm wondering if it's a little too close for comfort. There's only a small alley in between the 2. PHOTO: StackedhomesThis is what's on the opposite side. PHOTO: StackedhomesHere's how wide the alley between the commercial and residential units is. PHOTO: StackedhomesI'm not sure if this sign is a good thing or bad thing — on one hand, it's good the business has taken the initiative to provide 2 people's contact details for noise issues. On the other, does this mean it gets quite noisy, quite often? PHOTO: StackedhomesThere's a bit of a trade-off: obviously, there's more noise as you get closer to the commercial units. However, the apartments in front of the residences here are much shorter, so you're less blocked. PHOTO: StackedhomesThe eatery. PHOTO: StackedhomesTurning onto Balestier Road feels like entering a different world: Martaban Road is really quite peaceful and tranquil but Balestier is a lot more eventful. PHOTO: StackedhomesTo be honest, I usually avoid coming here (despite the eateries) because the traffic situation isn't great. However, things may have changed, as (this side of) the road looks relatively clear at the moment. (It does get more crowded as you go towards Thomson Road though.) Note the 7-11 across the street (but you don't really need it as there's an NTUC that's easier to get to — I'll show you in a bit.) PHOTO: StackedhomesLooking down the other side of the street. See the overhead bridge? That will take us to Shaw Plaza and the NTUC. PHOTO: StackedhomesOne of the eateries I passed along the way. PHOTO: StackedhomesOne of the ubiquitous lighting shows along Balestier. PHOTO: StackedhomesYou're not close to an MRT station so the bus is your best bet here if you take public transport. PHOTO: StackedhomesMore eateries — there are a lot of Bak Kut Teh shops here. PHOTO: StackedhomesAnd even a Coffee Powder factory, it seems! Living in Balestier isn't for everyone but it definitely has its own character. It's not a cookie-cutter neighbourhood. PHOTO: StackedhomesThe area also has many lovely heritage buildings, besides the conservation houses. PHOTO: StackedhomesThis reminds me of my co-living days. (You can read more about the search for a co-living residence here.) PHOTO: StackedhomesWe've reached the overhead bridge to Shaw Plaza — you need to climb the stairs up (there is no lift) but there is (almost) same-level access to Shaw Plaza (so you don't have to walk down many stairs.) PHOTO: StackedhomesView from the overhead bridge. PHOTO: StackedhomesSome of the tenants of Shaw Plaza. PHOTO: StackedhomesThere's a Watsons and NTUC. PHOTO: StackedhomesLots of eateries, a hairdresser, and more. PHOTO: StackedhomesI must say the set lunch seems to be quite a decent price (considering you're doing it in AC — the last time I was at a food court, it cost $20!) PHOTO: StackedhomesThe usual kid's enrichment centres. PHOTO: StackedhomesEven an indoor pool! PHOTO: StackedhomesFor those craving local food that is not Bak Kut Teh (or Chicken Rice, Boon Tong Kee is along Balestier Road), there's a hawker centre near Prome Road, with a car park behind it. (I guess your visitors would have to either park there or at Shaw Plaza.) PHOTO: Stackedhomes
The outside of the hawker centre (Balestier Market) is quite attractive but, to be honest, the inside is not. The roof was very low, and the area felt quite depressing and stuffy.
(I was looking for a place to grab a meal — usually I would eat at the nearest hawker centre but I decided to give it a pass this time. Let's just say that if my foreign friends were asking for hawker centre recommendations, this wouldn't be on my list.)
PHOTO: Stackedhomes
Now there are many more shops along Balestier Road, but I think we've covered the most important ones, so it's time to end today's tour. How did you find the area?
