Property expert and expat leasing specialist Kerry James of Citiprop Property Management offers a health check on where and why expat neighbourhoods are popping up across the Island apart from the more centralised hoods of yester year.
Compared to fifteen years ago when expat remuneration packages were far more attractive and the community was generally more centralised, expats living and working in Singapore in 2015 enjoy a wider range of affordable housing to consider, whether it be an end of lease move or a complete relocation from abroad.
Historically, incoming expats where advised to consider convenient central districts 9, 10, 11, the ever popular district 15 in the East Coast and Woodlands, but times have changed. District 9 – Orchard, Cairnhill, Killiney, Leonie Hill and Oxley, District 10 – including Balmoral, Bukit Timah, Grange Road, Holland, Orchard Boulevard, River Valley and Tanglin Road, District 11 – Chancery, Bukit Timah, Dunearn Road, Newton and Novena, although extremely popular, can no longer be regarded as the preferred expat neighbourhoods many long-term expatriates have come to know and adore.
In the past 10 years, the demographic changes in corporate packages have morphed from the corporate to the individual, the change in the age profile to the younger expat, the increase supply of property have all contributed to these new expat areas popping up in some of the more localised community friendly areas right across the island.
The traditional expat neighbourhoods have expanded and now comprise of many smaller exciting pockets of diversified housing and culture a few of which are highlighted below. Tiong Bahru is being hailed as the Soho of Singapore.
This heritage area of walk up colonial themed apartments has become the place to go and live for the younger expats with its cool coffee shop, restaurants, bakeries, book stores and more. The Braddell, Serangoon Garden areas have become increasingly popular with Australian and French families due to the close proximity to the International schools, bigger homes, easier access and in the case of Serangoon Gardens now boasting its own town centre with supermarkets, restaurants and bars, medical and not forgetting the famous hawker centre, Chomp Chomp, hailed the best hawker centre food experience in Singapore.
What was once a traditionally local area has become a great mix of new and old, traditional and modern. Sentosa while on the expensive side has become super popular with the opening of Quayside which offers amazing restaurants, specialised supermarkets, bars and of course the W hotel. Sentosa is really a lifestyle choice for those who enjoy the outdoors with its bike and running tracks and easy access to the beach. This once isolated area with its infrastructure is now very popular to locals and expats alike. With the completion of many new high-rise residential developments the CBD has come alive and is the choice for the city dweller predominately singles, couples and mature expats.
City dwellers are loving the easy access to offices, Marina Bay Sands and all the restaurants, bars, theatre, street performances, shopping and other lifestyle options that this area now offers. Blaire Rd (Spottiswoode Park) and Saunders Rd ( eear by Emerald Hill) offer a pocket of beautiful Peranakan shophouses. These shop houses which were once home to trade have been renovated into spectacular residential homes accessible to the Chinatown area which again offers the very latest of world class restaurants and bars.
Established in 1980, Citiprop’s directors consist of both Singaporean and foreign expatriates. Specialist areas of service consist of residential leasing, commercial and rental sales, rental and property management, all underpinned by over 30 years’ experience working with companies and individuals looking to move into or around Singapore.
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