Tag: MRT

Holland Village (Part 1)

Posted on by Natasha Goh

Ok, I’ll start by saying my views are slightly biased as I’ve frequented Holland Village ever since I was a pinafore-wearing RGS girl in the 90s. Besides a brief 2-year stay along East Coast Road when I first arrived in Singapore, I have always lived within 5-15 minutes drive of Holland Village. (If you’ve lived in Singapore long enough, you’ll find that for a country this tiny, people are oddly attached to their districts… An “Eastie” from Siglap/Katong/Tampines etc will rarely ever willingly shift to the West, and likewise a “Westie” will rarely venture East unless they need to head to the airport!)

I’ve been meaning to pen a guide to navigating the Holland Village enclave for some time, but kept putting it off as there’s just so much to say about the place! So I shall end the inertia by starting with a “Part 1” first! Continue reading “Holland Village (Part 1)” →

The MRT Effect

Posted on by Natasha Goh

The below article was first published in The Straits Times on 9 October 2011. It came to mind again recently as I’ve been contemplating the perceived versus actual benefit of MRT proximity. Many list “must be close to MRT” as a house hunting criteria, but I believe this blanket rule sometimes means missing out on some great accommodation options. Freehold homes in River Valley have transacted at lower prices than leasehold homes in Bishan recently, perhaps partly due to the false perception that you’ve got to be near an MRT to enjoy good accessibility.

Published on Oct 9, 2011

By Joyce Teo

Residents living along the newest stretch of the Circle Line can finally rejoice now that the trains have started running but property owners have already reaped the benefits of the so-called MRT effect.

Put simply, being near an MRT station can make a clear difference to real estate values. Continue reading “The MRT Effect” →