The Unique Neighbourhoods of Lorong Chuan and Serangoon Gardens
Have you ever dreamed of staying in a place not dominated by towering high-rises but filled with greenery and low-rise houses instead? A place with its own unique flair and personality, where heritage and modern lifestyle blend seamlessly?
Areas like Katong or Tiong Bahru might come to mind, but they can be a bit too upscale for some. What if we told you there’s a hidden gem in District 19 that offers the same charming living experience?
Welcome to the quaint estate of Serangoon Garden, one of Singapore’s most distinct housing areas.
A Brief History
Serangoon Garden is a residential estate and a subzone in the Serangoon planning area, located in District 19.
In the 1950’s the estate now known as Serangoon Gardens was built to provide housing for workers and their families in the area, such as teachers, labourers and airmen. These townhouses and bungalows, with their distinctive red roof tiling became synonymous with the area – a distinctive trait that a good number of houses retain, even today.
As the area became populated, amenities and conveniences were built into the area, such as shops, eateries started showing up, and a recreational clubhouse, Serangoon Gardens Sports Club.
Serangoon Garden Today: Amenities and Landscape
Serangoon Garden has kept most of its landscape and architecture from the olden days, retaining its iconic look and feel, while offering modern conveniences to its residents.
Many of the residential houses in Serangoon Gardens still retain their distinct red roof tiling, which can be observed over its low-rise skyline.
Serangoon Garden Circus, where most of the shops were situated still stands, with their tenants hosting a wide range of food and services catered to the modern tastes of residents.
The recreational clubhouse, now known as Serangoon Gardens Country Club, still stands, with members from the estate frequenting it for sports and recreational activities, as well as classes and enrichment activities for their children.
The street food vendors that used to run their businesses out of carts along Serangoon Garden Way were also given a hawker centre to set up stalls and operate out of in 1972.
The hawker centre, now known as Chomp Chomp Food Centre, is famous today for its selection of local food (famous dishes there include BBQ stingray and Hokkien Mee) and is one of the more well-known and frequented hawker centres in Singapore.
Why Is Serangoon Gardens Such a Popular Estate?
Serangoon Gardens is one of the most popular and recognisable estates in Singapore, and for good reasons.
Kampong Spirit
It is not uncommon to find people that have stayed there their whole lives, with their homes being passed down generations over the last 70 or so years of its existence. This gives the estate a warm, kampong feel with the community fostered between the residents of the estate that residents have fondly dubbed “the feel of an old English village”.
A cosmopolitan village
In addition to this expatriates, particularly those from Australia or France, tend to rent homes in Serangoon Gardens, due to its proximity to the Australian and French international schools.
With an established community of foreigners and expatriates, there has been an increase in the number of businesses catered to the needs of these communities. You can find cafes and eateries at Serangoon Garden Circus serving western fare, as well as grocery stores such as Little Farms and a French grocer.
The presence of these establishments within the landed enclave gives the neighbourhood a distinct, cosmopolitan vibe that can be likened to that of Holland Village.
A Wealth of Amenities
In comparison to other landed estates or enclaves in Singapore, Serangoon Garden offers more amenities to its residents. The mini hub at Serangoon Garden Circus offers everything for its residents, from food, to enrichment and tuition centres, as well as healthcare, and pet care shops.
There is even a shopping mall, MyVillage with a FairPrice Finest for residents to do their shopping, along with dining options, and beauty parlours and hair salons.
Scarcity of Housing in Serangoon Gardens
Given the popularity of the estate, housing availability is scarce in Serangoon Gardens. This is especially so when we consider that most of the houses in the estate are landed homes.
Currently, landed homes are high in demand, with a low supply. As a result, landed homeowners possess strong holding power, with the median price for a house in Serangoon Gardens in 2024 costing $4.62m, making it inaccessible for most homebuyers.
With landed houses being scarce, costly, and mostly out of reach for most of us, we automatically look for non-landed private property options in the area. However, a search in the Serangoon Gardens estate would show that there are few condominium or private apartments.
Table 1: Non-landed private projects in Serangoon Garden Estate (<500m of Serangoon Garden Circus)
Source: PropertyGuru, ERA Research and Market Intelligence
For those looking for a private property close to Serangoon Gardens, a fantastic place to look would be its sister neighbourhood of Lorong Chuan.
Lorong Chuan – An Alternative
Lorong Chuan is a subzone and precinct that neighbours the Serangoon Gardens estate. The precinct is named after a road bearing the same name, which connects the Central Expressway to Serangoon Gardens.
It is considered a desirable location to live in by Singaporeans and foreigners alike, for three notable reasons. Firstly, it is close to Serangoon Gardens and Serangoon Central, as well as Bishan and Toa Payoh towns, offering residents of the precinct a wealth of amenities and conveniences.
Secondly, the precinct is also serviced by Lorong Chuan MRT, one stop away from Serangoon and Bishan MRT stations – major interchanges on the North-South and North-East lines respectively.
Finally, there are a variety of condominium projects here that are allow living near the landed estates of Serangoon Gardens and Braddell Heights at a more affordable price point.
Price Growth
Table 2: Non-landed private projects in Lorong Chuan (within <500m of Lorong Chuan MRT)
Source: PropertyGuru, ERA Research and Market Intelligence
Demand drivers for homes in the area directly stem from the convenience that the area provides. In addition to this, the neighbourhood falls within the 1km radius for notable schools such as St. Gabriel’s Primary School and CHIJ Our Lady of Good Counsel.
While there is a thriving and attractive private condominium estate in Lorong Chuan, there hasn’t been a new launch in the area in over a decade – that is until the announcement of the upcoming Chuan Park, which has caught the attention of the market as one of the biggest launches of 2024.
Chuan Park – A New Development with New Opportunities
Chuan Park is an upcoming 916-unit mega development with a 99-year leasehold tenure. It is being built as a redevelopment following the collective sale exercise of the former Chuan Park condominium.
Adding a stock of 916 units to the existing inventory of 2,148 units in Lorong Chuan will increase the number of condominium units in the area by 43%, which is sure to rejuvenate and encourage price growth.
Mega-Development, Mega Benefits!
Being a mega-development, Chuan Park will have clear strengths in the market for investors, such as a fresh 99-year lease, along with a wide variety of amenities that will attract buyers and tenants from diverse groups.
Mega-developments generally show a strong performance in the market, which you can read about here.
In addition to this, families will be drawn to the development, due to its wide array of facilities, distance to nearby amenities and a 1km priority enrolment distance to St. Gabriel’s Primary and CHIJ Our Lady of Good Counsel.
Great Accessibility
The most attractive attribute about the location is that Lorong Chuan MRT is situated right at its doorstep. Aside from integrated developments, not many condos in Singapore can boast this level of convenience.
Lorong Chuan MRT on the Circle Line provides a direct route to Marina Bay, as well as to Buona Vista and one-north business nodes. It is also within 3-5 stops to the Thomson East Coast Line, East West Line and Downtown Line, as well as 6 stops to Orchard, further connecting it to more business nodes in Singapore.
Working professionals could also find the location attractive if they work at New Tech Park. Alternatively, Lorong Chuan’s location adjacent to the CTE provides a speedy 15-minute drive to the central region of Singapore.
Expected to launch in the second half of this year, Chuan Park is bound to turn heads as one of the biggest launches of the year.
