Where to live?

[thmr]

Hello, I will be relocating to Singapore for work this summer, and I am interested in getting some suggestions on neighborhoods to live in. I am coming from the Washington DC area (USA). The Newton/Novena areas have been recommended to me, but I'm just making sure that is what I'm looking for. My situation is as follows:

Priorities:
- your budget (approx range) --> 3200 SGD per month
- your workplace/s (don't name names, just approx neighbourhood) --> Woodlands
- the size and/or type of property that you are seeking (#bedrooms, on-site facilities etc) --> Could do one bedroom, but ideally 2. Also, hoping for a pool with lap swimming.
- will you have a car here? --> No
- proximity to transport required. MRT-subway/buses/the airport/Malay border post (if so, which one). --> Close to an MRT station
- will you have any accompanying children needing to attend school? If so, age/s? --> No Children
- will your employer being funding any fees; or will you, 'out of pocket'? --> Employer will pay any agent fees + utilities, TV & Internet fees


Nice to have:
- will you need to be able to say walk to the local shops, a library, your doctor, a market, and so on? --> I would like a walkable area, including shops and ideally a hawker market.
- access to any specific sport, social, and recreation facilities? --> Not specifically
- are you considering bringing any pets. If so what kind, and will they require outdoor access and/or exercise? --> No pets.
- are you considering bringing any parents/in-laws etc? Do they have specific needs (for example difficulty climbing stairs?) --> No

Your current home and commute:
- are you already a city dweller? i.e. Are you used to city-centre hustle and bustle, or would you hope for a bit more peace and quiet? --> I am currently in a city, but not downtown. That said, I would like to live in or at least near the city center in Singapore.
- what is the size and type (apartment, house+garden etc) of your current home? --> Current home is approx 900 sq. ft.
- what are any current commute times like? --> Approx. 20-25 mins

Thank you so much!

[rarkins]

Transport: If your workplace is convenient to the Woodlands MRT, then Novena and Newton are already good suggestions due to the north south (red) line being directly linked. Beware though that the stop-to-stop times between those and Woodlands MRT are already around 35 minutes so your total door-to-door commute will be significantly higher than you have currently. This same red line continues to "the city" so it looks like you will have a balance between proximity to work vs proximity to the city. That said, consider buses if your workplace doesn't happen to be that close to the MRT stop.

Size/budget: The average 2-bedroom in Singapore is around 900 sqft but beware that it's also possible to find some as small as 500 sqft, so check that out when browsing. Your budget will afford you a good percentage of 2 bedroom apartments so is hopefully not a limiting factor.

Facilities: Lap pools are reasonably common in condos, particularly the further away from the city you go where they can have more space. Some condos don't have swim "lanes" but do have enough length that residents are satisfied to simply swim up and back.

[LivingWell]

You have quite a lot of choices for your current preference. I would suggest you to live in city Fringe apartments with easy access both to the town or CBD area and also with sports amenities for you to work out (probably a park nearby would be ideal for living).

You can email me at [email protected] to understand better and see if I can help you out.

*Disclaimer:
Btw I am not an agent so I would not be charging you any fees.