What are these Condos like?

[LoveBug]

Just wondering if anyone living in Villa Marina, Mandarin Gardens, The Makena, or Maplewoods, would care to share their experience of living in them?
I guess my main questions include:

1. % of expats.

2. Ease of getting to the city and shopping centres via public transport.

3. Noise.

4. Positives and negatives.

Thanks for your time

[bright_wave]

Just wondering if anyone living in Villa Marina, Mandarin Gardens, The Makena, or Maplewoods, would care to share their experience of living in them?
I guess my main questions include:

1. % of expats.

2. Ease of getting to the city and shopping centres via public transport.

3. Noise.

4. Positives and negatives.

Thanks for your time

Hi, I'm not familiar with these condos but beware of Novena area as there are lots of construction going on in that area - Noisy
Ironically there are lots of expats in that area as it is very central - same goes for Orchard, Bukit Timah area, Holland V areas.
Condos in the east areas - you can hear freighter planes flying past; depending on your condo, the noise can be bearable. Besides, they don't fly past that often.

Transport - you really have to look at the street directory for condos next to the mrt or ask the agent. Generally in the east, condos are not that near to the mrt except for a few. Or perhaps in the west and north.

Expats - you get quite a good mix! so no worries

Things to note: included in your rent is a monthly maintenance fee for the condo, so if it's has lousy facilities, you wouldn't be using them that often hence not worth it. Better off going for a nice apartment with some facilities of course if your budget allows, go for everything!

[Pioneer]

Hi,

I can't comment on all of them, but I was not too impressed with Maplewoods. The outside facilities were great, very jungle like feel which I liked, but the appartment I was shown was very quite tired and a bit shoddy for the price they were asking.

I moved out eventually to the East coast, in Kembangan. It is 1 minute walk from the MRT, brand new, still a lot of empty places and has good facilities. Granted, for those seasoned expats, its probably like living on the moon given the 20-25 min ride on the MRT to city center..lol, but for me it is on the door step.
I am no where near the flight path for Changi, in fact never heard a plane yet. One of my main reasons for this was that I have a small young famly and access to the coast by push bike (10-15 mins) was one thing as well as being in a breezy environment. Sometimes when I open the windows it feels like a hurricane blowing through...., which is something I noticed I did not get in the city condos.

Anyway hope this helps in some small way.

Good luck

[Cheekybeek]

Maplewoods looks like a nice place but it is way out of the way for transport.