Hey
If you're looking for a 1 bedroom apartment, it is unlikely to find in the heartland
condo, which are usually at least 2 bedrm or bigger, for the families.
I was told rental has been going up in suburbs, and it's a nightmare to take a cab downtown in peak hours due to rises in road pricing.
Dhoby Ghaut is a nice area. I saw Parc Emily's studios and 2 bedrooms. It's a new condo. Pretty nice and quiet environment when i viewed it. You can walk to Dhoby Ghaut in about 10-15mins, depending on your speed. Or there's also buses and a mrt station Little India just 3 mins from the apartment. Seems to me that apartment is close by the museum, big libraries, grocery shopping and there are both cheap, mid as well as high end eateries around.
However, I am still keen to hear from others who may have moved into Parc Emily. I was told a studio there cost about $3.5K range. That may be above your budget. Let's see if anyone replies me, so i can tell you more.