Maplewood vs Balmoral

[Veradis]

Hello all, well impressed by the level of expertise and knowledge demonstrated on this forum so here is the first.

Question for District 10/21 dwellers or people well acquainted with Bukit Timah and Holland. After much deliberations and some research on the internet, the options are now narrowed down to Marplewood vs Balmoral.

Balmoral is the default; however are there features of Marplewood that makes it better than the Latter? Tennis court / swimming pools /
in close prominity to restaurants and bars are all unimportant. Lush greenery and absolute tranquilities are. Open to suggestion/advice - doesn't have to be Holland postal code. Female, office location: Raffles Quay, relocating from London to Singapore in August.

Thank you.

[missis]

Did you mean Maplewood? It's nice but it's further out, heavy traffic on Bukit Timah in the evenings (Dunearn, the other side of Bukit Timah). How do you intend to get to work? Nightmare to get a taxi from about 6.40 0 9.30am (we live between the two and my husband leaves for work around 6.20 or so).
Old advice but true - please don't decide before you arrive. Take a Serviced Apartment and look around for a while. We viewed Maplewoods as it looked nice but apartment itself was old and not well-maintained.

[x9200]

Did you mean Maplewood? It's nice but it's further out, heavy traffic on Bukit Timah in the evenings (Dunearn, the other side of Bukit Timah). How do you intend to get to work? Nightmare to get a taxi from about 6.40 0 9.30am (we live between the two and my husband leaves for work around 6.20 or so).
Old advice but true - please don't decide before you arrive. Take a Serviced Apartment and look around for a while. We viewed Maplewoods as it looked nice but apartment itself was old and not well-maintained.

True. I checked a few apartments at Maplewood ~2yrs ago and they were VERY diversified. Some nice, renewed and bright, some worn off, dirty and gloomy. I do not know how is it right now but at that time one side was adjacent directly to a big construction site. This is a pretty big condo.

[Veradis]

Yes meant to write Maplewood; was late and couldn’t spell!
Good advice Missis/x9200. I shall touch down, stay in a hotel for a few weeks before making up my mind. My ideal dwell would be SG’s local equivalent of an old Victorian house with some original features still intact (high ceilings, bay windows, among others). I do realize however this is unrealistic.

[imogenben]

No old Victorian houses here at nice prices... sorry. (There are more than a few apartment that look like London council flats though.)

Maplewood may be worth considering if you are bringing a family with kids. That is my impression of the place.

Balmoral condominiums seem to have less outdoor space but is incredibly near Orchard Road - the main shopping and dining belt.

[Girl_Next_Door]

I can't comment about Maplewood cause I never lived there. I stayed relatively near to Newton area so here are my contributions on this area.

Balmoral area is near to Newton MRT, but depending on which apartment/condo you are staying, the distance varies. Some locations can actually be a long (and hot) walk to the train station, even in the morning. Singapore gets hot really early in the day plus the humidity makes you perspire a lot more than usual. Imagine the opposite of London.

There is a bar and a few restaurants located at Balmoral Plaza. The AFS nearby plays french movies every Tuesday. There is also a hawker center next to Newton mrt. The walk to main stretch of Orchard is about 15-20 minutes or you can grab the train, which is only 1 train station away.

The government is building a new train station at the piece of land, next to Newton MRT. I think it is supposed to be the train station that will eventually service the bukit timah area. I am not sure about the noise level but each time, when I walk pass it at night (i.e. after 9pm), there are still a lot of lights going on.

Bigger condo developments tend to have an "enclosed area" and some condo management makes an effort to keep the area green. Otherwise, there are not much green around the area.

An alternative is to stay closer to the Botanical Gardens. You would have access to a park, more dining options and it is closer to your office than Maplewood. Explore the area and see if there is something that might interest you.

Have fun!

[Veradis]

Girl_Next_Door/Imogen, many thanks! The condo I had in mind was actually the Balmoral Lodge at 6 Balmoral road. It looks relatively old, and a little rusty, whilst there is something quite interesting and beautiful about it. Failing that I'll probably go for waterfall gardens at farrer road even if there’s a premium attached to it. Price aside, the smallest flat at waterfall appears to be 3 bed +. Slightly more on the spacious side, and certainly more than necessary for a single person? Veradis

[missis]

I will repeat the advice I said earlier - please don't make your mind up before you arrive. You could be in for a shock. A lot of places look great on paper - you need to view first.

[Girl_Next_Door]

I second missis's comments.

I know you are excited about your move but you are not even here yet. Don't try to decide which condo/apartment to go for.

I hope you do realized that the condo may not have units available for rent, when you are here physically. And if there are units available, you might not like the actual condition when you see the inside.

At the same time, there might be condos that are not available now (while you are searching overseas) and subsequently be available when you arrive Singapore. Keep your mind open, pick an area instead of a particular project. From the area (be it Bukit Timah or Newton), walk around the area and see which condo/apartment is something you can imagine yourself staying there.

[Veradis]

yes of course. Moving to a foreign country is exciting, yet fearful. only that I wanted to analyse the options available on the market to make an educated decision about housing. its supposely my castle/sanctuary after all:-)