Coastal living — beach, park and amenities at your doorstep

By Michael Lim

April 22, 2017 8:00 AM SGT

In Singapore, the most coveted homes are those with a seafront view, within walking distance of the beach and the park, and near eateries. The East Coast and Sentosa Cove are two areas in Singapore that offer such luxuries.

Prices in the exclusive 99-year leasehold Sentosa Cove start from $2.2 million for the oldest condominium there: The Berth by the Cove, the first to be launched and which was completed in 2006. Most of the newer condos in Sentosa Cove are priced from $3 million. “Prices of condominiums in the exclusive Sentosa Cove are beyond the reach of most Singaporeans, which leaves only the neighbourhood of East Coast Parkway,” says Ken Low, associate senior division director of Huttons Real Estate, who has been marketing projects in the eastern part of Singapore over the past 10 years.

George, a Chinese businessman turned Singapore permanent resident, bought a 1,529 sq ft, three-bedroom unit at one of the blocks at 1,000-unit, 31-year-old Mandarin Gardens a decade ago. He has been living there with his wife and two children, who are studying at a secondary school in the Marine Parade neighbourhood. George, who is in his early 50s, is involved in the agricultural commodities business, with subsidiaries in Australia, China, Malaysia and the US.

George says his family rarely needs to turn on the air-conditioner at home, as there is always a cool breeze blowing from the sea. “That’s why I like living in the East Coast Park area,” he says.

Going for new

George is considering buying either a two- or three-bedroom unit with the same unobstructed sea views at the upcoming 841-unit Seaside Residences, developed jointly by Frasers Centrepoint, Sekisui House and Keong Hong. Seaside Residences previewed on April 8 and was scheduled to be launched for sale on April 21.

Seaside Residences at Siglap View is both a four-minute walk via the underpass to the beach and East Coast Park, and a two-minute walk from the future Siglap MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line. “I fell in love with Seaside Residences because it is next to Mandarin Gardens, where we live, and we’re very familiar with the neighbourhood as well as the amenities there,” says George. “There are a lot of good eateries in the Siglap and Upper East Coast area. One of the attractions is also the more relaxed lifestyle.”

The family’s favourite eateries in the area include Killiney Kopitiam — Siglap, located on Upper East Coast Road, and a 15-minute walk from their home as well as Jumbo Seafood restaurant at the East Coast Seafood Centre.

George is not the only one considering investing in a unit at Seaside Residences. Others who live in the other older residential blocks in the area are also eyeing the new project for the lifestyle it offers and because they want to live in the same neighbourhood.

Besides Mandarin Gardens, the other two projects in the neighbourhood are old HUDC estates: 751-unit Neptune Court, which was completed in 1975; and 528-unit privatised Laguna Park, which was completed in 1978. According to Huttons’ Low, one of his clients, who is also considering buying a unit at Seaside Residences, currently lives in Neptune Court. He jogs 10km twice a week on weekends from his home to the Marina Barrage and Gardens By The Bay area via East Coast Park and back. He wants to upgrade to a new residential unit that allows him to continue with that healthy lifestyle.

East Coast lifestyle

East Coast Park is a popular destination among Singaporeans, as it is 185ha and has a 15km picturesque coastline stretching from Changi to Marina Bay. “It’s the only park where Singaporeans can engage in all kinds of sports — from jogging, cycling, roller blading, cable-skiing and kite flying to more leisurely activities such as fishing, barbecues, camping or picnics,” says Huttons’ Low.

For George and his family, East Coast Park has become a favourite weekend haunt, with the family taking leisurely walks or jogs, as well as cable-skiing at the Singapore Wake Park. The Xtreme SkatePark is also highly popular during weekends. It is the first skate park built according to international competition standards. The entire skate park occupies an area of 1.4ha (the size of about 2½ football fields) and is divided into three areas catering to different levels of skaters and bikers.

Besides extreme sports, there is also an area for radio control car enthusiasts. Built in 1998, the 100m x 60m Marine Parade Radio Control Modellers Club’s East Coast track is a 1.3km-long circuit that is the size of a football field. It is open to members who want to race either a battery-powered or gas-powered radio control cars.

East Coast Park is also the only park in Singapore that has clusters of F&B spread throughout its length.

The National Parks Board (NParks) is revamping the park in phases. This year saw the closure of Raintree Cove, which used to house Long Beach Main Seafood Restaurant, Lorna Whiston Pre-school and Burger King outlets, as well as the Big Splash. The sites have been returned to the government for redevelopment.

F&B clusters, family-friendly areas

Parkland Green, formerly home to the Parkland Golf Driving Range, was reopened in November 2014. The revamped Parkland Green has eight F&B outlets, a sports shop, Cheers convenience store, bicycle rental store, laser tag arena and lawn for children to play. “It is probably one of the few places in Singapore where you can dine al fresco, enjoy the sea views and sea breeze, while your children play in front of you in the open lawn,” says Low.

Some of the new F&B outlets at Parkland Green are Pick Me Up Café, which serves icecream, yogurt, western breakfast and coldpressed juices all day. Sandbank serves Western favourites such as pizzas, pastas and sandwiches; Full Pint Brewery is a microbrewery with a wide selection of seafood choices and a children’s menu.

About 1km from Parkland Green lies Marine Cove, which had closed four years ago for a major revamp and reopened last June. The cluster has five restaurants, a large children’s playground, upgraded public restrooms and parking facilities. NParks is said to have spent $18 million redeveloping Marine Cove into a family-friendly recreational area, especially for those with young children. The dining outlets include McDonald’s, which has been there since 1982 but has since been updated.

Other tenants include Peranakan restaurant Babalicious, Hill Street Coffee Shop, My Briyani House and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

‘Seaside paradise’

The East Coast Seafood Centre was a tri-block food centre best known for co-locating several major local seafood restaurants, including Jumbo Seafood and Long Beach Seafood Restaurants. The centre opened 31 years ago as the UDMC (Urban Development and Management Co) Seafood Centre, before it took on its current name in 2000.

The centre became a two-block food centre last year when Red House Seafood moved out after its lease expired. The block occupied by Red House Seafood was then demolished to create an open space for park users. The two remaining blocks are anchored by Jumbo Seafood, Ubin First Stop Restaurant, Rong Heng Seafood and Hong Kong Tea House.

Hawker centre East Coast Lagoon Food Village continues to draw crowds on week nights and weekends. It is famous for local favourites such as BBQ stingray, BBQ chicken wings, fried carrot cakes and fried oysters, says Huttons’ Low. “East Coast Park is the only seaside paradise that is open to everyone who [wants to] enjoy a wide range of leisure activities, sports and F&B in one area.”

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