I Toured A Uncommon Quiet But Central Freehold Landed Enclave The place Homes Promote For $12 Million

It could be just me, but I’ve always associated Queenstown with HDB estates, a few condos and Ikea. Hence, when I saw that there was a landed estate in the area. I thought it’d be interesting to go check them out. And I’m glad I did, because I was surprised by what I found- unusually large houses for Singapore! Mostly detached houses, with the odd semi-detached unit. Unfortunately, this also means that prices are on the higher side- I’ll include the latest transaction histories at the end of the article.

If, like me, you’ve never realised that there’s a landed estate hidden away very close to the main road- pretty much just opposite Ikea! Here’s a map for your reference. The landed estate, comprising Shepherds Drive, Merino Crescent, and Barbary Walk are just behind the condos on Alexandra Road, which help to buffer out the road noise. There is also a shortcut for people to walk right out to Alexandra Road, where you can find the odd coffee shop, restaurant, massage centre, and tuition centre. Turn right and you’ll reach Anchorpoint, the closest thing the area has to a mall, besides Ikea. Well, there’s also Queensway Shopping Centre but you’ll need to cross Queensway Road, which is quite a major junction.

Opposite Queensway Shopping Centre are two hawker centres, both famous for their food: Alexandra Village Food Centre and ABC Brickworks Market and Food Centre so I would say the landed estate is extremely well-placed for amenities. If you had turned left, instead, after reaching Alexandra Road, it’s mainly car dealerships so somewhat less interesting but continue down and you’ll soon reach Orchard Road. Note that it’s not within walking distance- you will need a car, or to take public transport.

On the note of public transport, you’re also very close to the MRT; about 10 minutes walk to Queenstown MRT, and this is measured from a house that’s deeper in the estate, and not the closest house. Once you hit Commonwealth Avenue, the way is also covered by a walkway so you’re shaded from Singapore’s harsh weather. Let me take you on a little walk so you can see for yourself.

Merino 7019 — Here we are just outside the landed estate, on Stirling Road. Stirling Road feels like quite a main road- it’s very broad- but it wasn’t very busy when I visited it. Not much traffic coming and going. There are also a few houses located on it.

Merino 6989 — Looking towards the main road.

Merino 7018 — Some of the houses we find on Stirling Road. Continue past these houses and you’ll find another cul-de-sac with a few landed houses, condos, and then HDB estates. There’s also Queenstown polyclinc for your healthcare needs.

Merino 7015 — As we walk towards the main road, Commonwealth Avenue, we pass a condo.

Merino 7013 — Here we are on Commonwealth Avenue. This road can be quite busy despite how empty it looks in the photo. Across is the MRT.

Merino 7014 — Turn left and you’ll reach Queenstown MRT’s entrance,

Merino 7011 — And this is the covered walkway I mentioned earlier.

Now that we’ve seen the main road, let’s head back into the estate.

Merino 6990 — Here we are on Shepherd’s Drive, which is closer to Commonwealth Avenue- Barbary Walk is the street that’s the deepest in.

Merino 6988 — To the side is the shortcut to Alexandra Road the I mentioned earlier.

Merino 7023 — You’ll see a few landed houses as you walk out that way.

Merino 6984 — Zooming out a bit so you can see the surrounding condominiums.

Merino 6977 — The road actually splits, with Shepherd’s Drive on one side, and Merino Crescent on the other.

Merino 6978 — I previously said that the location is great in terms of walkability to amenities. However, I have to point out that this estate is rather quite hilly, so you will have quite an upward walk when you return.

Merino 6976 — Some of the houses we pass along the way. Spot the street signs? It’s not easy finding parking here. I did manage to squeeze into a spot during working hours but you may not be so lucky when it’s after work/ on weekends. In addition, some streets are completely zoned as no-parking so, even if you find a space on the street, you may have to trek a bit- uphill@- to get home.

Merino 6974 — See what I mean about the houses here being on the larger side? One of them even looks like a boutique condo or boutique hotel to me!

Merino 6972 — This house has quite a nice setting.

Merino 6971 — On the downside, the nearby condominiums are extremely built-up and feel very close to the landed houses. I met a resident during my walk- she was extremely nice and friendly- who mentioned that more and more condos have been going up over the years, making the estate noisier.

Merino 6917 — See what I mean about the condos feeling a bit close?!

Merino 6967 — It varies depending on which part of the street you’re on though. These properties feel like they have more privacy.

Merino 6964 — Talk about an entrance hidden in plain sight!

Merino 6963 — I am not 100% sure but I think the building behind the houses here is a condo.

Merino 6961 — See what I mean about the walk not being flat?

Merino 6957 — It’s a real mix of older single storey houses and very modern properties in this estate.

Merino 6955 — This photos shows you how much potential there is to build higher.

Merino 6954 — This owner has obviously taken the opportunity to completely rebuild.

Merino 6951 — In case it’s not obviously, we’re walking uphill here i.e. it’s uphill when walking in from the main road.

Merino 6947 — Some of the houses at the “peak” of the estate are elevated over their neighbouring buildings. For example- these houses are level with the top of the Mitsubishi Electric building.

More large houses. One thing to note is that many of the newer properties have large houses but not much garden space, so the space between the different properties can be a little limited and the estate does’t feel as spacious as you would have expected.