Originally Posted by
propertyguru
I am vested in the area so I might be biased, but I was personally attracted to Balestier because of these old shophouses. I think they lend the area a certain charm, not unlike Tiong Bahru before the government basically restored and repainted everything and destroyed any remnants of the old world. I do however agree that parts of it is becoming congested, as small developments are being replaced by bigger and more populated ones. The side near Thomson Road is a good example, with Vista, the Arte, Cube 8, 368 Thomson all coming up within a 400-metre radius.
It will be good if they restore the pavements and eliminate the parking and traffic problems, but I actually hope the KTVs and old shophouses remain. Even the budget hotels. It keeps the place alive at nights, and doesn't pose any safety issues; gang fights or rowdy drunkards are rare in the area, and cabs are aplenty because of the clientele. That to me at least is the appeal of Balestier.
You can't compare D12 to D9/10 or even D11 of course. Those are upmarket areas, quieter, and associated with the elite. Hence they command the highest prices. Even D1 and Sentosa/Harbourfront are not fair comparisons. A fairer comparison would be D3, since it's also on the city fringe (five minutes to Orchard Road and five minutes to Sentosa), as well as D15. I think those who have lived in the east would pick D15 but I have never lived in the area, so I can't comment. I consider both D3 and D12 very livable; the advantages of both are that they are very near the city without actually being in it and therefore avoid the problems commonly associated with living in the city, eg. higher food prices, traffic, transport costs. D3 is slightly quieter at the moment, though the stretch near the MRT station (with Ascentia Sky, Metropolitan and the new empty plot) is fast being transformed and will eventually become quite crowded. Tiong Bahru is already fairly saturated, and there are traffic problems during the evening with everybody trying to get out and into Tiong Bahru Plaza. Balestier is already crowded as well, but I like that it is at the intersection of several expressways, so you can get to the various corners of Singapore pretty quickly.
Anyway, all three areas are ideal to me; the question right now (from an investing point of view) is which area has the greatest upside. For me, D3 with Ascentia Sky around $1,500 (and only leasehold) seems like a hard sell, and any upside may take years to materialise. Balestier is also touching $1,500 (and not even near the Thomson end, though most developments are freehold) so I don't foresee much near-term upside either. I myself bought into the area two years ago, and am wondering whether to cash out but if I cash out, where do I buy?