We Toured An East Coast Landed Estate With Freehold Homes, Walkable Cafes And Shops — From $4.1M
While Serangoon Gardens gets its fair share of attention for the food scene within that landed area, over in the East Coast, the landed homes along Frankel Avenue do their own version of the same thing – minus the roundabout and the weekend crowds.
This quaint low-rise estate can be found off East Coast Road, with most of the landed homes branching off from Frankel Avenue. When I visited this neighbourhood, the rush of traffic and noise of the busy main road dropped away almost immediately.
As I drove along Frankel Avenue, mature rain trees and palms lined both sides of the road, and the entire landed estate stretched out between Kembangan and Siglap. It is one of the largest landed enclaves that you can find in District 15. Most of the homes here are freehold or 999-year leasehold properties, with a roughly even mix of inter-terraces, corner terraces, semi-detached houses, and standalone bungalows.
When I toured the estate on a weekday, my walk took me from the start of the canal at Frankel Terrace down to Siglap Plain. Along the way, I got a first-hand look at the houses along the street, the nearby amenities, and what the typical school-run traffic is like.
I’ve compiled everything that caught my eye during my short time touring the landed estate, and I’ll be pointing out things that buyers should keep in mind if they are considering a home there.
Landed markets are thinner and less transparent than condo markets. Good comparables can be difficult to find, and an enclave often behaves very differently from another just a few streets away.
That’s where a second opinion can be valuable: benchmarking a specific property against comparable transactions, understanding what you’re really paying for, and weighing whether it makes sense for your own plans.
Over time, that’s also why we decided to work with agents who shared the same data-driven and advisory-led approach behind our editorial, consultants who could help readers think through decisions more objectively, rather than simply push transactions.
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A snippet of the history of Frankel Estate
Today, the landed estate along Frankel Avenue is bounded by Changi Road and East Coast Road. But the land was originally cultivated for coconut and rubber plantations before it became a housing estate.
One of the most significant residential developments was started by a Jewish family who settled in Singapore after leaving Lithuania. Abraham and Rosa Frankel first bought the plantation in Siglap in 1912, eventually building their fortune on rubber, bread and furniture.
They grew wealthy enough that Albert Einstein, on a 1922 fundraising stopover for the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, toured their Siglap estate and remarked on the beauty of the coconut trees, according to the National Heritage Board (NHB).
The land itself was sold in 1947 to Crédit Foncier d’Extrême-Orient, a Franco-Belgian developer, which parcelled it out for residential development throughout the 1950s. An account of the area, recorded by NHB, puts the estate’s original, unrebuilt houses closer to the 1950s and 1960s than more recent decades.
The Frankels also developed the neighbouring Opera Estate, and the streets that line that neighbourhood were inspired by various European and traditional Malay opera.
But their own namesake estate went a different way: streets like Cheviot Hill, Bowmont Gardens, Dunbar Walk, Jedburgh Gardens, Burnfoot Terrace, and Ettrick Terrace take their names from towns and hills that can be found along the Scottish border with England.
Walking The Streets Of Frankel Estate
I kicked off my visit to the neighbourhood at the canal near Frankel Terrace, where the estate meets Siglap Plain.
It was such a quiet neighbourhood with little to no traffic driving along the road during my time there. I managed to map out several routes that residents in the area likely use to get to East Coast Park on foot, or by bike via the Siglap Park Connector.
As I walked south along Frankel Avenue past Bowmont Gardens, Burnfoot Terrace and Dunbar Walk, I observed that the mix of landed houses there largely comprised inter-terraces and semi-detached houses behind shaded footpaths.
Frankel Avenue carries local feeder bus traffic toward East Coast Road and Changi Road. Meanwhile, the pocket of houses along Hartley Grove – near the southern end – is a somewhat exclusive cul-de-sac that is still a short walk from the East Coast Road shophouses.
When I crossed over to the western side of the estate, I noticed that the streets seemed to widen noticeably. There are generous footpaths and sidewalks along Siglap Plain and Siglap Avenue, and the land sizes of the houses there also appeared to be larger.
From what I could tell, land sizes here start from around 3,500 sq ft for semi-detached houses, and go past 7,000 sq ft for the bungalows – noticeably larger than what I’d seen for the landed homes closer to the canal.
Parking didn’t look like it’d be a problem either. Most of the car porches I walked past could comfortably fit two to four cars.
A quick note on the different landed housing areas
The diversity of landed homes during my walkabout prompted me to check what type of landed properties were allowed in the estate. I found that Frankel Estate carries two landed housing designations: two-storey bungalows and two-storey mixed landed houses, according to the designation on URA Space.
This determines what you can rebuild and the maximum height and setbacks allowed, which typically caps at 12m. Terraces and semi-detached houses cannot be built in the bungalow zone, only detached houses.
So, if you’re after a terrace or semi detached house rather than a bungalow, make sure the street that you’re looking at falls under the mixed landed designation instead. But if you’re eyeing an older house to rebuild, be sure to check the exact zoning boundary on URA Space.
Based on my observations, some of the newer rebuilds along Siglap Plain look like they carry a third storey, but that height usually comes from a loft rather than an extra floor.
| Attribute | Frankel Ave (east of canal) | Siglap Plain & Siglap Avenue |
| Housing Type | Inter terraces & semi detached | Semi detached & detached |
| Kerbside Parking | Moderate to tight | Generous car porches |
| Road Profile | Standard, some narrow lanes | Wide, with wide footpaths |
| Traffic Volume | Local feeder traffic | Low, mostly resident only |
| Typical Land Size | 1,400 to 3,200 sq ft | 3,200 to 7,500+ sq ft |
One of the things that caught my eye during the visit was the architectural contrast on the same street. Take these two homes pictured above: an original terracotta roofed house sitting beside a modern rebuild in grey render and glass, complete with a home lift and sheltered car porch.
I liked that a handful of these older houses still dot the neighbourhood. They give the area a certain warmth and character that a fully rebuilt street wouldn’t have. I found myself wondering about the families behind those front gates, and what they must have seen change around them over the decades.
Where do residents turn to for their daily amenities and F&B options?
Frankel Avenue and Siglap Drive are close to a stretch of shophouses with restaurants, a fitness club, a vet clinic, and a Caltex station. I felt that this was a nice change of pace after visiting many other landed estates that make you drive for a cup of coffee. Frankel Estate does not.
| Amenity | Location | Approx Distance |
| Kembangan MRT (EW9) | North edge of estate | Roughly 700m to 1km from Frankel Avenue, about 9 to 13 minutes on foot |
| Siglap MRT (TE28) | South edge of estate | Closer for houses on Siglap Plain and Siglap Road |
| Grocery Shopping | FairPrice at Siglap Centre, Cold Storage at Siglap V | Short walk from the southern streets |
| Primary Schools | St. Stephen’s School, Opera Estate Primary | Within or adjacent to the estate |
| Recreation | Siglap Park Connector | Direct access from the canal end |
However, it’s only the houses at the northern or southern edges of the neighbourhood that get a genuinely short walk to an MRT station. Most residents who live in the middle or centre of the estate likely rely on feeder buses or drive to get to the nearest amenities and F&B options.
But I could also see why this area would be a popular choice for families with school-going children. St. Stephen’s School sits inside the estate on Siglap View, and Opera Estate Primary is just across the border on Fidelio Street. Further out: CHIJ Katong Primary, Ngee Ann Primary, Tao Nan School, St. Patrick’s School and Victoria Junior College.
So where does Frankel Estate fall short for homeowners?
No estate or neighbourhood is perfect, and Frankel Estate is no exception. I penned down a list of things that caught my attention during my visit there that buyers should weigh before committing:
School run traffic. Streets close to St. Stephen’s School, including Siglap Bank, slow down considerably during morning drop off.
Narrower inner lanes. Burnfoot Terrace and Ettrick Terrace are narrower than the main roads, and with cars parked on both sides, a two lane street can shrink to single file.
Ongoing rebuilding work. Expect construction noise and lorry movements for a while yet, since redevelopment here has been steady for years.
Drainage upgrading works. Frankel Estate is one of ten estates under Batch 10 of the Estate Upgrading Programme, first announced in 2019 and delayed by the pandemic. Per the PUB signboard on site (Contract 1, East Coast Road to Frankel Avenue), works will be completed in the third quarter of 2028.
The Greenfield Drive community park is also getting new playgrounds, exercise corners and a multi purpose hall as part of the same upgrade.
What are some upcoming developments taking place nearby?
Although most of the area has been developed, there are pockets of development activity taking place in the vicinity. Two government land sale (GLS) sites may give us some useful information about the property market there, especially buyers who are weighing on either a landed home or one of the new condos that could be launching nearby.
Both of the GLS sites were among the nine sites on URA’s 2H2026 Confirmed List.
East Coast Road, opposite Siglap Centre. This 0.55 hectare site carries a plot ratio of 1.6, expected to yield about 85 units. It includes a former Siglap 1 HDB block, completed 1963, set to be repurposed for community use.
New Upper Changi Road, Bedok. A short drive away, on a 331,194 sq ft site near Bedok MRT and Bedok Mall, this 99 year leasehold plot was awarded to UOL Group, CapitaLand Development and Singapore Land for $1.425 billion, or $1,537 psf per plot ratio, a record land rate for a residential site outside the central region.
Analysts have pointed to estimated launch prices in the $2,900 to $3,000 psf range once the roughly 1,010 unit project is launched for sale, which would narrow the gap between a 99-year leasehold condo and a freehold landed home in the vicinity.
Recent Transaction Prices
For a more recent view of the property market in the area, let’s examine some of the latest transactions which have been recorded in that area. Recent transaction records for Frankel Estate landed homes – from September 2025 to July 2026 – show clear differences between the three housing types.
Terrace Houses
Resale records indicate that terrace houses have transacted between $3.6 million and $6.23 million over the past year, with land rates ranging from $1,788 to $3,608 psf.
Relatively smaller sized landed plots, that have recently been built up, seem to post the highest land rates. Meanwhile, older and less built-up terraces along the estate’s perimeter typically fetch lower prices.
The transaction data also shows that each resale with a prior purchase on record closed at a profit, with gains ranging from roughly 37% to 523%. The sellers of those terraces had holding periods that spanned under six years to more than two decades.
Semi Detached Houses
Meanwhile, resale semi-detached houses fetched prices that range from $4.88 million to $10.3 million, with land rates between $1,711 and $3,395 psf. Overall, capital gains have generally been strong, from around 50% up to roughly 259% depending on how long the property was held.
But not every deal was a clear win though: one property changed hands twice within seven months in 2025 at essentially the same price, effectively a breakeven flip.
Detached Houses
Detached houses on the estate’s larger plots managed to command resale prices that range from $8.68 million to $19 million, with land rates between $1,386 and $2,183 psf. Gains here ranged from about 73% over a few years to nearly 250% over close to two decades, a reminder of how much plot size, location and rebuild condition affect pricing even within the same housing type.
So, what’s my take on the Frankel Estate?
I had a pleasant experience walking among the rows of houses along Frankel Avenue. The neighbourhood was peaceful and certainly well-located within the East Coast area. I saw a variety of new homes, houses still under construction, and older homes that likely date back to the estate’s original 1950s.
I walked away with a sense that the Frankel Estate landed homes suit multi-generational families who want freehold land and the chance to build a new home for themselves, particularly if a spot at St. Stephen’s School matters to you.
But there were also homes that might suit buyers who want to walk to a cafe or the supermarket, which is not something most landed estates in Singapore can offer. That said, if you’re looking at a street toward the interior of the estate, expect to drive for most errands rather than walk.
Reflecting on resale prices there, the properties might not be suitable to buyers with a budget of less than $3.5 million. From what I could gather, it seems like affordable, entry-level homes are not abundant in that estate.
As land costs at nearby GLS sites keep climbing, I think that the landed homes in the Frankel Estate will continue to hold their appeal among buyers who want to put down roots in this East Coast neighbourhood.
Disclaimer: For general information only, not financial, investment or legal advice. Figures were compiled from public sources believed reliable but conditions may change. Verify all figures and consult a licensed agent before making any property decision.
Unlike condos, there are very few true like-for-like comparisons in the landed market. Every purchase is effectively a judgement call based on imperfect comparables.
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