Bukit Merah and Queenstown are among the oldest neighbourhoods in Singapore. Bukit Merah - probably best known for the Tiong Bahru area - was a star project of the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT), the precursor to the HDB.

Likewise, Queenstown is one of Singapore's earliest planned public housing projects, and the area started its first development in 1952 as Singapore's first satellite town. The idea of self-contained townships, which we still see today, had its roots in Queenstown.

Today, these two neighbourhoods are among Singapore's most established residential districts in the city-fringe, or Rest of Central Region (RCR). They are sought-after due to their proximity to the CBD, public transport connectivity, and amenities. Neighbourhoods such as Tiong Bahru, Alexandra, Redhill, Holland and One-North are among the most recognised in Singapore.

But both planning areas have matured in different directions and despite sharing the same planning areas, not every condominium there has performed equally well. Some developments have generated substantially stronger returns than others.

So, beyond the straightforward fact of being in either Bukit Merah or Queenstown, what separates the best-performing projects from the rest? And for this ongoing series, what does it mean for the two-bedder condo units in these areas?

Let’s take a closer look.