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A while back, a reader requested a tour of Eng Kong estate. I’d not managed to get around to it yet when the second request came in, so it seems there is quite a bit of interest in this landed enclave – maybe because of all the buzz around The Reserve residences? (It sold over 70% of its 700+ units during its launch weekend.) Either way, I figured I better not sit on it, so off to the West I went.
As you may have noticed above, the first thing that stood out to me about this estate is that there was a lot of potential to build upwards. Now, a lot of older estates have not maximised their plot ratios. However, the houses in parts of the estate seem to be inordinately taller than the average. Just look at the one below!
Side view for you to better admire the height.The heart of the estate is the cluster of shops located at Eng Kong Terrace. These consist of a coffeeshop (not hawker stalls, so whilst you do get local food, the price point is higher), Pizza Hut, pet shops, a Baker & Cook, a provision shop, etc.The shops form 2 parallel rows next to Eng Kong Garden Playground.The presence of a Baker & Cook seems almost mandatory in a landed estate. I’ve seen them at Opera Estate, Pasir Panjang etc!There isn’t much space for customers to park outside the shophouses, so there may be some spillover to the streets outside the houses. However, there aren’t many cafes and restaurants here, so there shouldn’t be too many non-residents driving here just to eat (unlike some other parts of the Toh Tuck area, such as the area near Hoover Park.)Having a provision shop definitely makes life more convenient, since the nearest NTUC is quite a distance away. There were a few residents shopping here when I passed by. I bought a carton of eggs and it wasn’t too pricey – about 50 cents more than NTUC – better than Redmart! According to the lady manning the shop, fresh eggs are delivered 2 to 3 times a week so you can be sure the eggs are fresh. (She also sells dried goods and some fresh vegetables.)There is a row of old terrace houses opposite the shophouses.As well as a few more modern-looking ones.
The other landmarks in the estate are the playgrounds and outdoor fitness centre. One is at Eng Kong Terrace, right next to the shops, another at Eng Kong Place, and a third at Savoy Place. Let’s look at the closer one first:
As you can see, Eng Kong Garden Playground is quite large. There aren’t many facilities but at least there’s a decent amount of green space for the kids to run around.Some benches are along the border, and the playground is lined with houses.The playground is actually located at the bottom of a gentle slope. (Looking up the sloping road.) As reflected above, it was quite difficult to find street parking at Eng Kong estate. I must confess, I’ve never been a big fan of this area, because the roads are fairly narrow, and the traffic is quite heavy.It does have some bigger houses, such as these semi-Ds though.After the playground ends, the road becomes flat, and we see the shophouses I mentioned earlier.To the right of the shophouses, and opposite the playground is Upper Toh Tuck terrace, where we can find some newer buildings.If you continue past the houses, you’ll reach the T-junction formed with Lorong Kismis. Bukit Timah Primary School is just to the left. It is one of two Primary schools within most houses in the Eng Kong estate (but always check the house in question to be sure.) The other school is Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary. There’s also Methodist Girls School and Keming Primary a little further afield.Walk down Eng Kong Terrace, with the playground behind you, and you’ll reach Eng Kong Road, where we can find taller houses and ELF Pre-school.Despite looking somewhat dated, the architecture is quite similar to the recently built Victoria Park Villas, in that the garden seems to be elevated above the ground floor, something I personally like as it’s breezier and less dusty (than having the garden on road level.)As I shared earlier, despite being a mix of terrace and semi-Ds, the roads here are on the narrower side, and parking can be hard to find. (The empty space in the photos above is pretty much to avoid parking in front of the houses’ gates!)Photo to show you the upward maximisation potential here.Interesting old architecture: it makes a semi-D feel more like a detached house – i,e. Brighter, airier, and less noisy- by sacrificing some of the internal built-up areas. (If you look closely, you’ll notice there’s a gap between the upper floors of the two houses, even though they’re semi-Ds and technically meant to be connected.)This is the outdoor fitness area I mentioned earlier – it’s slightly smaller than the previous playground, and has more equipment for adults. Since we’ve already seen two outdoor play areas, I won’t show you the third as it’s more of the same. (The bit where it’s located, at the end of Eng Kong Drive, borders the PIE so if you’re noise-sensitive, the location may be an issue.)There were no children in this outdoor space. In comparison, quite a few were at the other playground. Maybe because the other one is closer to the coffee shop and cafe?More examples of how much higher one can build here. Personally, I find that if the road isn’t wide enough, taller buildings can feel a bit imposing.Another thing to highlight is that the pavements here leave a bit to be desired. They’re quite narrow, and often blocked by trees or the pots of residents, so you have to walk on the road with the cars. (And quite a few cars are going through this area, though not as bad as Seletar Hills.Some of the semi-Ds are quite unequally sized!A few construction projects in the vicinity.One of the more modern houses I saw during the walkabout.
Now that we’ve seen the area, how did you find it?
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If you’ve found it interesting, you’ll probably want to know about the MRT access. The closest would be Beauty World MRT which, according to Google Maps, is approximately 20 minutes away both on foot or by buses 173, 66, and 41. (Give and take, depending on exactly where the house is located in Eng Kong.) Next to Beauty World MRT is also where you find the closest hawker centre and wet market.
Keep in mind that it’ll be demolished in the latter half of this year, and replaced with a new 5-storey mixed-use complex that will open in 2029, so the surrounding area may be quite messy while construction is ongoing. The new complex will have a library, something the area doesn’t currently have. (There is a library at Clementi Mall, but that’s quite a distance away.)
There’ll also be a new three-storey mall connected to the upcoming The Reserve residences, something the area desperately needs. (The current offerings, Beauty World and Bukit Timah Plaza, consist more of supermarkets and tuition centres – nothing terribly exciting. For more information on the upcoming Beauty World area transformation, such as the development of more green areas, click the link.)
All in all, how do you find the area? Let me know in the comments!
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TJ's interest in property was sparked after returning from the UK- where balconies are not counted in one's square footage!- and finding that the Singapore property had totally changed in the 7 years she was away. When not reading and watching articles & videos about property, she is busy cooking and baking for friends, family & her blog Greedygirlgourmet
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