Feb 2019 BTO Boon Lay Glade and Jurong West Jewel Analysis: Which Unit to Choose?

The recent BTO sales exercise in Feb 2019 saw the launch of five BTO developments across three neighbourhoods, two of which are in Jurong West—Boon Lay Glade and Jurong West Jewel. We made our way down to the two sites to observe the surroundings. Read the following analysis to see what we thought of the plots. In the second half of the article, we delve into the units to pick if you managed to get a queue number.

Site Map for Boon Lay Glade and Jurong West Jewel, courtesy of HDB.

 

Our Journey to the West

We visited the Jurong West BTO sites on a weekday evening, during peak hours:

Site for Boon Lay Glade.

Boon Lay Glade is located close to a busy cross junction, intersecting arterial roads Jalan Boon Lay and Boon Lay Way. The area is close to an industrial site as well as a bus interchange, so there were quite a number of heavy vehicles passing through. Some of the blocks also face the MRT tracks directly, so noise from the passing train is another factor to consider.

Site for Jurong West Jewel

Jurong West Jewel is surrounded by quite a number of industrial estates so the number of heavy vehicles passing through is similarly high, especially along Upper Jurong Road.

Jurong West Jewel will also be located close to the MRT tracks once it’s constructed, although if you look at the arrangement of the blocks on the site map, most stacks aren’t facing the tracks directly.

Here’s a quick summary of both BTO plots:

	BOON LAY GLADE	JURONG WEST JEWEL
Total no. of units	775	599
Estimated completion date	3Q2022	2Q2022
No. of blocks	6	4
Highest storey	15 to 17	12 to 18
Type of flats	2-room Flexi, 3-, 4-, 5-room, and 3Gen flats	2-room Flexi, 3-, 4-, and 5-room flats
Location	Bounded by Boon Lay Way and Boon Lay Drive	Bounded by Upper Jurong Road and Jurong West Street 93
Amenities	Recreation: Jurong Central Park (6-min walk) Shopping Mall: Jurong Point (7-min walk) Hawker Centre + Wet Market: Boon Lay Place Market and Food Village (13-min walk) Supermarket: Fairprice Xtra and Fairprice at Jurong Point and Fairprice at Boon Lay Shopping Centre (14-min walk)	Recreation: Jurong West Sports Centre (4-min walk) Shopping Mall: Pioneer Mall (14-min walk) Hawker Centre + Wet Market: Jurong West Hawker Centre and Market (13-min walk) Supermarket: Prime Supermarket at 962 Jurong West St 91 (11-min walk) + Cold Storage at 638 Jurong West St 61 (16-min walk)
Nearest MRT	Boon Lay MRT (East-West Line, Jurong Regional Line) and Bahar Junction (Jurong Regional Line)	Pioneer MRT (East-West Line)
Buses	Close to Bus Interchange. Buses 30, 154, 178, 180 and 187 along Boon Lay Way go to areas like Woodlands, Eunos, Bedok, Bukit Panjang and Clementi. Possible bus bay erected along Boon Lay Drive.	Buses 99, 192 and 974 right along Upper Jurong Road that go to areas like Clementi, Boon Lay, Jurong East, Bukit Panjang, Tuas and Joo Koon. Bus 99 also stops along Jurong West St 93.
Nearest primary schools	Boon Lay Garden Primary School (8-min walk), Lakeside Primary School (19-min walk), Rulang Primary School (20-min walk)	Frontier Primary School (12-min walk), Jurong West Primary School (11-min walk) and Juying Primary School (13-min walk)
Pros	• Proximity to two MRT lines and mega mall Jurong Point • Unblocked views for units facing the industrial area	• Unblocked views for units facing the industrial area • Proximity to MRT • North-South facing stacks that will most likely be breezier
Cons	• Located next to a very busy traffic intersection • Direct facing and proximity to MRT tracks (approx 91.6m)	• Heavy vehicles lead to high traffic noise, particularly along Upper Jurong Road • Along military flight route? Potential air traffic noise • Proximity to MRT tracks (approx 57.8m)

 

Our Thoughts

Aerial view for Boon Lay Glade, courtesy of Google.

Boon Lay Glade’s convenience to amenities, particularly the mammoth-sized Jurong Point shopping mall, and public transport makes it a pretty strong contender. Come 2026, Boon Lay MRT will also become an interchange, linking the East-West Line with that of the Jurong Regional Line, so the area is set to be even more bustling than it already is.

The only major downside to the area is that it is pretty noisy, mainly from the traffic noise along the cross junction as well as the noise from being located so close to the MRT tracks. Our advice? Pick a unit facing away from all these and you’ve got a winner in your hands.

Aerial view for Jurong West Jewel, courtesy of Google.

When it comes to Jurong West Jewel, location for this BTO isn’t as favourable, although it’s also relatively near to the MRT station. Amenities are limited and located far and few between. You will also have to contend with high traffic noise, particularly along Upper Jurong Road, thanks to its proximity to several industrial estates.

During our site visit, we also heard air traffic noise—we aren’t sure if it’s a one-off, but there’s a chance that the area is a flight route for the military. The site is also near to quite a number of foreign workers’ dormitories, so you will have to be comfortable with that.

However, there are several plus points for Jurong West Jewel. One is that whilst the MRT tracks are located nearby, the ones that are closest to the tracks don’t face it directly, so noise is mitigated in that sense. Secondly, fitness aficionados will be pleased at this BTO’s proximity to the Jurong West Sports & Recreation Centre, which has swimming pools, badminton courts and a gym among other facilities.

 

Which Unit to Choose?

BOON LAY GLADE

Unblocked Views

237B: 231, 233, 235, 237 (facing the school field)
237A: 217, 215, 213 (opt for levels higher than the 5-storey carpark)
238A: 247, 245, 243, 259 (opt for levels higher than the 5-storey carpark)
239A: 281, 297, 295, 293 (opt for levels higher than the 2-storey childcare centre)

Blocks 237A, 238A and 239A are facing the MRT tracks directly. In order to obtain unblocked views, opt for a unit on a higher floor.

Peace and Quiet

Stacks that are away from traffic, the MRT Tracks, the School and Human Activity Zones like fitness corners and playgrounds.

238B: 267, 269, 271 (facing service apartments)
239A: 287, 289, 291 (inside stacks)
239B: 311, 309 (inside stacks), 303, 305, 307 (facing service apartments)

In general, avoid stacks that are close to the arterial roads as well as the intersection between Jalan Boon Lay and Boon Lay Way. Units next to Boon Lay Drive won’t face as much traffic noise, although that might change with the construction of a bus stop there. For stacks facing the school field, you might have to contend with some noise during the day.

No Western Sun

237A: 217, 215, 213 (south-east facing)
237B: 229, 227, 225, 223, 241, 239 (south-east facing)
238A: 247, 245, 243, 259 (south-east facing)
238B: 263, 261, 279, 277, 275, 273 (south-east facing), 267, 269, 271 (blocked by service apartments)
239A: 281, 297, 295, 293 (south-east facing)
239B: 301, 299, 311, 309 (south-east facing), 303, 305, 307 (blocked by service apartments)

Avoid units where the main living areas like the bedrooms and living room are facing the north-west or south-west directions. Cooler units are ones that are blocked by surrounding structures.

For inside stacks for blocks 237A, 238A and 239A, there’s a chance that they might be blocked somewhat by the western sun heat from the blocks in front of them, but we can't say for sure.

Privacy

237A: 211, 213
237B: 231, 229, 239
238A: 249, 247, 259
238B: 263, 271, 273
239A: 281, 291, 293
239B: 303, 307, 309

Corner units usually have the most privacy, away from the prying eyes of neighbours passing by. Avoid units located close to the rubbish chutes and the lifts as well.

Other considerations:

• For units facing the MRT track, opting for a higher unit might give you better views, but as noise travels upwards, you might be faced with a noisier unit. Also, bear in mind that for units on the lower floors, noise from the MRT tracks can be somewhat buffered by the multi-storey carpark in front of it.
• Some stacks are closer to Jurong Point, the MRT as well as the bus interchange. However, because of the stacks' proximity to the roads, they can be noisier than stacks further away. Weigh which factor is more important to you.

 

JURONG WEST JEWEL

991A: 20, 18, 16, 14, 12
991B: 40, 38, 36, 34, 32, 30, 28

These stacks are facing the industrial area, which have relatively short structures. So units, particularly on the upper floors, will most likely enjoy unblocked views.

Peace and Quiet

These stacks are away from traffic noise, MRT Tracks and Human Activity Zones like fitness corners and playgrounds.

991A: 26, 10
991B: 42, 44
992A: 58, 60
992B: 70, 72, 74, 76, 78 (noise potentially buffered by future high-rise development in front of it), 80

As previously seen, Upper Jurong Road is a major road, which sees quite a number of heavy vehicles passing through. Avoid units facing it if you want a quieter flat. Jurong West St 93 is a much quieter road, although there is some traffic passing through.

Note also that the first storey of block 991 (the carpark) will also hold elderly facilities as well as future amenities. This will likely increase the noise levels in the area so avoid adjacent stacks if you want a quieter flat.

If you’re picking a stack located close to the MRT tracks, you might want to pick a lower floor. The noise can be buffered somewhat by the multi-storey carpark in front of the track.

No Western Sun

991B: 30, 28 (south-east facing)
992A: 56, 58 (potentially blocked by high-rise development in front of it)
992B: 70, 72, 74, 76, 78 (potentially blocked by high-rise development in front of it)

While the stacks in Jurong West Jewel feature a mainly north-south orientation, which translates to windier interiors, some stacks still have the chance of getting the heat from the western sun, which comes in the north-west and south-west directions for Singapore. For stacks 30 and 28, their service yards face the western sun directions, which is great for getting your clothes to dry faster.

Privacy

991A: 20
991B:42, 40, 28
992A: 52
992B: 68

These corner stacks have the greatest privacy in terms of avoiding the prying eyes of your neighbours.

We hope this unit analysis has helped you make a more informed decision! Recommendations are based on our observations. Discretion is advised. All site maps are courtesy of HDB.

We will also be looking at the other BTOs launched during the Feb 2019 exercise. Watch this space for our analyses on Sengkang’s Fernvale Vines and Kallang/Whampoa’s Kallang Breeze and Towner Crest.

 

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