Feb 2019 BTO Kallang Breeze and Towner Crest Analysis: Which Unit to Choose?

In this article, we’ll be focusing on the Kallang/Whampoa developments launched during the Feb 2019 BTO sales exercise: Kallang Breeze and Towner Crest. We previously wrote about Boon Lay Glade and Jurong West Jewel, the Jurong West BTOs that were launched during the Feb 2019 BTO sales exercise.

Site map for Kallang Breeze and Towner Crest, courtesy of HDB.

We visited the Kallang/Whampoa sites during a weekday evening at peak hours and found both areas to be relatively busy and bustling with activity. In addition to our observations of our site visit, this article will also be touching on the stacks and units to choose should you obtain a queue number, the result of which will most likely be released in mid-March.  

Site Visit

Site for Kallang Breeze. The area is surrounded by several residential buildings, a mixed of old and new as well as public and private housing.

Lorong 3 Geylang, one of the roads bounding Kallang Breeze. A lot quieter than Sims Way and Sim Ave, although it is set to expand come 2020, so it might also get a bit busier.

One of the main cons for Kallang Breeze is its close proximity to the entrance of major expressways PIE and KPE. During our site visit, we found traffic to be very heavy.

Kallang Breeze will also be located right next to MRT tracks. We could still hear the train when it passed by, although the noise barriers did alleviate the noise levels.

Site for Towner Crest. The BTO is surrounded by residential blocks as well as a hospital, most of which are shorter than the proposed 35 to 39 storeys for Towner Crest.

Towner Crest’s main attraction is that it is located really close to Boon Keng MRT—the station entrance is just right across the road from it. However, Towner Crest is also located close to the very busy arterial road Serangoon Road.

Traffic situation at the busy Serangoon Road, next to Towner Crest.

 

Our Thoughts

In terms of convenience and amenities, we preferred Towner Crest compared to Kallang Breeze. Not only will the site have a series of shops and a supermarket within the site, it is also closer to malls as well as to famed eateries and food places. Added to this is its very close proximity to Boon Keng MRT, which is just a few stops away from town. You will definitely be contending with heavy traffic noise whether you’re living in Towner Crest or Kallang Breeze, as both areas are located next to busy junctions. Kallang Breeze also has additional noise coming from being located next to the MRT tracks. Here’s a quick summary of both Kallang Breeze and Towner Crest:

	KALLANG BREEZE	TOWNER CREST
Total no. of units	411	444
Estimated completion date	3Q2022	3Q2023
No. of blocks	2	2
Highest storey	23	35 to 39
Type of flats	3- and 4-room flats
Location	Along Lorong 3 Geylang	Bounded by Serangoon Road and Towner Road
Amenities	Supermarkets: Sheng Siong at BTO Boon Keng Ville (4-min walk), NTUC Fairprice at BTO Kallang Heights (3-min walk) Hawker Centres/Wet Markets: 17 Upper Boon Keng Market and Food Centre (3-min walk), Sims Vista Market and Food Centre (14-min walk) Recreation: Kallang Riverside Park	Shopping Centre: City Square Mall (14-min walk), Shaw Plaza (17-min walk) Supermarkets: Sheng Siong at BTO McNair Spring, (6-min walk), NTUC Fairprice at BTO Bendemeer Ville (13-min walk), Don Don Donki and NTUC Fairprice at City Square Mall (14-min walk), Mustafa Centre (17-min walk), NTUC Fairprice at Shaw Plaza (17-min walk) Hawker Centres/Wet Markets: Whampoa Drive Makan Place (11-min walk), Bendeemer Market and Food Centre (13-min walk)
Nearest MRT	Kallang MRT (East-West Line, 6-min walk) and Geylang Bahru MRT (Downtown Line, 11-min walk)	Boon Keng MRT (North-East Line, 2-min walk, station's exit C is opposite the BTO) and Bendemeer MRT (Downtown-Line, 11-min walk)
Buses	Bus Interchange next to Kallang MRT that goes to places such as Toa Payoh, Clementi, Yishun, Woodlands, Sembawang and Choa Chu Kang. Bus stop along Sims Ave that goes to places such as Bedok, Tampines, East Coast, Sengkang, Pasir Ris and Eunos. Bus stop along Upper Boon Keng Rd that goes to Shenton Way and Geylang.	Bus stop along Serangoon Road that goes to places such as Yio Chu Kang, Yishun, Hougang, Sims Place, Tampines and Ang Mo Kio. Bus stop along Towner Road that goes to Bukit Merah and Pasir Ris.
Nearest primary schools	Geylang Methodist Primary School (21-min walk), Bendemeer Primary School (22-min walk)	Bendemeer Primary School (10-min walk), Farrer Park Primary School (17-min walk), Hong Wen School (7-min walk)
Pros	• Plenty of public transport options. A good location also for drivers as entrance to PIE and KPE very close by	• Eateries and a supermarket located within the site • MRT entrance located right across the road • Boon Keng is just 3 stops away from Dhoby Ghaut • Taller blocks
Cons	• Next to a very busy road, leading to PIE and KPE expressways • Next to MRT tracks	• Next to a very busy intersection • Longer waiting time

 

Which Unit to Choose?

KALLANG BREEZE

Peace and Quiet These units are away from the heavy traffic noise (along Sims Way and Sims Ave), the noise coming from MRT tracks as well as human activity zones such as the playground, fitness corners and the pavilion.

20B: 82, 84, 86, 68, 70 Units noted above are facing an existing HDB block. Do note that whilst some stacks (62, 60, 58, 56) are facing the MRT tracks directly, there are some distance away and the multi-storey carpark in front of these stacks can potentially serve as a noise buffer. No Western Sun These units are cooler as they don’t face the north-west or the south-west, directions of the western sun in Singapore.

20A: 56, 58, 60, 62 20B: 72, 74, 76, 78, 80 Units noted above are south-east facing. Privacy These units are more private, as they are not located in a stack where neighbours will pass through, either to get to the lifts or the rubbish chutes.

20A: 54, 62, 66 20B: 70, 80, 82 Unblocked Views?

20A: 56, 58, 60, 62 20B: 70, 68, 86, 84, 82 As you can see from the map, only the outward facing units in Kallang Breeze will be unblocked. Kallang Breeze will be built to 23 storeys high. For the units at Blk 20A, bear in mind the height of the MRT tracks and the 5/6 multi-storey carpark. Choose a unit on a higher floor. For units at Blk 20B, bear in mind the height of the existing block of flats in front of it. It comes to about 13 storeys, so choose a higher than 13 storeys unit if you want unblocked views.  

TOWNER CREST

Peace and Quiet These units are away from the heavy traffic noise (along Serangoon Road) and human activity zones like the playground, fitness corners and the commercial units.

149A: 21, 23, 25, 27 149B: 45 We would advise against taking units at stacks 33 and 35 if you can help it, both of which directly face the road’s intersection, which was very, very busy during our site visit. Note that while units facing Towner Road will most likely also face traffic noise, traffic situation at that road is lighter compared to those along Serangoon Road. No Western Sun These units are cooler as they don’t face the north-west or the south-west, directions of the western sun in Singapore.

149A: 23, 25, 27 149B: 33, 35, 37, 39, 45 Units noted above are either north-east facing or south-east facing. Privacy These units are more private, as they are not located in a stack where neighbours will pass through, either to get to the lifts or the rubbish chutes.

149A: 25, 29 149B: 35, 37, 39, 43 Unblocked Views?

Because the blocks at Towner Crest are exceptionally high, there will be some units, on the higher floors, that will receive unblocked views. 149A: All stacks. For stacks 23, 25 and 27, pick units higher than the 11-storey HDB flat opposite it. For stacks 21, 31, and 29, pick units higher than the (approx.) 12-storey Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital. 149B: 45, 43, 33, 35 Stacks 33 and 35 face the intersection, so they are unblocked. For stack 45, pick units higher than the 11-storey HDB flat opposite it. For stack 43, pay heed to the Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital in front. There are several unknown variables seeing as the site will be surrounded by sites that are reserved for high-rise development. In our analysis above, we assumed that these high-rise developments will block the stacks at Towner Crest. We hope this site and unit analysis has helped you make a more informed decision when choosing a flat. 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 analysis on Sengkang’s Fernvale Vines. Opting for a flat at Boon Lay Glade or Jurong West Jewel at Jurong West? Read this instead.  

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