Area: Cairnhill / Killiney / Leonie Hill / Orchard / Oxley

H1: District 9 - Introduction

Most people probably know District 9 from the Orchard neighbourhood. It is known as the shopping haven of Singapore that offers a great range of luxury and branded goods, and it is considered as a prime residential area with affluent housing estates featuring top-notch condominiums and apartments. Other than being a shopping paradise, District 9 is also known as an art and educational hub as it houses popular institutions like the Singapore Management University (SMU), School of the Arts (SOTA), LaSalle College, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), and many more. For those interested in historic landmarks and nature, they can visit Mt. Emily Park, Fort Canning Park, the Istana Park, and Bras Basah Park, all of which are located within close vicinity to this district.

H2: Singapore’s Shopping Belt, Orchard Road

One of the most popular, highly sought-after Orchard Road has been a prime and exclusive residential area since the 1800s. In the 1860s, this road was filled with private houses, mansions, and bungalows occupied by notable aristocrats and the rich families. In the 1890s, King Chulalongkorn, the King of Siam (nowadays Siam is known as Thailand), acquired the grand mansions Hurricane House in Orchard Road, along with the surrounding land. He was widely respected as the Thai monarch who led his kingdom to modernization, and as a king who was always friendly with neighbouring countries. Singapore was the king’s first-ever foreign trip in 1871, hence he decided to purchase the grand mansion as his residence during his visits to Singapore. This marked the beginning of a significant diplomatic presence at Orchard Road. Although the house was sold at the end of the King’s reign, the Thai government purchased it back in the year 1960 and rebuilt a new diplomatic complex. Today, the complex is known as the Royal Thai Embassy along Orchard Road.

Orchard Road is a paradise for shopaholics, where you can find some of the biggest and best international brands, ranging from the basic daily wear Uniqlo; major clothing apparel like Zara, Mango, and Forever 21; to luxurious brands like Hermès, Chanel, Dior, and Louis Vuitton. The street is lined with a wide array of shopping malls, such as Takashimaya (or Ngee Ann City), Orchard Central, ION Orchard, Orchard Gateway, Tangs, 313@Somerset, Paragon, Mandarin Gallery… The list just goes on and on. Outside of these malls, there are also many popular retail stores along the street, such as the four-story flagship H&M boutique - the biggest H&M store in Southeast Asia; as well as Apple Orchard Road - the first Apple store in Southeast Asia.

While we’re talking about Apple, a little fun fact about the brand’s Singapore branch: they are the first company in Singapore to run exclusively on renewable energy. Apple Orchard Road runs entirely on renewable energy using rooftop solar installations provided by Sunseap Group, the Singapore-based solar energy provider. Similarly, their current corporate office at One North is also entirely powered by solar energy.

Other than the extensive options of shopping centres, you can also visit the Istana, located at the southern end of Orchard Road. The Istana, which means ‘palace’ in Malay, is one of Singapore’s oldest heritage sites and architectural marvel. It was completed in 1869 by the British colonial government and used as the official home of the British governor until 1959 when Singapore was granted self-government. It was the official residence for 21 of Singapore’s governors during the colonial era, and currently serves as the office of the President of the Republic of Singapore. Diplomats and dignitaries from all over the world have been hosted in the Istana.

The palace is only open for visit to the public five days a year during its Open House events, which are set to coincide with the public holidays of Chinese New Year, Labour Day, Hari Raya Puasa, National Day, and Deepavali (Indian’s Festival of Lights). However, the Istana Heritage Gallery is open year-round, where you can find exhibitions of gifts that were presented to the Lion City’s presidents and prime ministers over the year as a symbol of global friendships.

Orchard Road of District 9 is served by two MRT stations on the North-South (red) line, which are Orchard and Somerset station. Both stations are highly accessible from the shopping centres along the road - Somerset is located on the underground of 313@Somerset, while Orchard has many exits linked to Wisma Atria, ION Orchard, and Orchard Gateway mall. In 2021, the new Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) is expected to have an Interchange station at Orchard, hence increasing commuters’ accessibility to this area.

H3: Cairnhill, the Epicentre of District 9

Cairnhill neighbourhood is located at the heart of a central location and is notably the epicenter of D9 due to its quick access to anywhere really, including Ngee Ann City, Somerset, Mount Elizabeth Hospital, and Newton. The area is filled by conference rooms, event hall, and hotel lounges, hence it is a great option for business people. For those who drive, the Central Expressway highway entrance and exit is also situated in this area, hence opening access from the city centre to northern parts of the island, such as Toa Payoh, Bishan, Ang Mo Kio, as well as other Expressways like Seletar and Tampines Expressway. However, note that the close proximity to highway entrance/exits also translates to congested traffic at times, hence be prepared to plan your travel ahead to avoid delay if you choose to reside in this area.

Property options in this neighbourhood are dominated by prestigious and luxurious ones. Notably, the Cairnhill Conservation Area and Emerald Hill Conservation Area offer unique, historically significant homes at the starting price of S$4,086.36 psf. Price-wise, Hilltops condominiums is a popular development at a sale psf price of around S$3,500, which is considered cheap for its stellar location. Cairnhill Nine, another condo built by CapitaLand - who is also the developer of 18 major shopping centres in Singapore, including ION Orchard, Jewel Changi Airport, Bugis Junction, and Clarke Quay - is another good catch in District 9 that is deemed as a good investment property for landlords, especially due to its low sales price, high rental rate, and high demand for the location.

Not far from Cairnhill is the Claymore neighbourhood, home to various pubs and bars such as Hard Rock Café and the legendary Ming Arcade, where the first disco in Singapore opened. If you’re up for a midnight movie, Shaw Centre cineplex is also situated within a short stroll away. This area is far from traffic, unlike Cairnhill, hence a quieter neighbourhood with a residential feel. If you choose to live in the Claymore neighbourhood, you will be neighbours with the billionaire investor and co-founder of Facebook, Eduardo Saverin.

H4: The Glamorous Mount Sophia

“Orchard, but not Orchard” is a title given to Mount Sophia neighbourhood for its unique location. It certainly still belongs to the central regions and is located within a mere 5-minute drive to the town, however, it's still far away from the traffic congestion and noise pollution that is common to Orchard Road. This neighbourhood was one of Singapore’s earliest middle-class residential areas in the early 1800s. Early and notable residents of this area include William Flint - Singapore’s first master attendant appointed by Sir Stamford Raffles, as well as the prominent businessman tycoon Eu Tong Sen - who owns a mine, rubber estate, and many properties in Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong. He was one of the richest men in Malaysia and Singapore at the time he was alive.

The word Sophia originates from Greek language and means “wisdom”, which is an appropriate reference to the proliferation of educational institutions on this hill. These include Trinity Theological College, Methodist Girls’ School, SOTA, and the former building of NAFA. Cathay Cineplex Building (now The Cathay), Singapore’s first skyscraper and air-conditioned cinema, is also located at the foot of Mount Sophia. The Cathay features a stunning Art Deco façade and was gazetted as a national monument in 2003.

Conveniently located near Plaza Singapura shopping centre and the Dhoby Ghaut MRT Interchange, as well as many colleges and universities such as SMU, SOTA, LaSalle, NAFA, and Kaplan Institute, Mount Sophia is such a popular choice for students. Moreover, Mount Sophia has great access to cheap eateries at Sunshine Plaza and the nearby Prinsep area, which offers many waterholes for drinkers looking for laid-back spots to chill with friends. Little India and Bugis are also within close distance, hence the residents of Mount Sophia can take a short stroll to find unique culinary delicacies from these areas. For these reasons, this area is great for landlords looking for an investment property from district 9.

Sophia Hills is a landmark development that opened in 2018. This 493-units property is known as the biggest condo development in this area so far. The 99-year leasehold condo is a joint development by a consortium consisting of Sunway Developments, SC Wong Holdings, and Hoi Hup Realty. This property is unique for its three conservation buildings-slash-bungalows within the compound, each of which will have its own specific function: a restaurant, a kindergarten, and the condo’s clubhouse, as pictured below.

H5: Leonie Hill and Killiney

Try to do a quick Google search on “Killiney Road”. Within a few scrolls, you’ll soon realize that everyone writes only about ONE thing - Killiney Kopitiam - despite the street being very conveniently located near Orchard and Somerset MRT, and despite the wide selection of affordable food along the street. This is because Killiney Road is the ‘birthplace’ of Singapore’s most famous food chain, Killiney Kopitiam.

What’s so special about Killiney Kopitiam, you may ask? Well, to those who don’t know, Kopitiam is a traditional coffee shop mostly found in Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia. For Singaporeans, Kopitiam holds such a special place in their heart. It is such a local and cherished tradition to spend your 9 a.m. routines at a Kopitiam, enjoying two slices of kaya toast, half-boiled egg with soy sauce, and a cup of Kopi C - local lingos for “Milk Coffee”. The word “Kopitiam” is derived from two languages - “kopi” is a Malay and Indonesian word for coffee, while “tiam” is the Hokkien/Hakka term for shop.

While there are some notably popular Kopitiam across Singapore, Killiney Kopitiam is remarkably one of the best and thus, the key highlight of this road. In fact, this specific chain is so popular that their outlets can be found everywhere in Singapore, as well as overseas - from its neighbouring countries Indonesia and Malaysia, until far-away continents such as Australia!

This particular shop located in Killiney Road is the first one of the Hainanese coffee shop chain. In fact, it started out as a small, humble, neighbourhood coffee shop in 1919. In 1993, a regular customer decided to buy the shop and rename it as Killiney Kopitiam. Despite the dozens of branches across the Lion City, the main outlet at Killiney Road is undoubtedly the best in the taste of quality. The rich aroma of Kopi O, combined with their signature kaya toast consisting of freshly homemade kaya (coconut jam) spread + a slap of yellow butter, sandwiched between two pieces of toast, gives you an authentic experience of Singaporean breakfast.

Sandwiched between River Valley and Orchard Road shopping belt, Leonie Hill is a low-key neighbourhood that is home to some of the most luxurious condos in Singapore. Aside from Orchard, Leonie Hill is also conveniently located near Somerset and Great World City mall, hence there are limitless shopping options for those who enjoy it. Families with children can satisfy their kids’ entertainment needs at the nearby SCAPE and Orchard Cineleisure. Accessibility is also quite good for non-drivers, as this neighbourhood is situated within walking distance to Somerset and Orchard MRT station. Condos in the Leonie Hill area usually caught interests from foreign buyers, mainly Indonesia, Malaysia, and China.

Notable property in Leonie Hill includes the freehold ultra-luxury condominium New Futura, whose sale of penthouse set a record high for condo transaction in Q2 2018 with a unit sold for $36.28 million. A 2-bedroom unit at New Futura is priced at S$4,025.32 psf, while a 3-bedroom is at S$3.527.19 psf - pretty standard for properties in the prime and exclusive District 09, I would say.

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