I've lived at Kentish Lodge in Farrer Park for 5 years: Here's my review of this small but convenient condo

District 8 has always been a melting pot of cultures (especially with the vibrant Little India area), so it’s not surprising that the area offers a wide variety of amenities as well. 

The area is also set to be revitalised further, with the upcoming Piccadilly Grand (16,000 sq ft of retail/F&B space), and Farrer Park Field (additional sports and recreational facilities) offering more upgrades to look forward to in the future. 

So if you have your sights set on living in this area but aren’t keen on newer condos, this week, we’re featuring a review of Kentish Lodge from one of its actual residents.

Kentish Lodge, developed by Far East Organisation, sits smack-dab in District 8, surrounded by popular eateries and restaurants, shopping centres and malls, as well as schools and parks. Located along 3 Oxford Road, the estate is within walking distance of Farrer Park MRT Station which makes it very accessible.

All of these benefits certainly look good on paper, but how exactly does it feel like living there? Let’s learn about this straight from Mandy (*not her real name for privacy reasons), who has been living at the condominium for about five years. 

“We moved to Kentish Lodge in January 2018,” Mandy recalled. “Back then, I had just given birth to my second child, making us a family of four plus our helper.”

When they were looking for their new home, Mandy and her husband already had a set of considerations in mind. They used this as criteria in picking the home they believed would be a good match for their family – and of course, Kentish Lodge came up tops.

How Kentish Lodge compares to other estates

Space was one of the considerations that needed to be met, so it had to be a place big enough for Mandy and her husband to each have their own space.

And like many other homeowners, convenience was a top priority, and she elaborates that it should be somewhere that is close to a shopping mall, supermarkets, and coffee shops. A hawker centre nearby would also be a big plus.

Accessibility was another key factor since their previous place was pretty far from the MRT.

“We had to take an LRT to get to the MRT,” Mandy said, “and this is something we didn’t want in our new place.” They wanted their new home to be somewhere that was easily accessible by train, bus, and car.

Finally, the place, as Mandy said, should be eclectic. “We wanted a neighbourhood that had a bit more character than usual.” The couple tried to stay away from a locality that is packed full of new buildings with cookie-cutter designs, and District 8 certainly checked out with the vibrant shophouses lining the streets. 

Kerrisdale was one of the other condos they were considering, as it’s near Farrer Park MRT station. While it seemed to have passed their standards, just like Kentish Lodge, it had a couple of shortcomings.

“It was slightly above our budget back then. It also lacked the unique older condominium vibe we wanted,” she explained.

What made Kentish Lodge stand out from other choices

When we asked her what attracted them to Kentish Lodge, she replied, “size, price, and location,” and added, “Kentish Lodge was actually a very lucky chance encounter.”

Mandy admitted, though, that they actually never knew that area existed until they started with their house hunting. She openly shared their experience:

“As we wanted a place near the MRT station and I had a preference for the purple (NEL) line, I did a random search on Property Guru for properties near the stations on the NEL line, and that was when we chanced upon Kentish Lodge. When we visited the property and wandered around the vicinity, it quickly dawned upon us that it was a hidden gem located conveniently just on the city fringe.”

She said that they really liked the fact that it was a pretty old condominium, which means it has a good-sized 3-bedroom 3-bathroom unit at 1,184 square feet. They also liked that the boutique development had its own style in terms of the design of the building – it didn’t look too modern, and it wasn’t overcrowded, so it’s pretty quiet and private.

Here’s another small yet personal detail that made Kentish Lodge stand out. Mandy said that she also really liked the name of the road it’s situated on – Oxford Road.

What a typical day looks like at Kentish Lodge

Given its proximity to town, she said they usually spend their weekends running quick errands such as grabbing a meal or going to different supermarkets for variety. The location of their estate opens up a lot of great options for kids’ classes so sending their kids these activities is also part of their routine.

Since Mandy’s husband is Japanese, she said that being close to Don Don Donki at City Square and Square 2 at Novena and Isetan at Shaw Scotts is great. And when they feel like going to a park, Botanical Gardens is also a short 10-minute drive away.

And as we mentioned at the beginning too, Farrer Park Field will be rejuvenated with public sports facilities like a boxing gym, jogging track, playgrounds and fitness corners. This is an addition to the approximately 1.2-hectare central green space consisting of a field and park. It’s about a 10-minute walk away from Kentish Lodge, which is good to have in an area that can get very busy. 

A look behind the facade of Kentish Lodge

Every development has its downsides too, and it’s best to get to know them before committing to buying a property. We asked Mandy about any issues they have about staying at Kentish Lodge, and she mentioned a few.

“As a family with young kids, I would say that the Kentish Lodge being a boutique development, lacks the usual facilities that would be great with young kids, such as a big swimming pool, big playground and function room for hosting parties.”

They said they are also hoping that the development would upgrade some of their facilities, particularly the playground and the unsheltered BBQ pit area, as they are pretty old.

Considerations potential buyers should know

It was during the Covid-19 period when the couple discovered how great the location of their condominium is.

Back then, Mandy and her husband were fully working from home and got pretty bored of grabbing lunch from the hawker centre nearby. They challenged themselves to discover new hawker centres that are less than 10 minutes drive away from their home.

“That’s when we truly found that Kentish Lodge is like the epicentre of great food options. From Whampoa Food Centre to Golden Mile Food Centre to Upper Boon Keng Market & Food Centre and Albert Centre Market & Food Centre… options are aplenty!”

She added that these are just hawker centres, not counting the cafes and coffee shops too.

Another perk of residing at Kentish Lodge is the condominium management. “They have been pretty proactive in the upkeep of the condominium,” she said. “with initiatives taken to maintain and upgrade the facilities such as the lifts, carpark and a recent fresh coat of paint. Issues raised are also addressed quite quickly by the management.”

If you’re planning to rent out the place, you’ll appreciate its location even more because the development has a good rental demand. With its proximity to the city area and also to Singapore Management University, potential renters are not just locals but foreign students as well, especially since Kentish Lodge has good-sized 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom units.

Staying at Kentish Lodge condominium

Ultimately, the winning combination for Kentish Lodge was really all about its location. 

“It is an 8-minute walk to Farrer Park MRT station, and a 10-minute walk to City Square Mall, a bus stop right outside the condominium is a short three bus stop ride to United Square Mall or Novena MRT station. With a car, in under 10 minutes, it will get us to major shopping areas like Orchard, Somerset, Dhoby Gaut, Bugis, Suntec etc., via the nearby CTE.

My husband loves cycling, and the location is also perfect for him to be able to cycle to and from work at Telok Ayer every day, which takes him about 20 minutes.”

The condo is also just a 5-minute walk away from Pek Kio Market & Hawker Centre, which has a few other coffee shops and good hawker fare that’s not overcrowded.

Aside from the hawker centre, you’ll also find a good mix of legendary foods such as the famous Ng Ah Sio Bak Kut Teh and Legendary Bak Kut Teh. There are also cool cafes and hidden gems serving up great coffee and food, such as Old Hen Kitchen, SYIP, Brunches Cafe, and The Bakehaus.

The place is also just 15 minutes walk away from bustling Little India – a vibrant and buzzing area that opens up a whole plethora of food options.

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Currently, Mandy said they have no plans to move as she can’t help but repeat how absolutely great the location of their place is.

However, they still do look at properties every now and then to see if there are bigger units around the area. “We now also have a golden retriever so it can sometimes feel like the house is getting too small for us!” But so far, she said they have not come across any units bigger than theirs, which has an equally good price point.

This article was first published in Stackedhomes.