Touring a private and quiet freehold landed estate at Sunset View

A few months back, we visited Sunset Way to look at the houses in this freehold, quiet enclave just down the road from Bukit Timah.

And since housing prices have been escalating in Singapore, I know of several people who've shifted from the Holland-Bukit Timah area to Sunset to stretch their budgets.

(Note: the area is not to be confused with Sunset Avenue, which is located off Eng Neo in prime Bukit Timah.) Now, Sunset Way is a HUGE area. (Before we toured Sunset Grove/Close, we stopped by the estate to look at the humongous Clementi Park condo in 2022.)

Hence, today, I thought it'd be interesting to take a tour of the other end of the Sunset enclave, namely the very long street Sunset View, to see exactly why this estate is so appealing. Before we start, let's look at the map so you can orientate yourself.

We'll be visiting the street marked by the red dot. When we were last here, we were right on the opposite end, over at Sunset Grove/Sunset Way/Sunset Close, the 4 short parallel streets behind Sunset Way playground. 

One thing you may have noticed is that Sunset View, despite having larger houses, is located closer to the HDB blocks in front of the Sunset landed estate. The area is still very quiet and private though, as it's separated by a large green area (Maju Forest), and I didn't hear any noise during my walkabout.

In other words, one row of houses on Sunset View will have no direct neighbours in front or behind them, something quite rare in Singapore. (The houses in front are separated by the road, Sunset View, and the back is Maju Forest.) 

In my opinion, a huge part of the appeal of living along Sunset View is the unparalleled privacy it enjoys thanks to this. This might sound sad, but the first thing that came to mind was "Will the privacy last?" So off we go to check the Masterplan.

Aha! Indeed, the large green space is zoned "residential, subject to detailed planning." Why am I not surprised.

When I Googled, I couldn't find any news of any immediate plans to develop the plot. However, the Sunset area has been on the redevelopment radar at least since 2007, when $1.5 million was allocated to rejuvenate the area, turning it into a mini foodie paradise. (You can read more about the revitalisation of the area here.)

Since then, we've had the announcement of the nearby Maju MRT in September 2022 (expected to be completed in 2032.) About 14 per cent of Maju Forest was cleared to create Brookvale Drive, which leads from the estate to this MRT.

As I've mentioned before, the main "Sunset Way" road is quite busy. However, Sunset View is not directly linked to it and thus it won't get much commuting traffic.

It is quite a bit deeper in (aka more private but also further from public transport) than Sunset Grove. (Sunset Grove also has the shortcut to Clementi Avenue 6, where you can find a direct bus to Clementi MRT.)

According to Google Maps, Sunset View will be a 25-minute walk from the upcoming Maju MRT station and is a 9-15 minute walk from the current closest bus stop, which is located on Clementi Road.

It's also about 19 minutes by bus to Clement MRT or a 27-minute walk. In other words, you might need your own transport — or be okay with using Grab a lot if you live here.

The Sunset estate is to my left, and Maju Forest is to my right.

Personally, I'd prefer to live in the houses on the right as, not only do they have more privacy, they're also more elevated. The houses on the left sometimes slope down a bit. 

Now, if you follow this column, you'll know I'm always waxing on ecstatically about properties located near green spaces. However, I'll be the first to admit that they have their challenges.

First and foremost, wildlife issues. I grew up near Clementi Forest and pythons, cobras, and monkeys were not an unusual sight. There was even a monkey couple that used to visit me regularly!

I've not seen any monkeys or snakes when visiting friends in Sunset, but there have been news reports of monkeys spotted in the nearby Clementi HDB estate.

According to the article, there are "monkeys climbing up the HDB block around five times a week." (This would be Block 118, Clementi Street 13.) You can even watch a video of the monkeys doing so here:  

Now the location of the block is between Maju Forest and Clementi Forest (albeit separated by a very large, very busy road) so the monkeys could technically be from Clementi Forest. However, another resident says (in the same article) that he's seen monkeys "near the side of the block that borders the Maju Forest" and that hikers have seen them on walks. Definitely food for thought if you're planning on moving here. 

OK, enough about wildlife and let's continue our walkabout. 

That's it for today's walking tour. How did you find it compared to Sunset Grove/Close? Of course, the price points are quite different too. (If you want to know more about the amenities within walking distance, click here.)

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