President Gardens
Overview & Key Facts
President Gardens is a freehold terrace house estate tucked along Lentor Loop and Lentor Green in District 26 — one of the older private landed enclaves in Singapore’s north, quietly predating the MRT line that now sits on its doorstep. Completed in 1989, the development comprises 89 two-storey terrace houses on individual land plots ranging from approximately 1,600 to 5,000 sqft. Unlike most entries in the ShiokNest condo directory, this is not a strata condominium: each unit sits on its own freehold title with its own compound, and there is no shared pool, gym, or clubhouse to speak of.
What has transformed President Gardens from a forgotten 35-year-old landed estate into one of Singapore’s more closely watched addresses is a single infrastructure event: the opening of Lentor MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line in August 2023. At roughly 250 metres from the estate entrance, Lentor TEL is effectively on the doorstep — a proximity that landed homeowners almost never enjoy in Singapore, where MRT stations are almost invariably surrounded by high-density condominium land. President Gardens is a genuine anomaly: freehold landed houses at near-MRT distance, with all the capital-value implications that entails.
Prices have responded accordingly. ShiokNest data shows average PSF rising from S$1,088 four years ago to S$2,043 in the most recent 12-month period — an 88% uplift that reflects both the broader landed property bull market and the specific re-rating triggered by the TEL opening. With only 89 units changing hands infrequently, the estate punches above its weight in terms of market attention from investors and upgraders tracking the Lentor precinct story.
Location & Connectivity
President Gardens sits within a quiet residential pocket bounded by Lentor Avenue, Lentor Green, and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5. The estate itself is low-density and leafy, characterised by broad, uncrowded roads, mature trees, and the absence of high-rise structures immediately adjacent. Stacked Homes described a tour of the area as “open, quiet, and tranquil” — a fair summary of a neighbourhood where the dominant sounds are birdsong and the occasional motorcycle rather than construction equipment or expressway noise.
Lentor MRT (TE5, Thomson-East Coast Line) is the defining location asset. At 0.25 km from the estate, it is a 3–4 minute walk — a distance most Singapore commuters would describe as “at the doorstep”. The TEL provides direct access to Caldecott, Botanic Gardens, Stevens, Newton, Orchard, Great World, Havelock, and Outram Park, with onward connections to the North-South, East-West, and Circle Lines. CBD is approximately 12–15 stops away with no transfer required. Yio Chu Kang MRT (North-South Line) at 0.89 km offers a second line option, useful for reaching Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, or Jurong via the NSL.
The immediate neighbourhood is light on retail but improving rapidly. Lentor Modern mall — a 96,000 sqft lifestyle hub integrated directly into the Lentor Modern condominium tower — opened in January 2026 with CS Fresh (12,000 sqft supermarket), Guardian pharmacy, Pinnacle Family Clinic, Luminous Dental, and 24 F&B outlets including Tim Hortons, KFC, Burger King, and several local concepts. It is a short walk from President Gardens. For larger-format retail, AMK Hub at Ang Mo Kio MRT (two stops on NSL) provides a full suburban mall experience. Pre-2026, residents noted the area felt “a little far from shops and amenities” — an accurate historical critique that the Lentor Modern mall opening has substantially addressed.
Drivers are well-served: the Seletar Expressway (SLE) and Central Expressway (CTE) are both accessible within minutes, putting Orchard Road at around 20 minutes and Changi Airport at roughly 25 minutes in off-peak conditions. Singapore American School at 1.28 km is a significant draw for expatriate families, and the Lentor precinct’s broader educational catchment includes Yio Chu Kang Primary (1.33 km), Mayflower Primary (1.33 km), Anderson Primary (1.4 km), and Nanyang Polytechnic (1.35 km).
Schools & Education
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore American School | international | ~1.3 km |
| Yio Chu Kang Primary School | primary | ~1.3 km |
| Mayflower Primary School | primary | ~1.3 km |
| Nanyang Polytechnic | tertiary | ~1.4 km |
| Yio Chu Kang Secondary School | secondary | ~1.4 km |
| Ang Mo Kio Secondary School | secondary | ~1.5 km |
| Ang Mo Kio Primary School | primary | ~1.5 km |
| Institute of Technical Education (College Central) | tertiary | ~1.6 km |
Facilities
President Gardens is a pure landed estate with no condominium-style shared facilities. There is no swimming pool, gymnasium, clubhouse, function room, or tennis court within the development. What the estate does offer is generous private compound space for each terrace unit, broad landscaped roads with dedicated pedestrian paths, and a large community playground at Lentor Green. Residents also have easy access to the Lentor Greenway park connector, which links to the broader network of cycling and jogging routes in the northern region.
For residents accustomed to condominium living, the absence of shared amenities is an adjustment — but it comes with the corresponding absence of maintenance fees for shared facilities and management corporation politics. Buyers who prioritise private space and outdoor freedom over a resort-style pool deck will find landed terrace living more aligned with their needs. The large Lentor Green park area and the proximity of Ang Mo Kio Town Garden East (less than 2 km) provide the open-air recreational options that the estate itself does not.
“After years in a condo, the peace and quiet of having our own compound is something we genuinely did not expect to appreciate this much. The kids play in the garden every evening. We don’t miss the pool as much as we thought we would.”
— Resident perspective, Lentor terrace owner
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 9 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $3,500,000 to $5,308,000, averaging $4,225,333 (~$2,043 psf).
Rents range from $3,550 to $8,000 per month across 20 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 1.7%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2025, the average PSF has appreciated by 87.8% (from $1,088 to $2,043 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
Against the Lentor precinct’s new condominium supply, President Gardens occupies a distinct product tier. Springleaf Residence (99yr, S$2,178 psf), Lentor Modern (99yr, S$2,136 psf), Lentor Hills Residences (99yr, S$2,116 psf), Lentor Mansion (99yr, S$2,266 psf), and Lentor Central Residences (99yr, S$2,222 psf) all sit on 99-year leasehold land with full condominium facilities — pools, gyms, function rooms — at somewhat higher psf than the landed estate. President Gardens offers freehold landed tenure, private compound space, individual title, and near-identical MRT proximity to most of these projects, at a psf that is broadly competitive or slightly lower. The question is whether buyers value facilities and contemporary design (new condos) or permanence of ownership and private space (President Gardens landed).
For Singaporean citizens who qualify to purchase landed property, President Gardens represents a rare freehold-landed-plus-doorstep-MRT combination that few estates anywhere in Singapore can replicate. The comparison to leasehold condos in the same precinct at similar psf will look increasingly favourable over a 20-year horizon as those condos consume their lease runway. The primary risk is that landed prices in Singapore’s northern districts have already absorbed a significant portion of the Lentor MRT re-rating, and buyers entering now are paying for a story that is already well-known.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRESIDENT GARDENS | Freehold | — | 89 | $2,043 |
| SPRINGLEAF RESIDENCE | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 2025 | 941 | $2,178 |
| LENTOR MODERN | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2021 | 2022 | 605 | $2,136 |
| LENTOR HILLS RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2022 | 2023 | 598 | $2,116 |
| LENTOR MANSION | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2023 | 2024 | 533 | $2,266 |
| LENTOR CENTRAL RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2023 | 2025 | 477 | $2,222 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates PRESIDENT GARDENS across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“We looked at Lentor Hills Residences and Lentor Mansion before deciding on a terrace here. The freehold title tipped it for us — and honestly, walking to Lentor MRT in three minutes is something condo friends envy us for.”
— Owner-occupier, President Gardens
“The area was quiet before — almost too quiet. With Lentor Modern mall opening and the MRT now running, it’s transformed. We can walk to CS Fresh for groceries in ten minutes. Two years ago that wasn’t possible.”
— Resident, Lentor Green terrace owner
“No pool or gym, yes. But we have two parking spaces, a garden, and our kids use the big playground down the road. I don’t pay any maintenance fees. It’s a very different lifestyle from condo living — and I prefer it.”
— Terrace resident, Lentor Loop
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold land title — strongest ownership form in Singapore, no lease to manage
- Lentor MRT (TEL) at 0.25 km — 3-4 minute walk, near-doorstep connectivity
- PSF nearly doubled from S$1,088 to S$2,043 over the past 4 years
- Private compound, driveway, and garden — impossible in any condominium
- Two-car driveway parking included as standard
- No MCST fees or shared-facility politics
- Singapore American School at 1.28 km — international school catchment
- Lentor Modern mall (CS Fresh, Guardian, 24 F&B) opened Jan 2026, short walk away
- TEL gives direct access to Orchard, Outram, Marina Bay with no transfer
- Freehold pricing broadly competitive with or below nearby 99yr leasehold condos
- No shared pool, gym, or clubhouse — pure landed estate only
- Gross yield just 1.7% — purely a capital-appreciation buy, not an income play
- Older 1989 build — exterior and interior quality reflects the era; renovation likely needed
- Developer not publicly documented — no branded provenance
- Singapore Citizens only for landed ownership — PRs and foreigners ineligible for standard titled landed
- Limited retail historically — Lentor Modern mall only opened January 2026
- Only 9 transactions tracked — thin volume makes pricing guidance uncertain
- High absolute ticket price ($4M+) limits pool of eligible buyers
- Architectural style is standard 1989 terrace; lacks contemporary cluster-house design appeal
Verdict
President Gardens is best understood as a freehold landed option for buyers who want genuine near-MRT access without entering a condominium. It suits owner-occupiers more naturally than investors seeking rental yield — at a 1.7% gross yield on current pricing, rental income barely covers basic holding costs. The investment case is a capital-appreciation thesis: freehold landed with TEL adjacency in a precinct that has seen significant government land sales activity and mall infrastructure investment. Whether prices have already fully absorbed the Lentor MRT re-rating, or whether there is further upside as the precinct matures, is the central question buyers must form a view on.
The competitive context cuts both ways. All of the new condominium launches in the Lentor precinct — Lentor Modern, Lentor Hills Residences, Lentor Mansion, Springleaf Residence, Lentor Central Residences — are 99-year leasehold at S$2,116–S$2,266 psf. President Gardens terrace houses at S$1,659–S$2,043 psf (depending on dataset and time period) represent a different product category, but they offer freehold tenure and landed living at a broadly comparable or modestly higher psf than the leasehold condos nearby. For buyers who qualify under Singapore’s landed ownership rules — Singapore Citizens only for standard landed titles — this pricing relationship is unusual and historically favourable.
The trade-offs are honest: no shared facilities, older build quality, limited retail pre-2026, and a Yishun / AMK north address that some buyers consider peripheral. The development itself also shows its age in architectural terms — these are standard 1989-era terrace houses, not the contemporary cluster housing designs that have come to define premium landed living in Singapore. Buyers should inspect individual units carefully, as renovation quality varies considerably across the estate depending on what previous owners have done.