Vida
Overview & Key Facts
Vida is a 137-unit freehold condominium at 5 Peck Hay Road in District 9, completed in 2009 and developed by Far East Organization through its subsidiary Wan-Li Development Pte Ltd. Rising 20 storeys above the quiet backstreet junction of Peck Hay Road and Cairnhill Rise, Vida occupies a low-profile but genuinely prime address on the Orchard–Newton fringe — close enough to both Orchard Road and Newton MRT to claim the best of Singapore’s CCR lifestyle geography, yet sheltered from the noise and bustle of the Orchard Road spine itself.
Designed by TAA Architects with a cosmopolitan, modernist brief, Vida was conceived as a lifestyle-forward boutique tower rather than a family-grade slab block. The unit mix reflects this: 137 apartments spanning 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, and loft configurations from 517 to 861 sqft — a deliberately compact product aimed at professionals, investor-landlords, and affluent singles or couples who prioritise address and lifestyle over raw square footage. The average unit size of approximately 670 sqft (consistent with the $2,113 PSF and $1.42M average price) places Vida firmly in Singapore’s CCR boutique apartment segment, where the premium is paid for the postcode rather than the floor area.
At $2,113 PSF freehold in District 9, Vida is priced at the upper-mid range of its segment — below the ultra-luxury towers at Cairnhill Circle and Scotts Road, but meaningfully above the mass-market CCR condos of the River Valley–Robertson Quay belt. With average monthly rents of approximately $3,966 and a freehold title in perpetuity, the development’s investment case rests on an address that does not decay, a tenant pool drawn from the Orchard Road professional and expatriate community, and a Far East Organization pedigree that has historically produced well-maintained residential assets.
For prospective buyers, the central question at Vida is not tenure or location — both are unambiguously strong for a D9 freehold address — but unit scale. The 517–861 sqft footprint imposes a lifestyle ceiling that suits singles, couples, and investors more naturally than families or buyers making a long-term principal residence commitment. Understanding that ceiling, and pricing it correctly against the location premium Vida commands, is the essential analytical exercise for any buyer evaluating this development.
Location & Connectivity
Vida sits at the junction of Peck Hay Road and Cairnhill Rise — a short, low-traffic residential backstreet running between Oxley Road and Cairnhill Road, within the Cairnhill–Newton residential enclave that forms one of District 9’s most established mid-density private housing areas. The address benefits from two distinct pedestrian egress points: the Peck Hay Road entrance channels residents toward Newton MRT and Newton Food Centre, while the Cairnhill Rise exit opens toward Cairnhill Road, Orchard Road, and the Orchard shopping belt.
Newton MRT (NS21/DT11) is the closest station, approximately 450–550 metres from Vida — a comfortable 5–7 minute walk along Peck Hay Road and Clemenceau Avenue North. Newton is a dual-line interchange serving both the North South Line (NSL) and the Downtown Line (DTL): NSL provides direct services to Orchard (1 stop), City Hall, and Jurong East; DTL provides direct access to the CBD, Marina Bay, and the eastern districts, with a connection to Changi Airport at Expo. This dual-line access makes Newton MRT one of the more versatile interchange stations in Singapore’s central network. Somerset MRT (NS23) on the North South Line is a secondary option approximately 700–850 metres south via Cairnhill Rise and Orchard Road — a 10–12 minute walk or a short taxi hop.
The lifestyle geography of the Cairnhill–Newton fringe is genuinely exceptional by Singapore standards. Newton Food Centre — one of Singapore’s most iconic hawker centres — is a 5-minute walk, offering the kind of affordable, high-quality local dining that expatriate and professional residents prize. Orchard Road’s full retail and dining corridor (ION Orchard, Paragon, Ngee Ann City) is within 10–12 minutes on foot via Cairnhill Rise or a 2-minute drive. The Novena–Thomson medical cluster, anchored by Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Mount Elizabeth Novena, and Gleneagles Hospital, is accessible within 10 minutes by MRT or car.
Schools in the catchment zone are strong across both local and international streams. Anglo-Chinese School (Junior) on Barker Road is within 1 km, sitting comfortably inside the 1 km registration priority circle that is a meaningful consideration for Singaporean families. Monks Hill Secondary School is approximately 750 metres away. For the expatriate tenant base that anchors much of Vida’s rental market, Overseas Family School, Chatsworth International School, and the International School Singapore (ISS) campuses in the Orchard–Stevens belt are all within 10–15 minutes by car. Raffles Girls’ School (Secondary) on Anderson Road is approximately 2 km north.
Schools & Education
5 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| ACS (Junior) | primary | Within 1 km |
| St. Anthony's Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| St. Margaret's Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| St. Margaret's Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) | primary | Within 1 km |
| Singapore Chinese Girls' School (Primary) | primary | Within 1 km |
| ISS International School (Preston) | international | ~1.3 km |
| ISS International School (Paterson) | international | ~1.3 km |
Facilities
Vida’s facilities deck punches well above what its 137-unit scale might suggest, reflecting Far East Organization’s intent to position the development as a lifestyle product rather than a straightforward investment block. The centrepiece is an extensively articulated water features zone: a lap pool, wading pool, family pool, reflecting pools, and an infinity-edge pool with sculptural water court at the main entrance — an unusually diverse aquatic offering for a boutique 20-storey tower. A spa massage pool, hot tub, and hydro-foot reflexology pool round out the wellness water circuit.
Beyond the pool deck, residents have access to a well-equipped gymnasium and aerobics room (described by residents as significantly above average for a condominium of this size), a function room with meeting room capacity, barbeque pavilions with granite decks, a tennis court, and children’s playground. A signature sculptural installation in the grounds contributes to the cosmopolitan design character that TAA Architects established throughout the development. The dual-entrance site layout — Peck Hay Road and Cairnhill Rise — means the grounds have a clear circulation logic, with the water court and facilities anchoring the central interior.
“The pool area is beautiful, especially the reflecting pools at the entrance. The gym is very good for a condo this size. The location to Newton Food Centre and MRT is the main reason I chose it.”
— Resident review via PropertyGuru
At 137 units, the facilities-to-resident ratio is favourable: the pool areas and tennis court are not subject to the queuing and booking friction that plagues 300–500 unit developments with comparable amenity decks. The trade-off is that Vida offers no sky terrace, no rooftop lounge, and no resort-grade spa or concierge facilities that some competing CCR boutique towers provide. The facilities profile is lifestyle-competent without being luxury-extravagant — appropriate for a development whose value proposition is centred on the address and the freehold title rather than the amenity specification.
Unit Sizes & Layout
Vida’s 137 units are configured across three broad types: 1-bedroom apartments from approximately 517–527 sqft, 2-bedroom apartments at approximately 861 sqft, and loft variants — 1-bedroom lofts and 2-bedroom lofts — that add a mezzanine level to the base footprint and introduce a degree of spatial drama unusual for a boutique mid-rise tower. The loft configurations have proven particularly popular with professional tenants who value the visual height and open-plan character even at compact square footages.
At an average of approximately 670 sqft implied by the $1.42M average price and $2,113 PSF, Vida is unambiguously a compact-unit product. The 1-bedroom units at 517–527 sqft are at the smaller end of the CCR 1BR market and require careful furniture planning to function comfortably as primary residences — though the format is entirely standard for D9 boutique towers of the 2005–2012 vintage. The 2-bedroom units at 861 sqft are more generously proportioned and represent the development’s most versatile stock: large enough for a couple or small family, and the natural choice for owner-occupiers who need a functional second bedroom.
The 20-storey tower height — modest by Orchard Road standards but substantial for Peck Hay Road’s low-profile residential context — means upper-floor units gain meaningful open skyline views over the low-rise housing of the Cairnhill–Newton fringe. The Oxley Road corridor and the Cairnhill greenery buffer contribute to a softer, more residential outlook than the glass-and-steel commercial curtain wall that dominates views from developments on the Orchard Road spine. Units on the upper five or six floors looking toward Cairnhill Road and Orchard are among the most desirable in the building.
The development’s cosmopolitan design brief — TAA Architects drew on a contemporary European apartment aesthetic rather than the conventional Singapore condominium template — is visible in the unit detailing: clean-lined cabinetry, large-format floor tiles, full-height glazing in many configurations, and a palette that prioritises light and openness over storage and partition walls. Original-condition units will benefit from targeted kitchen and bathroom refreshes at this vintage (2009), but the structural and design bones remain contemporary in feel compared to many competing D9 developments of the same era.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | 17 | $2,098 | $1,098,118 |
| 2 BR | 13 | $2,134 | $1,834,615 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 30 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $1,040,000 to $2,045,000, averaging $1,417,267 (~$2,276 psf).
Rents range from $2,400 to $7,000 per month across 358 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 3.9%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2026, the average PSF has appreciated by 14.7% (from $2,064 to $2,366 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
The most structurally relevant comparables for Vida are the other boutique-to-mid-scale freehold CCR towers that clustered around the Cairnhill–Newton–Oxley fringe in the 2005–2012 development cycle. Visioncrest at Oxley Rise (D9, freehold, 265 units, completed 2006) is a comparable address — same Oxley Road corridor, similar CCR boutique positioning, similar compact-unit mix — and has transacted at approximately $2,000–$2,200 PSF in recent years. At $2,113 PSF, Vida is competitively positioned against Visioncrest, with the Newton MRT proximity as a marginal edge.
Helios Residences at Cairnhill Circle (D9, freehold, 140 units, completed 2008) is a near-direct contemporary: same district, same approximate vintage, similar unit count, similar freehold boutique positioning. Helios occupies a slightly more prestigious sub-address — Cairnhill Circle is among D9’s most coveted residential streets — and transacts at a commensurate PSF premium, typically in the $2,400–$2,800 range. The gap between Helios and Vida reflects the Cairnhill Circle address premium rather than any material difference in unit specification or facilities quality.
Further up the D9 value stack, The Orchard Residences and Ardmore III define the ultra-luxury ceiling of Singapore’s CCR freehold apartment market, trading at $3,500–$5,000+ PSF. These are different products for a different buyer demographic; the comparison is useful primarily to illustrate where Vida sits in the D9 pecking order — a competitive mid-premium CCR address with strong MRT access, rather than a status-address ultra-luxury play.
Against the investment-grade compact-unit D9 segment, One Oxley Rise and Cityvista Residences at River Valley are closer competitors in terms of unit type and tenant profile. Cityvista Residences, closer to the Robertson Quay entertainment belt, attracts a similar professional and expatriate tenant base and generally trades at a slight PSF discount to Vida — the gap reflecting the Newton MRT dual-line advantage and Vida’s stronger proximity to the Orchard node. For buyers comparing investment yield rather than lifestyle quality, the Newton MRT walkability premium is Vida’s clearest competitive differentiator.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIDA | Freehold | 2009 | 137 | $2,276 |
| IRWELL HILL RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2020 | 2021 | 540 | $2,728 |
| RIVER GREEN | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 2025 | 524 | $3,138 |
| RIVER MODERN | 99 years leasehold | — | — | $3,239 |
| THE AVENIR | Freehold | 2021 | 376 | $3,190 |
| KOPAR AT NEWTON | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2019 | 2021 | 378 | $2,511 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates VIDA across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“Central location is the main draw — 5 minutes walk to Newton MRT and 10 minutes to Orchard Paragon. The reflecting pool at the entrance makes coming home feel like arriving at a boutique hotel. Security is very strict, which I consider a genuine positive.”
— Resident review via PropertyGuru
“One of the most beautiful condos in Singapore for its size. The pool design and the water court are genuinely impressive. The gym is better than most developments twice the size. The units are small — you know that going in — but the location and facilities make up for it.”
— Resident comment via EdgeProp
“I rented a 1-bedroom loft here for two years. The loft design makes the space feel much bigger than the sqft suggests. Newton Food Centre downstairs is a lifestyle bonus that no other D9 condo can match at this price. Would definitely rent here again.”
— Tenant review via 99.co
“Quiet street, good security, nice pool. The common corridors feel a bit narrow but overall management has been fine. For the Newton MRT access and the Orchard proximity, this is excellent value for a D9 freehold address.”
— Owner-occupier review via SRX
The resident and tenant feedback pattern at Vida is broadly consistent: strong appreciation for the Newton MRT proximity and Newton Food Centre access; genuine enthusiasm for the water feature design and gym quality; and a clear-eyed acknowledgement of the compact unit sizes as the development’s primary trade-off. Feedback on management and security is positive, with particular mention of strict access controls — a meaningful quality-of-life feature for owner-occupiers who value privacy in a development that also serves a high-turnover tenant market. The one recurring concern in reviews from the post-2022 period relates to management changes, which some residents have noted affected the consistency of common area upkeep — prospective buyers should review recent MCST AGM minutes and current sinking fund levels before committing.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold title in perpetuity — no lease decay, full CPF usage eligibility, permanent en-bloc optionality
- Newton MRT (NS21/DT11) dual-line interchange ~450–550 m away — North South Line and Downtown Line from one station
- D9 Cairnhill–Newton fringe address — a permanently prime CCR location sheltered from Orchard Road traffic noise
- Newton Food Centre 5 minutes on foot — one of Singapore's most celebrated hawker centres at the doorstep
- Orchard Road 10–12 minutes walk via Cairnhill Rise — ION, Paragon, Ngee Ann City within easy reach
- Sophisticated water court and multi-pool facilities for a 137-unit boutique development — hydro-reflexology pool, spa, lap pool
- Gym rated well above average for a development of this size by multiple resident reviews
- ACS Junior within 1 km registration priority zone — meaningful for Singapore family buyers
- ~3.4% gross yield implied by avg rent of $3,966 against avg price of $1.42M — above CCR average for freehold D9
- Far East Organization developer pedigree with institutional-grade residential management track record
- Compact unit sizes (517–527 sqft for 1BR, 861 sqft for 2BR) — insufficient for families or buyers transitioning from large HDB flats
- No 3-bedroom configurations — addressable owner-occupier market limited to singles, couples, and pied-à-terre buyers
- Narrow common corridors cited in resident feedback — a structural feature of compact high-density boutique towers
- 2009 vintage: kitchens and bathrooms in original condition will require renovation budget to meet contemporary standards
- No sky terrace, rooftop amenity, or concierge-grade facilities — lifestyle ceiling below ultra-luxury D9 peers
- Management consistency concerns post-2022 MCST change noted in some resident reviews — verify current sinking fund and AGM minutes
- Somerset MRT (NS23) is a secondary walk of ~700–850 m — less convenient than the Newton MRT primary route
- High-turnover tenant profile in some units — investment-grade stock means owner-occupier quiet may be affected by tenant churn
Verdict
Vida’s investment and occupancy thesis is coherent and well-supported by its fundamentals: a freehold title that carries no lease-decay risk, a Newton MRT dual-line doorstep that places the development at one of Singapore’s most convenient CCR MRT nodes, a Far East Organization pedigree with a track record of well-managed residential assets, and a D9 address that has historically retained capital values through property cycles. At $2,113 PSF, the development is priced at a level consistent with comparable D9 freehold boutique condos of similar vintage, with no obvious mispricing in either direction relative to the segment.
The implied gross yield of approximately 3.4% — $3,966 monthly rent against a $1.42M average sale price — is above the CCR average for family-grade D9 condos, a function of the compact unit sizes that maximise rental yield per dollar of capital deployed. For investor-landlords, the tenant pool is deep: expatriate professionals, finance and banking sector workers commuting to the CBD or Raffles Place, and young DINKs (dual income, no kids) who value the Newton Food Centre downstairs, the Orchard Road 10-minute walk, and the quick MRT access that Vida’s location delivers. Vacancy risk is structurally low at this address and price point.
The central structural constraint is unit scale. At 517–861 sqft, Vida’s units are compact even by Singapore CCR standards, and this limits the development’s addressable owner-occupier market to singles, couples, and buyers comfortable making a D9 freehold address acquisition as a pure investment or pied-à-terre play. Families requiring three bedrooms, buyers transitioning from large HDB flats, and owner-occupiers who prioritise living space over address will find the unit programme insufficient — and should look to adjacent developments like Helios Residences or Visioncrest for larger configurations at comparable D9 CCR addresses.
Vida is the right answer for investors and compact-lifestyle buyers who want a D9 freehold address with Newton MRT at the doorstep, strong rental yield, and Far East Organization’s institutional management standard — and who are comfortable with the 517–861 sqft unit programme that defines the development’s lifestyle ceiling.
The freehold title is the development’s single most durable long-term asset. In Singapore’s CCR freehold-versus-leasehold calculus, a Peck Hay Road D9 freehold address at $2,113 PSF carries permanent optionality — en-bloc potential, land value appreciation unconstrained by lease decay, and CPF usage eligibility with no tenure ceiling. For patient investors with a 10–15 year hold horizon, the combination of a sustainable CCR rental yield, a Newton MRT dual-line walkability premium, and a freehold title on a genuinely prime D9 address represents a fundamentally sound capital deployment regardless of short-term market cycles.