Zedge

Overview & Key Facts

ZEDGE is a 102-unit freehold condominium at 2 Akyab Road in District 11, completed in 2010 by Macly Pte Ltd. Rising 21 storeys above the quiet residential backstreet of Akyab Road, the development sits on the Newton–Novena fringe — close enough to Novena’s medical precinct and infrastructure to enjoy its amenity pull, yet tucked off the main Thomson Road corridor in a way that delivers street-level quiet that larger developments nearby cannot match.

At 102 units, ZEDGE is firmly boutique. Macly Pte Ltd is a Singapore-based developer established since 1987, known primarily for mid-size freehold developments in Districts 12 through 15 — Suites @ Amber, Newton Edge, and similar compact projects. ZEDGE represents the group’s push into the CCR, leveraging the Akyab Road address to position the development at the entry tier of District 11 freehold stock. The unit mix spans 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom configurations across 21 storeys, with sizes ranging from approximately 400 sqft (1-bedders) to approximately 1,300 sqft (3-bedders), making it a genuine mixed-use profile: investor compact units at the lower end, and modest family-grade sizing at the upper end.

The financial profile is positioned as a value entry point into D11 freehold: average transacted price of approximately $1,254,389 and average PSF of $1,709 — below the CCR’s typical D11 freehold range, which reflects both Akyab Road’s secondary-street address and the compact unit sizes that characterise the development. Average monthly rent of approximately $3,215 produces an implied gross yield of approximately 3.1% — among the stronger yield profiles for freehold D11, and a direct consequence of the compact unit format that serves the large Novena medical community tenant pool. With 21 storeys and freehold tenure, ZEDGE offers a permanent CCR title at an accessible quantum for buyers priced out of full-sized D11 product.

The development’s address on Akyab Road places it in the orbit of one of Singapore’s most infrastructure-dense precincts. The Novena medical hub — Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Mount Elizabeth Novena, Connexion specialist clinics — is within walking distance. Novena MRT (NS20) on the North South Line is approximately 600 metres away. Square 2 and United Square on Thomson Road are a short walk or drive. For medical professionals, healthcare workers, and professionals who commute on the North South Line, the location-convenience matrix is genuinely strong.

Location & Connectivity

ZEDGE sits at 2 Akyab Road, a short residential backstreet that connects off Thomson Road near the junction with Moulmein Road. It is not a main-road development: Akyab Road has minimal through traffic, giving the street a residential quietness that belies the urban density immediately surrounding it. The Novena precinct’s hospital infrastructure, retail malls, and MRT access are all within a 10-minute walk — yet the Akyab Road address itself retains the character of a secondary residential street.

MRT access is provided primarily by Novena MRT (NS20) on the North South Line, approximately 600 metres from the development — a 7–9 minute walk via Thomson Road. From Novena, the North South Line provides direct access to Orchard Road (2 stops south), City Hall (4 stops), and Jurong East (11 stops) — one of Singapore’s most productive line corridors for CBD commuters. Newton MRT (NS21/DT20), the North South and Downtown Line interchange, is approximately 1.0–1.2 km south via Thomson Road — a 12–15 minute walk or a short bus ride. Newton provides the additional Downtown Line (DTL) corridor for Marina Bay, Bugis, and Changi Airport connectivity.

The lifestyle geography centres on Novena’s established infrastructure. Square 2 shopping mall on Thomson Road is within a 5–7 minute walk and covers daily retail, food and beverage, and enrichment needs. United Square, anchored by child-focused retail and dining, is on the same Thomson Road corridor. The Novena medical precinct — Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, and the Connexion specialist cluster — is within a 10-minute walk, making ZEDGE one of the most proximate residential options for healthcare professionals working in the precinct.

For schools, the immediate catchment includes St Joseph’s Institution Junior (approximately 0.6 km), making it relevant for families with primary-age children seeking the SJI brand. Hong Wen School and Farrer Park Primary are within 1–1.2 km; CHIJ Primary (Toa Payoh) and Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) are within 1.5 km. The school landscape is stronger for primary than secondary, though the proximity to the Thomson Road education corridor — which includes several enrichment and tuition providers at Square 2 and the surrounding shophouses — is useful for families. Balestier Hill Secondary is within walking distance for secondary students.

Views from the upper floors of the 21-storey building are directed variously toward the Novena medical campus to the north and the Moulmein–Newton residential cluster to the south. Units facing away from the medical facilities enjoy the quieter residential streetscape and, from higher floors, the open sky of the low-rise Akyab Road neighbourhood. The development’s view profile has shifted over the years as the Novena medical precinct expanded, and some units now look directly at the medical facilities — a tradeoff noted in resident reviews.

Schools & Education

1 primary school within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.

Facilities

ZEDGE’s facilities deck is practical and appropriately scaled to a 102-unit boutique development. The core offering comprises a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, gymnasium, BBQ area, and 24-hour security with covered parking. For a 21-storey tower with a relatively compact site footprint — land area of approximately 2,026 sqm — the facilities profile is functional rather than resort-grade.

The pool and Jacuzzi are the anchor communal amenity, and the low unit count means they are rarely congested — a practical advantage over larger D11 developments where a 300–500 unit tower creates genuine competition for pool time and gym equipment. The gymnasium is modest in size relative to large-development standards but adequate for resident fitness use. BBQ facilities allow outdoor entertaining within the development’s footprint. The 24-hour security is standard at this address tier and is a requisite given the development’s urban location.

“The facilities are simple but they’re all you need. The pool is quiet most of the time, and the gym has the basics. For the price point and the freehold title in D11, this is hard to argue with.”

— Resident review via PropertyGuru

What ZEDGE lacks is the lifestyle-grade amenity floor found in newer CCR launches: no sky terrace, no co-working lounge, no infinity pool with city views. This is characteristic of 2010-vintage boutique developments, where the developer’s positioning was on the freehold address and compact unit value rather than the facilities show. For owner-occupiers who use communal facilities casually rather than daily, the practical sufficiency is real. For buyers whose facilities checklist includes a tennis court, function room, or multi-gym, ZEDGE will not meet that bar.

Unit Sizes & Layout

ZEDGE’s 102 units span 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom configurations across 21 floors, with a unit mix that skews toward compact 1-bedroom product. Built-up areas range from approximately 400 sqft (1-bedroom) to approximately 1,300 sqft (3-bedroom), with 2-bedroom units typically in the 700–900 sqft range. The majority of the stock is in the 1-bedroom tier — a deliberate developer strategy to maximise unit count and rental yield potential on a compact 2,026 sqm site.

Resident reviews note meaningful variation in unit quality by floor and orientation. Mid and lower-floor units tend to have more generous floor areas, additional toilets, and enclosed kitchens — features that improve liveability and tenant appeal. Higher-floor units are smaller in absolute sqft despite commanding a PSF premium, and some configurations on higher floors have only one bathroom. This floor-level unit hierarchy is a genuine due-diligence consideration: buyers targeting the development should compare unit type, floor, and sqft carefully rather than relying on averages.

A design note from resident feedback: many units feature long planters and large balconies that reduce effective interior sqft while expanding the nominal size. On a 400 sqft 1-bedder, a large balcony or planter can meaningfully reduce the actual indoor living area. Buyers should review floor plans carefully for the proportion of indoor to outdoor area in their target unit, particularly for compact 1-bedroom configurations where every sqft of interior space is material.

For investors, the compact unit profile is a yield optimiser: lower absolute quantum per unit ($1.0–1.5 million range for 1- and 2-bedders at current PSF), higher gross yield on smaller units, and strong rental demand from the Novena medical precinct. The 1-bedroom tier appeals to medical professionals, executives on short-to-medium expatriate postings, and young professionals who want a freehold D11 address without the quantum of a 3-bedroom unit. The 3-bedroom tier at approximately 1,300 sqft serves as entry-level family product — genuinely compact for a family of four by Singapore landed or older-condo standards, but competitive for a D11 CCR freehold at this price point.

Pricing & Market Position

Based on 29 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $805,000 to $1,950,000, averaging $1,271,479 (~$1,858 psf).

Rents range from $1,850 to $5,300 per month across 239 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 3.0%.

Price Appreciation

From 2021 to 2026, the average PSF has appreciated by 15.1% (from $1,662 to $1,913 psf).

Neighbourhood Comparison

The most direct comparison for ZEDGE is Newton Edge, also developed by Macly on the Newton fringe (D11), also freehold, also compact-unit format. Newton Edge shares the same developer DNA — boutique scale, compact 1-to-3-bedroom units, freehold D11 addressing — but on a different micro-location. Newton Edge is positioned slightly further south toward the Newton MRT catchment, while ZEDGE’s advantage is the Novena medical precinct proximity and Novena MRT walkability. For buyers choosing between the two Macly D11 projects, the decision is essentially a question of which precinct employment centre and MRT line matters more to them.

Novena Regency on Thomson Road represents the freehold D11 peer in the Novena precinct at larger scale and older vintage. Novena Regency’s Thomson Road frontage gives it higher visibility and potentially stronger unit resale recognition, but at a main-road noise profile that Akyab Road avoids. For buyers who want Novena proximity with street-level quiet, ZEDGE’s backstreet position is a genuine advantage over Thomson Road-fronting alternatives.

Against the broader D11 freehold benchmark, ZEDGE’s $1,709 PSF compares to the upper end of D11 freehold CCR averages that typically run $2,000–$2,500 PSF for larger-format, prestige-developer developments. The discount reflects four factors: Akyab Road’s secondary address, Macly’s boutique developer positioning, the 2010 vintage, and the compact unit format that limits owner-occupier family appeal. For buyers who understand these factors and are not paying the D11 premium for prestige developer branding, the PSF discount to the D11 freehold peer group is a genuine value entry point.

At the new-launch end of the comparison, developments like Neu at Novena (2024 launch, freehold D11) demonstrate that the Novena micro-market continues to attract developer and buyer interest at PSF levels significantly above ZEDGE’s resale average. New launches in the precinct provide the contemporaneous data point: buyers willing to pay new-launch premium can access fresher design and warranty coverage; buyers who prefer freehold D11 at resale values can target ZEDGE’s sub-$1,800 PSF entry point. The resale value case rests on freehold permanence and yield, not construction vintage.

ShiokNest Scores

Our proprietary scoring system evaluates ZEDGE across multiple dimensions.

What Residents Say

“The location is excellent for anyone working in the Novena hospitals — it’s a 10-minute walk to TTSH and Mount Elizabeth. The street is quiet, especially at night, which is surprising given how close everything is.”

— Resident review via PropertyGuru

“Most units have large planters and balconies that eat into the actual useable space. Make sure you look at the floor plan carefully — some 1-bedders are much smaller inside than the sqft figure suggests. That said, mine is well-maintained and the pool is almost always empty.”

— Owner review via EdgeProp

“We rent here as a couple. Very convenient to Novena MRT and Square 2 is just down the road. The unit is compact but perfectly functional for two people. The development is quiet and the management is responsive. Freehold D11 at this price is genuinely good value.”

— Tenant review via 99.co

“The view from high floors now looks directly at the medical campus buildings. It wasn’t like that when the development was new — there used to be more greenery. The mid-floor units have better-proportioned interiors and the enclosed kitchen is a big plus.”

— Resident comment via SingaporeExpats

The resident feedback pattern at ZEDGE is consistent across sources: strong location satisfaction for Novena-working professionals; clear design caveats around planter-heavy floor plans and variable unit quality by floor; appreciation for the quiet Akyab Road street environment; and acknowledgement that the compact unit format suits singles and couples more naturally than larger families. Management quality is rated as adequate, and the low unit count keeps MCST operations manageable. The tenant profile is predictably skewed toward Novena medical community professionals, corporate executives on mid-range rentals, and young professionals seeking freehold D11 access at an affordable quantum.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Verdict

ZEDGE’s investment case is built on two converging advantages: freehold tenure in District 11 at a below-average CCR PSF, and a location that directly overlaps with one of Singapore’s most active rental demand pools. At $1,709 PSF freehold, the development prices in the Akyab Road secondary-street address (versus the premium commanded by Thomson Road or Newton Road frontage), the 2010 vintage, and the compact unit sizes that make the absolute quantum accessible but the per-sqft comparison slightly less flattering than first appearances suggest.

The gross yield at approximately 3.1% — based on average rent of $3,215 per month against average transacted price of $1,254,389 — is meaningfully above the typical 2.5–2.8% range for larger CCR condos, a function of the compact unit format that drives higher per-sqft rental rates. For investors whose priority is yield over capital appreciation, the 1-bedroom tier at ZEDGE is a structurally strong option: the Novena medical community provides a perpetually renewing tenant pool, and freehold permanence avoids the lease-decay trajectory that gradually erodes yield on leasehold CCR product.

The capital appreciation story is measured rather than aggressive. Akyab Road is a secondary address — it does not command the land premiums of Thomson Road, Newton Road, or the Moulmein–Monk’s Hill corridor. Macly’s developer brand carries less prestige than the large-developer names that anchor CCR benchmarks. The unit design criticisms — planter inefficiency, variable bathroom counts by floor, compact kitchen layouts — limit the development’s appeal to the broader owner-occupier family segment. Against the wider D11 freehold peer group, ZEDGE trades at a discount that reflects all of these factors, and that discount is unlikely to close meaningfully absent a neighbourhood-level catalyst.

ZEDGE is the right answer for yield-focused freehold D11 investors who want Novena medical precinct proximity, accessible quantum, and permanent tenure — and who are comfortable with compact units and a boutique developer address rather than a prestigious D11 benchmark name.

For owner-occupiers, the verdict is more nuanced. A single professional or couple working in the Novena medical precinct will find the 1- or 2-bedroom proposition genuinely compelling: freehold CCR address, walkable to the hospital, walkable to Novena MRT and Square 2, affordable quantum, quiet street. For families requiring a true 3-bedroom-plus layout with meaningful room sizes, ZEDGE’s 1,300 sqft maximum and the design trade-offs in compact configurations will push the comparison toward larger-format D11 alternatives. The development sits at a clear market niche — it serves it well when buyers understand and accept that niche.