LIVING NEXT TO NATURE

MEENA HALCYON chats about her home choices in Singapore and what she loves about living here, and she shares some recommendations.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

My husband and I moved to Singapore four years ago with our three-year-old and expecting another - who is now four years old. We moved here from Seattle, Washington but are originally from Gurgaon in India.

My husband is an entrepreneur specialising in the data sector. I'm a transformation coach who works to empower women through style and confidence and helps them achieve their goals.

Where did you first live when you came to Singapore and why? 

Our first apartment was in Orchard. We had moved here from the Seattle suburbs so we wanted to live among the hustle and bustle of the city. The back door of our apartment building opened right into ION Orchard, which we enjoyed a lot for three years. Once COVID hit and we were locked in the house, our priorities changed; that's when we moved to King Albert Park.

What areas and types of properties did you look at?

We were looking for space and peace. The kids wanted to run around and play, my husband wanted to work from home and I didn't want my privacy invaded when working on my laptop.

Our real estate guys Ronald and June listened, understood and showed us some properties in Orchard, Sentosa and Bukit Timah. But we fell in love with King Albert Park at first sight.

What were some of the things you loved about it? 

It was very green and very zen. We still wake up and sit outside every day as a morning ritual, see our daughter taking her school bus while having our coffee. My husband does personal training in the morning but most days he just goes for a bike ride in the Rail Corridor that's outside the back door. Can you believe we have a back door opening right onto it? We feel like we're living somewhere very far away from the city, right in the lap of nature-somewhere in the countryside yet so close to the city.