Old private walkup apartments along River Valley Road. Signs of wear and tear, these apartments are more than 40 years old. Some owners still reside here...
These three or four storey walkups are not retrofitted with lifts. So if you live on the third storey you need to use your legs climbing stairs everyday.
Some owners rent out the units out as offices so you may find a new door replacing the old one. If the tenants do renovations then the place will be nice. This place is near to the city.
The grilles are so retro..The apartments are old but they're worth much..the trend for the past decade is for owners to put them up for collective sales. Until the current slide into recession, the buzzword is enbloc sale. Millions will pass hands and these buildings will be bought by a condo developer, to be torn down for the building of condos.
These walkups at St Thomas Walk are already empty and will be demolished for exactly the purpose. So this picture captures something that will soon be gone.That's my World
You make living there sound so horrible. I walk on my third floor every day and just treat it like a dose of exercise. It's a shame they're replaced by soulless condos.
ReplyDeleteWe can make comparison of the new structures coming up on the same area with your (these) posted photos.
ReplyDeletekoala, There're still plenty of walkups around. It's true that there're too many condos but from the point of view of developers, it's more economically viable and space efficient to have more units in space limited Singapore. As for the lifts, the pace of living is fast here and people usually prefer to have lifts. Also the population is ageing and it's more practical.
ReplyDeleteIf these walls could talk.....
ReplyDeleteSometimes tearing them down and building new ones are cheaper than retrofitting old ones. Sad but true.
Great shots! Sad but true indeed, I have to agree with what ewok has written.
ReplyDeleteThose look like nice places to live. I'm quite surprised that people on only the third floor expect to have a lift - I almost feel it'd be quicker to walk!
ReplyDeleteThere're no lifts for walkups so those who buy or rent one do not mind walking up and so presumably a lift isn't an issue for them.
ReplyDeleteToo bad the old can't be redone, but I do understand it is sometimes easier to knock down and build new. Thanks for a look at your world.
ReplyDeleteI think they are beautiful. It is not unusual here in New England for buildings to be WAY older than 40 years! And third floor walk-ups are pretty much a way of life. I agree with snap in that I understand the reason behind it but it does seem a shame to tear it all down.
ReplyDeleteThe old apartments are attractive. I hope the new ones last a long time also.
ReplyDeleteI an sorry to see these human friendly buildings go and more great hirises repace them. I know paople who have topped 90 going up and down stairs many tines a day,
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. It's nice to see how people around the world live.
ReplyDeleteAh in Holland where I used to live you haven many old buildings were you have to use the stairs. Some a lot older than that. When they get really bad they get replaced. These look still all right
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