Arina East Residences

Tanjong Rhu is one of those pockets that most buyers have driven past a hundred times without ever properly looking at. Tucked between the ECP and the Kallang Basin, it is quiet, green and genuinely close to the city, and it has barely seen a new freehold launch in years. Arina East Residences lands on the former La Ville site, and at 107 units it is the opposite of the mega-project trend dominating this cycle.

What ZACD actually built

The development occupies 6C and 6D Tanjong Rhu Road, with blocks rising to about 20 storeys. The unit mix spans a compact 495 sqft 1-bedroom up to 4-bedroom formats of 1,324 to 1,615 sqft, and the larger plans include private lift lobbies — a detail normally reserved for much pricier CCR projects. Because the site faces the East Coast Park shoreline, the sea-facing stacks look out over greenery and water, and nothing can be built between the towers and the park.

The honest picture on pricing and stock

This is the part buyers need to read carefully. As of this review, the remaining availability is almost entirely 4-bedroom: a 1,324 sqft 4-Bedroom Premium at $4,293,000 ($3,242 psf) and 4-Bedroom Premium (Private Lift) units of 1,389 to 1,615 sqft between $3,850,000 and $4,453,000 ($2,650 to $3,206 psf). The smaller formats that launched from lower quantums have largely been absorbed. If you are shopping in the $1.5M to $2.5M band, Grand Dunman one neighbourhood over is the more realistic comparison.

That said, the remaining 4-bedders are priced well under what an equivalent freehold 4-bedroom in District 9 or 10 would command — often by $1M to $2M. For a family that intends to hold long-term, freehold tenure plus an unblocked park-and-sea outlook is a defensible place to park capital.

The Tanjong Rhu trade-off

The trade is convenience for calm. There is no mall at the doorstep; Leisure Park Kallang and Kallang Wave are a short drive, and Katong's food belt along East Coast Road is about five minutes by car. What you get in exchange is East Coast Park across the road, the Kallang Riverside promenade for evening runs, and Katong Park MRT on the Thomson-East Coast Line a short walk away — one line straight to Orchard, Shenton Way and Woodlands.

Buyers weighing other East Coast freehold options should also look at Meyer Blue further down the coast, which plays in a more premium bracket.

Browse the rest of our tracked launches on the main property reviews page.

About five minutes to the Thomson-East Coast Line

Arina East Residences sits a short, flat walk from Katong Park MRT (TE24), which puts Orchard Road roughly 15 minutes away on a single train and Shenton Way and Marina Bay just a few stops further. Tanjong Katong MRT is one stop south for the East Coast food belt, and the line continues north to Stevens, Caldecott and Woodlands. For a freehold District 15 address, direct TEL access is still uncommon.

Driving

The ECP runs just south of the site, with the KPE and MCE both accessible within minutes via Fort Road and Nicoll Highway. The CBD is about 10 minutes off-peak, Changi Airport around 15, and Orchard under 15. Few RCR addresses are this well connected by road.

East Coast Park as your backyard

East Coast Park begins directly across the road — cycling paths, the beach, the East Coast Lagoon Food Village and the park connector network that runs all the way to Changi and Gardens by the Bay. Closer to home, Kallang Riverside Park and the Tanjong Rhu promenade give residents a waterfront walking loop that most Katong addresses cannot match. Singapore Sports Hub and Kallang Wave Mall are one MRT stop or a five-minute drive.

Everyday needs

Leisure Park Kallang, Parkway Parade, PLQ Mall and Katong Village cover groceries, cinemas and daily retail within a short drive. Hawker options include the Old Airport Road Food Centre and the Dunman Food Centre, both local institutions.

Schools within 5 km

Primary schools in the ring include Kong Hwa School (about 1 km), Tanjong Katong Primary, Geylang Methodist Primary and Haig Girls' School. Secondary options include Dunman High School, Broadrick Secondary, Chung Cheng High (Main) and Tanjong Katong Secondary. Victoria Junior College sits at the edge of the radius, while international families are served by the Canadian International School (Tanjong Katong campus), EtonHouse International and Nexus International.

See every launch we track by region on the full property index.

Owner-occupier families: this is the natural buyer. Freehold tenure in District 15, a 2027 completion, sea-facing views over East Coast Park and a direct TEL line to town is a combination that rarely comes to market at under $2,900 psf on average. The private-lift 4-bedders between $3.85M and $4.45M compare favourably with anything freehold in District 9 or 10.

Long-hold investors: the case rests on scarcity, not yield. Freehold supply along the East Coast shoreline is finite, and 107-unit estates tend to hold value quietly rather than spike. Rental depth comes from expatriates working in the CBD and Marina Bay who want East Coast Park access — realistic, but not the deepest tenant pool.

Who should think twice: buyers after smaller formats, since only 4-bedroom stock remains — look at Grand Dunman or The Arcady at Boon Keng instead; and anyone who needs mall-at-doorstep convenience.

The final verdict

Arina East Residences is not trying to be the loudest launch in District 15, and it does not need to be. It is a small freehold estate on a park-facing site, five minutes from an MRT that reaches Orchard and the CBD without a transfer, completing in 2027. The remaining 4-bedroom stock prices sensibly against both prime-district freeholds and newer RCR leaseholds. For a family buying a home to keep, this is one of the more quietly convincing freehold buys on the East Coast right now.