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Jim Rohn once said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Applying similar logic to HDB estates, the character of an estate is shaped by its residents and activities. Most HDB towns are carbon copies of each other, following the successful blueprint for an efficient and organised township. However, Holland Village (which goes by the moniker Holland V) breaks this mould. Under the 2014 master plan, Holland Village was designated as an “identity node,” meaning any redevelopment must preserve its “quaint charm and distinctive urban low-rise village atmosphere”. Often viewed as a perfect spot for dates or relaxing with friends over drinks, Holland Village is much more than just another HDB estate. It epitomises a lifestyle estate, offering a vibrant mix of amenities, while maintaining a relaxed pace, distinct from the usual hustle and bustle of other HDB neighbourhoods. With more developments blending commercial and residential elements planned, Holland Village is poised to be the ideal estate for those with outgoing personalities seeking a dynamic yet laid-back environment. [ ]: Check out the other neighbourhood estate guides that we have written on:  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,   ,  ,  ,  ,  , and  . Shophouses along Lorong Mabong Holland Village, as the entire estate is known today, is bounded by North Buona Vista Road to the west, Queensway to the east, and Holland Road to the north. It derived its name from Holland Road in 1929, which, was named after Hugh Holland, a Dutch architect and early resident. From a settlement area for the Dutch community, Holland Village became home to the British military personnel stationed at the Pasir Panjang Base and their families in the early 1930s. The town grew with local businesses emerging to cater to the needs of the growing European expatriate community. On the other hand, the surrounding area of the estate was used for the farming of vegetables, rubber, and coconut. Further development of the estate was carried out in the 1960s, when the government acquired and exhumed the 40-hectare Chinese burial ground known as Shuang Long Shan, established by a Hakka clan association. Holland Village, also referred to as “hue hng au” in Hokkien, meaning “behind the garden” in reference to the Botanic Gardens, can be divided into 3 zones: Chip Bee Gardens, Holland Close and Holland Village itself. Holland Village MRT station in front of Holland Village Holland Village, situated in the central region of the country, is conveniently close to major employment clusters like One-north and Orchard Road. Its accessibility is enhanced by a variety of public transit systems, making travel to other parts of the island seamless. There are multiple bus services that run through Holland Village, connecting it to the eastern towns such as Bedok and Geylang and western towns like Bukit Batok and Bukit Panjang. These bus services also serve other central areas, including Alexandra Road and North Bridge Road, offering commuters diverse travel options. The opening of the Holland Village MRT station in 2011 improved rail connectivity to the estate. The station is part of the Circle Line (CCL) network, which intersects with existing train lines at key interchanges. This integration provides easy access to all major MRT lines, allowing commuters to reach the city centre of Raffles Place or the western regional hub of Jurong within 35 minutes. For motorists, Holland Village is accessible via major roads such as North Buona Vista Road and Queensway, which connect to the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) and Pan Island Expressway (PIE), respectively. A drive to Changi Airport via PIE takes about 30 minutes, while reaching Orchard Road via Holland Road takes around 10 minutes. Holland Village Designed in a distinctive crescent shape, Holland Village is the heartbeat of the estate, offering a variety of commercial amenities. Nicknamed the mini-Orchard, Holland Village is a food lover’s paradise, with many of the two- to 3-storey shophouses along Lorong Liput and Lorong Mambong occupied by food & beverage (F&B) establishments. The area boasts a variety of cuisines, from Asian to Western, and features many pubs offering live bands and craft beers, catering to the expat community. That said, there is also the Holland Village Market & Food Centre, one of the many hawker centres in the area offering affordable hawkerfare. While Holland Village may not offer the same diverse shopping experience as Orchard Road, it has its own unique appeal, with three shopping centres located in close proximity. The oldest among the three is Holland Road Shopping Centre, which offers a nostalgic feeling of antiquity, while the other two Raffles Holland V and Holland V Shopping Mall are two newer malls that cater to the modern lifestyle needs of shoppers with a variety of F&B establishments, gyms, supermarkets and other miscellaneous services. Chip Bee Gardens Located across Holland Avenue and bordered by Jalan Merah Saga is the Chip Bee Gardens township. Formerly developed between the 1950s and 1960s as the married quarters for the British armed forces, it is now a vibrant residential enclave for the expatriate community. The 409 terrace houses and walk-up apartments also referred to as the black-and-white houses, are owned and managed by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA). These properties are rented to private individuals through an opening bidding system. Alongside this township, there are also other freehold private developments available for sale and rent. Prices for older resale condominiums ranges between $1,600 and $2,200 per square foot (psf), while newer developments command between $2,600 and $3,300 psf. Chip Bee Gardens also feature a number of commercial units located at blocks 43 and 44 Jalan Mera Saga. These include cafes, bakeries and other retail offerings, contributing to the area’s reputation as a fashionable lifestyle enclave. HDB estate facing Shuang Long Shan Cemetery The HDB flats in Holland Village are clustered south of Chip Bee Gardens along Holland Drive and Holland Close. Built primarily in the 1970s, these flats offer a variety of unit types, ranging from 3-room to 5-room flats. Residents benefit from close proximity to three NEA-managed markets and hawker centres, as well as key transport nodes such as the Buona Vista and Holland Village MRT stations. However, some flats, particularly at 7A and 32 Holland Close, have an unenviable view overlooking the Shuang Long Shan Cemetery, which has 2,700 marked graves. Despite this potentially unsettling feature, median prices for HDB flats in Holland Village are comparable to those in other neighbourhoods within the Queenstown estate. That said, 4- and 5-room flats in Holland Village tend to be around $35,000 to $230,000 more expensive than similar flats across other HDB towns. Source: HDB Resale Statistics – 1Q2024 *Insufficient transactions data The limited number of HDB flats in the estate helps sustain their elevated prices. For prospective homebuyers, the June 2024 BTO launch could be an exciting time given HDB is releasing around 330 units consisting of 2-room and 4-room flat types. This offers first-timers a rare chance to secure a home in this highly sought-after area, rich in amenities.