Sentosa Cove : Luxurious Waterfront Living in Singapore

Sentosa Cove
Sentosa Cove is an integrated residential and marina resort development situated on the eastern coast of Sentosa. Ever since the first homes were built in 2006, Sentosa Cove has come to be associated with luxury living in Singapore. The chances of spotting Lamborghinis , Ferraris or Porches is significantly higher here than any other parts of Singapore. Sentosa Cove is Singapore’s first and only gated community and it is the only place in Singapore where foreigners are allowed to purchase landed property for their own stay. Sentosa Cove constantly attracts interest from High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs) around the world looking to purchase a residential home in Singapore. Today, there are over 2,100 homes ranging from high-rise condominiums to luxury waterfront bungalows which comes with a private berth for yachts and boats. There is an exclusive marina club called ONE°15 offering berthing facilities for mega-yachts. There is also a luxury hotel - W Singapore as well as a centralised commercial area offering dining and other facilities for the residents. 

                                                                        Sentosa Cove

History
Back in the past, there was an isle called Buran Darat that was situated to the east of Sentosa island. In 1970s, the government had initially planned to develop Buran Darat into a recreational area consisting of a swimming lagoon and facilities for water sports such as canoeing and boating. It was to be linked to Sentosa island via a bridge. In 1980s, the government had a change of mind and decided to reclaim land between the channel of Buran Darat and Sentosa to develop the area into a place with high-end residential homes coupled with a world-class marina and resort facilities.

In 1992, Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) reached out to French architect Bernard Spoerry, known for planning the famous seaside town of Port Grimed in France, to help draw up the masterplan for the development of the area, which was still going by the name of Buran Darat.  McKerrell Lynch Architects from Australia and Klages , Carter & Vail from United States were engaged in later stages to help enhance the plans, which was modelled after Port Grimaud.

SDC’s plan was eventually incorporated into the Southern Islands development guide plan released by Urban Redevelopment Authority(URA) in April 1996. The area was also renamed as Sentosa Cove. In October 1996, the government passed a bill to amend the Sentosa Development Corporation Act to allow SDC to develop and manage Sentosa Cove.
Reclamation of land to merge Buran Darat with Sentosa island started in late 1991 and were completed in September 1993. Subsequently, soil improvement works, construction works and landscaping were carried out in 1994. In 1999, ONE°15 marina club commenced operation and land parcel sales for private residential development was first held in 2003. The total bill paid by SDC for infrastructure development came up to be around S$250 million.
 
While there were plans to kickstart land parcel sales earlier in 1996, it was further delayed due to unfavourable conditions in the property market during the 1998 and 2001 recessions. Another challenge was that the land for Sentosa Cove had to be purchased from Singapore Land Authority(SLA) but SDC could not come to an agreement with SLA on the land price during negotiations. The negotiations were finally concluded in early 2003 and the first land parcel sales were launched in October 2003. All land parcels were subsequently released for sale by 2008.
There were lots of interest coming from locally as well as overseas, comprising of individual buyers and developers. Individual buyers were drawn to the fact that they could design and build their dream homes according to their wishes, Nonetheless, the various condominium projects launched by developers were also highly sought after when the projects launched in November 2004.

                                                                

                                                            ONE°15 Marina Club

Description
Sentosa Cove is mostly made up of reclaimed land, spanning almost 117 ha, and includes 5 man-made islands reserved for bungalows- Coral Island , Paradise Island, Treasure Island , Sandy Island and Pearl Island. The residential area is divided into the North Cove and South Cove with Sentosa Cove village situated between them. The North Cove consists of Treasure Island , Paradise Island and Coral Island, The Residences at W Sentosa Cove and condominiums The Azure, The Berth by the Cove, The Coast @ Sentosa Cove and The Oceanfront @ Sentosa Cove, all of which comes with gorgeous views of the sea. The South Cove consists of Sandy Island and Pearl Island, a cluster of terrace houses called the Green Collection , condominiums Marina Collection, Seascape, Turquoise,Seven Palms Sentosa Cove and Cape Royale.

More than 5000 people are residing in Sentosa Cove which encompass more than 2,100 homes made up of condominium units, terrace houses and bungalows. While foreigners are free to buy condominiums in this area, they have to obtain government approval for purchases of terrace houses and bungalows. To smoothen the process for foreigners to buy landed homes in Sentosa Cove, the government reduced the time taken for their applications to be approved from several weeks to just a few days, reflecting the strategic importance of Sentosa Cove.
In addition to the residential estates, there is a commercial complex called Sentosa Cove village which offers a wide range of shops , grocery and other amenities. Quayside Isle, which is next to the Sentosa Cove village, offers a wide range of dining options. The exclusive marina club in Sentosa Cove is called ONE°15 and consists of 200+ wet berths including 33 for mega yachts, making it one of the few marinas in the world that can accommodate mega vessels which are more than 85 ft long. Complementing the residential and marina developments, the nearby luxurious five-star hotel W Singapore has 320 rooms and offers a Whatever/Whenever service that is available 24/7, offering a chance for a wonderful staycation in the heart of Sentosa Cove

                                                                        W Singapore

Food and Beverage Shops at Quayside Isle
1) Blue Lotus - Chinese Eating House
2) Common Man Coffee Roasters
3) Fireside
4) Gin Khao Bistro
5) Greenwood Fish Market
6) Miska Cafe
7) Mykonos on the bay
8) Rock Bar - Burger & Steakhouse
9) Sabio by the Sea, Tapas Bar & Grill
10) SHAAN - North Indian Cuisine
11) SolePomodoro Trattoria Pizzeria
12) The Naughty Chef
13) Two Chefs Bar

Directions : 
A) Travel to Harbourfront MRT and go to Vivocity shopping mall, Lobby L , level 3, to board the Sentosa Express monorail all the way to the fourth and last stop - Beach station. Go to the shuttle bus terminal at Beach station to take the complimentary orange Sentosa bus B and alight at W Singapore - Sentosa Cove hotel. The shuttle bus is free and runs daily from 7 am to 9.40 pm at 15-20 min intervals.

B) Travel to HarbourFront Bus Interchange and board the white Sentosa Cove shuttle bus which will bring you all the way to Sentosa Cove Village drop-off point. The shuttle bus is available to the public at $3 per ride, running daily from 6.30 am to 10.30 pm at 30 min intervals during peak hours. 

C) Take a Taxi directly to Sentosa Cove. Admission charges vary with each time period
7AM - 11.29AM : $6 per taxi
11.30AM - 1.30PM : $2 per taxi
1.31PM to 5PM : $6 per taxi
5.01PM to 6.59AM : $2 per taxi

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