Trellis Towers

Trellis Towers at 700 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh is an absolute unicorn in District 12. Finding a private condo right in the heart of the mature Toa Payoh estate is hard enough, but finding one with a Freehold title is incredibly rare. This makes Trellis Towers a highly coveted property for legacy planning and urban convenience.

Here is the breakdown of this District 12 classic.

Key project facts

• Type & tenure: Private residential condominium on a highly prized Freehold tenure.
• Completion & scale: Completed in the year 2000. It features 384 residential units housed within a towering 30-storey block, recognizable by its distinctive clay brick and blue-tinted glass facade.
• Developer: Developed by the legendary City Developments Limited (CDL), guaranteeing a solid structural build that has aged remarkably well over two decades.

Location and connectivity

• Address & setting: Located right along Lorong 1 Toa Payoh. Because of its 30-storey height, units from the 20th floor upwards command spectacular, unblocked panoramic views of the city skyline or the lush MacRitchie Reservoir area.
• MRT access: Top-tier convenience. It is merely a 5-minute walk (approx. 480m) to Toa Payoh MRT (North-South Line) and the massive Toa Payoh Bus Interchange. It is also within walking distance of Caldecott MRT (Circle and Thomson-East Coast Lines).
• Road links: It sits directly next to the Pan Island Expressway (PIE). There is even a highly convenient “Trellis” highway bus stop right outside the development, providing rapid transit across the island.

Layouts and design

• Unit mix: Offers a very practical range of 1-bedroom to 4-bedroom units, plus massive penthouses.
• Design approach: Because it was built in 2000, the layouts benefit from the “older is bigger” rule of thumb. A standard 3-bedroom unit here ranges from 1,141 to 1,163 sq ft, featuring enclosed kitchens, dedicated utility yards, and extremely efficient, squarish floor plates without the wasted space of oversized balconies.
• Positioning: Targets “Freehold purists,” established families wanting to be near top schools, and long-term investors banking on the absolute scarcity of freehold land in District 12.

Facilities and lifestyle

• Facilities: The MCST has been highly proactive with estate upgrades (recently modernizing the lifts and landscaping). It features a full suite of classic amenities including a swimming pool, jacuzzi, a well-equipped gymnasium (notably featuring a power rack for serious lifters), a clubhouse, BBQ pits, and two full-sized tennis courts—an absolute rarity for a sub-400 unit condo today.
• Living environment: Highly urban and exceptionally convenient. The trade-off for being right next to the PIE is inevitable highway traffic noise, so residents often rely on air-conditioning and soundproofed windows for peace and quiet.
• Nearby amenities: You are practically living in the Toa Payoh HDB Hub’s backyard. A 5-minute walk gives you access to banks, supermarkets (NTUC FairPrice), retail stores, and endless local food options. For parents, it is highly prized for being within 1km of top schools like CHIJ Primary (Toa Payoh) and Kheng Cheng School.

Market and buyer appeal

• Resale positioning: Trellis Towers is the “Freehold Gold” of Toa Payoh. While newer 99-year leasehold neighbors like Gem Residences trade around $2,000+ PSF and brand-new The Orie commands over $2,700 PSF, Trellis Towers offers a permanent Freehold title at a highly competitive $2,000 to $2,300 PSF range.
• Rental demand: Outstanding. Its proximity to the MRT, the PIE, and international schools (like SJI International) ensures a constant stream of high-paying local and expatriate tenants.
• Key appeal: Generational Wealth and Unbeatable Location. Buyers are drawn to Trellis Towers because it offers the holy trinity of Singapore real estate: extreme MRT convenience, large functional layouts, and a Freehold title in a prime mature estate that will never experience lease decay.