Hillview: Nature-Adjacent Living on the Downtown Line
Updated 2026-09-29
Hillview is a quiet, predominantly private residential enclave in District 23, set between the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and Dairy Farm Nature Park. With direct Downtown Line access to the city centre and a housing stock that ranges from 999-year condominiums to landed homes, it offers a rare combination of greenery and connectivity.
What is it like living in Hillview?
Hillview is one of the quieter private residential corridors on the western edge of the Central Nature Area. Daily life here is shaped by proximity to trails rather than malls: Dairy Farm Nature Park and the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve sit immediately to the north and east, and the Rail Corridor runs along the neighbourhood's boundary.
Retail is compact. HillV2, the neighbourhood mall at 4 Hillview Rise, sits directly above Hillview MRT and houses a supermarket, cafes, a gym, and a handful of restaurants. The Rail Mall on Upper Bukit Timah Road adds another strip of food outlets, including the well-known Springleaf Prata Place. For broader shopping, most residents head into town or to nearby Bukit Panjang and Bukit Batok.
Transport: Downtown Line and the new Hillview Connect
Hillview MRT station (DT3) opened in December 2015 as part of Downtown Line Stage 2. It runs direct to Botanic Gardens in roughly 13 minutes and to Bugis in about 20, with interchanges to the Circle Line at Botanic Gardens, the Thomson-East Coast Line at Stevens, and the North-South Line at Newton.
In April 2025, the new Hillview Connect road and underpass opened, giving residents along Hillview Avenue a direct link under the Rail Corridor to Upper Bukit Timah Road and Dairy Farm Road. This shortened the drive to the BKE and PIE for those who previously had to loop through Hillview Terrace. Hume MRT (DT4), one stop away, also opened in February 2025, adding another access point to the Downtown Line for the southern end of the estate.
What are the condos at 105 Hillview Rise and along Hillview Avenue?
105 Hillview Rise is one of three blocks forming Kingsford Hillview Peak, a 512-unit condominium completed in 2016 on a 99-year lease. It sits roughly 250 metres from Hillview MRT and directly opposite HillV2 mall, making it one of the most conveniently located developments in the estate.
Hillview Avenue hosts a cluster of established condominiums, several on unusually long leases. 134A Hillview Avenue is a block within Hilltop Grove, a 192-unit development completed in 2002 on a 99-year lease from 1996. Next door, 136 and 136B Hillview Avenue both belong to Merawoods, a 305-unit condominium completed in 1999 on a 999-year lease dating from 1885. 138 Hillview Avenue is Hillview Residence, a smaller 98-unit development also on a 999-year lease, completed in 2003.
Newer stock includes Midwood at Hillview Rise, a 564-unit Hong Leong Holdings project completed in 2024, and Hillhaven, a 341-unit development by Far East Organisation and Sekisui House expected to obtain its temporary occupation permit in September 2027. Hillhaven sold out by January 2026.
Housing stock and prices
Across 499 current listings near Hillview MRT, the average asking price is S$2,260,797 for an average size of 1,251 square feet, working out to roughly S$1,888 per square foot. The vast majority of stock is condominium: 459 of the 499 listings are condos, with the remaining 40 being landed homes along streets such as Hillview Crescent and Hillview Drive.
The presence of 999-year leasehold developments like Merawoods and Hillview Residence is notable. These tend to hold value more steadily than 99-year projects and are increasingly uncommon in new launches anywhere in Singapore. Buyers comparing Hillview to other Downtown Line corridors should factor in the lease structure, which varies substantially from one development to the next even on the same street.
Schools and families
The nearest primary school is Lianhua Primary School on Bukit Batok Street 52, within the one-kilometre priority band for most Hillview addresses. CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace and Bukit Panjang Primary School also fall within range for Phase 2C registration, though parents should verify distances through the MOE SchoolFinder tool, as the band depends on the exact block. Hillgrove Secondary School, about 500 metres from Hillview Regency, is the closest secondary school.
For families, the main draw is the trail network. The Wallace Trail, accessible from Hillview MRT Exit A, is a gentle 2.2-kilometre walk through Dairy Farm Nature Park that connects to Bukit Timah Hill. Mountain biking trails, Singapore Quarry, and Hindhede Nature Park are all reachable on foot from the estate.
Outlook
Hillview itself is largely built out, with Hillhaven the last major new launch on a Government Land Sales site in the immediate area. The bigger change on the horizon is the Bukit Timah Turf City redevelopment about three kilometres to the south-east, where URA's Master Plan 2025 earmarks 176 hectares for 15,000 to 20,000 new homes, including the first HDB flats in Bukit Timah in roughly 40 years. Three new Cross Island Line stations are planned for the Turf City site by 2032.
That scale of development will reshape the wider corridor's amenities, transport links, and population density over the next two decades. For existing Hillview owners, the practical effect is likely to be improved connectivity and retail options nearby, while the estate itself retains its low-density, nature-adjacent character.