Sentosa Cove is a beautiful place. It’s slogan claims that it is “the most desirable address in the world” and I’m sure that to many it definitely is.
Who doesn’t know then Sentosa island is part of Singapore. An island nation already desirable to many. So I guess it makes Sentosa “the most desirable post box in the most desirable post office” or something.
Yesterday I noticed that one of my neighbours had bought a new Lamborghini. What a great choice! I must admit I like his taste as they already have Lexus LS and Rolls Royce in the driveway.
“The best things in life are free. But the second best things are damn expensive.”
The sad thing is that not many of those apx. 30 million Singapore Dollar (24,201,355.28 USD) house owners are at home. Some of them have probably lost count over their properties on that expensive island. One evening while having my regular stroll I spotted some filipino maids having a house party and emptying the owners minibar by the pool. It caught me thinking that maybe the guy who bought this house is somewhere in Africa negotiating a stressful arms deal, possibly getting shot in the middle, and in the end of the day the only people enjoying the house that his efforts have earned him, are the maids.
Having lived in high-end neighbourhoods before I must say that the houses are not as tacky as they could be. Sure, there’s one or two that look like straight out of the Lord of the Rings movie set and you can’t get by without an Egyptian tomb style villa but the rest are relatively stylish and many of them are surely featured in famous design and architecture magazines. Some nice commissions those designers have made indeed.. If one thing is sure, it’s that hardly anyone has counted a cent here.
As a small-time real estate investor myself I’m not even going to comment on the price/value/profitability ratio. But I guess nice toys are not meant to be profitable. How profitable is your Ulysse Nardin Royal Blue, huh?
But what’s different from other luxury compounds is the overall feel of the community. It actually feels like home. All the other compounds I’ve experienced firsthand have always included ridiculously high concrete walls and security blinds (like hiding a porn movie set or something), hysterical dogs, crazy old marines as personal guards and whatnot. The atmosphere is never friendly. It’s more like a personal prison next to a personal prison. I actually ended up being afraid of the very same (armed!) security guards who were supposed to protect the compound..
The price tag aside, it is nice to experience groomed landscape and well thought-out residential houses. I love architecture and there’s much to marvel in Sentosa Cove. The shapes, materials, colours.. The sea overlooking Indonesian islands opens to many from their poolsides but is still left for others to enjoy as well – the seaside walkway is beautiful and somehow even simple! There I usually stop and wonder what I myself, want from life? Inspired by the beautiful villas it’s mostly wondering “how” than “what” but that’s okay.
If something gets you inspired, weather a book, a movie, a person or a way of someone’s life it has a purpose and meaning.
Sentosa Cove definitely gets you thinking.
Here’s some more reading: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323374504578223204158614778
Food for thought
Smart Woman Dumb World 