North Condominium treasured living amid lake and mountain

DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT

Known to some for their commercial, financial institution (LH Bank) and to others as the founder of a one-stop home retail giant (HomePro), Land and Houses’ core concern is property. After nearly four decades on their home turf of Metropolitan Bangkok, Thailand’s pre-eminent and multi-award-winning developer extended their residential footprint into the provinces. First announced back in July 2012, North is their only condominium project in Chiang Mai.

Ever ambitious in scope, the North project is a collection of no less than eight high-end, low-rise, contemporarily fashioned condos. Premiering with North 8 (The Key Condominium), not only did every single unit sell out before completion in June 2013, but with good reason, the N8 condo is among the most sought-after living environments in Chiang Mai. Up next were North 1 (North Place Condominium), North 2 (Serene Ville Condominium) and North 3 (Lake Point Condominium). Then, it finished in November 2014, North 4 (Hill Gate Condominium) and North 5 (Bliss Park Condominium). Only opened for bookings at the beginning of December 2017, North 6 (Ville Mount Condominium) is now move-in ready, as is North 7.

Heavily favoured by foreigners and, in recent months, an influx of Digital Nomads especially, all North condos bear modern architectural form and attest to Land and Houses’ trademark impeccable build quality, management and upkeep.

LOCATION

With its impossible-to-miss stately main entrance on Chiang Mai’s 700^th Anniversary Road, North condos are situated within the prestigious Serene Lake development. The tree-lined avenue which rings the 100+ rai namesake water body is vast and smoothly paved. Clustered along the northern fringe of the circular road stand condos N1 to N4 and, grouped separately, N5 to N7, whereas North Eight, as the only genuinely lakefront condo of the lot, hugs the southeastern shore.

The estate enjoys a wonderfully rustic, utterly tranquil and out-of-the-way setting. Sheltering picturesque bird-filled rice paddies and, particularly glorious, come sunset, with absolutely knockout panoramic views.

Without question, the local area’s been gaining in popularity and odds are it’ll continue to grow to provide improved public transport links in the future. For now, though, North condo dwellers will need their vehicle to get about. 

Still, scarcely more than a 10-minute amble from Serene Lake’s primary approach is Canal Road and there, the Mae Hia day market. Parades of shophouses in addition to Mali Place shopping precinct with its homespun food court and outlet of Chiang Mai’s native Rimping Grocery. En route is the hugely well attended Thai eatery and karaoke joint, “The Good View Village”, plus oodles of cafés and restaurants edging both sides of the thoroughfare. Finally, heading east from the development and roughly a quarter of an hour on foot are the Hang Dong branches of Big C Supercentre and wholesale colossus, Makro.

ON-SITE FACILITIES

No bones about it, security at Serene Lake is uncompromising, so occupants need have no qualms whatsoever about personal safety and welfare. For starters, immaculately liveried and consummately professional sentinels are stationed morning, noon and night in the guardhouse at the dual-barrier main entryway into the estate; and the same goes at the entrance to every one of the North condos. To mention nothing of the CCTV cameras covering the entire estate and condo premises and an electronic keycard access control system.

Ahead of the twin passenger lifts [elevators], inside each condo’s stylishly appointed and bright ground floor lobby are cordial and only-too-accommodating juristic personnel at resident’s disposal from 9 AM to 5:30 PM daily; for further peace of mind, an in-house technician is on call round-the-clock. Apart from a limited number of underbuilding spaces, parking is predominantly outside bays and varies by condo, between 39% and 78% of the residential capacity. Perhaps unexpectedly, none of the North condos are endowed with shared WiFi, complimentary or otherwise; that being said, a home broadband LAN-line connection through Internet Service Provider 3BB can easily be set up in-room courtesy of the respective juristic office.

Sporty types will be in seventh heaven by boasting resort-style leisure amenities second to none! Besides a secluded tropical garden at every condo, North 8 also stars a cosy and greenery-shrouded roof “park” on the fourth floor of each of its two condo buildings A and B, a large open-sided central lounge flanked by sizeable lawns, as well as a decently proportioned and free-to-use outdoor swimming pool.

Added into the mix is North Arena – a superlatively equipped sports club occupying a hefty 14 rai (over two hectares) of land skirting N8 condo. Above and beyond having its security features, amply sized parking lot and communal lobby, there’s a substantial indoor gymnasium with stadium seating. A popular venue for badminton, out-of-doors and floodlit after dark are an astroturfed football [soccer] pitch, a couple of hard surface basketball fields and four tennis courts. Within the main complex is a seriously state-of-the-art fitness room, yoga studio, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi tub, and a 40x20m open-air swimming pool nearby. And as if that wasn’t enough, right next door is the North Sailing Club with its coffee shop and restaurant. Availing of North Arena’s facilities does come at a price. Individual membership will set you back 20,000 baht a year, with the combined indoor and pool pass costing extra.

It is not strictly recreational, but Serene Lake even lays claim to its own olden but surprisingly well preserved Buddhist monument! Wat Klang Nam, or the “temple in the middle of the water”, sits on a grassy peninsula jutting out into the lake and accessible by a stone pathway.

ROOM TYPES, LAYOUT & SPECIFICATION

With 174 residential units in N8, 69 in each of North 1 to North 6 and 57 in the forthcoming North 7, the project comprises 645 rooms spread across nine 7-storey condominium buildings! Except for North 8, 1 bed, one bath units are available in 35, 38 or 48 sq m with two bed, one bath units affording 50 sq m of useable space. N8 incorporates one bedroom, one bathroom units measuring 35 or 40 sq m with two-bedroom units coming in at 73, 93 or 146 sq m. All are fully furnished, air-conditioned throughout and arranged in an open-plan living/dining/kitchen format with at least one attached private balcony.

Why not look through our latest rental and sales offerings at the assorted North condos while you’re here.

Are you currently staying at one of the Serene Lake condominiums, or have you lived at any time? If so, we’d be thrilled to hear about your time there, so by all means, post a comment below!