where to live in Singapore?

a lot of discussion on Facebook this morning about how ( or where) expats can find "the better place to live in Singapore" made me re think what it was like when we first came here five years ago..... first of all, there is NO 'better place' for everyone to live.

everyone is very different with very different needs and wants.

IF you are in the process of moving here or just 'thinking' about a possible move, then you are obviously wondering where you may end up living....

First of all, make sure you know where Singapore is located on the world map!

[as seen HERE on the Maps of the World website]

and you - as in the family unit - will learn that Singapore is a small, heavily urbanised, island city-state in Southeast Asia, located at the southern tip of the Malayan Peninsula between Malaysia and Indonesia. Singapore has a total land area of 778 km² and 193 km of coastline. It is separated from Indonesia by the Singapore Strait and from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor. 

 

Singapore is not large by any stretch of the imagination. It is about 25km running north-south and 48.2km running east-west.

Singapore has reclaimed land with earth obtained from its own hills, the seabed, and neighbouring countries. As a result, Singapore's land area has grown from 581.5 km² in the 1960s to 710.2 km² today, and may grow by another 100 km² by 2033.

OK, so now you have an idea where Singapore is in relation to other surrounding countries and you now know the size of the island. But where to live is THE question!

You will need to ask yourself a lot of questions, so get out the notepad and pen.

If you have children, where are they going to attend school?

what school, secondary level, primary, nursery school or even university?

would you feel more comfortable to live "where all the expats live"?

or would you prefer to live "in the heartlands' to experience more of the local culture?

where will the 'bread winner' be working?

in most cases it will be the husband that is working and so you - as a family unit -  need to find somewhere to live that will be within easy access to his workplace.

You will need a Property Agent. Get one as soon as possible and stay with that one only IF you get on well with them and they KNOW what you are looking for.  Every agent here uses the same database of properties.... so it comes down to personal preference as to who to use. Give them a list of your priorities and make sure they understand your needs and your budget. Please feel free to CONTACT ME if you would like the name of the property agent we used for this apartment. She was very helpful.

Will you have a vehicle?

some do, many do not.

if you are in the latter category ..... do not fear!  You will be able to get around Singapore quite easily via public transport. In fact probably far better than you did in your own 'home country' wherever that may be.  Public transport in Singapore is quick and easy to get elsewhere within the island, even more so now that the new Circle Line is opening this weekend!

BUT ... as seen in the above map, you would not choose to live near Changi Village (the red arrow on the right) if the bread winner is working at the IBP (International Business Park) in Jurong (the red arrow on the left) for example. You can do it by train, though it will take one hour and 10 mins on the MRT. (train)

If you are coming to Singapore due to work, locate where the workplace is on the map of Singapore.  From that point, take each of the main roads or train line out by about "20 minutes"... of course this is probably going to depend on the scale of the map you are using!

If you are looking at the map according to the MRT (rail lines) then it is approx three to four minutes between each station. That might give you a better idea!

Look at Jurong East MRT (station) on the map above, which will be the one at the end of the red line (the North-South Line) on the left of the map ..... it will take approx 15 mins to get to Kranji MRT heading north or approx 15 mins to get to Queenstown MRT on the green line heading south/east.

From Juong East MRT it takes about 35 mins to get Orchard MRT with one 'train change'.

This will help you plan where to live by to traveling to work using the MRT.

When we had to move from Bukit Batok last January. I used the same principle ... where to live that would be easy for John to get to work at Jurong?  We needed to live somewhere cheaper and the Pasir Panjang Road area seemed to fit that bill. I looked at the map and anywhere along the MRT lines was going to be expensive, so checked all the bus routes coming away from where he works.... there were at least 8 bus routes that I could "follow".  As I "followed" each bus route I made note of the condo's to check. I found one on Pasir Panjang Road with a bus stop right outside the door that will take him to work with 20 minutes!

I am not saying how we did it will work for you ...... but it maybe a  way of starting to consider "where to live". Add in where the children are to go to school, what you can afford, where you need to shop etc.You may not be living in a condo, you may decide to live in a 'landed house' or a HDB (Housing Development Board) apartment. There is a lot to consider and it usually will come down tp what you can afford or what is convenient for work, school or shopping.

Cheaper will give you less convenient places to live as in shopping, schools, transport etc. But you - as in the family unit - need to work out your own priority. Some expats get the whole 'package deal' complete with car, accommodation, schooling etc, so really have no 'need' to worry about costs!

But there are others that do - or will - need to weigh up the costs in relation to convenience.

I do most of my shopping on-line so do not worry too much that I am a long way from a supermarket. If I do go shopping and end up carrying far too much back, then it is 'convenient' to grab a cab. Cabs here are not expensive and it costs me usually $4.00SGD to go from the supermarket to home.

Most stores do a home delivery of large items too.

Public transport in Singapore is safe, clean and easy to use, be it to work, school or going out of an evening. The two following images will show you 1, at a bus interchange and 2, on a bus.

 

 

Living here on Pasir Panjang Rd means eating at the local Hawker Markets is not as convenient as it was at Bukit Batok.... very sad indeed for us ..... as we really enjoyed eating at the Bukit Batok Community Centre as it not only had the best food, but the friendliest people too!

We have found a couple within walking distance, but found better ones (like Pasir Panjang Food Centre) a short bus ride away.

If you decide to live along the East Side of the Island (East Coast Park area) there is a large variety of eating places there too. Well there is all over the island to tell you the truth, you will never be hungry here. Food is top priority and eating in Singapore is a favourite past time!

If food is your TOP priority ..... then deciding "where to live" according to the best place for food is going to be a major decision!

Another helpful site is the URA ( Urban Redevelopment Authority ) This site will give you further information about parking, government housing and other interesting things regarding Singapore in terms of building and planning. Have a look at the website as there is sure to be something that might help in the decision of "where to live"!

Looking for "where to live" may also depend on your hobbies. 

Maybe even kayaking? So factor that in too. Kayaking is popular on MacRitchie Reservoir as well as in the north part of the island.

 

Bike riding can be achieved anywhere in Singapore, but you may like to consider where the "Park Connectors" are located for safe and easy riding too.

If walking and getting out there with nature is a favourite hobby ... then consider any one of the hundreds of parks in Singapore. Be it Bukit Batok Nature Park, East Coast Park, Pasir Ris Park or the Southern Ridges .... all have much to offer in the way of walking and experiencing nature at its best.

 

 

The gothere website is excellent to use 'most of the time' ..... I find it does not always give the quickest or easiest route.  The idea being that you first put in A, where you are going FROM to B, where you are going TO ..... and it comes up with the best route by bus, train, car, or cab.  Sometimes it cannot find the location (ie my address!!) so I put in the BUS STOP NUMBER and it works every time.  It seems to be able to work out the public transport system better that way .... even if you are not intending to travel by bus, put in the bus stop number closest to where you are or when you are going. Bus stop numbers can be found on the map in blue on the actual road plus it will give you the route numbers. (see below)

Looking for an address? Try STREET DIRECTORY .. it has the more 'up to date' address's over and above the google map.

Then of course, once you have found WHERE TO LIVE and are moving in, you come up with even more questions as to what telco service to use. We use SINGTEL and have found it to have the best overall service. Also probably need to find furniture or places to shop. But that will be a whole new blog post so in the mean time..... do check Andrea's very helpful blog post titled Helpful Singapore Information!  There is a lot of information on shopping including the chicken man, Ben foods, etc.

After reading all of the above, are you any the wiser?

Do you know if it is "better to live" in Woodlands or Holland Village or Kranji or Bedok or Bukit Batok?

It is a big decision, you will be living there for at least two years so you have to make the right decision and spend time doing the research too!

For us, living in Bukit Batok area was the better place for us to live, we became part of the community and settled into "living in Singapore" very quickly.

We came here to gain experience. Global experience in the work environment and cultural experience socially and personally. 

We have achieved that.

LINKS THAT MAY ALSO HELP:

new circle line to open in October

public transport in Singapore

kayaking in in the north of Singapore

bike riding around Singapore

Pasir Ris Park

Park Connector Network

National Parks of Singapore

Pasir Panjang Food Centre 

gothere website for how to go where!

Singapore Street Directory

list of schools in Singapore

the area of south east Asia

International Business Park in Singapore

SMRT - bus and train

SMRT - journey planner (slow to load)

SMRT - times between stations

the MRT North-South Line (red line)

Jurong East MRT station

maps of the world - Singapore

Housing Development Board