District 21 is known as an important education hub with a number of Singapore’s most renowned institutions located in Clementi. But what people often fail to mention is that this area has incredible suburban shopping malls and some of the lushest greenery you can find anywhere. District 21 is mainly made up of HDB flats and condos like Pandan Valley, The Creek at Bukit and Gardenvista. 

Upper Bukit Timah

Upper Bukit Timah when translated means “tin hill” and this area is one of the main sections of District 21. Early on, this entire area was a jungle full of tigers that the British painstakingly removed in 1845 when Singapore was a British colony. In subsequent years, the jungle was replaced by urban development. 

Remnants of its jungle past are apparent in Upper Bukit Timah because it is such a lush green environment with many varieties of plants. The area is blessed with many spaces for recreation and relaxation. Residents here enjoy picnics, playing ball games and other fun activities at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Raffles Town Centre, Botanic Gardens, and Bukit Timah Saddle Club. 

There are also quite a few shopping centres in Upper Bukit Timah including Beauty World Shopping Centre, Bukit Timah Plaza, Sixth Avenue, and Serene Centre. Car manufacturers also have showrooms in the area, including BMW, Honda, Nissan, and Hyundai. 

Clementi

Clementi is mainly known for its numerous world-class educational institutions, including the Institute of Molecular Biology, the National University of Singapore (NUS), Ngee Ann Polytechnic, the Singapore Science Park, and Singapore Polytechnic, among others. 

But Clementi is not without plenty of recreational areas where residents can go to relax or have some personal time to reflect. These include Kent Ridge Park and Clementi Woods Park. For shopping residents flock to Clementi Mall, which is a mixed-use development directly connected to the Clementi MRT Station and a modern bus interchange, 

People often fail to mention Clementi’s historical significance as home to the families of senior British non-commissioned offers at Sussex Estate in the 1950s. When Clementi started being developed in 1975 this particular estate was preserved, however it was razed in 1997 to make room for more important structures.  

Another notable feature of Clementi is the railway bridge crossing over Sungei Ulu Pandan, which is an extension of the Jurong KTMB Railway Line. The purpose of this railway was to transport manufactured goods from Jurong to Malaysia. Unfortunately, the track was closed in the 1990s even though it’s still there and attracts a lot of attention from people interested in Singapore’s rich history.