District 26 is comprised of Thomson and Mandai and both communities offer residents plenty of amenities, including restaurants and recreational facilities. District 26 is a vibrant area in Singapore’s North-Eastern region and primarily made up of landed properties with terraced houses. 

Among them is the Teacher’s Estate located in Upper Thompson, named as such because it was formerly occupied by public school teachers and government civil servants. Singapore’s Teacher’s Union is located here, along with quite a few flats, like those at the Atelier Villas, Bullion Park, and the Meadows at Peirce. 

Upper Thomson

Residents of Upper Thompson flock to their local shopping centre, Thompson Plaza for the many enrichment facilities located here. Among them are Yamaha music schools and various dance studios. Additionally, Upper Thomson has many well-known eateries and roti prata stalls, plus enclaves of cafes crowded with people on weekends, like Little Pancakes and Little Part 1. 

For more tasty local dishes like chicken rice, residents go to the Upper Thomson Longhouse food centre. For recreation, the upper-middle classes can enjoy a round of golf at the Island Golf Course and play polo at Singapore Polo Club. When it comes time for new landscaping, or refreshing their flower beds, residents can shop at Far East Flora.  

In addition to Upper Thomson’s recreational, dining and shopping facilities, there are also some very good medical facilities. These include Mount Alvernia Medical Centre, Mount Alvernia Hospital, Assisi Home and Hospice and the Tampines Home. Upper Thomson is also home to several charitable organisations, including St. Teresa’s Home, Little Sisters of the Poor, and Riding for the Disabled Association of Singapore. 

Mandai

Mandai is located up north and is a more laid back, less urbanized region compared to Upper Thomson. However, Mandai does have some special attractions, namely the Night Safari as well as the Singapore Zoo. Once these tourist attractions were established, the River Safari was built right next door in 2012. Military trainings are also conducted in Mandai at Mandai Central, Mandai Bumbong, Asrama/Ulu Sembawang, Kwok Min, and Gali Batu.