Kallang-Whampoa merged into one HDB town, bringing the total number of people living here to just more than 100,000. Its history, however, had a much smaller number of residents. Kallang was once the home of the Orang Kallang people. In 1819, around the time Raffles landed, more than 1,000 people were living here. 

The Kallang community was one of many Orang Laut (sea nomads) groups in the country.  Although many Orang Laut communities would head out to the open sea and the Kallang River, the Orang Kallang people avoid the water. In Malay, Kallang is referenced to orang laut or sea gypsies, a group of people who lived by the Singapore and Kallang Rivers. 

It’s also believed that the town’s name comes from kilang, which stands for mill/factor in Malay – something there were many of in this area. 

Kallang-Whampoa HDB estate has been broken down into nine subzones namely Tanjong Rhu, Bendemeer, Kallang Bahru, Boon Keng, Geylang Bahru, Crawford, Bugis, Lavender, and Kampong Java. All of them offering outstanding facilities for residents to take advantage of. 

 

Housing Availability and Styles In Kallang-Whampoa

Construction of Kallang began in 1959 thanks to the Singapore Improvement Trust, with older homes being destroyed and new public housing developments taking their place.  One such development is The River Vista @ Kallang, which sits along the Kallang River.  Kallang housing estate is one of several older housing estates in Singapore, and it was the site of the first airport in the country – Kallang Airport (1937).  

There are several regions of Kallang HDB estates that were developed in the 1970s and 1980s. As such, many of these areas are being renovated and revitalized to meet today’s housing requirements set forth by the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS). Many of these places consist of high-rise buildings that are over 30-stories high. 

In fact, some HDB estate residents will live in flats that are parallel with the Kallang River to get an amazing waterfront view. For example, the Kallang Riverside condo has just 212 units, but prices range in the millions of dollars. Other condos near the river include Pebble Bay, The Riverine by the Park and Water Place. 

Kallang does offer some not-so-permanent options for residences, such as the Lodge 41 hotel, Spacepod@Kallang, which is a hostel-kind of lodge where backpackers often spend the night with their guides. 

 

Family Living

With more families moving into the Kallang-Whampoa area, there is a need for schools – from early education to higher education. Such schools in the Kallang area include:

• Primary Schools – Bendemeer Primary School, Kong Wen School and Vacant School
• Secondary Schools – Broadrick Secondary School, Geylang Methodist Secondary School and Telok Kurau Secondary School 
• Higher-Education Schools – ITE West and Shines Education Center 

Students, along with the general public, can make use of the area library.

Kallang is also home to many places of worship for different religions. Being a family town, it’s not a big surprise. Some of the places of worship offered in this area include:

• Chwee Kang Beo Temple
• Faith Sanctuary 
• Masjid Haijah Fatimah

The area also offers many health amenities for both major and minor medical issues, including the following:

• Boon Keng Clinic & Surgery
• Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital
• Singapore Cancer Society 

 

Entertainment and Activities 

Kallang offers experiences you won’t see elsewhere in Singapore. These are many places where Kallang-Whampoa residents can go to wind down from their busy life. One such place is the Singapore Sports Hub, which was converted in 2014 from the old National Stadium. Many Singaporeans come here to watch and play various sports.  

Other things that can be enjoyed here include:

• Ice skating (Kallang Ice World)
• Rock climbing (indoors at Climb Central)
• Kayaking (Water Sports Center) 
• Concerts 
• Movie Theater (Filmgarde Complex at Kallang Leisure Park) 
• Bowling (Kallang Bowl at Kallang Leisure Park) 

Another relaxing experience residents can enjoy is a genuine Japanese onsen experience at a place called Yunomori Onsen & Spa. This is more for adults to spend time in, but there is a rooftop playground at the Kallang Wave Mall for them to check out. This includes a kids’ pool and water play area for children between the ages of three to 12 years old. 

 

Kallang-Whampoa also has many places to shop and dine. For instance, shopping can be fun at the Serangoon Plaza and Mustafa Center. Another mall that many people often visit is the Kallang Wave Mall, which is considered the heart of the Singapore Sports Hub. The mall offers both local and global-named stores like H&M and Cotton On. People looking to lose weight, maintain weight or build muscle can enjoy the 24-hour Anytime Fitness gym inside the mall. 

Leisure Park Kallang gives Gen Xers a chance to remember their younger years, with an array of options for entertainment and leisure experiences. If you’re looking for community centers and clubs to spend a day in, check out the Federation of Youth Clubs or Geylang West Community Theater. You can also spend the day at Aljunied Park. 

There are numerous food spots to enjoy in the Kallang-Whampoa community that will satisfy your palate… no matter what your palate happens to be in the mood for. 

Chinese barbecue is quite popular here, and if you’re in the mood for barbecue, you need to check out the BBQ Box. There are more than 50 dishes on the menu, with prices starting at a dollar. Chilli King Wanton Mee is the place people who love spicy food tend to go. There are all levels of spice, flavoring the different offered foods.  At the 24-hour Imam Banana Leaf Restaurant is the unique dishes such as the milky prata – great for people who want to try off-the-wall foods. 

Other restaurants to try include the Hinode Japanese Restaurant, PastaMania, and Oasis Restaurant.

 

Interesting Tidbits

• “The Cage” is the first indoor soccer stadium in Singapore.

 

HDB Resale Flats Prices in Kallang / Whampoa

Kallang / Whampoa HDB Resale Flat Prices
Flat type	Average Price
1-room	N/A
2-room	$212,000
3-room	$343,000
4-room	$553,000
5-room	$730,000
Executive	$750,000
Multi-Generation	N/A

Source: HDB resale price index portal, average transaction prices, June 2019 to June 2020

HDB resale flat prices are slightly higher in Kallang/Whampoa since this is a mature estate located near the city centre. It also offers many attractive amenities, like Kallang Riverside Park and the Singapore Sports Hub. This location also offers residents an easy way to get to the Marina Bay area via the park connector network.

In the not too distant future, Tanjong Rhu station will be finished on the Thomson-East Coast Line, which will also be a great convenience for Kallang residents.