Situated near the Serangoon River is the town of Serangoon - a place that was once home to a Chinese settlement that established fruit gardens and rubber plantations. In the 1960s, the authorities crafted a plan to turn the swamp, marshy land around the river into a lucrative residential property that included private housing apartments and condominiums. 

Although Serangoon is a pivotal aspect of Singapore’s modern identity, it wasn’t always so. In the early 19th century, Tamil Muslims were responsible for the founding of Serangoon. Before this, it was an industrial region with brick kiln trades and cattle farms that Indian farmers and construction workers put forth. 

Although the Chinese eventually settled here, there are still remnants of the Indian culture, especially in the architecture. For example, the terrace shophouses on the northern side of Serangoon were made using the external plasterwork techniques known as Madras chunam. This type of plaster comprises of egg whites, sugar, lime, water and coconut husks. When the surface hardens, crystal stones are applied to produce a smooth finish. 

In fact, the government established Little India, not to create a racial community, but to highlight the strong Indian community presence in Serangoon. 

Now, this area is home to roughly 118,000 people – individuals, families and investors, much of whom are considered well-off residents of Singapore. It’s an area that continues to grow every year with new residences being built, new shopping malls and entertainment activities.  The estate is divided into seven subdivisions – Upper Paya Lebar, Serangoon North, Serangoon Garden and Seletar hills, to name some. 

 

Residential Lifestyle 

Serangoon is a community with a mix of HDB flats, condos, homes and landed properties and is often regarded as the best of the best for options and size. Some of the condos of the area include Casa Cambio, Sunglade, The Yardley and The Minton. 

It’s no big surprise that many families with school-aged children are moving into the area. That’s why the community has invested money into the development of schools, medical centers, places of worship, shopping centers, restaurants and more. 

For parents who have school-aged children, there are many pre-school, primary, secondary and higher education schools to choose from. Some of these schools include:

• Primary Schools – Bendemeer Primary School, CHIJ Our Lady of Good Counsel, Farrer Park Primary School, Gabriel’s Primary School, Yangzheng Primary School and Zhonghua Primary School
• Secondary Schools – Cedar Girls’ Secondary School, Peicai Secondary School, Serangoon Garden Secondary School, St. Andrew’s Secondary School and St. Gabriel’s Secondary School and Zhonghua Secondary School
• Higher Education Schools – ITE College West (Balestier Campus), LASALLE College of Arts, Nanyang Junior College and Singapore Institute of Commerce 

God-fearing families in Serangoon have a number of choices when it comes to places of worship. These include Angullia Mosque, Cherish Baptist Church, Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple and Tiong Ee Kwan Temple. 

When you need medical care, whether it’s emergent or a simple checkup, Serangoon offers highly-advanced facilities such as the Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital and Singapore Cancer Society. Several polyclinics are available and useful in caring for all kinds of health problems people could have.

 

Downtimes in Serangoon 

Serangoon is offering a lot in the way of fun and entreating activities. If you want family-fun, you can check out the Singapore Crocodile Farm or the Serangoon Gardens Circus.  Also available are the various parks such as Serangoon Community Park and Serangoon Sunshine Park. People can use the walking trails at Tavistock Avenue Park while the kids can play on any one of its playgrounds. There is much to do at this park. 

Other places to enjoy some downtime include:

• Balestier Cineplex 
• Mandarin Theater and Plaza Theater 
• Moulmein Community Children’s Library
• Serangoon Gardens Country Club
• Serangoon Swimming Pool Complex 
• Singapore Malay Football Club

Serangoon has plenty of hidden gems when it comes to food and coffeehouses.  If you’re craving Indonesian food, you can check out the Dju Dju stall at Serangoon Avenue 2. There are more than 30 dishes to try from such as the Claypot Assam Fish Head or the sardine curry puffs. At Lau Wang Claypot Delights, you can try the Frog Legs with Ginger and Onion or the Spicy Sambal Sotong.

A popular among locals is the Chomp Chomp Food Center that offers seafood and Hokkien mee.

When you visit Serangoon Gardens, consider trying their RK Eating House, which offers its infamous pratas. Their The Peel 1889 sells classic foods such as Aliff Nasi Lemak and mod pizza. The MyVillage mall offers many premium restaurants such as the iSteaks Diner if you want a couple’s night out.  

There are also plenty of cafés if you want something quick (or on a first date). For instance, you have The Plain Jane café with its amazing Swiss rolls – be it Nutella chocolate or Crème Swiss Roll. You can also choose any one of their teas to top off the dessert. 

 

HDB Resale Flats Prices in Serangoon

Serangoon HDB Resale Flat Prices
Flat type	Average Price
1-room	N/A
2-room	N/A
3-room	$309,000
4-room	$452,000
5-room	$571,000
Executive	$744,000
Multi-Generation	N/A

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

Shoppers flocked to the new NEX Mall at Serangoon when it first opened, and they are still flocking to this incredible shopping centre. Today, it’s filled with families on weekends due to the variety of food and beverage options. It also has a giant 24-hour FairPrice Xtra, a cinema complex and the local library. 

Serangoon also has a reputation for great dining at all the international restaurants located at Serangoon Gardens, and people simply love dining at the Chomp Chomp Food Centre. 

Since this is such a well-developed, conveniently located mature estate offering a huge variety of amenities, educational institutions, and great connectivity, the HDB resale flats prices are of premium level.