Tampines, named for the Tempinis tree, is one of Singapore’s largest residential regions, with more than 200,000 people living in over 68,000 flats. The Housing and Development Board, which was responsible for much of the early construction, gave the Tampines Town Council control over the area in the early 1990s. 

Tampines was initially a barren landscape with villagers and farmers of various settlements. Any visitor in the 1970s would have seen deep craters and rolling hills due to sand quarrying, of which there was 26 total. However, the high plains have been reduced to level the area, and the East Coast Reclamation project used the same for filling material. 

It took roughly 10 years to resettle the remaining 3,700 villagers to start HDB’s infrastructure projects.  Tampines Town saw its first housing project in the 1980s and created on the concept put forth by the Neighborhood and Precinct Project. 

 

Living and Learning In Tampines 

Today, the area is divided into five subdivisions – Tampines East, Tampines Central, Tampines North, Tampines West and Tampines Changkat. Each region has its own community center that allows residents to spend their downtime having a little bit of fun. 

Besides HDB flats, there are also numerous private apartments and condominiums such as The Eden at Tampines, Waterview, Tampines Court, The Alps Residences and Pinevale.  

There are also some shophouses to rent or buy. 

Tampines, being a home to tens of thousands of families, was in great need of schools. As such, the government set up schools for every age group – from pre-school to college. There are more than 10 primary schools, nine secondary schools and numerous higher-education schools available. Some of these schools are:

• Primary Schools – Chongzheng Primary School, East View Primary School and East Spring Primary School
• Secondary Schools – Dunman Secondary School, East Spring Secondary School and East View Secondary School 
• Higher Education Schools – ITE College Central, Singapore Institute of Commerce, Tampines Junior College and Temasek Polytechnic 

The area also includes the United World College of South East Asia and Middleton International School, which blends education from all around the country and the world. 

In Tampines Town Center is Tampines Regional Library, which is free for use by anybody in the community. It often holds promotional events for the public to enjoy.

Medical care and religion is also a big part of the community. As such, Tampines is home to many of these facilities, including but not limited to:

• Healthcare – Changi General Hospital, St. Andrew’s Mission Hospital and Tampines Hospital
• Worshipping – Lighthouse Evangelism, Masjid Darul Ghufran and Tampines Chinese Temple

 

When It’s Time To Enjoy A Little Relaxation 

Tampines is not short on things to do for individuals and families. This neighborhood caters to nature lovers, with many parks, including Tampines Eco Green and Sunplaza Park. It’s also the location of 10 other parks that make it easy for families to spend quality time together or get in some exercise. 

Speaking of exercise, people can visit the Tampines Stadium and Tampines Sports Hall and Tampines Swimming Complex. At the Tampines Sports Hall, visitors can take in some table tennis or badminton. The facilities do charge $2.50 but let residents play any sport offered.

When it comes to shopping, Tampines offers three complete malls – Tampines 1, Tampines Mall and Century Square. Each one has its pros and cons but will ensure a good time can be had by visiting them. 

• Tampines 1 – This mall has plenty of retail and food stores to visit. It’s got a Rooftop Water Playground, being the first suburban mall with a swimming pool inside.
• Tampines Mall – This mall offers many stores from food, fashion to lifestyle. It’s also got a Cineplex
• Century Square – This mall is similar to Tampines mall and also has a Cineplex built inside. 

Simply put, if you can’t find something in one mall, you can search in the other 2 malls located within short walking distance.

There is also the Tampines Retail Park that you can visit. Here, you can find warehouse giants such as Giant, Courts and IKEA. They have been brought to one location so people can easily buy their furniture, electronics and groceries from one area. 

Restaurants are a big thing in Tampines; with so many, it would be difficult to name them, and this includes all the hawker centers. However, some of the places to check out and try would be:

• Tampines Round Market and Food Center – Here, there are numerous renowned stalls that offer various cuisines. Lor Mee Prawn Mee has Lor Mee, and Song Han Carrot Cake offers the Curry Powder Carrot Cake. 
• Soi Thai Kitchen – This restaurant is the place to be if you’re craving Thai food. The food is authentic, and the prices are reasonable. 
• Jin Fu Seafood Restaurant – If you want seafood, you should try this restaurant and its Zhi char.

Some people feel that Tampines will grow to become a huge café town, with more and more cafés entering the market. For now, there are the Brothers in Fine Food, Out of the Cake Box and Commonground cafés. 

Those who crave something sweet should really try the local favorites Burbur terigu and Pulut Hitam at the House of Dessert. And, if you just want some ice cream, Blic offers flavors of all kinds that are sure to please the palate. 

 

Interesting Tidbits 

• The Town Center was shaped like an hourglass to create an urban uniqueness 
• United Nation Building and Social Housing Foundation awards Tampines Town the World Habitat Award in Developed Country Category 
• HDB announces the launch of “Future Homes, Better Lives” campaign for three newly developed parts of the area
• In 2011, Tampines saw the opening of the Tampines Eco-Green, which features various natural habitats, including a secondary rainforest and freshwater wetlands. 

 

HDB Resale Flats Prices in Tampines

Tampines HDB Resale Flat Prices
Flat type	Average Price
1-room	N/A
2-room	$261,000
3-room	$337,000
4-room	$447,000
5-room	$554,000
Executive	$678,000
Multi-Generation	$840,000

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

Tampines could easily be described as the “Orchard Road of the east” with all the glitz and glamour it offers. Residents enjoy large modern shopping malls, a variety of good educational institutions, medical facilities Tampines Regional Library and the recent addition of Our Tampines Hub. Living here, you’ll be conveniently close to IKEA Tampines, The Singapore Expo, Courts Megastore, and Changi Airport. 

With all this action, Tampines can get a bit crowded at times, especially during peak hours. So, unless you thrive in crowds, you may want to choose a more peaceful town like Bedok or Pasir Ris, both of which are reasonably close if you’re in the mood for some excitement.