Woodlands: A self-contained town in the north

/ EdgeProp Singapore |

August 8, 2019 9:00 AM SGT

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Before urbanisation occurred in the 1970s, the north coast of Singapore was filled with forests, plantations, and kampongs. One would see a densely wooded region from the Johor side of the Straits. In the past decades, the region has become a sprawling residential area aptly known as Woodlands.

Today, a part of the northern coast has been set aside for the Woodlands Waterfront Park, an 11ha public park that features a 1.5km waterfront promenade. Vantage points in the park, and along the 380m RMN Jetty, provide scenic views of the coast and the Straits of Johor.

The park is within the North Coast subzone, one of eight planning zones that make up the modern Woodlands planning area. The other subzones are Woodlands Regional Centre, Woodlands West, Woodgrove, Woodlands South, Woodlands East, Midview, and Greenwood Park.

The 11-hectre Woodlands Waterfront Park features a 1.5km promenade

Connectivity

Woodlands has more than 240,000 HDB residents compared to centrally located mature towns like Ang Mo Kio (144,000 HDB residents) and Toa Payoh (105,000 HDB residents). To serve its large population, Woodlands is a relatively self-contained town with many amenities and community services.

The area is served by three MRT stations on the North-South Line – Marsiling, Woodlands, and Admiralty. Later this year, residents can expect to enjoy better connectivity as Woodlands will become an interchange station for the North-South and Thomson-East Coast Lines. For the latter, two new stations, Woodlands North and Woodlands South, are also expected to be completed this year, according to the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

Woodlands is also served by the Seletar Expressway (SLE) and the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE). These two major highways connect Woodlands to other neighbourhoods like Yio Chu Kang via the SLE, and Bukit Panjang via the BKE.

Last year, the LTA awarded contracts for the construction of the 21.5km North-South Corridor (NSC), an integrated transport corridor featuring continuous bus lanes and cycling routes. The continuous bus lanes along the NSC will reduce bus travelling times from Woodlands, Sembawang, Yishun, and Ang Mo Kio to the city by up to 30 minutes, LTA says.

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Schools and Amenities

Community amenities for sports and fitness are available at the Woodlands Sports Centre on Woodlands Street 12. The 8ha complex includes the Woodlands Stadium, Woodlands Swimming complex, and a gym and sports hall. The stadium is the home ground of the Woodlands Wellington Football club, and hosts football matches for the Singapore Premier League and Prime League.

The eight-hectare Woodlands Sports Complex features a swimming pool and an indoor sports hall

Off Woodlands Avenue 1 and close to the upcoming Woodlands South MRT station, a new healthcare development is the planned Woodlands Integrated Healthcare Campus. Comprising acute-care and community hospitals, a nursing home, and specialist clinics, the campus aims to offer quality care to residents in the area. The development will progressively open from 2022.

This healthcare complex is also less than 400m from the latest Build-To-Order (BTO) flats in Woodlands. Known as the Champions Green estate, it comprises 722 two-room flexi and three- to five-room units. It is also opposite Innova Junior College and the Singapore Sports School.

WOODLANDS - A new health complex, the Woodlands Health Campus off Woodlands Ave 1 will be completed from 2022

A new health complex, the Woodlands Health Campus off Woodlands Ave 1 will be completed from 2022 (Picture: URA)

The flats were open for application as part of HDB’s May BTO exercise this year. Four- and five-room units of 1,001 to 1,216 sq ft, which make up 40% of the units, had an indicative selling price of $244,000 to $383,000, and were more than six times over-subscribed. The two-room flexi and three-room units of 409 to 743 sq ft had an indicative prices of $86,000 to $194,000, and were about 1.4 and 2.7 times over-subscribed, according to HDB data.

Besides Innova Junior College and the Singapore Sports School, residents in Woodlands are well served by several schools such as Republic Polytechnic, Qihua Primary School and Riverside Secondary School.

The Singapore Sports School in Woodlands

Food

Since the opening of the Johor-Singapore Causeway in 1923, the border crossing has been a prominent landmark in the region. Woodlands is closer to Johor than most housing towns in Singapore, and one of the furthest from the city centre. But this distance has given Woodlands a more laid-back atmosphere.

Its coastal attractions and open spaces are just right for families to wind down and bond over a meal after a busy day at work. One of the best places to do so is at the Rasa Istimewa Waterfront Restaurant at Woodlands Waterfront Park. The halal eatery opened in 2013 and specialises in serving seafood. Perched at the end of the jetty, this unassuming restaurant is perfectly placed to tuck into a family meal as you enjoy the coastal views.

Wind down and take in the coastal views from the Rasa Istimewa Waterfront Restaurant in the Woodlands Waterfront Park

The largest shopping mall in Woodlands is Causeway Point beside Woodlands MRT. Featuring more than 250 stores, its anchor tenants are Bagus, Cathay Cineplexes, Cold Storage, Courts, Food Republic, Kiddy Palace, Metro, POPULAR Bookstore, Timezone and Uniqlo.

Other food options that can be found in Causeway Point include 4Fingers Crispy Chicken, Ajisen Ramen, Crystal Jade Hong Kong Kitchen, Gong Cha, and Seoul Yummy.

The Woodlands Regional Library is beside Causeway Point and is located within the Woodlands Civic Centre, where a branch of HDB can also be found.

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