History & Origins
MacPherson is an area located in Geylang within the URA’s Central Planning Region of Singapore. Formerly called Jalan Klapa, MacPherson Road was named after Lieutenant Colonel Ronald MacPherson who served in 1941's China War.

Housing
MacPherson currently has 25,930 public HDB flats, including new studio apartments designed specially to meet the needs of residents age 55 and above. Apart from a wide array of private condominiums in the MacPherson area, there are also landed properties along MacPherson Road (comprising two-storey residential shophouse-style units) and Sennett Estate (a quiet, upper-middle class private residential estate comprising terrace, semi-detached and bungalow houses).

Transportation & Connectivity
MacPherson is served by 3 MRT stations - MacPherson MRT Station (CC10/DT26), Aljunied MRT Station (EW9) and Paya Lebar MRT Station (CC9/EW8). While there has always been a wide array of bus services assigned to the MacPherson areas, the launching of the MacPherson MRT station (as part of Downtown Line 3) has resulted in a new bus service, Service 137, being in operation since September 2017. Service 137 allows consumers easier access to MacPherson, Aljunied, Bedok, Bedok North, Paya Lebar and Ubi MRT Stations, Kaki Bukit Industrial Estate and shopping malls such as Bedok Mall and Paya Lebar Square. The other bus services are 24, 28, 43, 61, 63, 63M, 65, 66, 70, 70M, 76, 80, 135, 154 & 158.

Education at MacPherson
MacPherson is home to many good schools. These include MacPherson Primary School, Cedar Primary School (both of which will merge in 2019 and will be located on the site of the latter), Canossa Catholic Primary School and Geylang Methodist Primary School. In addition, St Margaret’s Primary School, previously located at Wilkie Road in the Selegie area, announced in 2018 a temporary move to a holding school previously occupied by MacPherson Primary School at Mattar. Further, the many secondary schools in MacPherson accords greater flexibility to students living in the area to select a school which best suit their interests, talents and needs. These secondary schools include MacPherson Secondary School, Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School and Dunman High School (a co-ed Special Assistance Plan school).

Shopping
Residents at MacPherson enjoy close proximity to MacPherson Mall, a rare freehold mixed development launched in 2018 comprising commercial shops (i.e. the shopping mall) and a nine-storey hotel known as the ibis Style Singapore. In relation to food choices, MacPherson Mall is home to, amongst others, JD’s Bistro Bar (a bar serving food and alcoholic drinks with live band music), Chuan Ji Bakery (a humble bakery serving Chinese delicacies) and Chat & Chill (a café which is a popular favorite of the many café-hoppers in Singapore). Given MacPherson Mall’s strategic proximity to Geylang Serai Market and Food Centre, Tanjong Katong Complex and Joo Chiat Complex, visitors of MacPherson Mall are even more spoilt for choice when it comes to food. It is also home to a NTUC Fairprice outlet. Residents at MacPherson also enjoy relatively close proximity to several more established shopping malls which offer a wider variety of F&B, retail and service outlets. Among these malls are Paya Lebar Square (situated right outside Paya Lebar MRT station which comprises commercial shops and office buildings) and NEX (situated at Serangoon MRT station which boasts of many staple retail shops such as H&M, Uniqlo, NTUC Fairprice and several electronic stores).

Recreation & Amenities
MacPherson Linear Park has proven to be a source of recreation and relaxation – situated between Block 20 Joo Seng Road and MacPherson Road in MacPherson Garden Estate, the straight and linear path has provided for an ideal running/walking trail. It also serves as a transitional zone for commuters in industrial areas and often used for transport purposes. The MacPherson Community Centre also provides for additional ways for residents to enjoy a fitter, healthier and happier lifestyle. First, there are badminton courts and basketball courts for residents to use. Second, it offers a plethora of classes, from Hatha Yoga to Aikido to recreational karaoke pop singing, which caters to the many interests of its residents.

URA Master Plan
A new facility offering eldercare services within Macpherson is scheduled to be completed in 2022. This is in line with the government’s plans to make towns in Singapore liveable and self-sufficient, with easy access to shops, health care, schools, community amenities and parks.