History & Origins
The first reference to Pasir Ris, was Passier Reis (or Passier Rice), and appeared in the early 1800s. Pasir Ris is a planning area and residential town located in the Eastern part of Singapore. It has a strong suburban feel and is bordered by Tampines and Paya Lebar to the South, Sengkang to the Southwest and Changi to the East.
Housing
In its early days, Pasir Ris was occupied mainly by kampongs and plantation estates. Today, it is primarily a housing estate comprising a large number of high-rise HDB estates. 108,400 HDB residents call Pasir Ris town home, spread over about 29,654 flats. Given its close proximity to the sea, the architecture of the residential estates often adopts ideas from the nearby beach and sea elements. Private developments in Pasir Ris includes The Esparis, Loyang Valley, Coastal Breeze and Oasis @ Elias.
Transportation & Connectivity
Pasir Ris is easily accessible by the Pasir Ris Bus Interchange and Pasir Ris MRT station (at the end of the East-West line). Given that Pasir Ris is located at the far end of Singapore and is serviced only by the East-West Line, in order to increase residents’ convenience, the LTA announced on 29 June 2018 that it would extend the MRT railway tracks after Pasir Ris MRT station to accommodate a new railway turnback - the Cross Island Line (CRL). With this development, Pasir Ris MRT will become an interchange and 2 future MRT stations will operate - Pasir Ris East (CR4) and Loyang (CR3), scheduled to be open in 2029.
The bus services at Pasir Ris Bus Interchange are rather comprehensive, given the large geographical area of Pasir Ris and the different suburbs in it. 23 bus routes (3, 4N, 5, 6, 12, 12e, 15, 17, 21, 39, 53, 58, 68, 81, 88, 89, 109, 354, 358, 359, 403, 518, 518A) depart from Pasir Ris Bus Interchange and the immediate bus stops surround the MRT.
Education
There are many educational institutions in and around Pasir Ris with 7 Primary Schools (Pasir Ris Primary School, White Sands Primary School, Elias Park Primary School, Meridian Primary School, Park View Primary School, Casuarina Primary School), 4 Secondary Schools (Hai Sing Catholic School, Loyang View Secondary School, Meridian Secondary School, Pasir Ris Crest Secondary School), 1 Tertiary School (Meridian Junior College) and 1 International School (Overseas Family School).
Finally, Pasir Ris is also home to the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore School, which caters to students suffering from cerebral palsy between 7 to 18 years of age.
Shopping
There are five existing HDB neighbourhood malls in Pasir Ris: Loyang Point, Elias Mall, Neighbourhood 4NC, Pasir Ris West Mall and White Sands Shopping Centre which cater to the various needs of its residents.
Shopping
There are five existing HDB neighbourhood malls in Pasir Ris: Loyang Point, Elias Mall, Neighbourhood 4NC, Pasir Ris West Mall and White Sands Shopping Centre which cater to the various needs of its residents.
In particular, Loyang Point enjoyed great hype in the 1990s as it was one of the first standalone and fully air-conditioned shopping malls to be launched in Singapore. Today, it provides great convenience to its residents by being home to two major supermarkets – Giant and Sheng Siong. It also holds two food courts serving a wide array of dishes, from Japanese to Western cuisine, at affordable prices. Finally, its landlocked location means that it offers a quieter alternative to shoppers who prefer to stay away from large crowds.
Recreation & Amenities
Pasir Ris is a great place for local families and tourists to have a fun day out particularly given its proximity to Pasir Ris Beach and Changi Beach, both of which are popular destinations for people to fish, have picnics, run and cycle. Pasir Ris also boasts of other recreation sources which allow for its residents to enjoy a fitter and healthier lifestyle. One of this is HDB’s Remaking Our Heartland (ROH) programme’s intra-town cycling path network, designed as a haven for cycling enthusiasts. Pasir Ris Park also contains numerous fishing ponds, different species of birds, playgrounds, bike paths and walking tracks.
Need a short breather from the hustle and bustle of Singapore’s city life? Pasir Ris provides for a variety of accommodation options: five-star hotels, such as Le Peranakan Hotel and the Celestial Ubin Beach Resort, are popular choices among tourists. It also is home to numerous resorts, such as the Civil Service Club @ Loyang and D’Resort @ Downtown East, at which people often organize barbeques and staycations.
Finally, Pasir Ris is also home to Wild Wild Wet @ Downtown East, Singapore’s iconic water theme park, which offers different rides catering to visitors of various age groups. “Water Works” is a fast water slide boasting fast curves and exciting turns; “Tsunami” comprises a pool with controlled waves and different water conditions to make swimming more adrenaline-inducing; “Professor’s Playground” allows young children to paddle in a shallow pool and climb on letters and spray water cannons; and “Yippee” is a shallow pool which allows toddlers join in the fun.
URA Master Plan
According to URA, residents of Pasir Ris can expect work to start on the replacement of Loyang Agrotechnology Park into more advanced wafer fabrication facilities & data centers. The government will also embark on the expansion of existing roads and expressways (TPE and PIE) within Pasir Ris to ensure that long travel times because of congestion are minimized. Other improvements in the pipeline include enhancements to Sungei Api Api & Sungei Tampines, which will include extensive landscaping of the river banks and the building of new shelters & lookouts.
Fun Fact- Pasir Ris means “white sands” in Malay and describes the long stretch of white sandy beach lining Pasir Ris Beach.
- Pasir Ris boasts its very own “Bumboat Playground”. The eyes at the bow of the bumboat reference the fact that boat owners traditionally paint eyes on their boats. The boat is one of several unique playground designs that hail from a time we seem to have forgotten. Rediscover Singapore by visiting the “Bumboat Playground” located next to Block 623, Elias Road, Singapore 510623.
