Developed in the 1970s as the seventh housing estate in Singapore, Ang Mo Kio New Town has been a sought-after neighbourhood in the northeastern region. Unlike the previous housing towns, Ang Mo Kio New Town was the first to be designed in metric dimensions.
Notably, the design of the town won it the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) Outstanding Buildings Award in 1983. Later in 1986, it was awarded the SIA Architectural Award for its unique tetrahedral skylight-designed swimming complex at Avenue 1.
Despite its previous accolades and many well-established amenities, such as shopping malls, schools, and parks, most of these facilities have aged along with the town. In comparison to newer estates, these facilities might appear less modernised and efficient, creating a backward image and diminishing the town’s allure to new homeowners.
Fortunately, the government has recently unveiled plans to give Ang Mo Kio a new lease of life under the Remaking Our Heartland (ROH) plan. Part of the plans include a facelift of the Ang Mo Kio Town Centre, a new recreational trail, better connectivity to other parts of the island, and more senior-friendly facilities within the neighbourhood.
Here’s what you can expect in Ang Mo Kio in the future with these new upgrading plans.
[Editor’s note]: Check out the other neighbourhood estate guides that we have written on: Bidadari, Bukit Merah, East Coast, Hougang, Jurong West, Kallang, Pasir Ris, Queenstown, Sengkang, Serangoon, Sentosa Cove, Tanjong Pagar, Tengah, Toa Payoh, Woodlands, and Yishun.
History: The Name Ang Mo Kio Translates To “Red-Haired Man’s Bridge”
In the early 19th century, Ang Mo Kio attracted a large number of Hokkien-speaking Chinese immigrants who engaged in rubber-planting and tapping. It’s assumed that the estate, which was once labelled as Ang Mo Kio Forest Reserve in the pre-colonial Singapore maps, derived its name from a Hokkien translation meaning “red-haired man’s bridge”. It may have been in reference to John Turnbull Thomson’s bridge over the Kallang River, near what is now the junction of Upper Thomson Road and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1.
The landscape of the town changed from 1922 onwards as more labourers switched from rubber tapping to pig and poultry farming or market gardening, which further grew in size during World War II. Eventually, those farms made way for the modernisation of the town in 1973.
Today, Ang Mo Kio serves over 160,000 residents with over 50,000 HDBs, among other private residential developments. It consists of 12 subzones: Ang Mo Kio Town Centre, Cheng San, Chong Boon, Kebun Baru, Sembawang Hills, Shangri-La, Tagore, Townsville, Yio Chu Kang, Yio Chu Kang East, Yio Chu Kang North, and Yio Chu Kang West.
Furthermore, it is also the first HDB town to introduce the town council concept in 1986, which has been subsequently adopted across all towns.
Read Also: HDB Price Guide: 5 Cheapest HDB Estates For 2023
Business Activity: The First Town To Have Industrial Parks Beside Housing Estates
The development of Ang Mo Kio New Town introduced the concept of having industrial parks beside housing estates.
There are two industrial estates in Ang Mo Kio. The first is at Tagore Drive/Lane/Road along Upper Thomson Road. It consists generally of companies in the manufacturing industry and is served by the Lentor Station, which connects to the Thomson-East Coast Line (EWL).
The other industrial estate is Ang Mo Kio (AMK) Tech I and II along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5, which were constructed at a cost of $13.3 million in 1979. The Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park I consists of 14 blocks of single-storey terrace workshops and is meant for general manufacturing and generic industrial usage. Managed by JTC, the cost of rental space ranges between $3,319 and $5,856 per month for 110 – 216 sqm of floor space per unit.
Situated beside it is AMK Tech II, a seven-storey industrial complex comprising 229 units for general manufacturing and generic industrial usage. Also managed by JTC, the cost of rental space ranges between $2,511 and $5,419 per month for 127 – 225 sqm of floor space per unit. The area is accessible via the Central Expressway (CTE) and is around 10-minutes away from the Ang Mo Kio MRT station by car.
Additionally, the Ang Mo Kio Town Centre is also home to a large number of neighbourhood startup businesses, also termed “mom and pop” shops. The employment opportunities in this locality are mainly in the services industry, catering to a wide range of retail businesses, restaurants, shopping malls, and even a polyclinic.
Accessibility: Good Rail And Road Connectivity
The road numbering system introduced in Ang Mo Kio was later adopted in other estates. For instance, major roads are referred to as “avenues,” while minor roads are referred to as “streets.”
The town’s residents are currently served by a good network of rail transportation. The two main MRT stations in the town are at Ang Mo Kio and Yio Chu Kang. Both of these stations sit on the North-South Line (NSL), giving connectivity to the central and northern regions of Singapore.
Additionally, another two stations, Lentor and Mayflower, that are part of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL), give residents further connectivity to the northern and eastern regions of the island.
Finally, Ang Mo Kio will also have one station at Teck Ghee, which will be part of the eighth and latest MRT line – Cross-Island Line (CRL). When completed by 2032, it will give residents greater accessibility to the eastern, western, and north-eastern corridors connecting to major employment hubs such as Jurong Lake District, Punggol Digital District, and Changi region.
Residents can also get around the town or to other parts of the island via public bus services from the Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange. There are 16 bus routes that connect commuters to the north, northeastern, east, and central regions. For instance, there’s a direct bus service (Bus 24) from Ang Mo Kio Bus interchange to Changi Expo that takes around 50 minutes, while another bus service (Bus 133) takes around 45 minutes to reach Shenton Way. These bus routes could serve residents working at Changi Business Park and the city centre, respectively.
For residents with private transport, travelling to other parts is also very convenient due to the town’s location and connectivity to major expressways like the Central Expressway (CTE) and Seletar Expressway (SLE). These enable residents to travel to Orchard or Woodlands in around 15-20 minutes either way.
Read Also: Which Housing Estates Will Benefit The Most From The Cross Island Line (CRL)?
Housing: New BTO Classification Might Affect Pricing Of Resale HDB Flats
Out of the 27 housing estates and towns, 15 are classified as mature, while the remaining 12 are classified as non-mature. Build-to-order (BTO) flats in mature housing estates like Ang Mo Kio are often highly contested and are also priced relatively higher than housing developments in non-mature estates.
However, as announced by Prime Minister Lee during the National Day Rally speech, a new framework will replace the current classification of HDB towns in 2H2024. The new framework is expected to make HDB flats in mature estates more affordable through higher subsidies and stricter sale conditions, enabling HDB to moderate resale HDB prices.
While properties farther away from the heartland of the town might experience a greater effect, it is important to note that resale HDB flats in Ang Mo Kio are generally older with less than 60 years of lease balance.
Looking at the latest HDB resale median price statistics, the prices of 3- and 4-room flats are slightly lower than the average median prices for both categories. This may come as no surprise due to the age of the flats in comparison to other estates with a longer lease balance.
However, the same cannot be said for the prices of 5-room flats in Ang Mo Kio, which are slightly higher than the average prices. One reason for this could be that fewer new, larger flats (i.e., 5-room) are being built due to the mature classification of the town. The comparatively higher resale prices could be attributed to the lack of available units and strong demand from buyers.
| HDB Resale Median Housing Price | |||
| Location | 3-Room | 4-Room | 5-Room |
| Ang Mo Kio | $385,000 | $538,000 | $725,500 |
| Average | $400,000 | $603,000 | $708,800 |
Source: HDB Resale Statistics Q32023
Nevertheless, we can expect newer BTO projects like the Central Weave (released in the May 2022 BTO Launch) to be launched in Ang Mo Kio under the new BTO classification.x However, unlike the Central Weave, which had a starting price of $535,000 and $720,000 (before grants) for the 4-room and 5-room flats, respectively, the newer flats might be more affordable for new homebuyers.
Read Also: Standard, Plus & Prime Flats: Guide To Understanding The New Framework For HDB Flats
Education: Decent Number Of Choices Across The Different Education Levels
As a well-established estate, Ang Mo Kio offers a good selection of schools at different education levels, from kindergarten to tertiary. Parents with young school-going children can choose between 4 MOE kindergartens, 7 primary schools, and 7 secondary schools. There is also a good mix of tertiary schools, such as the merged Anderson-Serangoon Junior College, ITE Central, and Nanyang Polytechnic.
| MOE Kindergarten | |
| Name | Location |
| MOE Kindergarten @ Ang Mo Kio | 20 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, S569920 |
| MOE Kindergarten @ Jing Shan | 5 Ang Mo Kio Street 52, S569228 |
| MOE Kindergarten @ Mayflower | 200 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5, S569878 |
| MOE Kindergarten @ Townsville | 3 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10, S569730 |
| MOE Primary School | |
| Name | Location |
| Anderson Primary School | 19 Ang Mo Kio Ave 9, S569785 |
| Ang Mo Kio Primary School | 20 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, S569920 |
| CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls’ School (Primary Section) | 501 Ang Mo Kio Street 13, S569405 |
| Jing Shan Primary School | 5 Ang Mo Kio St 52, S569228 |
| Mayflower Primary School | 200 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5, S569878 |
| Teck Ghee Primary School | 1 Ang Mo Kio Street 32, S569299 |
| Townsville Primary School | 3 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10, S569730 |
| MOE Secondary School | |
| Name | Location |
| Anderson Secondary School | 10 Ang Mo Kio Street 53, S569206 |
| Ang Mo Kio Secondary School | 6 Ang Mo Kio Street 22, S569362 |
| CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls’ School (Secondary) | 501 Ang Mo Kio Street 13, S569405 |
| Deyi Secondary School | 1 Ang Mo Kio Street 42, S569277 |
| Mayflower Secondary School | 2 Ang Mo Kio Street 21, S569384 |
| Presbyterian High School | 5209 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6, S569845 |
| Yio Chu Kang Secondary School | 3063 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5, S569868 |
| Tertiary | |
| Name | Location |
| Anderson Serangoon Junior College | 4500 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6, S569843 |
| Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College Central | 2 Ang Mo Kio Dr, Singapore 567720 |
| Nanyang Polytechnic | 180 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8, S569830 |
Source: MOE SchoolFinder
Recreation: Maintain An Active Lifestyle With The 20KM Cycling Paths And New Parks
As part of Ang Mo Kio’s ROH plan, residents can expect more recreational options and refreshed amenities by end-2024.
There will be 20km of cycling and walking paths with wider footpaths and “Friendly Streets” that are less vehicle-centric to create a safer and more convenient experience for residents—young and old—to move around the town.
In addition to the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, residents can also expect more green spaces with the development of a new 8-hectare park at Lentor Hills Estate. The park will connect the Central Catchment Nature Reserve to the Khatib Nature Corridor with a new therapeutic garden and a nature playgarden.
Residents who wish to immerse themselves in retail therapy will benefit even more when the current town centre is transformed into a community hub for the entire estate. Children can also look forward to the rebuilt Saga Seed Playground that is currently beside the Ang Mo Kio Central Stage. Additionally, the Ang Mo Kio Heritage Square will also have a new water fountain and incorporate heritage markers as refreshed elements from its beginnings.
The post Neighbourhood Estate Guide: Has Ang Mo Kio Lost Its Red Shine That Made It One Of The Coveted Towns In Singapore? appeared first on DollarsAndSense.sg.
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