'There's nothing much going on here': Ghib Ojisan visits 'most depressing' neighbourhood in Singapore

When you think of Singapore, exciting and vibrant neighbourhoods like Chinatown, which was recently crowned 14th on the world's coolest neighbourhoods list by TimeOut, Little India, or Marina Bay likely come to mind.

But what about the flip side? What would be the most depressing neighbourhood in our city?

According to a Reddit forum, the northern heartland of Yew Tee has been dubbed the most depressing neighbourhood in Singapore. 

In a video posted last Friday (Oct 20), YouTuber Ghib Ojisan decided to visit Yew Tee to see if it lived up to its bleak reputation.

Setting off from the MRT station, he encountered several friendly people who recommended the best spots to check out in Yew Tee.

One person mentioned a nearby park connector that offered beautiful views in the evening.

Speaking to a young female passer-by, Ghib asked her about Yew Tee being the most depressing town in Singapore and she mentioned: "They are not wrong."

"They are developing [the neighbourhood], so it's getting better," she added.

Ghib also met up with Yew Tee resident Gordon, who has been living in the neighbourhood for 20 years.

Their adventure began with a pit stop at a durian stall where they sampled the Red Prawn variety and chatted about the neighbourhood.

Fun fact, the future Prime Minister, Lawrence Wong, is actually one of the MPs in the Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC. 

When Ghib posed the question of whether Yew Tee was depressing, Gordon responded: "The word I would use is quiet. There's nothing much going on here."

He candidly noted that it's not exciting, but also not as "crazy" as Yishun. Gordon highlighted the park connector that was mentioned earlier, stating: "The Green Corridor's start point is actually at Kranji, and it passes through Yew Tee, and it supposedly goes to Tanjong Pagar in the future."

As they made their way to Yew Tee Point, Gordon pointed out that it's not a typical mall as there are no shopping or activity options there.

The mall is mostly made up of food joints. The visit continued with a trip to the wet market, a stone's throw away from the Yew Tee MRT station.

Although the wet market was closed, Gordon managed to show Ghib some of the stalls. At the vegetable stall, Gordon mentioned that people are friendly here, and if you only need one vegetable, the vendor might give it to you for free.

However, in supermarkets, he pointed out that you typically have to buy the entire packet.

"This is the beauty of wet markets," Ghib concurred.

Gordon also shared that Yew Tee would be getting a new development, referencing the upcoming "vertical kampung."

This integrated development will comprise residential units, a hawker centre, a polyclinic, community club, and retail shops.

Ghib's visit culminated at the aforementioned park connector as he soaked up the atmosphere.

He observed: "The river here is so beautiful; it kind of reminds me of summer in Japan when I was young."

He marvelled at the green view in front of him, stating: "This alone makes Yew Tee beautiful."

The story of Yew Tee

While Yew Tee might not be as flashy as some of Singapore's famous neighbourhoods, it still has all the makings of a peaceful place to live.

It boasts a reliable mall, green spaces, and a host of food options, all with easy access to the MRT station. Like most parts of Singapore back in the day, Yew Tee was once a village with farmers growing vegetables and poultry.

It was only in the late 80s and early 90s that Yew Tee went through urbanisation, with the HDB transforming the area into a residential space.

ALSO READ: Is Yishun strange or just misjudged? I explored the neighbourhood for a day and here's my verdict

venkat.gunasellan@asiaone.com

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