PUBLISHED ONNovember 07, 2024 1:58 AMByChing Shi JiePrivate tutor Jade Lim has lived in Hougang for all her life, but she feels indifferent about the north-east area.
"Just my luck that Punggol and Sengkang have the Light Rapid Transit (LRT)," she told AsiaOne.
The 27-year-old commutes to Punggol and Sengkang regularly for work.
"It's so confusing and terrible. There's two directions and it takes such a long time to get to a specific place.
"Sometimes it's so full during peak hours and you can't get in."
Another source of her frustration? The lack of "hip and interesting" food and beverage outlets in the north-east.
"It's trendy for cafes to open in the heartlands, but there's not a lot of options here," the self-professed foodie said, adding she would prefer to live in the Central area.
A recent AsiaOne survey has crowned the north-eastern part of Singapore, which also includes Hougang, Punggol, Sengkang and Serangoon, as the least satisfied place to live in.
Conducted in January to uncover factors contributing to Singaporean's satisfaction with their housing situation, the survey received 1,344 responses from residents islandwide.
Some 60 per cent of residents said they are unsatisfied with living in the north-east.
This means that for residents like 81-year-old Alias Ismail, he finds himself in the minority.
The retiree, who has been living in Ang Mo Kio for 45 years, has settled into a daily rhythm that defines his twilight years.
Other than his regular dialysis treatment, Ismail spends his time beneath the overhead bridge opposite AMK Hub.
Spending up to an hour on his electric scooter there, he likes sipping his kopi-o while observing life around him.
"I've nothing to do at home and I feel sleepy," Ismail told AsiaOne on Wednesday afternoon at his usual spot. His 40-year-old son, who lives with him, is away at work.
"I come out here so that my mind can work a bit," he added.
Ismail admitted that there is "nothing much to do around here".
"But I'm okay about it. I don't feel lonely," he said with a smile.
Even in places such as Queenstown, Marine Parade and Kallang, 53 per cent of residents surveyed said they are unsatisfied with living there.
One Kallang resident surnamed Tong said that he rates living in his four-room flat in Jellicoe Road a five out of 10.
This is even though the man in his late forties lives a five-minute walking distance from Lavender MRT station.
"The exterior looks a bit old," Tong, who declined to give his full name, said about his flat that was built in 2001. "We could do with improving the cleanliness too. Pigeons would fly to my ledge and [leave] droppings."
There has been a long-standing debate on whether the western or eastern area of Singapore is the better side.
The AsiaOne's survey found that residents in the west - including places such as Jurong, Tengah, Bukit Panjang and Choa Chu Kang - were less likely to be satisfied with their housing situation in compared to those in the east.
Some 56 per cent of residents there said they are unsatisfied with their housing situation.
The poll showed that access to public transport, affordability and the availability of amenities nearby were the three most important factors affecting residents' level of satisfaction with their homes.
Speaking to AsiaOne, Edith Tay, executive director of real estate agency PropertyBank, said that she is a little surprised that proximity to the workplace remains a key factor - especially after the emergence of flexible work arrangement.
"It could be due to the hassle of parents having to commute on days they have to work," she said.
On what makes a happy and satisfied neighbourhood, Tay said that some indicators would be tracking the number of residents moving in instead of relocating out.
“And when you see more decorations [during festival seasons],” she added.
Kelvin Lim, group managing director of LHN Group and founder of serviced apartment franchise Coliwoo, said that some locations are simply better connected to the Central Business District.
"The west has fewer MRT lines and interchanges and bus routes. This makes commuting less convenient and it leads to longer travelling time," he said.
During a parliamentary sitting on Oct 15, Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Leong Mun Wai remarked that the east side of Singapore is far better than the west side when it comes to rail connectivity.
Arguing that "the west of Singapore" is not "some ulu hinterland", he called for improvements to rail connectivity and bus services for residents there.
In response, Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor said Leong's claim that the east is better than the west is not a fair comparison, as there are differences in geographical characteristics, stage of development and travel patterns.
Speaking about the Land Transport Master Plan 2040, Khor told the House that Singapore is on track to have eight in 10 households in the West within a 10-minute walk of a train station by the 2030s.
The region with the highest satisfaction, according to the AsiaOne survey, is the Downtown area - 40 per cent of residents said they are satisfied with living there.
Lim said that there are more buildings of "architectural excellence" in places such as Orchard and Outram, which elevate the neighbourhoods' urban design.
"But it is up to industry players to identify the potential of a location and create conducive living environments," he added.
Several HDB estates outside the Downtown area were recently recognised for their design and innovation.
These included Sengkang's Rivervale Shores, with its 'million dollar views', which bagged both the Construction and Design Awards at the HDB Awards on Oct 20.
Shanthi Subramaniam's flat in Jurong West offers an unobstructed view, overlooking an empty field that has remained unchanged for over a decade.
No hidden gems like cute cafes or vibrant murals under her block either. The nearest coffee shop, a mere five-minute stroll away, is unassuming at best, offering fare unlikely to grace AsiaOne's lifestyle recommendations.
Her daughter is now living in a 'cooler' neighbourhood in Bukit Timah, but Subramaniam told AsiaOne that she is not thinking about moving there.
The 67-year-old retiree, who has been living in Jurong West for over 25 years, said: "I like this area. It's a bit quiet and I don't have any problems with my neighbours."
Meanwhile, 72-year-old Tay Lai Hock said that he has no complaints about choosing to live in the west side of Singapore.
The retiree, who worked in the oil industry, lived in an executive flat in Jurong West for over 20 years before downsizing to a three-roomer in Boon Lay Place.
He chose convenience over luxury, with the nearest MRT station just a 10-minute bus ride away.
"I don't feel jealous about those living near the city centre," Tay said. "We live comfortably like normal people. We don't compare, and we take what's given to us."
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