{"id":58738,"date":"2017-06-23T07:30:07","date_gmt":"2017-06-23T00:30:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/eye-on-geylang-a-gentrifying-neighbourhood\/"},"modified":"2017-06-23T07:30:36","modified_gmt":"2017-06-23T00:30:36","slug":"eye-on-geylang-a-gentrifying-neighbourhood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/eye-on-geylang-a-gentrifying-neighbourhood\/","title":{"rendered":"Eye on Geylang: A gentrifying neighbourhood"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nAerial view of the night bazaar at Geylang Serai, which runs throughout the month of Ramadan.
\nGeylang is undergoing a major facelift with new HDB flats and condominium projects being built in the area, but it still retains its unique culture and reputation as a foodie\u2019s paradise.
\nBy Joanne Poh
\nGeylang has a reputation for being one of Singapore\u2019s grittiest neighbourhoods. Home to the nation\u2019s most infamous red-light district, the area is rather unexpectedly an immensely popular commercial and residential precinct.
\nBut thanks to its excellent food scene, desirable location near Singapore\u2019s Central Business District, lively cultural scene and authenticity of its historic shophouses, Geylang has become a highly sought-after place to live.
\nSteeped in history
\nIn the 19th century, the banks of the Geylang River were home to a small settlement occupied by kampong-dwelling Malay households whose homes were constructed on stilts.
\nThese villages were later removed when the British took control of the waterways for trade. Those living in the area were forced to shift their settlement inland, and some settled in the area that is now modern day Geylang Serai, a name purportedly derived from the orang laut or sea gypsies who populated the area, and the lemon grass that was cultivated there.
\nWhile most of the families in the Geylang area supported themselves through farming, this slowly changed as agricultural land saw a reduction in area to make room for a steadily growing population. The settlement expanded inland and to the east in the years before the Second World War.
\nAfter the Second World War, the area changed significantly, and as tapioca grew in importance as a staple food, tapioca farms replaced many of the coconut and rubber plantations in the vicinity. The area known as Kampung Ubi takes its name from the ubi kayu, or tapioca plant.
\nThis was also the start of a dark period in Geylang\u2019s history. Thanks to the baby boom, Geylang\u2019s population grew rapidly in the postwar years and the existing infrastructure could not cope, turning the area into a slum.
\nThe first blocks of flats appeared in Geylang Serai in 1963, and that marked the beginning of Geylang\u2019s transformation into the exciting neighbourhood it is today.<\/p>\n

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\nA vibrant neighbourhood
\nIn recent years, Geylang has become one of the final bastions of authenticity in an increasingly gentrified landscape. The area is home to some of the nation\u2019s most atmospheric markets, including the Geylang Serai Market.
\nThe cultural heart of Singapore\u2019s ethnic Malays, Geylang is one of the few places in Singapore where the kampong spirit can still be felt.
\nDuring Ramadan and in the lead up to Hari Raya Puasa, the month-long Geylang Serai Bazaar opens to massive crowds set on gorging themselves on snacks like Ramly burger and ice cream sandwiches, and enjoying the spectacular light-up that transforms the two km stretch on Sims Avenue and Changi Road into a rainbow of colours.
\nEven outside of the festive period, Geylang remains one of the most refreshing and most atmospheric areas to visit.
\nGeylang\u2019s main thoroughfare, Geylang Road, is a familiar sight to durian fans. The area has become a hotbed of durian stalls. The spiky fruit can be opened on the spot by stallholders and enjoyed at a roadside table.
\nGeylang has also become famous for the uncommon number of good food stalls, some of which have been around for decades, which line the area\u2019s lorongs or lanes. Some noteworthy eateries include the fresh frog porridge stall and beef noodles at Lorong 9, and the famous Anthony Bourdain-endorsed Sin Huat Eating House at Lorong 35.
\nCity Plaza, an aging mall a stone\u2019s throw from Paya Lebar MRT station, is popular with teenagers for its cheap wholesale clothes and accessories imported from Thailand, China and the like.
\nOne of Geylang\u2019s most distinctive features is the way in which its many lorongs are arranged, branching out from Geylang Road in an orderly fashion, with odd-numbered lorongs on the north side of the road and even-numbered lorongs on the south side. Singaporeans often identify their favourite eateries using the number of the lorong on which it is located.
\nGeylang\u2019s proximity to the city centre has no doubt been a key contributor to the area\u2019s popularity. The area lies on the eastern fringe of the city core and is a mere 15 minutes away from the CBD.
\nPublic transport connectivity is excellent, the area being served by several MRT stations including Aljunied on the East-West Line, Dakota and MacPherson on the Circle Line, Paya Lebar which connects the two, as well as a bus terminal in Kallang. The East-West Line connects the area to the CBD in under 15 minutes.
\nConnectivity in the area will be boosted even further when Geylang Bahru, Mattar and Ubi stations on the Downtown Line 3 are opened later this year, connecting Geylang directly with the northwest of Singapore.
\nSims Urban Oasis is a new condominium currently being developed at Sims Drive.
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\nA bright future near the city core
\nUnbeknownst to the foodies and hedonists who flock to Geylang, the area is also one of the most promising places to buy property with attractive rental yields, a great location and excellent connectivity.
\nA recent Build-To-Order exercise saw applicants scrambling to get a unit in the new Dakota Breeze project situated between Jalan Satu and Jalan Dua, which saw more than 3,100 applicants vying for about 670 flats, working out to roughly five applicants per unit.
\nThe HDB residential development, comprising five 18-storey blocks of two-room flexi, three-room and four-room flats, is located right beside the Geylang Park Connector and the scenic Geylang River.
\nThe private property market in Geylang looks upbeat too, as evidenced by the popularity of Sims Urban Oasis, a 99-year leasehold condominium development by GuocoLand, located on Sims Drive. The Temporary Occupation Permit for the property is expected in 2019. Many of the development\u2019s smaller units have been snapped up due to its excellent location on the city fringe and potential rental yield.
\nAccording to Tay Huey Ying, Head of Research at JLL Singapore, Sims Urban Oasis units sold in 2017 averaged $1,380 psf in price.
\nTay points to Park Place Residences at Paya Lebar Quarter (PLQ) as another promising upcoming development. She said, \u201cThe first phase of the 429-unit 99-year leasehold Park Place Residences at PLQ was launched in March 2017, and more than 200 units were sold within one weekend of the launch at an average price of $1,800 psf. Interested buyers who have missed out on the first phase of the project can still await the launch of phase two.\u201d
\nFollowing the Urban Redevelopment Authority\u2019s proposal to re-zone the stretch bounded by Lorong 22 and Lorong 4 to reduce the residential area, housing in Geylang looks set to grow scarcer, and is expected to raise condo prices in the area.
\nWhat is more, the development of Paya Lebar Central looks likely to boost property values in the area.
\nTay said, \u201cThe Government has earmarked the area as a commercial hub to be fully developed by 2030. The area is starting to build up as can be seen from the upcoming mixed-use development, PLQ. The pre-leasing activity for its office component of about 0.9 million sq ft has commenced and has garnered some interest from occupiers, given its proximity to the CBD and Changi International Airport.\u201d
\nThis is great news for property owners and investors who\u2019ve already managed to obtain a slice of the pie in this one-of-a-kind neighbourhood.
\nDid you know?
\n\u2013 Geylang used to be home to the Malay Village, a museum showcasing the traditions of the Malay community which contained replicas of authentic kampongs. The museum is now permanently closed.
\n\u2013 Geylang has a football team named after it. Geylang International Football Club used to be one of the country\u2019s best in its heyday in the 70s and 80s.
\n\u2013 The Rose of Singapore by Peter Neville is a novel about a prostitute who works in the Geylang area, and offers detailed descriptions of Geylang in the pre-war and post-war years.<\/p>\n

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\nThis article was first published in the print version PropertyGuru News & Views. Download PDFs of full print issues or read more stories now!<\/p>\n


\n
\nSource : proppertyguru.com.sg\/Property Market
\nRead more…Eye on Geylang: A gentrifying neighbourhood<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Aerial view of the night bazaar at Geylang Serai, which runs throughout the month of...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":58739,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-58738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-property-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Median-sale-and-rental-prices-D14-1024x278.jpg?fit=1024%2C278&ssl=1","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p75ss1-fho","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":113987,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/wing-fong-mansions-and-wing-fong-court-in-geylang-for-sale\/","url_meta":{"origin":58738,"position":0},"title":"Wing Fong Mansions and Wing Fong Court in Geylang for sale","date":"January 31, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"\r \u00a0 Wing Fong Mansions in Geylang has been put up for collective sale by PropNex Realty with a S$176 million reserve price, reported The Business Times. At least 80% of Wing Fong Mansions\u2019 owners have consented to an en bloc sale, revealed Richard Hau, lead property consultant for PropNex\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":58476,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/geylang-homes-to-return-to-state-once-leases-expire-in-2020\/","url_meta":{"origin":58738,"position":1},"title":"Geylang homes to return to state once leases expire in 2020","date":"June 20, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\r View of shophouses along Geylang Road. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons) The land occupied by 191 private terrace houses at Lorong 3 Geylang will be returned to the state with vacant possession once their current leases expire on 31 December 2020, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) said today. The terrace houses\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":55905,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/bto-flats-in-bidadari-geylang-most-sought-after\/","url_meta":{"origin":58738,"position":2},"title":"BTO flats in Bidadari, Geylang most sought-after","date":"May 25, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\r \u00a0 Despite their higher prices, flats in the mature estates of Bidadari and Geylang attracted the most number of applicants in the Housing and Development Board\u2019s (HDB) latest sales exercise for Build-To-Order (BTO) flats, reported The New Paper. As of 5pm on Wednesday, the four-room units at the Dakota\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":55353,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/geylang-bidadari-flats-most-popular-among-buyers\/","url_meta":{"origin":58738,"position":3},"title":"Geylang, Bidadari flats most popular among buyers","date":"May 19, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\r It has been three years since new flats were introduced within the Geylang area where Dakota Breeze and Pine Vista, two of this year\u2019s BTO project,\u00a0will be built in. (Image: HDB) Housing Board flats in Geylang and Bidadari attracted keen interest from buyers, with bigger units in Geylang\u2019s Dakota\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":120521,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/geylang-development-up-for-collective-sale-for-27mil\/","url_meta":{"origin":58738,"position":4},"title":"Geylang development up for collective sale for $27mil","date":"July 14, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"\r Located at 8 Lorong 35 Geylang, the eight-storey Baode Building is a residential development\u00a0that is going for $27 million. Source: Google Maps Baode Building, an eight-storey residential development at 8 Lorong 35 Geylang, has been put up for collective sale with an indicative price of $27 million, revealed Colliers\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/BAODE-BUILDING.jpg?fit=820%2C410&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":68154,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/govt-to-help-lorong-geylang-households-get-new-flats\/","url_meta":{"origin":58738,"position":5},"title":"Gov\u2019t to help Lorong Geylang households get new flats","date":"October 4, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\r According to SLA, owner-occupants will not be left without options. The authorities have pledged to help the 35 households along Lorong 3 Geylang that plans to acquire a new Housing Board flat, reported Today Online. 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