{"id":75064,"date":"2017-12-21T03:00:39","date_gmt":"2017-12-20T20:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/eye-on-punggol-a-family-friendly-neighbourhood\/"},"modified":"2017-12-21T16:03:17","modified_gmt":"2017-12-21T09:03:17","slug":"eye-on-punggol-a-family-friendly-neighbourhood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/eye-on-punggol-a-family-friendly-neighbourhood\/","title":{"rendered":"Eye on Punggol: A family-friendly neighbourhood\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nPunggol is an up-and-coming modern housing estate.
\nPunggol is a popular estate among younger Singaporeans due to its many new HDB flats which offer waterfront living.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\nBy Joanne Poh
\nNo other neighbourhood in Singapore has undergone such a dramatic transformation over the past decade\u00a0than Punggol.\u00a0
\nAround 10\u00a0years ago, Punggol was little more than a sparsely-populated riverside area, where\u00a0water sports enthusiasts would occasionally venture.\u00a0
\nToday, it is one of Singapore\u2019s most prominent non-mature residential towns, and has become a magnet for newlywed couples and young families due to the proliferation of new HDB flats in the area.\u00a0
\nA turbulent past\u00a0
\nThe name Punggol is said to\u00a0be derived from the Malay word\u00a0ponggol, which refers to the act of throwing sticks at tree branches in a bid to harvest fruit,\u00a0and suggests that fruit-growing was one of the area\u2019s major industries.\u00a0
\nThe Punggol area was previously a rural settlement housing rubber plantations\u00a0and\u00a0supported other types of agricultural establishments such as fish, poultry, pig, hydroponic vegetable and orchid farms. While the area was originally settled by Malays, it later became a predominantly Teochew and Catholic area.\u00a0
\nPunggol also played a grisly role in World War II\u2019s Sook Ching massacre, when some\u00a0400 civilians were killed by the Japanese at Punggol Point, the area\u2019s northernmost point. The incident is now referred to as the Punggol Beach Massacre. A war memorial has been erected at Punggol Point in remembrance of the victims.\u00a0
\nBeginning in the 1960s, Punggol became known as a waterfront location populated mainly\u00a0by seafood restaurants and watersports facilities thanks to amenities for wakeboarders, waterskiing and boating enthusiasts. But it was only in 2007 that the area\u2019s transformation into one of Singapore\u2019s most well-known non-mature estates began.\u00a0
\nThe development of present-day Punggol had been anticipated since the 1990s, but due to\u00a0the turmoil of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, it was put on the back-burner for a decade. In 2007, the Punggol 21 Plus plan was finally announced, under which the area would be developed into the waterfront town it is today.\u00a0<\/p>\n

An eco-town\u00a0for families\u00a0
\nPresent-day Punggol consists of seven districts named Canal, Crescent, Punggol Point, Matilda, Northshore, Waterway East and Waterway West.\u00a0
\nUnder the Punggol 21 Plus plan, Sungei Punggol and Sungei Serangoon were transformed into Punggol Waterway, a reservoir and waterway that have become Punggol\u2019s defining feature. Punggol Waterway is 4.2km-long and runs through the neighbourhood, offering residents the opportunity to enjoy true waterfront living.\u00a0
\nPunggol is also Singapore\u2019s first eco-town. The residential estate has been developed in tandem with several\u00a0sustainability initiatives. In\u00a0particular, management of water, energy and waste has been designed to prioritise sustainability.\u00a0
\nAnna Lim, a\u00a0lawyer who lives in Punggol with her two young children, cites Punggol\u2019s family-friendliness as a key draw.\u00a0
\n\u201cThere are a lot of child-friendly amenities,\u201d she said.\u00a0\u201cThere is no shortage of playgrounds in each HDB development. There is also a lovely waterway park with sand play and water play areas for the kids.\u201d\u00a0
\nShe recommends Punggol Settlement, which is now a chic dining and entertainment hotspot housing clusters of cafes, bars and restaurants. The area is home to a wide variety of waterfront dining establishments including several well-known seafood restaurants as well as Thai, Japanese and local options.\u00a0
\nDespite the surge in popularity of Punggol amongst young families, it is a non-mature estate and is thus an excellent option for investors as property prices are currently significantly lower than those in nearby mature towns such as Ang Mo Kio or the city fringe areas. As Punggol undergoes further development, prices are sure to rise, which offers current investors the opportunity to enjoy good capital appreciation.\u00a0
\nPunggol\u2019s defining landmark is most certainly Punggol Waterway Park, which has attracted curious visitors from all over Singapore and is a favourite weekend destination for many residents. The park is divided into four zones: Nature Zone,\u00a0Recreational Zone, Heritage Zone and Green Gallery, and contains amenities such as cycling and jogging tracks which line the\u00a0waterway.\u00a0It is linked to the Park Connector Network\u2019s North Eastern Riverine Cycling Trail, and will eventually be connected to\u00a0the Round Island Route.\u00a0
\nPunggol also has its own island. Coney Island, which measures 50ha\u00a0and is located just off the coast at Punggol Point Park, can be accessed by a bridge and is home to more than 80 bird species as well as several contrasting\u00a0habitats, including mangrove and grassland.\u00a0
\nPunggol residents are connected to\u00a0Punggol MRT station on the\u00a0North-East\u00a0Line via the Punggol LRT Line, as well as bus services that terminate at Punggol bus interchange, which is located beside the MRT station.\u00a0The Tampines Expressway and Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway are highways which\u00a0link the area to the expressway network.\u00a0
\nA fast-growing neighbourhood\u00a0
\nDevelopment in Punggol is currently ongoing. The seven subzones are being developed into distinct waterfront districts, each with its own theme, that will be walkable and green.\u00a0
\nCurrent residents of\u00a0Punggol already enjoy a range\u00a0of amenities, including the recently opened Waterway Point, which comprises shops and eateries. But this is just the tip of the\u00a0iceberg of what is in store\u00a0for future residents.\u00a0
\nPunggol\u2019s new town square is being developed into a community space with sweeping views over the waterway. More facilities such as a community club, regional library and hawker centre are on the way. Meanwhile, Punggol Point is being developed into a recreational centre to rival East Coast Park with\u00a0F&B outlets to draw\u00a0the crowds. It currently boasts breathtaking views of the coastline thanks to a\u00a0300 sq m viewing deck.\u00a0\u00a0
\n\u00a0Current sports and recreational facilities like the completed SAFRA\u00a0Punggol clubhouse, which is equipped with an indoor water playground, will soon be complemented by an upcoming regional sports centre that will be integrated with Punggol Waterway.\u00a0
\nAccording to Edmund Ee, group division director at PropNex Realty, the Global Indian International School\u2019s Punggol campus at Punggol Field Walk, which should be ready by the first half of 2018, is expected to bring foreign students to the area and in turn raise demand for rental units.\u00a0
\nEe also pointed to\u00a0the new Punggol Coast station on the North-East\u00a0MRT\u00a0Line, which is expected to open in 2023, as a major pull factor, as it is expected to greatly boost connectivity in the area.\u00a0
\nThe station was\u00a0initially supposed to be opened by 2030, but plans have been accelerated in order to serve the residential developments in Punggol North and in the Northshore and Punggol Point areas. When\u00a0the Punggol Coast station opens, it will connect commuters to City\u00a0Hall station in about 30 minutes.\u00a0
\nBut it is the impending development of a Creative\u00a0Cluster in Punggol which, in\u00a0Ee\u2019s opinion, will truly transform Punggol. The Creative Cluster will be a space for innovative new industries, generating employment opportunities in the area.\u00a0
\n\u201cAlongside the Cluster, a Learning Corridor will see the addition of a new tertiary institution, which will act as a catalyst for growth and forge fresh synergies with industries and the community,\u201d said\u00a0Ee.\u00a0
\nDid you know?\u00a0
\n-One\u00a0in 10\u00a0of Punggol\u2019s residents is under the age of four, which has earned the neighbourhood the moniker of Singapore\u2019s baby town.
\n\u2013 Punggol\u2019s population has grown by more than 44 percent\u00a0over the past two years, and is\u00a0expected to rise by another 30 percent, which makes\u00a0it one of the fastest-growing neighbourhoods in Singapore.\u00a0
\n\u2013 Punggol Waterway has been\u00a0the recipient of numerous awards. In 2012, it was named Global Grand Winner in the planning category\u00a0and\u00a0won the Global Superior Achievement Award. Both awards were\u00a0conferred by the International Water Association.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/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 Punggol: A family-friendly neighbourhood\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Punggol is an up-and-coming modern housing estate. Punggol is a popular estate among younger Singaporeans...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":75065,"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-75064","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-property-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Eye-on-Punggol-1024x277.jpg?fit=1024%2C277&ssl=1","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p75ss1-jwI","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":96726,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/hdb-to-launch-first-two-bto-projects-in-punggol-point\/","url_meta":{"origin":75064,"position":0},"title":"HDB to launch first two BTO projects in Punggol Point","date":"August 27, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\r The Housing Board revealed on Sunday (26 Aug) that it plans to offer for sale 2,112 build-to-order (BTO) flats this month within the first two residential projects in Punggol Point District, reported Channel NewsAsia. Known as Punggol Point Woods and Punggol Point Cove, the former will come with 940\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":40790,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/new-town-square-opens-in-punggol\/","url_meta":{"origin":75064,"position":1},"title":"New town square opens in Punggol","date":"January 16, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\r Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean (middle) at the opening of Punggol Town Square and Punggol Discovery Cube. Source: Facebook Punggol residents now have a new community town square where they can enjoy various activities such as exercise, music and food events. Offering scenic views of Punggol Waterway, the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":96778,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/waterfront-views-not-a-determining-factor-for-most-buyers\/","url_meta":{"origin":75064,"position":2},"title":"Waterfront views not a determining factor for most buyers","date":"August 28, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\r While Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats with waterfront views in the new Punggol Point District are expected to fetch higher prices than those with no such views, property analysts believe that buyers will still focus on factors such as proximity to transport nodes and amenities, reported The New\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":97202,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/waterfront-punggol-flats-a-hit-among-buyers\/","url_meta":{"origin":75064,"position":3},"title":"Waterfront Punggol flats a hit among buyers","date":"September 4, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\r The newly launched Housing Board flats in Punggol attracted more attention than those in Yishun, with 5,608 applications received for 1,221 three-room and bigger flats, or 4.6 times as many, as at 5pm on Monday (3 September), reported The New Paper. In Yishun, only three-room units were oversubscribed 1.5\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":110689,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/hdb-launches-4089-flats-in-september-sales-exercise\/","url_meta":{"origin":75064,"position":4},"title":"HDB launches 4,089 flats in September sales exercise","date":"September 12, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\r A total of 3,373 Build-To-Order (BTO) flats were launched in Punggol and Tampines, which were spread across three projects \u2013 Punggol Point Crown, Punggol Point Cove and Tampines GreenGlen. The Housing Board launched 4,089 flats for sale on Wednesday (11 September), just a day after National Development Minister Lawrence\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":45070,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/punggol-clementi-flats-sees-robust-interest-from-buyers\/","url_meta":{"origin":75064,"position":5},"title":"Punggol, Clementi flats sees robust interest from buyers","date":"February 22, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\r \u00a0 Flats in Punggol and Clementi attracted the most interest at this year\u2019s first Build-To-Order sales exercise, reported Today Online. Data from the Housing and Development Board (HDB) showed that five-room flats at Punggol Northshore Cove had a subscription rate of 5.6, or 958 applications for the 170 units\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75064"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75064"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75064\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/75065"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75064"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}