Home to Singapore’s Little India, a bustling cultural centre and tourist attraction, District 08 is an oft-overlooked estate close to the heart of the city, that offers affordable public housing options on top of the typical pricey private properties.
Situated in the southern region of Singapore, District 08 includes:
- Farrer Park: A quaint residential estate with a good mix of private landed properties, public housing, condominiums, and even shophouses, just a few streets away from the bustling community that is Little India.
- Serangoon Road: Gazetted as a conservation area, Serangoon Road remains a lively hub of activity for Indian locals and tourists, with its dazzling array of eateries, shophouses, specialty shops, and malls.
Nature and Sports Centres
As a small neighbourhood near the heart of the city, District 08 does not have the a luxury of large neighbourhood park like in the heartlands. Instead, residents can seek respite in nature in pockets of small green spaces scattered around the district or enjoy a stroll along the nearby Rochor Canal’s promenade.
Thankfully for nature lovers, there’s always a park nearby in neighbouring districts. To the east, there’s the Kallang Riverside Park, a waterfront retreat, which offers scenic views of the Kallang River while jogging, or fishing. And to the south, there’s the historic hilltop landmark that is Fort Canning Park, where one can not only enjoy a challenging uphill trek amidst forested trails, but also learn about fascinating historical facts about Singapore.
Sports enthusiasts, on the other hand, will also enjoy the proximity to multiple multi-purpose sports centres nearby. There’s the Ceylon Sports Club which offers facilities for soccer, cricket, and futsal, the Civil Service Club @ Tessensohn which has everything from a gym, bowling alley, to rock climbing walls, and the massive Jalan Besar Sports Centre which has a full-size football stadium and a swimming complex.
Heritage Attractions
As a historical Tamil enclave that was allocated for Tamil immigrants in Singapore’s colonial days, it’s not hard to imagine that District 08 has plenty of heritage sites with historical and cultural significance.
A few important heritage landmarks in the district include the former House of Tan Teng Niah, a colourful Chinese building in the heart of Little India, the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, a shrine built by Tamil workers in the olden days, the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple with its intricate façade, Abdul Gafoor Mosque, one of Singapore’s oldest mosques, the former Kandang Kerbau Hospital amongst many others.
Schools and Other Public Facilities
Within a 2km radius, there are quite a few schools within the district. These include St Margaret’s Primary School, Farrer Park Primary School, Stamford Primary School, Anglo-Chinese School (Junior), St. Joseph’s Institution Junior, and Hong Wen School.
However, for youth interested in the arts, the neighbouring district Rochor conveniently houses two of Singapore’s finest art schools, LASALLE College of the Arts and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA).
In terms of public facilities, Farrer Park, being a relatively mature estate fares well with a public hospital, multiple market centres, a community centre, and a good variety of shopping malls.
Food & Beverages (F&B) and Retail Options
As the cultural hotspot for the ethnic Indians of Singapore, District 08 has everything that Indian culture has to offer from food, and spices, to specialty items – you name it, they’ve got it.
From Tekka Market which is the go-to-market in the neighbourhood for the freshest daily produce, the 24-hour Indian retailer Mustafa Centre which sells everything and anything you can imagine, and the family-friendly City Square Mall with a cineplex, to the IT hub that is Sim Lim Square.
Convenient Access Via Public Transport
Served by multiple nearby main MRT stations, Little India, Farrer Park, Rochor, Jalan Besar, Bendemeer, Boon Keng, and Lavender MRT station, along the North-East line, Downtown Line, and East-West line, residents can enjoy convenient access via public transport.