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    Default Sengkang rising

    http://www.straitstimes.com/Lifestyl...ry_443444.html

    October 17, 2009 Saturday

    Sengkang rising

    It is time to put Sengkang's 'ulu' label to rest - town is 30 minutes away, amenities are plentiful and flat prices have risen in value

    By Tan Yi Hui


    Retiree Pang Toon Chee, 58, and housewife Tan Geok Hoon, 55, moved into the township of Sengkang two years ago.

    The name Sengkang drew sniggers because people thought that it was too far from town. But it was precisely the peacefulness of the area that Mr Pang liked.

    A few evenings ago though, the quiet of his estate was shattered by a revving car roaring down the roads late at night. It was such a racket that Mr Pang thought that the F1 had come to Sengkang.

    He recalls: 'Someone was driving a modified car down the road. It's getting noisier here already.'

    While some might think that the Pangs are lucky to have just an isolated incident of deafening noise, it shows how Sengkang, located between Punggol and Hougang, is changing.

    Once known as Kangkar, the name Sengkang - meaning 'prosperous harbour' in dialect - comes from a road called Lorong Sengkang, off Lorong Buangkok.

    The area was home to sparse settlements such as fishing villages and plantations scattered along river banks.

    Development started in 1995 when the Housing Board (HDB) began construction of blocks 133 to 140, completed in 1997.

    The plan was to create a new town in Sengkang that will eventually house 90,000 public and private housing units in the long term, a size comparable to larger and more mature new towns such as Jurong West and Tampines.

    Yet there have been numerous newspaper reports of new HDB flat applicants shunning flats in the area.

    Residents, businesses and Members of Parliament declare that Sengkang's 'ulu' tag is out of date. This town in the north-eastern part of Singapore, now 60 per cent developed, is bustling with life.

    Case in point: SBS Transit has experienced a 20 per cent increase in train ridership 'for the Sengkang North East Line station over the last few years'.

    The transport operator runs 19 bus lines, the North East MRT Line and 14 LRT stations in the area. In 1999, it ran just eight bus services.

    With more amenities and increased appeal also comes better property values for Sengkang HDB units. Some flats are worth almost $100,000 more than the original price owners paid about 10 years ago, say property experts.

    LifeStyle spent a day in Sengkang, and found the area buzzing. This is especially so in the more mature estates such as Rivervale and Anchorvale, as well as main mall Compass Point, which opened in 2002.

    Ms Mazlinda Osman has been a Rivervale resident for over a decade. The 37-year-old housewife says: 'Previously, I went down to Hougang for my groceries. Now, of course, it's much more convenient.'

    She adds that her five children go to schools around the area, and there are expressways such as the KPE which links them to the city.

    A resident of decade-old Anchorvale estate, Mr Steven Peh, 38, who is self-employed, says: 'It's easy to get to town with just a 20- to 30-minute train ride. For groceries, my wife and I go to the Sengkang NTUC supermarket. It doesn't feel that ulu, actually. '

    North East District Mayor Teo Ser Luck, who is also MP for the Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC which covers the eastern part of Sengkang, says: 'The 'ulu' tag is just a label. The name Sengkang itself might not sound very 'in'. It could be due to the fact that, in the past, Sengkang was more associated with remote fishing areas.

    'Today, it's different. It's almost like an earlier Bishan, Toa Payoh or Tampines. The place is maturing, from the transport system to other amenities. All these are part of a growing town cycle.'

    Dr Lam Pin Min, who is MP of Sengkang West ward in Ang Mo Kio GRC, adds: 'Much has changed over the past three to five years. Sengkang West has transformed into a vibrant and interesting place.'

    He points to infrastructure changes such as the new Anchorvale Community Club, Sengkang Sports and Recreation Centre, and Sengkang Riverside Park among others, while listing upcoming developments such as a central wet market.

    Named Kopitiam Square, it will be a wet market cum food centre, managed by the Kopitiam Group, which has up to five outlets spread throughout Sengkang and Punggol.

    The gradual public mindset change towards Sengkang also translates into rising property prices.

    According to Mr Chris Koh, a director at realty firm Dennis Wee Group, an average four-room unit can fetch up to $340,000, compared with $250,000 five years ago. General demand in the area has also increased by 22 per cent, he says.

    Propnex property agent Gaz Aspar adds that while it took up to two months to secure a buyer for a Sengkang flat four years ago, it now takes only two to three weeks.

    But there is still room for improvement, say young couples such as Mr Terence Chan and wife Ashley Neo.

    Mr Chan, 28, who works in the marine industry, will be moving into his unit at Fernvale Court - one of the newer Sengkang estates - by the end of this year, but adds that his original choice was in Toa Payoh, close to his father. The couple applied for a Toa Payoh flat twice but was unsuccessful.

    Mr Chan says: 'It would be good if they had a cinema here, more NTUC supermarket branches and more bus services, including Express buses like those in Toa Payoh.'

    His wife, also 28 and an auditor, adds: 'We do like this environment because it's more peaceful and there are a lot of young people like us.'

    Urban planning expert from the Nanyang Technological University, Associate Professor Wong Tai-Chee, sums it up: 'Given some 10 to 15 years, Sengkang will become a mature new town on the outskirts of the city comparable to Tampines.'

    [email protected]


    Sengkang stats

    Land area: 1,055 ha

    Area developed: 60 per cent

    Population: The township is one of the fastest growing - nearly tripling from 61,300 residents in June 2000 to 161,000 in June this year. The bulk of residents comprises people within the 25 to 39 age group.

    Completed flats: 43,000 as of last month

    MRT stations: 2 (Sengkang and Buangkok)

    LRT stations: 14

    Bus services: 21

    Schools: More than 10

    Wet markets: 2 (Fernvale Point and Rivervale Plaza)

    Shoppping centres: 3 (Compass Point, Rivervale Mall and Fernvale Point)

    Recreational facilities: Sengkang Sports and Recreation Centre, Sengkang Riverside Park

    Source: HDB, URA, SMRT, SBS Transit, Singapore Department of Statistics


    An EZ time for her business


    Sengkang has lots of potential, says Ms Serene Bey, who opened EZ Home Products at Rivervale Plaza. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND LIM

    Ms Serene Bey, director of EZ Home Products

    You could say it has been an easy ride for retailer EZ Home Products.

    Located on the ground floor of buzzing Rivervale Plaza, the shop, which sells household items ranging from toiletries to cosmetics and tidbits, started out as a tentage stall selling $1 house items.

    Ms Serene Bey, its director, says: 'I started this shop seven years ago and business has tripled to date.'

    Previously, she ran a VCD shop in Choa Chu Kang, but a sharp eye for business saw her home in on the Sengkang area. She says: 'When we set up, the response was overwhelming, probably because we were one of the few shops selling household products in the area.'

    Through the years, as amenities developed and other estates from Compassvale to Fernvale filled up, her client base expanded.

    According to her, her shop now has more than 500 customers on weekdays alone, with a monthly turnover of more than $300,000.

    Her rental of $8,000 a month is 'considered high', but is indicative of the market potential in Sengkang, she says.

    In fact, the shop has done so well that she has branched out into the food business, setting up a nasi padang stall at the food court upstairs.

    She says: 'The saying that Sengkang is ulu is outdated.

    'Many people know it is expanding and catchment is good. Retailers are trying to get shops here.'


    Value of flat going up


    The swamps near Mr Edwin Lim's (with wife Iris Goh and her mother, Madam Lim Gek Choo) flat have been replaced by amenities such as the Sengkang Sports and Recreation Centre. Mr Lim's mother is away in Kuala Lumpur.

    Mr Edwin Lim, 43, construction manager, his mother, Madam Ong Chin Siew, 73, his wife, Ms Iris Goh, 39, teacher, and her mother, Madam Lim Gek Choo, 76

    Mr Edwin Lim is one happy camper ever since the Sengkang Sports and Recreation Centre opened across from his Anchorvale block earlier this year.

    Together with the Sengkang Riverside Park, the increasing number of amenities means his flat's value has gone up.

    According to the Lims, their five-room unit, bought for $240,000 a decade ago, may now be worth over $400,000 and its price is 'still going up'.

    He says: 'I like it here because it's quiet and peaceful and ideal for jogging and cycling, which I do often.'

    The couple moved into their flat in 2001 as newlyweds and both their mothers live with them. Ms Goh recalls: 'It was very quiet at night when we first came. There were just mangrove swamps and empty plots of land opposite.'

    With the improvements in infrastructure over the years, transport is less of a problem. Mr Lim drives to work while Ms Goh, a teacher at Nan Chiau Primary School, walks to classes.

    However, they would like to see more coffeeshops and wet markets here.

    The couple are expecting their first child in January next year.

    Mr Lim says: 'I will not sell this house because although there are more people now, the area still has a laid-back vibe which I like.'


    Flat used to be their 'weekend resort'


    With her workplace and her sons' schools just nearby, Ms Josey Koh is very happy to be living in Sengkang. -- ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM

    Mr Vincent Ong, 45, manager in the freight-forwarding industry, Ms Josey Koh, 42, part-time school coordinator, and sons Howard, nine, and Harry, six

    Over a decade ago, their five-room Compassvale HDB unit, bought because there were few other alternatives, was a 'weekend resort'.

    Chuckling fondly at the memory, Ms Koh recalls: 'At that time, we told our friends we were living in a kampung. Everything around was still under construction.

    'My husband and I still lived with his parents in Bedok, and checked in here only on weekends. We bought our groceries from Bedok along with us.'

    She adds that the blocks opposite them were empty and dark at night.

    Now, though, things are different. The family moved in permanently in 1999. Husband Vincent Ong, 45, a manager in the freight-forwading industry who is currently on business overseas, drives to work when he is back home.

    Ms Koh works at Nan Chiau Primary School, a mere 15-minute walk away, and older son Howard studies there, while Harry attends a nearby kindergarten.

    She adds: 'It's convenient to go everywhere. There are train stations throughout and if I want to watch a movie, it's just a 25-minute train ride down to Dhoby Ghaut.'

    Bought for $280,000, the Ongs' home is now worth 'close to $400,000', according to Ms Koh.

    Says the contented mother: 'It's fantastic. I'm a very happy resident here.'


    My piece of heaven

    By Andy Chen


    I have a foolproof weapon up my sleeve, if ever I wanted to seek comfort from a pretty, compassionate young thing. It is an even more powerful sob story than 'My wife has left me for another man and taken everything with her, including our lovely daughter and my beloved golden retriever'.

    All I need utter is this: 'I live in Sengkang. Four-room flat. Common corridor window.'

    When I have dared toss this information into a conversation, you would not believe the looks of pity I have received, as if in the great government lucky draw known as the First-time HDB Sale For Married Couples, I have ended up with the booby prize.

    I did not. It's not The Pinnacle in Tanjong Pagar, which is almost literally a million-dollar prize, but it is a decent, breezy home in the north-east for which I paid considerably less than $200,000.

    So don't pity me - I have a roof over my head in my name and I am not deep in debt. Pity the person who does not understand this joke:

    Person to me: 'Where do you live?'

    Me: 'Sengkang.'

    Person: 'Wow, that's so ulu. I don't think I even know where that is.'

    Me: 'Where do you live?'

    Person: 'Jurong.'

    What a punchline, I think to myself. Isn't Jurong closer to the Causeway than to Centrepoint?

    But the Jurong resident fails to see the joke. I've even had the same conversation with people living in Bukit Batok, and they, too, miss the punchline.

    Come on, Bukit Batok? That's like the part of Singapore that rhymes with the latter half of its name (think derriere). The last time I went near there from town via the north-south line followed by a transfer to the LRT, it took me nearly two hours and gave me a mild shock when I realised I didn't carry my passport.

    Some perspective is needed here. The MRT takes you from Jurong to town in about 45 minutes. The train on the North-East Line reaches Dhoby Ghaut from Sengkang in 25 to 30 minutes. So, which really is the boondocks?

    Moreover, buses from Sengkang go to the north and east in 15 to 25 minutes, in case you want to visit friends and family living in many mature estates in those parts of Singapore.

    If you drive, the Tampines Expressway (TPE) runs along Sengkang's backyard, while the Central Expressway (CTE) is just 10 minutes' drive away.

    After having lived in Pasir Ris (right next to the Pandemic Hilton, aka the Aloha Loyang chalets,) and Marsiling, I gladly moved to Sengkang in 2001 shortly after marriage, welcoming its shorter distance to town and the quiet that is sorely missing from those mature estates.

    Maturity and a sizeable population bring amenities to a neighbourhood, but also more mess, more noise and more opportunities for friction with one's neighbours.

    My part of Sengkang is serene by 6pm. You won't enjoy the same peace in Pasir Ris and Marsiling until around 10pm.

    And it's not like we Sengkangers need to hoard food and necessities at home as if it were wartime. There are minimarts and coffeeshops throughout the estate.

    We just don't have a lot of options when, for example, the nearest coffeeshop's chicken rice tastes nothing like either chicken or rice (real story, but the guy has since gone out of business, what a surprise).

    We also don't have a cineplex at the biggest mall here, Compass Point, which is regrettable.

    But with the cheaper flat prices due to the area's unpopularity, hey, I can afford to spend those savings on a ear-busting, eye-popping home entertainment system. My wife and I even managed to finish paying the HDB loan within five years of getting the keys to our flat.

    If that's not incentive enough for you to live in Sengkang in this tough economic climate, then perhaps you really need a kick up the Bukit Batok, if you get my drift.

    [email protected]
    Last edited by mr funny; 19-10-09 at 18:04.

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