Welcome to Tampines-Simei Town
Bedok | Pasir Ris
Historical Origins
The word "Tampines" is derived from the old Malay name of a valuable timber tree
growing in the area. Formerly spelt as "Tampinis", it was romanised later to "Tampines".
The Tampines tree
was in great demand in the early days as it provided a strong and durable ironwood timber.
Sadly, due to the lack of forest conservation, the strong demand for this timber almost made
the tree extinct by the early eighties; and the timber trade that flourished in the early days
has since been exhausted.
Location and Layout
Tampines New Town is located in the Eastern Region of Singapore.
It is bounded by the Tampines Expressway and Pan-Island Expressway to the north; Changi Airport to the east;
Bedok Canal and the sea to the south and southeast and Tampines Ave 10 to the West.
Simei Town lies to the south-east of Tampines New Town; the URA considers Simei
to be a sub-zone of the Tampines Planning Area. Other sub-zones are Tampines
North, Tampines East and Tampines West.
Interestingly, Tampines New Town and Simei Town are served by two different town councils -
namely, the Tampines Town Council
and the East Coast Town Council.
Transport Facilites
Tampines New Town and Simei Town are served by Tampines MRT station and Simei
MRT respectively. There are plans for a Rapid Transit Line to serve the Eastern
Region of Singapore. This new rail line will complement the
existing East-West MRT Line and provide better accessibility between the eastern
and central regions.
Housing Options
In 1991, Tampines New Town won the
prestigious United Nations World Habitat Award in recognition of its contributions in resolving the housing development situation
and achieving an excellent housing standard.
It was in Tampines that prefabrication technology was first used on a large scale. This has allowed design variations to be made to
the apartment block facade. The resulting design innovations, such as the wave-like precast facade of some apartment blocks in Neighbourhood 2,
have become distinctive landmarks in the town.
With more housing being planned around Simei MRT station, aspiring home buyers will soon enjoy greater transport convenience. The
East Coast Town Council provides a
detailed breakdown of the residential units around Simei Road, Simei Street 1, Simei Street 3 and Simei Street 4.
Town Amenities & Attractions
Tampines New Town is well-endowed with a a whole range of facilities
including commercial centres, community centres, hospitals and sports complexes.
Tampines Regional Centre is a major business and employment hub in the region. Two major shopping centres located in Tampines Central include
Tampines Mall and the adjacent
Century Square.
Another neighbourhood shopping centre, Tampines Mart,
is frequently packed with residents shopping for groceries and daily necessities.
At Tampines Central Community Complex, which is the first development to have a community club integrated with a commercial centre,
town residents can play, shop and dine all under one roof. The complex is located at Tampines Street 83.
A new community hospital has recently been introduced at Simei. The St Andrew's Mission Hospital
has a total of 200 beds, complementing the nearby Changi General Hospital.
Two major parks have been proposed for the Tampines area, in line with the Parks & Waterbodies Plan.
The 14 ha Tampines Quarry Park, ajoining the neighbouring Bedok Reservoir Par, showcases the rustic
setting of the area and its beautiful waterfronts allow residents to come close to the water's edge.
The 5 ha Tampines Linear Park, creates a distinctive green entrance leading into Tampines New Town,
and is intended to serve residents from the nearby housing estates.
For the sporty and health conscious, the
Tampines Sports Complex consists of the Tampines Swimming Complex, Tampines Stadium and Tampines Sports Hall.
More sports facilities like badminton courts, basketball court, tennis courts, swmming pool, squash courts,
billard room, bowling center and megagym are available at the Tampines SAFRA Club.
Schools
Apart from the premier tertiary institution Temasek Polytechnic,
a new ITE Regional Campus will be ready by 2005. Located along Upper Changi Road East close to Singapore Expo,
it will cater to about 7200 students.
Quality schools in the Tampines-Simei area include...
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